Ezekiel 18

Ezekiel Chapter 18 KJV

1God disalloweth the parable of sour grapes: 5he sheweth his dealing with a just man, 10with the wicked son of a just father, 14and with the just son of a wicked father: 19he declareth that the treatment of both son and father shall be according to their respective deserts: 21and that the wicked, if he repent, shall live; 24but he that revolteth from his righteousness shall die: 25he defendeth the equity of his dealings: 31and exhorteth to repentance.
1 The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying,
2 What 1mean ye, that 2ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The 3fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
3 as I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
4 Behold, 1all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: 2the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
5 ¶ But 1if a man be just, and do athat which is lawful and right,
6 and hath not 1eaten upon the mountains, neither hath 2lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath 3defiled his neighbour's wife, neither 4hath come near to a menstruous woman,
7 And 1hath not oppressed any, but 2hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, 3hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
8 He that 1hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that 2hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, 3hath executed true judgment between man and man,
9 Hath 1walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; 2he is just, 3he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.
10 ¶ If he beget a son that is a arobber, a 1shedder of blood, and bthat doeth the like to any one of these things,
11 And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath 1eaten upon the mountains, and 2defiled his neighbour's wife,
12 Hath 1oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and 2hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, 3hath committed abomination,
13 Hath 1given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; 2he shall surely die; his ablood shall be upon him.
14 ¶ Now, lo, if he beget a son, 1that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and 2considereth, and doeth not such like,
15 that hath not 1eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, 2hath not defiled his neighbour's wife,
16 1Neither hath oppressed any, ahath not withholden the pledge, neither hath 2spoiled by violence, but 3hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,
17 that 1hath taken off his hand from the poor, that 2hath not received usury nor increase, 3hath executed my judgments, 4hath walked in my statutes; 5he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
18 as for his father, 1because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall 2die in his iniquity.
19 ¶ Yet say ye, Why? 1doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.
20 The 1soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
21 But 1if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and 2keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
22 All 1his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not 2be mentioned unto him: 3in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
23 1Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
24 ¶ But 1when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to 2all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? 3All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
25 ¶ Yet ye say, 1The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; 2Is not my way equal? 3are not your ways unequal?
26 1When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
27 Again, 1when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
28 Because 1he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
29 Yet 1saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?
30 Therefore 1I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. 2Repent, and turn ayourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
31 1Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a 2new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
32 For 1I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore 2turn ayourselves, and live ye.
Ezekiel 18