American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Ezekiel 18
1
The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,
2
What mean you, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
Reference
Parallel theme
Lamentations 5:7
Isaiah 3:15
Ezekiel 17:12
Ezekiel 37:25
Jeremiah 15:4
Romans 9:20
Matthew 23:36
References Israel
Ezekiel 37:19
Ezekiel 37:11
Ezekiel 25:3
3
As I live, said the Lord GOD, you 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 sins, it shall die.
Reference
Parallel theme
Hebrews 12:9
Zechariah 12:1
Numbers 27:16
Sin
Ezekiel 18:20
Romans 6:23
Numbers 16:22
Galatians 3:22
6
And has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither has defiled his neighbor's wife, neither has come near to a menstruous woman,
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 4:19
Ezekiel 6:13
Ezekiel 20:24
Leviticus 20:10
Leviticus 20:18
Numbers 25:2
References Israel
Ezekiel 18:15
7
And has not oppressed any, but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has spoiled none by violence, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;
Reference
8
He that has not given forth on usury, neither has taken any increase, that has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true judgment between man and man,
Reference
Judgment
Zechariah 8:16
Ezekiel 18:17
Parallel theme
Exodus 22:25
Psalm 15:5
Ezekiel 22:12
Ezekiel 18:13
9
Has walked in my statutes, and has kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, said the Lord GOD.
Reference
Judgment
Ezekiel 20:11
Ezekiel 18:17
References Lord
Amos 5:4
Righteousness
Habakkuk 2:4
1 John 2:29
Romans 1:17
10
If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that does the like to any one of these things,
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 21:12
11
And that does not any of those duties, but even has eaten on the mountains, and defiled his neighbor's wife,
12
Has oppressed the poor and needy, has spoiled by violence, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination,
Reference
13
Has given forth on usury, and has taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be on him.
Reference
14
Now, see, if he beget a son, that sees all his father's sins which he has done, and considers, and does not such like,
Reference
15
That has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor's wife,
16
Neither has oppressed any, has not withheld the pledge, neither has spoiled by violence, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment,
Reference
Parallel theme
Ezekiel 18:7
17
That has taken off his hand from the poor, that has not received usury nor increase, has executed my judgments, has 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, see, even he shall die in his iniquity.
Reference
Sin
Ezekiel 3:18
19
Yet say you, Why? does not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he shall surely live.
Reference
20
The soul that sins, 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 on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 16:27
Revelation 20:12
Revelation 2:23
Righteousness
1 Kings 8:32
2 Chronicles 6:23
Sin
Deuteronomy 24:16
2 Kings 14:6
Ezekiel 18:4
2 Chronicles 25:4
Numbers 18:1
21
But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Reference
Parallel theme
Ezekiel 18:9
Romans 8:13
Psalm 119:112
James 2:26
Sin
Proverbs 28:13
Acts 3:19
Luke 24:47
Word
Ezekiel 33:19
Ezekiel 18:5
Ezekiel 18:19
22
All his transgressions that he has committed, they shall not be mentioned to him: in his righteousness that he has done he shall live.
Reference
Parallel theme
Romans 8:1
Righteousness
Ezekiel 18:24
Hebrews 8:12
Sin
Micah 7:19
Isaiah 43:25
Ezekiel 33:16
Psalm 103:12
Jeremiah 50:20
23
Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? said the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
Reference
Evil
Ezekiel 33:11
Parallel theme
1 Timothy 2:4
Luke 15:32
References God
Ezekiel 18:32
Luke 15:10
References Lord
2 Peter 3:9
Psalm 147:11
24
But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All his righteousness that he has done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die.
Reference
Evil
Revelation 2:10
Parallel theme
Proverbs 21:16
2 John 1:8
Galatians 3:4
1 John 2:19
1 Samuel 15:11
Revelation 3:11
Righteousness
Ezekiel 33:18
Ezekiel 18:26
Sin
Psalm 125:5
25
Yet you 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?
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 18:25
References Lord
Ezekiel 33:17
Jeremiah 12:1
Ezekiel 33:20
Malachi 2:17
Zephaniah 3:5
Ezekiel 18:29
26
When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in them; for his iniquity that he has done shall he die.
27
Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
Reference
28
Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 32:29
29
Yet said 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?
Reference
References Lord
Ezekiel 18:25
30
Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, said the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
Reference
Judgment
Ezekiel 7:3
Hosea 12:6
Ecclesiastes 12:14
Parallel theme
Matthew 16:27
References God
Daniel 9:13
Repentance
Matthew 3:2
Luke 13:3
Ezekiel 14:6
Luke 13:5
Sin
Ezekiel 18:21
31
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby you have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, O house of Israel?
Reference
Parallel theme
Romans 12:2
1 Peter 2:1
Isaiah 55:7
Ezekiel 20:7
References Israel
Ezekiel 33:11
Sin
Deuteronomy 30:19
Spirit
Psalm 51:10
Ezekiel 36:26
Ezekiel 11:19
Romans 8:13
32
For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dies, said the Lord GOD: why turn yourselves, and live you.
Reference
Parallel theme
Lamentations 3:33
References God
Ezekiel 18:23
Ezekiel 33:11
References Lord
2 Peter 3:9
Summary of Ezekiel 18
Ezekiel 18 directly challenges the belief that people are simply trapped by the sins of previous generations, teaching instead that God judges each person according to his or her own choices while also offering genuine forgiveness to those who turn away from evil, making personal responsibility, repentance, justice, and the possibility of spiritual transformation the central themes of the chapter.
