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. He robbed his brother. He 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. It is the person who sins that will die. The son will not be punished for the father’s sin. The father will not be punished for the son’s sin. The person who does right is responsible for his own goodness. The evil person is responsible for his own evil.
21. “But the evil person might stop doing all the sins he has done. And he might obey all my rules and do what is fair and right. Then he will surely live. He will not die.
22. His sins will be forgotten. Now he does what is right. So he will live.
23. I do not really want the evil person to die, says the Lord God. I want him to stop his bad ways and live.
24. “But a person who does right might stop doing good and do wrong. And he might do the same hated things an evil person does. Will he live? All his good acts will be forgotten. This is because he became unfaithful. He has sinned. So he will die because of his sins.
25. “But you say, ‘What the Lord does isn’t fair.’ Hear now, people of Israel. I am fair. It is what you do that is not fair!
26. A good person might stop doing good. He might do wrong and die because of it. He will die because he did wrong.
27. An evil person might stop doing the evil things he has done. And he might do what is fair and right. He will save his life.
28. He thought about it and stopped doing all the sins he had done. He will surely live. He will not die.