New International Version The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them. New Living Translation The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness. English Standard Version The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. Berean Standard Bible The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him. Berean Literal Bible The soul sinning, it will die. The son will not bear the guilt of the father, and the father will not bear the guilt of the son; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. King James Bible 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. New King James Version The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. New American Standard Bible The person who sins will die. A son will not suffer the punishment for the father’s guilt, nor will a father suffer the punishment for the son’s guilt; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. NASB 1995 “The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. NASB 1977 “The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. Legacy Standard Bible The soul who sins will die. The son will not bear the iniquity of the father, nor will the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. Amplified Bible The person who sins [is the one that] will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the sin of the father, nor will the father bear the punishment for the sin of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be on himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on himself. Berean Annotated Bible The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him. Christian Standard Bible The person who sins is the one who will die. A son won’t suffer punishment for the father’s iniquity, and a father won’t suffer punishment for the son’s iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous person will be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked person will be on him. Holman Christian Standard Bible The person who sins is the one who will die. A son won’t suffer punishment for the father’s iniquity, and a father won’t suffer punishment for the son’s iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous person will be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked person will be on him.” American Standard Version 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. Contemporary English Version Only those who sin will be put to death. Children won't suffer for the sins of their parents, and parents won't suffer for the sins of their children. Good people will be rewarded for what they do, and evil people will be punished for what they do. English Revised Version 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. GOD'S WORD® Translation The person who sins will die. A son will not be punished for his father's sins, and a father will not be punished for his son's sins. The righteousness of the righteous person will be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked person will be his own. Good News Translation It is the one who sins who will die. A son is not to suffer because of his father's sins, nor a father because of the sins of his son. Good people will be rewarded for doing good, and evil people will suffer for the evil they do. International Standard Version The soul who sins dies. The son won't bear the punishment of his father's sin and the father won't bear the punishment of his son's sin. The righteous deeds of that righteous person will be attributed to him, while the wicked deeds of the wicked person will be charged against him. NET Bible The person who sins is the one who will die. A son will not suffer for his father's iniquity, and a father will not suffer for his son's iniquity; the righteous person will be judged according to his righteousness, and the wicked person according to his wickedness. New Heart English Bible The soul who sins, he 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. Webster's Bible Translation 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. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThe soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him. World English Bible The soul who sins, he 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. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionThe soul that sins—it dies. A son does not bear of the iniquity of the father, "" And a father does not bear of the iniquity of the son, "" The righteousness of the righteous is on him, "" And the wickedness of the wicked is on him. Berean Literal Bible The soul sinning, it will die. The son will not bear the guilt of the father, and the father will not bear the guilt of the son; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. Young's Literal Translation The soul that doth sin -- it doth die. A son doth not bear of the iniquity of the father, And a father doth not bear of the iniquity of the son, The righteousness of the righteous is on him, And the wickedness of the wicked is on him. Smith's Literal Translation The soul sinning, it shall die. The son shall not bear for the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear for the iniquity of the son: the justice of the just one shall be upon him, and the injustice of the unjust one shall be upon him. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThe soul that sinneth, the same shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son: the justice of the just shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. Catholic Public Domain Version The soul that sins, the same shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son. The justice of the just man shall be upon himself, but the impiety of the impious man shall be upon himself. New American Bible Only the one who sins shall die. The son shall not be charged with the guilt of his father, nor shall the father be charged with the guilt of his son. Justice belongs to the just, and wickedness to the wicked. New Revised Standard Version The person who sins shall die. A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThe soul that sins, that soul shall die. The son shall not bear the sins of his father, neither shall the father bear the sins of his son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated The soul of the sinner, that shall die. A son shall not be paid for the sins of his father, neither shall the father be paid for the sins of his son. The innocence of the innocent shall be upon him, and the sin of a sinner will be upon him OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917The soul that sinneth, it shall die; the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father with him, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son with him; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. Brenton Septuagint Translation But the soul that sins shall die: and the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, nor shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the iniquity of the transgressor shall be upon him. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible (Voice ▾ Musical ▾) Context The Soul who Sins will Die19Yet you may ask, ‘Why shouldn’t the son bear the iniquity of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right, carefully observing all My statutes, he will surely live. 20The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him. 21But if the wicked man turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die.… Cross References The soul who sins is the one who will die. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. James 1:15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, Deuteronomy 24:16 Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin. 2 Kings 14:6 Yet he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, but acted according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.” and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. 2 Chronicles 25:4 Yet he did not put their sons to death, but acted according to what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.” Jeremiah 31:29-30 “In those days, it will no longer be said: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.’ / Instead, each will die for his own iniquity. If anyone eats the sour grapes, his own teeth will be set on edge. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, Proverbs 11:18 The wicked man earns an empty wage, but he who sows righteousness reaps a true reward. Psalm 58:11 Then men will say, “There is surely a reward for the righteous! There is surely a God who judges the earth!” and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him. Proverbs 11:5 The righteousness of the blameless directs their path, but the wicked fall by their own wickedness. Proverbs 5:22 The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him. Galatians 6:7-8 Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. / The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Proverbs 9:12 If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage; but if you scoff, you alone will bear the consequences. Job 19:4 Even if I have truly gone astray, my error concerns me alone. Isaiah 3:10-11 Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor. / Woe to the wicked; disaster is upon them! For they will be repaid with what their hands have done. Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done. Romans 2:6-9 God “will repay each one according to his deeds.” / To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life. / But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger. … Treasury of Scripture 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. soul that Ezekiel 18:4,13 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… Deuteronomy 24:16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin. 1 Kings 14:13 And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam. bear Ezekiel 4:4 Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. Leviticus 5:1,17 And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity… Leviticus 10:17 Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? righteousness Ezekiel 18:30 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. Ezekiel 33:10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? 1 Kings 8:32 Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. Jump to Previous Bear Charged Credited Death Die Evil-Doing Father's Guilt Iniquity Punishment Responsible Righteous Righteousness Share Sin Sinneth Sins Son's Soul Suffer Upright Wicked WickednessJump to Next Bear Charged Credited Death Die Evil-Doing Father's Guilt Iniquity Punishment Responsible Righteous Righteousness Share Sin Sinneth Sins Son's Soul Suffer Upright Wicked WickednessEzekiel 18 1. God defends his justice31. and exhorts to repentance The soul who sins is the one who will die. Ezekiel confronts the exiles’ belief that they were condemned chiefly because of their ancestors’ failures. God holds each person accountable for his own rebellion and warns that sin brings death. