Those Who Sin Will Die
1 The Lord said:
2 Ezekiel, I hear the people of Israel using the old saying,
“Sour grapes eaten by parents
leave a sour taste in the mouths
of their children.”
3 Now tell them that I am the Lord God, and as surely as I live, that saying will no longer be used in Israel. 4 The lives of all people belong to me—parents as well as children. However, only those who sin will be put to death.
5 Suppose there is a truly good man who always does what is fair and right. 6 He refuses to eat meat sacrificed to foreign gods at local shrines or to worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife or with a woman having her monthly period. 7 He never cheats or robs anyone and always returns anything taken as security for a loan; he gives food and clothes to the poor 8 and doesn't charge interest when lending money. He refuses to do anything evil; he is fair to everyone 9 and faithfully obeys my laws and teachings. This man is good, and I promise he will live.
10 But suppose this good man has an evil son who is violent and commits sins 11 his father never did. He eats meat at local shrines, has sex with someone else's wife, 12 cheats the poor, and robs people. He keeps what is given to him as security for a loan. He worships idols, does disgusting things, 13 and charges high interest when lending money. An evil man like that will certainly not live. He is the one who has done these horrible sins, so it's his own fault that he will be put to death.
14 But suppose this evil man has a son who sees his father do these things and refuses to act like him. 15 He doesn't eat meat at local shrines or worship Israel's idols, and he doesn't have sex with someone else's wife. 16 He never cheats or robs anyone and doesn't even demand security for a loan. He gives food and clothes to the poor 17 and refuses to do anything evil or to charge interest. And he obeys all my laws and teachings. Such a man will live. His own father sinned, but this good man will not be put to death for the sins of his father. 18 It is his father who will die for cheating and robbing and doing evil.
19 You may wonder why a son isn't punished for the sins of his father. It is because the son does what is right and obeys my laws. 20 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.
21 Suppose wicked people stop sinning and start obeying my laws and doing right. They won't be put to death. 22 All their sins will be forgiven, and they will live because they did right. 23 I, the Lord God, don't like to see wicked people die. I had much rather see them turn back from their sins and live.
24 But when good people start sinning and doing disgusting things, will they live? No! All their good deeds will be forgotten, and they will be put to death because of their sins.
25 You people of Israel accuse me of being unfair! But listen—I'm not unfair; you are! 26 If good people start doing evil, they must be put to death, because they have sinned. 27 And if wicked people start doing right, they will save themselves from punishment. 28 They will think about what they've done and stop sinning, and so they won't be put to death. 29 But you still say that I am unfair. You are the ones who have done wrong and are unfair!
30 I will judge each of you for what you've done. So stop sinning, or else you will certainly be punished. 31 Give up your evil ways and start thinking pure thoughts. And be faithful to me! Do you really want to be put to death for your sins? 32 I, the Lord God, don't want to see that happen to anyone. So stop sinning and live!
1 OPI go ata kpate märi ekye: 2 “Lapidri gi abe atana kpe kpe ta wari Yisaraele rota ono e'diya? Se ekye:
‘Uti'bai nyayi doŋgo äträ kono ro te,
oko si ŋgàga ro todra leni.’ ”
3 OPI Mbarapara ka ata ekye: “Endaro oso ma be Lu lidriidriro yi ono ronye, ogone lapidri ono delene kpe kpe Yisaraele ya te i'do tona. 4 Adri lidri cini ro orivoya maro, adri uti'ba ro ndi ŋgaga robe. 'Dise kabe takozi oye 'do odrana gini.
5 “Aba ondro 'diaza orivoya mano kado yi, ago ka taŋgye ndi ta 'diri be oye. 6 Nda nya tori se alobe vo mätu ro se 'bereŋwai drisi iyi roko, ago mätu lu edeedero Yisaraele ro ko, rudri kote toko oriazi ndaro robe kode ye ronyi kote toko aza be tu la'bi anyaro rosi. 7 Nda oco 'diaza kote, oko ka ŋga 'dise kozo ŋga be tikoro nda opazana 'do ro logona logo; nda topa ŋga ko, ka ŋgaonya ozo 'dise täbiri ro ri ago ka boŋgo ozo 'dise bägyuluro ri. 8 Nda ozo parata kote ŋga litizana. Nda leko takozi oyene ago ka ta lakole lidri ritu roya edena taŋgye si. 9 Mano anya inye 'do ka ota maro orona ago ka ota maro ätina taoti si. Tana nda orivoya taŋgye'ba yi, ago nda orina ndi lidriidriro, OPI Mbarapara atani inye.
10 “Aba ondro ka'do mano 'do ka'do gwo ŋgwaagoro be se ŋgwa mano ono ro aza ka ŋga topatopa ago ka 'diufu ufu, se ka ŋga kwoi oyena oye 11 se täpi ndaro ye kote cu alona. Nda ka tori se alobe vo mätu ro se 'bereŋwai dri 'do onyana onya ago ka driuru 'ditoko azi robe. 12 Nda ka 'dise mäyuro ago lemeri'bai ro ocona, nda ka ŋgatopa, 'dise kozo ŋga te tikoro ndäri nda logo kote. Nda ka lui edeedero mätu ago ka ŋgase ya maro osoro lomvoigye iyi oyena, 13 ago ka parata ozo ŋga litizana. Inye'do nda orina gindi lidriidriro ya? