And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What is the meaning?

Et factus est sermo Domini ad me, dicens:

Word came to me from the Lord: Strange,

That you use among you this parable as a proverb in the land of Israel, saying: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.

Quid est quod inter vos parabolam vertitis in proverbium istud in terra Israël, dicentes: Patres comederunt uvam acerbam, et dentes filiorum obstupescunt?

that a proverb should be current in Israel, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are being set on edge!

As I live, saith the Lord God, this parable shall be no more to you a proverb in Israel.

Vivo ego, dicit Dominus Deus, si erit ultra vobis parabola hæc in proverbium in Israël.

As I am a living God, the Lord says, this proverb shall be current in Israel no more.

Behold all souls are mine: as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, the same shall die.

Ecce omnes animæ meæ sunt: ut anima patris, ita et anima filii mea est: anima quæ peccaverit, ipsa morietur.

What, is not every soul at my disposal, father and son alike? It is the guilty soul that must die.

And if a man be just, and do judgment and justice,

Et vir si fuerit justus, et fecerit judicium et justitiam,

Is a man loyal to me, does he live innocently and uprightly?

And hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel: and hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife, nor come near to a menstruous woman:

in montibus non comederit, et oculos suos non levaverit ad idola domus Israël: et uxorem proximi sui non violaverit, et ad mulierem menstruatam non accesserit:

Is he one who never feasted at mountain-shrines, or looked for help to the false gods that are worshipped in Israel; never came between his neighbour’s sheets or had commerce with a woman when she was defiled?

And hath not wronged any man: but hath restored the pledge to the debtor, hath taken nothing away by violence: hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment:

et hominem non contristaverit, pignus debitori reddiderit, per vim nihil rapuerit: panem suum esurienti dederit, et nudum operuerit vestimento:

Does he keep clear of oppression, giving back the pledge he took from his neighbour, and seizing nothing by violence? Does he feed the hungry, clothe the naked?

Hath not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase: hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and hath executed true judgment between man and man:

ad usuram non commodaverit, et amplius non acceperit: ab iniquitate averterit manum suam, et judicium verum fecerit inter virum et virum:

Does he shun usury and extortion? Does he refuse the bribe, and judge honestly between man and man?

Hath walked in my commandments, and kept my judgments, to do truth: he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.

in præceptis meis ambulaverit, et judicia mea custodierit, ut faciat veritatem: hic justus est; vita vivet, ait Dominus Deus.

Does he follow my commandments, hold fast to my ordinances, as a true man should? Here is a loyal servant of mine; life for him, he shall live on, says the Lord God.

And if he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that hath done some one of these things:

Quod si genuerit filium latronem, effundentem sanguinem, et fecerit unum de istis:

But now, what if son he begets that is a man of violence, a murderer; lends himself to any of those practices

Though he doth not all these things, but that eateth upon the mountains, and that defileth his neighbour’s wife:

et hæc quidem omnia non facientem, sed in montibus comedentem, et uxorem proximi sui polluentem:

which his father ever shunned? At hill-shrine eats he, neighbour’s wife wrongs he,

That grieveth the needy and the poor, that taketh away by violence, that restoreth not the pledge, and that lifteth up his eyes to idols, that comitteth abomination:

egenum et pauperem contristantem, rapientem rapinas, pignus non reddentem, et ad idola levantem oculos suos, abominationem facientem:

the friendless poor oppresses; gets him ill gains, withholds the pledge, betakes himself to false god and foul rite;

That giveth upon usury, and that taketh an increase: shall such a one live? he shall not live. Seeing he hath done all these detestable things, he shall surely die, his blood shall be upon him.

ad usuram dantem, et amplius accipientem: numquid vivet? Non vivet: cum universa hæc detestanda fecerit, morte morietur; sanguis ejus in ipso erit.

a usurer besides and an extortioner. Shall he live on? Nay, no life for him; he must die the death his foul crimes have earned him.

But if he beget a son, who, seeing all his father’s sins, which he hath done, is afraid, and shall not do the like to them:

Quod si genuerit filium, qui videns omnia peccata patris sui quæ fecit, timuerit, et non fecerit simile eis:

Son of his, in turn, warned by such a father’s doom, forswears that ill example.

That hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife:

super montes non comederit, et oculos suos non levaverit ad idola domus Israël, et uxorem proximi sui non violaverit:

Not for him the hill-feast, the false gods of the country-side, the adulterous bed;

And hath not grieved any man, nor withholden the pledge, nor taken away with violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and covered the naked with a garment:

et virum non contristaverit, pignus non retinuerit, et rapinam non rapuerit: panem suum esurienti dederit, et nudum operuerit vestimento:

never a wrong done, a pledge withheld, gain dishonestly come by; feeds he the hungry, clothes the naked,

That hath turned away his hand from injuring the poor, hath not taken usury and increase, but hath executed my judgments, and hath walked in my commandments: this man shall not die for the iniquity of his father, but living he shall live.

a pauperis injuria averterit manum suam, usuram et superabundantiam non acceperit, judicia mea fecerit, in præceptis meis ambulaverit: hic non morietur in iniquitate patris sui, sed vita vivet.

and keeps clear of oppression, and usury, and extortion; what of him? Doer of my will, keeper of my law, he shall not die for his father’s sins; he shall live on.

As for his father, because he oppressed and offered violence to his brother, and wrought evil in the midst of his people, behold he is dead in his own iniquity.

Pater ejus, quia calumniatus est, et vim fecit fratri, et malum operatus est in medio populi sui, ecce mortuus est in iniquitate sua.

