Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What is the meaning?
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The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,
2 That you use among you this parable as a proverb in the land of Israel, saying: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.
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"What do you mean when you use this proverb about the land of Israel: 'Fathers have eaten sour grapes, and their children's teeth are set on edge'?
3 As I live, saith the Lord God, this parable shall be no more to you a proverb in Israel.
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As I live, declares the Almighty LORD, you will no longer use this proverb in Israel.
4 Behold all souls are mine: as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, the same shall die.
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The life of every person belongs to me. Fathers and their children belong to me. The person who sins will die.
5 And if a man be just, and do judgment and justice,
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"Suppose a righteous person does what is fair and right.
6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel: and hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife, nor come near to a menstruous woman:
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He doesn't eat at the illegal mountain worship sites or look for help from the idols of the nation of Israel. He doesn't dishonor his neighbor's wife or have sexual intercourse with a woman while she is having her period.
7 And hath not wronged any man: but hath restored the pledge to the debtor, hath taken nothing away by violence: hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment:
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He doesn't oppress anyone. He returns what a borrower gives him as security for a loan. He doesn't rob anyone. He gives food to people who are hungry, and he gives clothes to those who are naked.
8 Hath not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase: hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and hath executed true judgment between man and man:
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He doesn't lend money for interest or make an excessive profit. He refuses to do evil things, and he judges everyone fairly.
9 Hath walked in my commandments, and kept my judgments, to do truth: he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.
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He lives by my rules and obeys my laws faithfully. This person is righteous. He will certainly live," declares the Almighty LORD.
10 And if he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that hath done some one of these things:
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"But suppose this person has a son who robs and murders. The son does all the things
11 Though he doth not all these things, but that eateth upon the mountains, and that defileth his neighbour’s wife:
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that his father never did. He eats at the illegal mountain worship sites. He dishonors his neighbor's wife.
12 That grieveth the needy and the poor, that taketh away by violence, that restoreth not the pledge, and that lifteth up his eyes to idols, that comitteth abomination:
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He oppresses the poor and needy. He robs. He doesn't return the security for a loan. He looks to idols for help. He does disgusting things.
13 That giveth upon usury, and that taketh an increase: shall such a one live? he shall not live. Seeing he hath done all these detestable things, he shall surely die, his blood shall be upon him.
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He lends money for interest and makes excessive profits. Will this person live? He will not live. He has done all these disgusting things. So he must die, and he will be responsible for his own death.
14 But if he beget a son, who, seeing all his father’s sins, which he hath done, is afraid, and shall not do the like to them:
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"But suppose this person has a son. The son sees all the sins that his father does. He is afraid, so he doesn't do such things.
15 That hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife:
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He doesn't eat at the illegal mountain worship sites or look for help from the idols of the nation of Israel. He doesn't dishonor his neighbor's wife.
16 And hath not grieved any man, nor withholden the pledge, nor taken away with violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and covered the naked with a garment:
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He doesn't oppress anyone. He doesn't keep the security for a loan. He doesn't rob anyone. He gives food to people who are hungry, and he gives clothes to those who are naked.
17 That hath turned away his hand from injuring the poor, hath not taken usury and increase, but hath executed my judgments, and hath walked in my commandments: this man shall not die for the iniquity of his father, but living he shall live.
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He refuses to hurt the poor. He doesn't charge interest or make excessive profits. He obeys my rules and lives by my laws. He won't die for his father's sins. He will certainly live.
18 As for his father, because he oppressed and offered violence to his brother, and wrought evil in the midst of his people, behold he is dead in his own iniquity.
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But his father has oppressed others, robbed his relative, and done what is wrong among his people. So the father will die because of his sin.
19 And you say: Why hath not the son borne the iniquity of his father? Verily, because the son hath wrought judgment and justice, hath kept all my commandments, and done them, living, he shall live.
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"But you ask, 'Why isn't the son punished for his father's sin?' It is because the son has done what is fair and right. He obeyed my rules and followed them. He will certainly live.
20 The soul that sinneth, the same shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son: the justice of the just shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
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The person who sins will die. A son will not be punished for his father's sins, and a father will not be punished for his son's sins. The righteousness of the righteous person will be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked person will be his own.
21 But if the wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my commandments, and do judgment, and justice, living he shall live, and shall not die.
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"But suppose a wicked person turns away from all the sins that he has done. He obeys all my laws and does what is fair and right. He will certainly live. He will not die.
22 I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done: in his justice which he hath wrought, he shall live.
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All the rebellious things that he did will not be remembered. He will live because of the right things that he did.
23 Is it my will that a sinner should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways, and live?
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I don't want wicked people to die." declares the Almighty LORD. "I want them to turn from their evil ways and live.
24 But if the just man turn himself away from his justice, and do iniquity according to all the abominations which the wicked man useth to work, shall he live? all his justices which he hath done, shall not be remembered: in the prevarication, by which he hath prevaricated, and in his sin, which he hath committed, in them he shall die.
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"But suppose a righteous person turns away from doing right and he does evil things. He does all the disgusting things that the wicked person did. Will he live? All the right things that he has done will not be remembered because of his unfaithfulness and because of his sin. He will die because of them.
25 And you have said: The way of the Lord is not right. Hear ye, therefore, O house of Israel: Is it my way that is not right, and are not rather your ways perverse?
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"But you say, 'The Lord's way is unfair.' Listen, nation of Israel, isn't my way fair? Isn't it your ways that are unfair?
26 For when the just turneth himself away from his justice, and comitteth iniquity, he shall die therein: in the injustice that he hath wrought he shall die.
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When a righteous person turns away from doing right and does evil things, he will die. He will die because of the evil things he has done.
27 And when the wicked turneth himself away from his wickedness, which he hath wrought, and doeth judgment, and justice: he shall save his soul alive.
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When a wicked person turns away from the wicked things that he has done and does what is fair and right, he will live.
28 Because he considereth and turneth away himself from all his iniquities which he hath wrought, he shall surely live, and not die.
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He realized what he was doing and turned away from all the rebellious things that he had done. He will certainly live. He will not die.
29 And the children of Israel say: The way of the Lord is not right. Are not my ways right, O house of Israel, and are not rather your ways perverse?
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"But the nation of Israel says, 'The Lord's way is unfair.' Isn't my way fair, nation of Israel? Isn't it your ways that are unfair?
30 Therefore will I judge every man according to his ways, O house of Israel, saith the Lord God. Be converted, and do penance for all your iniquities: and iniquity shall not be your ruin.
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"That is why I will judge each of you by what you have done, people of Israel," declares the Almighty LORD. "Change the way you think and act. Turn away from all the rebellious things that you have done so that you will not fall into sin.
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, by which you have transgressed, and make to yourselves a new heart, and a new spirit: and why will you die, O house of Israel?
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Stop all the rebellious things that you are doing. Get yourselves new hearts and new spirits. Why do you want to die, nation of Israel?
32 For I desire not the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God, return ye and live.
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I don't want anyone to die," declares the Almighty LORD. "Change the way you think and act!"