Ezekiel 18:4–20

4 “Behold, aall 1souls are Mine; the 2soul of the father as well as the 2soul of the son is Mine. The 3soul who bsins will die.

5 “But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness,

6 and does not aeat at the mountain shrines or blift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or cdefile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period—

7 if a man does not oppress anyone, but arestores to the debtor his pledge, bdoes not commit robbery, but cgives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing,

8 if he does not lend money on ainterest or take bincrease, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and cexecutes true justice between man and man,

9 if he walks in aMy statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully—bhe is righteous and will surely clive,” declares the Lord God.

10 “Then he may 1have a violent son who sheds blood and who does any of these things to a brother

11 (though he himself did not do any of these things), that is, he even eats at the mountain shrines, and adefiles his neighbor’s wife,

12 oppresses the apoor and needy, bcommits robbery, does not restore a pledge, but lifts up his eyes to the idols and ccommits abomination,

13 he alends money on interest and takes increase; will he live? He will not live! He has committed all these abominations, he will surely be put to death; his bblood will be 1on his own head.

14 “Now behold, he 1has a son who has observed all his father’s sins which he committed, and aobserving does not do likewise.

15 “He does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife,

16 or oppress anyone, or retain a pledge, or commit robbery, but he agives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing,

17 he keeps his hand from 1the poor, does not take interest or increase, but executes My ordinances, and walks in My statutes; ahe will not die for his father’s iniquity, he will surely live.

18 “As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was not good among his people, behold, he will die for his iniquity.

19 “Yet you say, ‘aWhy should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ When the son has practiced bjustice and righteousness and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live.

20 “The person who asins will die. The bson will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the crighteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.