His father, a man of wrong and violence, that deserved ill of his countrymen, has paid for his guilt by death;

And you say: Why hath not the son borne the iniquity of his father? Verily, because the son hath wrought judgment and justice, hath kept all my commandments, and done them, living, he shall live.

Et dicitis: Quare non portavit filius iniquitatem patris? Videlicet quia filius judicium et justitiam operatus est, omnia præcepta mea custodivit, et fecit illa, vivet vita.

would you have the son, too, make amends for it? Nay, but here is a man upright and honest, that holds fast by decrees of mine and obeys them; he must live on.

The soul that sinneth, the same shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son: the justice of the just shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

Anima quæ peccaverit, ipsa morietur: filius non portabit iniquitatem patris, et pater non portabit iniquitatem filii: justitia justi super eum erit, et impietas impii erit super eum.

It is the guilty soul that must die; not for the son the father’s punishment, not for the father the son’s; good shall befall the good, evil the evil.

But if the wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my commandments, and do judgment, and justice, living he shall live, and shall not die.

Si autem impius egerit pœnitentiam ab omnibus peccatis suis quæ operatus est, et custodierit omnia præcepta mea, et fecerit judicium et justitiam, vita vivet, et non morietur.

It may be the wicked man will repent of all his sinful deeds, and learn to keep my commandments, and live honestly and uprightly; if so, he shall live on; life, not death, for him.

I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done: in his justice which he hath wrought, he shall live.

Omnium iniquitatum ejus quas operatus est, non recordabor: in justitia sua quam operatus est, vivet.

All his transgressions shall be forgotten, and his uprightness shall bring him life.

Is it my will that a sinner should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways, and live?

Numquid voluntatis meæ est mors impii, dicit Dominus Deus, et non ut convertatur a viis suis, et vivat?

What pleasure should I find in the death of a sinner, the Lord God says, when he might have turned back from his evil ways, and found life instead?

But if the just man turn himself away from his justice, and do iniquity according to all the abominations which the wicked man useth to work, shall he live? all his justices which he hath done, shall not be remembered: in the prevarication, by which he hath prevaricated, and in his sin, which he hath committed, in them he shall die.

Si autem averterit se justus a justitia sua, et fecerit iniquitatem secundum omnes abominationes quas operari solet impius, numquid vivet? Omnes justitiæ ejus quas fecerat, non recordabuntur: in prævaricatione qua prævaricatus est, et in peccato suo quod peccavit, in ipsis morietur.

It may be the innocent man will lose his innocence, and begin to live as foul a life as that other in his wickedness; if so, shall he be spared? No, all his upright life shall be forgotten; a traitor, shall he not die in his treachery, a sinner in his sins?

And you have said: The way of the Lord is not right. Hear ye, therefore, O house of Israel: Is it my way that is not right, and are not rather your ways perverse?

Et dixistis: Non est æqua via Domini! Audite ergo, domus Israël: numquid via mea non est æqua, et non magis viæ vestræ pravæ sunt?

And yet you say, The Lord is inconsiderate in his dealings! Listen, sons of Israel; it is your dealings that are inconsiderate, not mine.

For when the just turneth himself away from his justice, and committeth iniquity, he shall die therein: in the injustice that he hath wrought he shall die.

Cum enim averterit se justus a justitia sua, et fecerit iniquitatem, morietur in eis: in injustitia quam operatus est morietur.

The innocent man loses his innocence, and lives amiss; it is death I deal to him; he dies for his guilty deeds.

And when the wicked turneth himself away from his wickedness, which he hath wrought, and doeth judgment, and justice: he shall save his soul alive.

Et cum averterit se impius ab impietate sua quam operatus est, et fecerit judicium et justitiam, ipse animam suam vivificabit:

The wicked man abandons his wicked ways, and learns to live honestly and uprightly; he wins life by it.

Because he considereth and turneth away himself from all his iniquities which he hath wrought, he shall surely live, and not die.

considerans enim, et avertens se ab omnibus iniquitatibus suis quas operatus est, vita vivet, et non morietur.

He bethinks himself, and turns away from his evil doings; there is life, not death, for him.

And the children of Israel say: The way of the Lord is not right. Are not my ways right, O house of Israel, and are not rather your ways perverse?

Et dicunt filii Israël: Non est æqua via Domini! Numquid viæ meæ non sunt æquæ, domus Israël, et non magis viæ vestræ pravæ?

What, should the sons of Israel hold the Lord inconsiderate? It is you who are inconsiderate, men of Israel, not he.

Therefore will I judge every man according to his ways, O house of Israel, saith the Lord God. Be converted, and do penance for all your iniquities: and iniquity shall not be your ruin.

Idcirco unumquemque juxta vias suas judicabo, domus Israël, ait Dominus Deus. Convertimini, et agite pœnitentiam ab omnibus iniquitatibus vestris, et non erit vobis in ruinam iniquitas.

Each by his own life you shall be judged, men of Israel, the Lord God says. Come back, and make amends for all this guilt of yours, that shall else be your undoing;

Cast away from you all your transgressions, by which you have transgressed, and make to yourselves a new heart, and a new spirit: and why will you die, O house of Israel?

Projicite a vobis omnes prævaricationes vestras in quibus prævaricati estis, et facite vobis cor novum, et spiritum novum: et quare moriemini, domus Israël?

away with them, your defiant rebellions against me; a new heart, a new spirit! Why must you choose death, men of Israel?

For I desire not the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God, return ye and live.

Quia nolo mortem morientis, dicit Dominus Deus: revertimini, et vivite.

Die who will, his death is none of my contriving, says the Lord God; come back to me, and live!