The chapter begins with a proverb about parents eating sour grapes while their children's teeth become numb, which represents the belief that the current generation is suffering entirely because of the sins of its ancestors.
God rejects this understanding as an excuse for personal responsibility and declares that every person belongs to Him and that the person who sins is the one who will be accountable for that sin.
Ezekiel then gives a three-generation example to make the principle clear.
The first person is righteous, treating others fairly, helping the poor, refusing exploitation, avoiding idolatry, and faithfully following God's commands.
His son, however, chooses the opposite path, becoming violent, dishonest, oppressive, and idolatrous.
The grandson then sees his father's behavior and deliberately chooses not to repeat it, demonstrating that neither righteousness nor wickedness is automatically inherited as a permanent moral status.
The example is particularly important because it shows that family history influences people but does not remove their personal responsibility.
A righteous parent cannot make an immoral child righteous simply through family connection, while a wicked parent cannot permanently condemn a child who chooses to live differently.
The chapter then introduces one of its most hopeful teachings: a wicked person who genuinely turns away from sin can live.
God does not say that a person's past is irrelevant, but He makes clear that sincere repentance changes the person's relationship with that past, because God does not desire to destroy someone who turns away from evil and begins practicing justice and righteousness.
At the same time, a previously righteous person who deliberately abandons righteousness and chooses evil cannot simply depend upon his former good behavior as protection.
This means that God's judgment is based on the direction of a person's life and the choices that person makes, rather than on family background, reputation, or past achievements.
When the people accuse God of being unfair, God reverses the accusation and explains that their own thinking is distorted because they are unwilling to accept His consistent standard of personal accountability.
The chapter concludes with one of its most important invitations: "Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit."
The message is not merely that people should try harder to behave correctly; they must turn away from rebellion and allow their lives to be transformed from within.
The final statement that God does not desire anyone's death but wants people to turn and live reveals the compassionate purpose behind the warning.
The central message is that Ezekiel 18 teaches that every person is personally accountable before God and cannot simply blame parents, ancestors, or previous generations for the direction of his or her own life, using a three-generation example to show that a righteous father can have a wicked son and that a wicked father can have a righteous son, because each individual must choose whether to practice justice, reject idolatry, care for the vulnerable, and follow God's commands, while the chapter also offers profound hope by explaining that a wicked person who genuinely turns away from sin can receive life and that God does not desire the death of those who have gone astray but calls them to repentance and transformation, making the chapter both a defense of divine justice and a powerful invitation to personal responsibility, because neither inherited privilege nor inherited guilt determines a person's final standing, and the decisive issue is whether that person continues in rebellion or turns away from it and chooses a new heart, a new spirit, and a life directed toward God and righteousness.
The chapter begins with a proverb about parents eating sour grapes while their children's teeth become numb, which represents the belief that the current generation is suffering entirely because of the sins of its ancestors.
God rejects this understanding as an excuse for personal responsibility and declares that every person belongs to Him and that the person who sins is the one who will be accountable for that sin.
Ezekiel then gives a three-generation example to make the principle clear.
The first person is righteous, treating others fairly, helping the poor, refusing exploitation, avoiding idolatry, and faithfully following God's commands.
His son, however, chooses the opposite path, becoming violent, dishonest, oppressive, and idolatrous.
The grandson then sees his father's behavior and deliberately chooses not to repeat it, demonstrating that neither righteousness nor wickedness is automatically inherited as a permanent moral status.
The example is particularly important because it shows that family history influences people but does not remove their personal responsibility.
A righteous parent cannot make an immoral child righteous simply through family connection, while a wicked parent cannot permanently condemn a child who chooses to live differently.
The chapter then introduces one of its most hopeful teachings: a wicked person who genuinely turns away from sin can live.
God does not say that a person's past is irrelevant, but He makes clear that sincere repentance changes the person's relationship with that past, because God does not desire to destroy someone who turns away from evil and begins practicing justice and righteousness.
At the same time, a previously righteous person who deliberately abandons righteousness and chooses evil cannot simply depend upon his former good behavior as protection.
This means that God's judgment is based on the direction of a person's life and the choices that person makes, rather than on family background, reputation, or past achievements.
When the people accuse God of being unfair, God reverses the accusation and explains that their own thinking is distorted because they are unwilling to accept His consistent standard of personal accountability.
The chapter concludes with one of its most important invitations: "Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit."
The message is not merely that people should try harder to behave correctly; they must turn away from rebellion and allow their lives to be transformed from within.
The final statement that God does not desire anyone's death but wants people to turn and live reveals the compassionate purpose behind the warning.
The central message is that Ezekiel 18 teaches that every person is personally accountable before God and cannot simply blame parents, ancestors, or previous generations for the direction of his or her own life, using a three-generation example to show that a righteous father can have a wicked son and that a wicked father can have a righteous son, because each individual must choose whether to practice justice, reject idolatry, care for the vulnerable, and follow God's commands, while the chapter also offers profound hope by explaining that a wicked person who genuinely turns away from sin can receive life and that God does not desire the death of those who have gone astray but calls them to repentance and transformation, making the chapter both a defense of divine justice and a powerful invitation to personal responsibility, because neither inherited privilege nor inherited guilt determines a person's final standing, and the decisive issue is whether that person continues in rebellion or turns away from it and chooses a new heart, a new spirit, and a life directed toward God and righteousness.