Ezekiel 18:20 cpdv — The soul that sins, the same shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bea…

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. "

— Ezekiel 18:20, Catholic Public Domain Version

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Ezekiel 18:20 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “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.”

  • ASV

    “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. ”

  • WEB

    “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.”

  • NET

    “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.”

  • DRB

    “The 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.”

  • BBE

    “The soul which does sin will be put to death: the son will not be made responsible for the evil-doing of the father, or the father for the evil-doing of the son; the righteousness of the upright will be on himself, and the evil-doing of the evil-doer on himself.”

  • KJVA

    “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.”

Ezekiel 18 — Context

17

who has averted his hand from injuring the poor, who has not taken usury and an overabundance, who has acted according to my judgments and walked in my precepts, then this one shall not die for the iniquity of his father; instead, he shall certainly live.

18

As for his father, because he oppressed and did violence to his brother, and worked evil in the midst of his people, behold, he has died by his own iniquity.

19

And you say, ‘Why has not the son borne the iniquity of the father?’ Clearly, since the son has worked judgment and justice, has observed all my precepts, and has done them, he shall certainly live.

20

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.

21

But if the impious man does penance for all his sins which he has committed, and if he keeps all my precepts, and accomplishes judgment and justice, then he shall certainly live, and he shall not die.

22

I will not remember all his iniquities, which he has worked; by his justice, which he has worked, he shall live.

23

How could it be my will that an impious man should die, says the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways and live?

Ezekiel 18:20 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Ezekiel 18:20 say?
Ezekiel 18:20 in the Catholic Public Domain Version reads: “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. ”
Where is Ezekiel 18:20 in the Bible?
Ezekiel 18:20 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 18, verse 20.
Who wrote Ezekiel?
Ezekiel is traditionally attributed to Ezekiel the priest. It was written c. 593–571 BC.
What is the book of Ezekiel about?
Ezekiel ministers among the exiles in Babylon with vivid visions, sign-acts, and oracles. He sees God's glory depart from a defiled temple, then promises dry bones brought to life, a new heart, and a restored temple — pictures of resurrection and the new covenant fulfilled in Christ.
What are the major themes of Ezekiel?
Ezekiel explores themes including Glory of God, Judgment, New Heart, Resurrection, New Temple. These themes shape the meaning and context of Ezekiel 18:20.
What translation should I read Ezekiel 18:20 in?
Ezekiel 18:20 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Ezekiel 18:20?
Ezekiel 18:20 reads (CPDV): “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. ” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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