12. He mistreats the poor and needy. He steals and refuses to return what was promised for a loan. He looks to idols for help. He does things which I hate.
13. He lends money for too much interest and profit. Will this son live? No, he will not live! He has done all these hateful things, so he will surely be put to death. He will be responsible for his own death.
14. “Now suppose this son has a son who has seen all his father’s sins, but after seeing them does not do those things.
15. He does not eat at the mountain places of worship. He does not look to the idols of Israel for help. He does not have sexual relations with his neighbor’s wife.
16. He does not mistreat anyone or keep something promised for a loan or steal. He gives bread to the hungry and clothes to those who have none.
17. He keeps his hand from doing wrong. He does not take too much interest or profit when he lends money. He obeys my laws and lives by my rules. He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live.
18. But his father took other people’s money unfairly and robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people. So he will die for his own sin.
19. “But you ask, ‘Why is the son not punished for the father’s sin?’ The son has done what is fair and right. He obeys all my rules, so he will surely live.
20. The person who sins is the one who will die. A child will not be punished for a parent’s sin, and a parent will not be punished for a child’s sin. Those who do right will enjoy the results of their own goodness; evil people will suffer the results of their own evil.
21. “But suppose the wicked stop doing all the sins they have done and obey all my rules and do what is fair and right. Then they will surely live; they will not die.
22. Their sins will be forgotten. Because they have done what is right, they will live.
23. I do not really want the wicked to die, says the Lord God. I want them to stop their bad ways and live.
24. “But suppose good people stop doing good and do wrong and do the same hateful things the wicked do. Will they live? All their good acts will be forgotten, because they became unfaithful. They have sinned, so they will die because of their sins.
25. “But you say, ‘What the Lord does isn’t fair.’ Listen, people of Israel. I am fair. It is what you do that is not fair!
26. When good people stop doing good and do wrong, they will die because of it. They will die, because they did wrong.