Ezekiel 18-19
King James Version
18 The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying,
2 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?
3 As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
4 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.
5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
6 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,
7 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;
8 He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
9 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.
10 If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,
11 And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife,
12 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,
13 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.
14 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,
15 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,
16 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,
17 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.
18 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.
19 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.
20 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.
21 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.
22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
23 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?
24 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.
25 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?
26 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.
27 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.
28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
29 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?
30 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.
31 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?
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
19 Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.
3 And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.
4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.
5 Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.
6 And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.
7 And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.
8 Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.
9 And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.
10 Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
11 And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.
12 But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.
13 And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.
14 And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
Ezekiel 18-19
1599 Geneva Bible
18 2 He showeth that every man shall bear his own sin. 21 To him that amendeth, salvation is promised. 24 Death is prophesied to the righteous, which turneth back from the right way.
1 The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying,
2 What mean ye that ye speak this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, [a]The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?
3 As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall use this proverb no more in Israel.
4 Behold, all souls are mine, both the soul of the father, and also the soul of the son are mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
6 And hath not eaten [b]upon the mountains, neither hath lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath (A)defiled his neighbor’s wife, neither hath [c]lain with a (B)menstruous woman,
7 Neither hath oppressed any, but hath restored the pledge to his debtor: he that hath spoiled none by violence, (C)but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,
8 And hath not given forth upon (D)usury, neither hath taken any increase, but hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and hath executed true judgment between man and man,
9 And hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments to deal truly, he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.
10 ¶ If he beget a son, that is a [d]thief, or a shedder of blood, if he do anyone of these things,
11 Though he do not all these things, but either hath eaten upon the mountains, or defiled his neighbor’s wife,
12 Or hath oppressed the poor and needy, or hath spoiled by violence, or hath not restored the pledge, or hath lifted up his eyes unto the idols, or hath committed abomination,
13 Or hath given forth upon usury, or hath taken increase, shall he live? he shall not live: seeing he hath done all these abominations, [e]he shall die the death, and his blood shall be upon him.
14 ¶ But if he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins, which he hath done, and feareth, neither doeth such like,
15 That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor hath defiled his neighbor’s wife,
16 Neither hath oppressed any, nor hath withheld the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,
17 Neither hath withdrawn his hand from the afflicted, nor received usury nor increase, but hath executed my judgments, and hath walked in my statutes, he shall not die in the iniquity of his father, but he shall surely live.
18 His father, because he cruelly oppressed and spoiled his brother by violence, and hath not done good among his people, lo, even he dieth in his iniquity.
19 Yet say ye, Wherefore shall not the son bear the iniquity of the father? because the son hath executed judgment and justice, and hath kept all my statutes, and done them, he shall surely live.
20 (E)The same soul that sinneth, shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son, but the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
21 But if the wicked will return from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my [f]statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, and shall not die.
22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be [g]mentioned unto him, but in his [h]righteousness that he hath done, he shall live.
23 [i]Have I any desire that the wicked should die, saith the Lord God? [j]or shall he not live, if he return from his ways?
24 But if the righteous turn away from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and do according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? all his [k]righteousness that he hath done, shall not be mentioned: but in his transgression that he hath committed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
25 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not [l]equal: hear now, O house of Israel. Is not my way equal? or are not your ways unequal?
26 For when a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and commiteth iniquity, he shall even die for the same, he shall even die for his iniquity that he hath done.
27 Again, when the wicked turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, and shall not die.
29 Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? or are not your ways unequal?
30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, everyone according to his ways, saith the Lord God: return therefore, and cause others to turn away from all your transgressions: so iniquity shall not be your destruction.
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed and make [m]you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
32 For I desire not the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: cause therefore one another to return, and live ye.
19 1 The captivity of the kings of Judah signified by the lion’s whelps and by the lion. 10 The prosperity of the city of Jerusalem that is past, and the misery thereof that is present.
