Ezekiel 18:5-20

5“But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness, 6and does not 1eat at the mountain shrines or 2lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or 3defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period-- 7if a man does not oppress anyone, but 4restores to the debtor his pledge, 5does not commit robbery, but 6gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, 8if he does not lend money on 7interest or take 8increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and 9executes true justice between man and man, 9if he walks in 10My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully--11he is righteous and will surely 12live,” declares the Lord God.

10“Then he may 13have 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 14defiles his neighbor’s wife, 12oppresses the 15poor and needy, 16commits robbery, does not restore a pledge, but lifts up his eyes to the idols and 17commits abomination, 13he 18lends 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 19blood will be 20on his own head.

14“Now behold, he 21has a son who has observed all his father’s sins which he committed, and 22observing 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 23gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, 17he keeps his hand from 24the poor, does not take interest or increase, but executes My ordinances, and walks in My statutes; 25he 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, ‘26Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ When the son has practiced 27justice and righteousness and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live. 20The person who 28sins will die. The 29son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the 30righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.