Ezekiel 18:10-24

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 2defiles his neighbor’s wife, 12oppresses the 3poor and needy, 4commits robbery, does not restore a pledge, but lifts up his eyes to the idols and 5commits abomination, 13he 6lends 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 7blood will be 8on his own head.

14“Now behold, he 9has a son who has observed all his father’s sins which he committed, and 10observing does not do likewise. 15He 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, 16or oppress anyone, or retain a pledge, or commit robbery, but he 11gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, 17he keeps his hand from 12the poor, does not take interest or increase, but executes My ordinances, and walks in My statutes; 13he will not die for his father’s iniquity, he will surely live. 18As 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, ‘14Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ When the son has practiced 15justice and righteousness and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live. 20The person who 16sins will die. The 17son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the 18righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

21“But if the 19wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 2220All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his 21righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. 2322Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “23rather than that he should 24turn from his ways and live?

24“But when a righteous man 25turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? 26All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his 27treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die.