Ezekiel Chapter 18
God hit me up again, saying,
The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,
Why y’all throwing around that saying about Israel, like, "The parents chowed down on sour grapes, and now the kids got some wild teeth"?
What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
As I live, says the Lord God, that saying ain't gonna fly in Israel anymore, fr.
{As} I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have {occasion} any more to use this proverb in Israel.
Listen up, all souls belong to me; the father's soul and the son's soul are both mine: the soul that sins? It's gonna bounce.
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
But if someone’s chill and does what’s right,
But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right, {that...: Heb. judgment and justice}
And hasn’t been snacking on the mountains, hasn’t peeped the idols of Israel, hasn’t messed with his neighbor’s girl, or gotten close to a menstruating woman,
{And} hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,
And hasn’t oppressed anyone, but has given back what he owes, hasn’t flexed with violence, has fed the hungry, and covered the naked,
And hath not oppressed any, {but} hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
He hasn’t charged interest or taken extra, has stepped back from sin, and has kept it real with folks,
He {that} hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, {that} hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
Has walked in my rules and kept my judgments straight-up; he’s just, he’s gonna live, says the Lord God.
Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he {is} just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.
If he has a son who’s a thief, a bloodshedder, and does all this wild stuff,
If he beget a son {that is} a robber, a shedder of blood, and {that} doeth the like to {any} one of these {things}, {robber: or, breaker up of an house} {that doeth...: or, that doeth to his brother besides any of these}
If you ain't doing your duties but are snacking on the mountains and messing with your neighbor's girl, that's mad sus.
And that doeth not any of those {duties}, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife,
You’re out here oppressing the needy, being violent, breaking promises, and worshipping idols? That's just savage.
Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,
If you’re charging interest and profiting off others, you think you’ll live? Nah fam, you’ve done all this crazy stuff; you’re gonna face the music.
Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him. {blood: Heb. bloods}
But if he has a son who sees all the messed up stuff his dad did and chooses to do better, that's a whole different vibe.
Now, lo, {if} he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,
This son ain't munching on the mountains or checking out those idols, and he’s not messing with his neighbor's girl.
{That} hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife,
He’s not oppressing anyone, keeping his promises, and he’s feeding the hungry and covering the naked—straight up goated.
Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, {but} hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment, {hath not...: Heb. hath not pledged the pledge, or, taken to pledge}
This dude is all about helping the poor, not taking advantage, and following my rules; he’s gonna live for sure, no cap.
{That} hath taken off his hand from the poor, {that} hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
As for his dad, he was cruel, violent, and did shady stuff among his people; he’s gonna pay up.
{As for} his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did {that} which {is} not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.
But you’re asking, “Why?” The son isn’t on the hook for the dad’s sins. If he does what’s right and follows my rules, he’s gonna live.
Yet say ye, Why? doth 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.
The soul that sins is gonna face the consequences. The son ain’t absorbing the dad’s sins, and the dad ain't soaking up the son’s. The righteous will get their props, and the wicked will own their mess.
The soul 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.
But if the wicked vibe check and turn from all their sins, keeping my rules and doing what's right, they’ll live for real, no cap.
But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
All the wrongs they’ve done? Let it go. In their good vibes, they’ll live.
All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
Do I really want the wicked to die? says the Lord God. I’d rather they bounce back and live, period.
Have 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?
But if the righteous dips from their good vibes and does bad stuff, will they live? All their good deeds won’t matter; they’ll die in their mess.
But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, {and} doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked {man} doeth, shall he live? All 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.
You say the Lord's way isn’t fair. Listen up, house of Israel; isn’t my way legit? Aren’t your ways sus?
Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?
When a righteous person turns from their good vibes and does wrong, they’ll die for it; their wrongs catch up to them.
When 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.
But when the wicked switches up, turns from their bad vibes, and does what’s right, they’ll save their soul, fr.
Again, when 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.
Because they think it through and turn from their wrongs, they’ll live for sure, no doubt.
Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Yet the house of Israel says, the Lord's way isn’t fair. O house of Israel, aren’t my ways fair? Are your ways not equal?
Yet saith 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?
So I’m judging you, house of Israel, each one by their own ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from your wrongs, so your vibes don’t lead to ruin.
Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn {yourselves} from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. {yourselves: or, others}
Throw away all your bad vibes and make yourself a fresh heart and spirit, 'cause why you wanna be out here struggling, fam?
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
God ain't vibing with anyone's downfall, so just switch it up and live your best life, fr.
For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn {yourselves}, and live ye. {yourselves: or, others}