CHAPTER 18

1 Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,

2 What mean you by using this proverb ³⁴³³⁴³     Saying or apothegm; vol. 2, p. 213, note. about the land of Israel, Saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge?

3 As I live, says the Lord Jehovah, You shall not hereafter Use this proverb any more in Israel.

4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, So the soul of the son is mine. The soul which has sinned shall die itself.

5 But if a man have been just, and done judgment and justice,

6 And have neither eaten upon the mountains, nor raised his eyes To the idols of the house of Israel, and have not polluted His neighbor’s wife, nor approached a female when separated;

7 If he have not afflicted any one, and have restored to the debtor his pledge, Have not seized the prey, have given his bread to the hungry, And have covered the naked with a garment:

8 Have not given upon usury, and have taken no increase, Have withdrawn his hand from iniquity, And have done justice faithfully between man and man;

9 Have walked in my statutes, and kept my judgments, to do the truth ³⁴⁴³⁴⁴     Conduct himself faithfully; vol. 2, p. 219, note. He is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord Jehovah.

10 But if he beget a son, who is a robber and a shedder of blood, And who doeth to his brother ³⁴⁵³⁴⁵     See vol. 2, p. 231, note. any one of these things,

11 And has not done all these precepts of the law, But has eaten on the mountains, and defiled his neighbor’s wife;

12 Has oppressed the poor and needy, has spoiled by violence, Has not restored the pledge, has lifted up his eyes unto idols;

13 Has done abomination, has given on usury and taken increase; Shall he live? He shall not live; he has done all these abominations; He shall surely die: his blood shall be on him.

14 And lo! if he beget a son, and he see all the wickedness which his father has committed, And feared, and hath not done according to them;

15 Has not eaten upon the mountains, and has not raised his eyes To the idols of the house of Israel, and has not defiled his neighbor’s wife; Hath oppressed no one, has not taken a pledge,

16 Hath not spoiled by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, And has covered the naked with a garment;

17 Has withdrawn his hand from the poor, Has not received increase and usury, has done my judgments, Has walked in my decrees; he shall not die Through the ]iniquity of his father; he shall surely live.

18 His father, — because by oppressing he has oppressed, And has snatched the prey from his brother, And has done that which is not good in the midst of the people, — Behold, he shall die in his iniquity.

19 And you say, Why? shall not the son bear his father’s iniquity? Because the son has done judgment and justice, And has kept all my statutes and has done them, Therefore shall he surely live.

20 The soul which has sinned, that shall die. The son shall not bear the father’s iniquity, And the father shall not bear the son’s iniquity; The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, And the impiety of the impious shall be upon him.

21 Then, if the wicked man shall withdraw from all the wickedness which he has done, And have kept all my sayings, and have done justice and judgement, He shall surely live — he shall not die.

22 All the transgressions which he has committed Shall not come into memory to him; But in his righteousness; which he has done shall he live.

23 Do I earnestly desire the death of the wicked, says the Lord Jehovah? Do I not desire that he turn from his evil ways and live?

24 Then, if a just man turn aside from his justice, And do iniquity, according to all the abominations Which the wicked man has done, shall he live? All his righteous deeds shall not come into remembrance? ³⁴⁶³⁴⁶     See vol. 2, p. 249, note. In the transgression which he has transgressed, And in the wickedness which he has wickedly done, In them shall he die — yet you have said —

25 The way of the Lord is not upright. Hear you then, O house of Israel, is not my way upright? Are not your ways perverse? ³⁴⁷³⁴⁷     Accurately balanced: vol. 2, p. 252, note.

26 If the just man has turned aside from his justice, And has done iniquity, and has died in it, In his own iniquity which he has committed shall he die.

27 And if the wicked man has turned aside from the wickedness which he has done, And has done judgment and justice, he shall preserve his soul alive. ³⁴⁸³⁴⁸     See vol. 2, p. 256, note.

28 Then, if he have seen and have turned away from all the wickedness Which he has done, he shall surely live — he shall not die.

29 Yet, the house of Israel have said, The way of the Lord is not upright. Are not my ways upright, O house of Israel? Are not your ways perverse?

30 Wherefore I will judge each of you according to his ways, O house of Israel, says the Lord Jehovah. Turn you, and depart from all your transgressions, And let not iniquity be your snare.

31 Cast away from you all your iniquities whereby you have transgressed; And make you a new heart and a new spirit: For why will you die, O house of Israel?

32 Since I do not delight in the death of the dying, Says the Lord Jehovah — wherefore turn you, and live.