Parallel Bible results for "ezekiel 18"

Ezekiel 18

New Revised Standard NRS

1 The word of the Lord came to me:

2 What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, "The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge"?

3 As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel.

4 Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die.

5 If a man is righteous and does what is lawful and right—

6 if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period,

7 does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment,

8 does not take advance or accrued interest, withholds his hand from iniquity, executes true justice between contending parties,

9 follows my statutes, and is careful to observe my ordinances, acting faithfully—such a one is righteous; he shall surely live, says the Lord God.

10 If he has a son who is violent, a shedder of blood,

11 who does any of these things (though his father does none of them), who eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor's wife,

12 oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore the pledge, lifts up his eyes to the idols, commits abomination,

13 takes advance or accrued interest; shall he then live? He shall not. He has done all these abominable things; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself.

14 But if this man has a son who sees all the sins that his father has done, considers, and does not do likewise,

15 who does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife,

16 does not wrong anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment,

17 withholds his hand from iniquity, takes no advance or accrued interest, observes my ordinances, and follows my statutes; he shall not die for his father's iniquity; he shall surely live.

18 As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, he dies for his iniquity.

19 Yet you say, "Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?" When the son has done what is lawful and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live.

20 The person who sins shall die. A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own.

21 But if the wicked turn away from all their sins that they have committed and keep all my statutes and do what is lawful and right, they shall surely live; they shall not die.

22 None of the transgressions that they have committed shall be remembered against them; for the righteousness that they have done they shall live.

23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, and not rather that they should turn from their ways and live?

24 But when the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity and do the same abominable things that the wicked do, shall they live? None of the righteous deeds that they have done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which they are guilty and the sin they have committed, they shall die.

25 Yet you say, "The way of the Lord is unfair." Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?

26 When the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity, they shall die for it; for the iniquity that they have committed they shall die.

27 Again, when the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their life.

28 Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live; they shall not die.

29 Yet the house of Israel says, "The way of the Lord is unfair." O house of Israel, are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?

30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin.

31 Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel?

32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, and live.

The Message Bible MSG

1 God's Message to me:

2 "What do you people mean by going around the country repeating the saying, The parents ate green apples, The children got stomachache?

3 "As sure as I'm the living God, you're not going to repeat this saying in Israel any longer.

4 Every soul - man, woman, child - belongs to me, parent and child alike. You die for your own sin, not another's.

5 "Imagine a person who lives well, treating others fairly, keeping good relationships -

6 doesn't eat at the pagan shrines, doesn't worship the idols so popular in Israel, doesn't seduce a neighbor's spouse, doesn't indulge in casual sex,

7 doesn't bully anyone, doesn't pile up bad debts, doesn't steal, doesn't refuse food to the hungry, doesn't refuse clothing to the ill-clad,

8 doesn't exploit the poor, doesn't live by impulse and greed, doesn't treat one person better than another,

9 But lives by my statutes and faithfully honors and obeys my laws. This person who lives upright and well shall live a full and true life. Decree of God, the Master.

10 "But if this person has a child who turns violent and murders and goes off and does any of these things,

11 even though the parent has done none of them - eats at the pagan shrines, seduces his neighbor's spouse,

12 bullies the weak, steals, piles up bad debts, admires idols, commits outrageous obscenities,

13 exploits the poor " - do you think this person, the child, will live? Not a chance! Because he's done all these vile things, he'll die. And his death will be his own fault.

14 "Now look: Suppose that this child has a child who sees all the sins done by his parent. The child sees them, but doesn't follow in the parent's footsteps -

15 doesn't eat at the pagan shrines, doesn't worship the popular idols of Israel, doesn't seduce his neighbor's spouse,

16 doesn't bully anyone, doesn't refuse to loan money, doesn't steal, doesn't refuse food to the hungry, doesn't refuse to give clothes to the ill-clad,

17 doesn't live by impulse and greed, doesn't exploit the poor. He does what I say; he performs my laws and lives by my statutes.

18 But the parent will die for what the parent did, for the sins of - oppressing the weak, robbing brothers and sisters, doing what is dead wrong in the community.

19 "Do you need to ask, 'So why does the child not share the guilt of the parent?'

20 The soul that sins is the soul that dies. The child does not share the guilt of the parent, nor the parent the guilt of the child. If you live upright and well, you get the credit; if you live a wicked life, you're guilty as charged.

21 "But a wicked person who turns his back on that life of sin and keeps all my statutes, living a just and righteous life, he'll live, really live. He won't die.

22 I won't keep a list of all the things he did wrong. He will live.

23 Do you think I take any pleasure in the death of wicked men and women? Isn't it my pleasure that they turn around, no longer living wrong but living right - really living?

24 "The same thing goes for a good person who turns his back on an upright life and starts sinning, plunging into the same vile obscenities that the wicked person practices. Will this person live? I don't keep a list of all the things this person did right, like money in the bank he can draw on. Because of his defection, because he accumulates sin, he'll die.

25 "Do I hear you saying, 'That's not fair! God's not fair!'?

26 If a good person turns away from his good life and takes up sinning, he'll die for it. He'll die for his own sin.

27 Likewise, if a bad person turns away from his bad life and starts living a good life, a fair life, he will save his life.

28 Because he faces up to all the wrongs he's committed and puts them behind him, he will live, really live. He won't die.

29 "And yet Israel keeps on whining, 'That's not fair! God's not fair.' "I'm not fair, Israel? You're the ones who aren't fair.

30 "The upshot is this, Israel: I'll judge each of you according to the way you live. So turn around! Turn your backs on your rebellious living so that sin won't drag you down.

31 Clean house. No more rebellions, please. Get a new heart! Get a new spirit! Why would you choose to die, Israel?

32 I take no pleasure in anyone's death. Decree of God, the Master. "Make a clean break! Live!"