18. His father, on the other hand, cheated and robbed, and always did evil to everyone. And so he died because of the sins he himself had committed.
19. “But you ask, ‘Why shouldn't the son suffer because of his father's sins?’ The answer is that the son did what was right and good. He kept my laws and followed them carefully, and so he will certainly live.
20. 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. A good person will be rewarded for doing good, and an evil person will suffer for the evil he does.
21. “If an evil person stops sinning and keeps my laws, if he does what is right and good, he will not die; he will certainly live.
22. All his sins will be forgiven, and he will live, because he did what is right.
23. Do you think I enjoy seeing an evil person die?” asks the Sovereign Lord. “No, I would rather see him repent and live.
24. “But if a righteous person stops doing good and starts doing all the evil, disgusting things that evil people do, will he go on living? No! None of the good he did will be remembered. He will die because of his unfaithfulness and his sins.
25. “But you say, ‘What the Lord does isn't right.’ Listen to me, you Israelites. Do you think my way of doing things isn't right? It is your way that isn't right.
26. When a righteous person stops doing good and starts doing evil and then dies, he dies because of the evil he has done.
27. When someone evil stops sinning and does what is right and good, he saves his life.
28. He realizes what he is doing and stops sinning, so he will certainly not die, but go on living.
29. And you Israelites say, ‘What the Lord does isn't right.’ You think my way isn't right, do you? It is your way that isn't right.
30. “Now I, the Sovereign Lord, am telling you Israelites that I will judge each of you by what you have done. Turn away from all the evil you are doing, and don't let your sin destroy you.
31. Give up all the evil you have been doing, and get yourselves new minds and hearts. Why do you Israelites want to die?
32. I do not want anyone to die,” says the Sovereign Lord. “Turn away from your sins and live.”