1 Thou also take up a lamentation for the [n]princes of Israel,
2 And say, Wherefore lay thy [o]mother as a lioness among the lions? she nourished her young ones among the lion’s whelps,
3 And she brought up one of her whelps, and it became a lion, and it learned to catch the prey, and it devoured men.
4 The [p]nations also heard of him, and he was taken in their nets, and they brought him in chains unto the land of Egypt.
5 Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, she took another of her [q]whelps, and made him a lion.
6 Which went among the lions, and became a lion, and learned to catch the prey, and he devoured [r]men.
7 And he knew their widows, and he destroyed their cities, and the land was wasted, and all that was therein by the noise of his roaring.
8 Then the [s]nations set against him on every side of the countries, and laid their nets for him: so he was taken in their pit.
9 And they put him in prison and in chains, and brought him to the king of Babel, and they put him in holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.
10 Thy [t]mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she brought forth fruit and branches by the abundant waters,
11 And she had strong rods for the scepters of them that bear rule, and her stature was exalted among the branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.
12 But she was plucked up in wrath: she was cast down to the ground, and the [u]East wind dried up her fruit: her branches were broken and withered: as for the rod of her strength, the fire consumed it.
13 And now she is planted in the wilderness in a dry and thirsty ground.
14 And fire is gone out [v]of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a scepter to rule: this is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 18:2 The people murmured at the chastisings of the Lord, and therefore used this proverb, meaning, that their fathers had sinned, and their children were punished for their transgressions, read Jer. 31:29.
- Ezekiel 18:6 If he hath not eaten of the flesh that hath been offered up to idols, to honor them thereby.
- Ezekiel 18:6 Hebrew, come near.
- Ezekiel 18:10 Or, a cruel man.
- Ezekiel 18:13 He showeth how the son is punished for his father’s fault: that is, if he be wicked as his father was, and doth not repent, he shall be punished as his father was, or else not.
- Ezekiel 18:21 He joineth the observation of the commandments with repentance: for none can repent in deed, except he labor to keep the Law.
- Ezekiel 18:22 Or, not laid to his charge.
- Ezekiel 18:22 That is, in the fruits of his faith which declare that God doth accept him.
- Ezekiel 18:23 He speaketh this to commend God’s mercy to poor sinners, who rather is ready to pardon than to punish, as his long suffering declareth, Ezek. 33:11. Albeit God in his eternal counsel appointed the death and damnation of the reprobate, yet the end of his counsel was not their death only, but chiefly his own glory. Also because he doth not approve sin, therefore it is here said that he would have them to turn away from it, that they might live.
- Ezekiel 18:23 Or, rather that he may return from his ways, and live.
- Ezekiel 18:24 That is, the false opinion that the hypocrites have of their righteousness.
- Ezekiel 18:25 In punishing the father with the children.
- Ezekiel 18:31 He showeth that man cannot forsake his wickedness, till his heart be changed, which is only the work of God.
- Ezekiel 19:1 That is, Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim Josiah’s sons, who for their pride and cruelty are compared unto lions.
- Ezekiel 19:2 To wit, Jehoahaz’s mother, or Jerusalem.
- Ezekiel 19:4 By Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, 2 Kings 23:33.
- Ezekiel 19:5 Which was Jehoiakim.
- Ezekiel 19:6 He slew of the prophets, and them that feared God, and ravished their wives.
- Ezekiel 19:8 Nebuchadnezzar with his great army which was gathered of divers nations.
- Ezekiel 19:10 He speaketh this in the reproach of this wicked king, in whose blood, that is, in the race of his predecessors, Jerusalem should have been blessed, according to God’s promise, and flourished as a fruitful vine.
- Ezekiel 19:12 Meaning, that the Chaldeans should destroy them as the East wind doth the fruit of the vine.
- Ezekiel 19:14 Destruction is come by Zedekiah, who was the occasion of this rebellion.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
