Ezekiel 18
The Soul Who Sins Shall Die
The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “What do you mean aby repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, b‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? 3 aAs I live, declares the Lord God, bthis proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: athe soul who sins shall die.
5 “If a man is righteous and does awhat is just and right— 6 if he adoes not eat upon the mountains or blift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, cdoes not defile his neighbor’s wife dor approach ea woman in her time of menstrual impurity, 7 adoes not oppress anyone, but brestores to the debtor his pledge, ccommits no robbery, dgives his bread to the hungry dand covers the naked with a garment, 8 adoes not lend at interest aor take any profit, withholds his hand from injustice, bexecutes true justice between man and man, 9 awalks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting faithfully—he is righteous; bhe shall surely live, declares the Lord God.
10 “If he fathers a son who is violent, aa shedder of blood, who does any of these things 11 (though he himself did none of these things), awho even eats upon the mountains, bdefiles his neighbor’s wife, 12 oppresses the poor and needy, acommits robbery, adoes not restore the pledge, blifts up his eyes to the idols, ccommits abomination, 13 alends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; bhis blood shall be upon himself.
14 “Now suppose this man fathers a son who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do likewise: 15 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, 16 does not oppress anyone, aexacts no pledge, bcommits no robbery, cbut gives his bread to the hungry cand covers the naked with a garment, 17 withholds his hand from iniquity, takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, aand walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father’s iniquity; bhe shall surely live. 18 As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, abehold, he shall die for his iniquity.
19 “Yet you say, a‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done bwhat is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, che shall surely live. 20 aThe soul who sins shall die. bThe son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. cThe righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, dand the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
21 a“But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does bwhat is just and right, che shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 aNone of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. 23 aHave I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? 24 aBut when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? bNone of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for cthe treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.
25 a“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? 26 aWhen a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. 27 Again, awhen a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. 28 Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?
30 “Therefore aI will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. bRepent and turn from all your transgressions, clest iniquity be your ruin. 31 aCast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and bmake yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! cWhy will you die, O house of Israel? 32 aFor I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; bso turn, and live.”
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.