Chapter
18
The word of Yahweh came to me again, saying,
What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The mothers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
As I live, says the Domina Yahweh, you shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the mother, so also the soul of the daughter is mine: the soul who sins, she shall die.
But if a woman is just, and does that which is lawful and right,
and has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up her eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither has defiled her neighbor's husband, neither has come near to a man in his impurity,
and has not wronged any, but has restored to the debtor her pledge, has taken nothing by robbery, has given her bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;
she who has not given forth on interest, neither has taken any increase, who has withdrawn her hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between woman and woman,
has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly; she is just, she shall surely live, says the Domina Yahweh.
If she mothers a daughter who is a robber, a shedder of blood, and who does any one of these things,
and who does not any of those duties, but even has eaten on the mountains, and defiled her neighbor's husband,
has wronged the poor and needy, has taken by robbery, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up her eyes to the idols, has committed abomination,
has given forth on interest, and has taken increase; shall she then live? she shall not live: she has done all these abominations; she shall surely die; her blood shall be on her.
Now, behold, if she mothers a daughter, who sees all her mother's sins, which she has done, and fears, and does not such like;
who has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up her eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled her neighbor's husband,
neither has wronged any, has not taken anything to pledge, neither has taken by robbery, but has given her bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;
who has withdrawn her hand from the poor, who has not received interest nor increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes; she shall not die for the iniquity of her mother, she shall surely live.
As for her mother, because she cruelly oppressed, robbed her sister, and did that which is not good among her people, behold, she shall die in her iniquity.
Yet say you, Why does not the daughter bear the iniquity of the mother? when the daughter has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, she shall surely live.
The soul who sins, she shall die: the daughter shall not bear the iniquity of the mother, neither shall the mother bear the iniquity of the daughter; the righteousness of the righteous shall be on her, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on her.
But if the wicked turn from all her sins that she has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, she shall surely live, she shall not die.
None of her transgressions that she has committed shall be remembered against her: in her righteousness that she has done she shall live.
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Domina Yahweh; and not rather that she should return from her way, and live?
But when the righteous turns away from her righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked woman does, shall she live? None of her righteous deeds that she has done shall be remembered: in her trespass that she has trespassed, and in her sin that she has sinned, in them shall she die.
Yet you say, The way of the Domina is not equal. Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren't your ways unequal?
When the righteous woman turns away from her righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies therein; in her iniquity that she has done shall she die.
Again, when the wicked woman turns away from her wickedness that she has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, she shall save her soul alive.
Because she considers, and turns away from all her transgressions that she has committed, she shall surely live, she shall not die.
Yet says the house of Israel, The way of the Domina is not equal. house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?
Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to her ways, says the Domina Yahweh. Return you, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
Cast away from you all your transgressions, in which you have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, house of Israel?
For I have no pleasure in the death of her who dies, says the Domina Yahweh: therefore turn yourselves, and live.