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God… A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, A son is not judged guilty for his father’s sins. Though family patterns and past consequences can affect later generations, God’s judgment does not condemn an innocent child for another person’s guilt. Deu 24:16 Fathers shall not be put to death for their children,… and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. Neither is a father charged with the moral guilt of his child. Every person stands before God responsible for his own conduct, with the opportunity to turn from sin and live. 2Ch 25:4 Yet he did not put their sons to death…… The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, God recognizes and rewards genuine righteousness. This gave faithful Israelites in exile reason to remain obedient even amid national judgment and widespread unfaithfulness. Pro 11:18 The wicked man earns an empty wage, but he who sows… and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him. The wicked cannot escape the consequences of their evil by appealing to family history, community identity, or the righteousness of others. God’s judgment is just, and His call to repentance remains open. Pro 11:5 The righteousness of the blameless directs their path,… Persons / Places / Events 1. EzekielA prophet in the Old Testament who conveyed God's messages to the Israelites during their Babylonian exile. His prophecies often focused on individual responsibility and the need for personal repentance. 2. Israelites The original audience of Ezekiel's message, who were in exile in Babylon due to their collective disobedience to God. 3. Babylon The place of exile for the Israelites, representing a period of judgment and reflection for the nation. 4. God The ultimate judge who communicates through Ezekiel, emphasizing personal accountability for sin. 5. The Soul Refers to the individual person, highlighting the personal nature of sin and righteousness. Teaching Points Personal ResponsibilityEach individual is accountable for their own actions. This principle encourages self-examination and personal repentance. Generational Sin While generational influences exist, each person is responsible for their own choices. This liberates individuals from the fatalism of inherited guilt. Righteousness and Wickedness Righteousness and wickedness are personal attributes. One cannot rely on the righteousness of others for salvation, nor be condemned by the wickedness of others. Divine Justice God's justice is fair and impartial. He judges each person based on their own deeds, not the deeds of their ancestors or descendants. Repentance and Redemption The opportunity for repentance is always present. Individuals can choose to turn from wickedness and pursue righteousness. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Ezekiel 18:20?2. How does Ezekiel 18:20 emphasize personal responsibility for one's own sin? 3. What does "the soul who sins is the one who will die" mean? 4. How does Ezekiel 18:20 connect with Romans 6:23 about sin's consequences? 5. How can we apply Ezekiel 18:20 to our daily moral decisions? 6. How does Ezekiel 18:20 challenge generational blame for personal sin? 7. How does Ezekiel 18:20 address the concept of individual responsibility for sin? 8. Does Ezekiel 18:20 contradict the idea of generational curses? 9. How does Ezekiel 18:20 align with the doctrine of original sin? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Ezekiel 18? Ezekiel 18:20 dismantles every excuse that shifts blame to family, culture, or fate. God deals with each soul personally: sin brings death, righteousness is rewarded, and no one carries another’s guilt. The verse calls every listener to personal repentance and faith, confident that the Judge of all the earth deals with each heart in perfect justice and mercy. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew The soulהַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ (han·ne·p̄eš) Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion who sins הַחֹטֵ֖את (ha·ḥō·ṭêṯ) Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular Strong's 2398: To miss, to sin, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, lead astray, condemn is the one who הִ֣יא (hî) Pronoun - third person feminine singular Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are will die. תָמ֑וּת (ṯā·mūṯ) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 4191: To die, to kill A son בֵּ֞ן (bên) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1121: A son will not לֹא־ (lō-) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no bear יִשָּׂ֣א ׀ (yiś·śā) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take the iniquity בַּעֲוֺ֣ן (ba·‘ă·wōn) Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct Strong's 5771: Iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity of the father, הָאָ֗ב (hā·’āḇ) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1: Father and a father וְאָב֙ (wə·’āḇ) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1: Father will not לֹ֤א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no bear יִשָּׂא֙ (yiś·śā) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take the iniquity בַּעֲוֺ֣ן (ba·‘ă·wōn) Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct Strong's 5771: Iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity of the son. הַבֵּ֔ן (hab·bên) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1121: A son The righteousness צִדְקַ֤ת (ṣiḏ·qaṯ) Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 6666: Rightness, subjectively, objectively of the righteous man הַצַּדִּיק֙ (haṣ·ṣad·dîq) Article | Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 6662: Just, righteous will fall תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה (tih·yeh) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be upon him, עָלָ֣יו (‘ā·lāw) Preposition | third person masculine singular Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against and the wickedness וְרִשְׁעַ֥ת (wə·riš·‘aṯ) Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 7564: Wickedness of the wicked man הָרָשָׁ֖ע (hā·rā·šā‘) Article | Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 7563: Wrong, an, bad person will fall תִּֽהְיֶֽה׃ (tih·yeh) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be upon him. עָלָ֥יו (‘ā·lāw) Preposition | third person masculine singular Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against Additonal Resources Ezekiel 18:20 Blue Letter BibleEzekiel 18:20 Bible Gateway Ezekiel 18:20 Bible.com Ezekiel 18:20 NIV |
    |