1 Og Herrens ord kom til mig, og det lød så:
2 Hvorledes kan I bruke dette ordsprog i Israels land: Fedrene eter sure druer, og barnas tenner blir såre?
3 Så sant jeg lever, sier Herren, Israels Gud, I skal ikke mere bruke dette ordsprog i Israel.
4 Se, alle sjeler hører mig til, både farens sjel og sønnens sjel; mig hører de til; den som synder, han skal dø.
5 Og når en mann er rettferdig og gjør rett og rettferdighet,
6 ikke eter [avgudsoffer] på fjellene og ikke løfter sine øine til Israels folks motbydelige avguder og ikke krenker sin næstes hustru og ikke nærmer sig en kvinne når hun er uren,
7 og ikke undertrykker nogen, men lar skyldneren få sitt pant igjen, ikke raner og røver, men gir den hungrige sitt brød og dekker den nakne med klær,
8 ikke låner ut mot rente og ikke tar overmål, holder sin hånd tilbake fra urett, dømmer rett dom mann og mann imellem,
9 følger mine bud og holder mine lover, så han gjør det som rett og godt er - han er rettferdig, han skal visselig leve, sier Herren, Israels Gud.
10 Men får han en sønn som blir en voldsmann, som utøser blod og gjør noget som helst av dette*, / {* det som faren ikke har gjort.}
11 som ikke i noget av dette bærer sig at [som faren har gjort], men endog eter [avgudsoffer] på fjellene og krenker sin næstes hustru,
12 undertrykker den elendige og fattige, raner og røver, ikke gir pantet tilbake, løfter sine øine til de motbydelige avguder, gjør det som vederstyggelig er,
13 låner ut mot rente og tar overmål, skulde så han få leve? Nei, han skal ikke få leve! Alle disse vederstyggeligheter har han gjort; han skal visselig late livet, hans blod skal komme over ham.
14 Men får så han igjen en sønn som ser alle de synder som hans far gjør - ser dem og ikke gjør efter dem,
15 som ikke eter [avgudsoffer] på fjellene og ikke løfter sine øine til Israels folks avguder, ikke krenker sin næstes hustru,
16 ikke undertrykker nogen, ikke tar pant, ikke raner og røver, men gir den hungrige sitt brød og dekker den nakne med klær,
17 ikke forgriper sig på den elendige, ikke tar rente eller overmål, men gjør efter mine lover og følger mine bud, så skal han ikke dø for sin fars misgjernings skyld, han skal visselig få leve.
18 Men hans far, som har gjort voldsgjerninger, ranet og røvet fra sin bror og gjort det som ikke er godt, iblandt sitt folk, se, han skal dø for sin misgjernings skyld.
19 Men I sier: Hvorfor skal ikke sønnen bære farens misgjerning? - Sønnen har jo gjort rett og rettferdighet, alle mine bud har han holdt og gjort efter dem; han skal visselig leve.
20 Den som synder, han skal dø; en sønn skal ikke bære sin fars misgjerning, og en far skal ikke bære sin sønns misgjerning; den rettferdiges rettferdighet skal hvile over ham, og den ugudeliges ugudelighet skal hvile over ham.
21 Men når den ugudelige vender om fra alle de synder han har gjort, og holder alle mine bud og gjør rett og rettferdighet, da skal han visselig leve - han skal ikke dø.
22 Ingen av de overtredelser han har gjort, skal tilregnes ham; for den rettferdighets skyld som han har gjort, skal han leve.
23 Skulde jeg ha behag i den ugudeliges død? sier Herren, Israels Gud - mon ikke heller i at han vender om fra sin vei og lever?
24 Men når en rettferdig vender om fra sin rettferdighet og gjør urett, gjør efter alle de vederstyggeligheter som den ugudelige gjør, skulde han da få leve? Ingen av de rettferdige gjerninger som han har gjort, skal tilregnes ham; for den troløshet han har vist, og for den synd han har gjort, skal han dø.
25 Og I sier: Herrens vei er ikke rett. Hør, du Israels hus! Er ikke min vei rett? Er det ikke eders veier som ikke er rette?
26 Når en rettferdig vender om fra sin rettferdighet og gjør urett, så skal han dø til straff for det; for den urett som han gjør, skal han dø.
27 Og når en ugudelig vender om fra sin ugudelige ferd og gjør rett og rettferdighet, da skal han berge sitt liv.
28 Han så og vendte om fra alle de overtredelser han hadde gjort; han skal visselig leve - han skal ikke dø.
29 Men Israels hus sier: Herrens vei er ikke rett. Er ikke mine veier rette, Israels hus? Er det ikke eders veier som ikke er rette?
30 Derfor vil jeg dømme eder, Israels hus, hver efter hans veier, sier Herren, Israels Gud. Vend om og vend eder bort fra alle eders overtredelser, forat ikke nogen misgjerning skal bli eder til fall!
31 Kast fra eder alle eders overtredelser, som I har forsyndet eder med, og få eder et nytt hjerte og en ny ånd! Hvorfor vil I dø, Israels hus?
32 For jeg har ikke behag i nogens død, sier Herren, Israels Gud; så omvend eder da, og I skal leve!
1 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying,
2 Why do you make use of this saying about the land of Israel, The fathers have been tasting bitter grapes and the children's teeth are on edge?
3 By my life, says the Lord, you will no longer have this saying in Israel.
4 See, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so the soul of the son is mine: death will be the fate of the sinner's soul.
5 But if a man is upright, living rightly and doing righteousness,
6 And has not taken flesh with the blood for food, or given worship to the images of the children of Israel; if he has not had connection with his neighbour's wife, or come near to a woman at the time when she is unclean;
7 And has done no wrong to any, but has given back to the debtor what is his, and has taken no one's goods by force, and has given food to him who was in need of it, and clothing to him who was without it;
8 And has not given his money out at interest or taken great profits, and, turning his hand from evil-doing, has kept faith between man and man,
9 And has been guided by my rules and has kept my laws and done them: he is upright, life will certainly be his, says the Lord.
10 If he has a son who is a thief, a taker of life, who does any of these things,
11 Who has taken flesh with the blood as food, and has had connection with his neighbour's wife,
12 Has done wrong to the poor and to him who is in need, and taken property by force, and has not given back to one in his debt what is his, and has given worship to images and has done disgusting things,
13 And has given out his money at interest and taken great profits: he will certainly not go on living: he has done all these disgusting things: death will certainly be his fate; his blood will be on him.
14 Now if he has a son who sees all his father's sins which he has done, and in fear does not do the same:
15 Who has not taken the flesh with the blood for food, or given worship to the images of the children of Israel, and has not had connection with his neighbour's wife,
16 Or done wrong to any, or taken anything from one in his debt, or taken goods by force, but has given food to him who was in need of it, and clothing to him who was without it;
17 Who has kept his hand from evil-doing and has not taken interest or great profits, who has done my orders and been guided by my rules: he will certainly not be put to death for the evil-doing of his father; life will certainly be his.
18 As for his father, because he was cruel, took goods by force, and did what is not good among his people, truly, death will overtake him in his evil-doing.
19 But you say, Why does not the son undergo punishment for the evil-doing of the father? When the son has done what is ordered and right, and has kept my rules and done them, life will certainly be his.
20 The soul which does sin will be put to death: the son will not be made responsible for the evil-doing of the father, or the father for the evil-doing of the son; the righteousness of the upright will be on himself, and the evil-doing of the evil-doer on himself.
21 But if the evil-doer, turning away from all the sins which he has done, keeps my rules and does what is ordered and right, life will certainly be his; death will not be his fate.
22 Not one of the sins which he has done will be kept in memory against him: in the righteousness which he has done he will have life.
23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the evil-doer? says the Lord: am I not pleased if he is turned from his way so that he may have life?
24 But when the upright man, turning away from his righteousness, does evil, like all the disgusting things which the evil man does, will he have life? Not one of his upright acts will be kept in memory: in the wrong which he has done and in his sin death will overtake him.
25 But you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Give ear, now, O children of Israel; is my way not equal? are not your ways unequal?
26 When the upright man, turning away from his righteousness, does evil, death will overtake him; in the evil which he has done death will overtake him.
27 Again, when the evil-doer, turning away from the evil he has done, does what is ordered and right, he will have life for his soul.
28 Because he had fear and was turned away from all the wrong which he had done, life will certainly be his, death will not be his fate.
29 But still the children of Israel say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O children of Israel, are my ways not equal? are not your ways unequal?
30 For this cause I will be your judge, O children of Israel, judging every man by his ways, says the Lord. Come back and be turned from all your sins; so that they may not be the cause of your falling into evil.
31 Put away all your evil-doing in which you have done sin; and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit: why are you desiring death, O children of Israel?
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him on whom death comes, says the Lord: be turned back then, and have life.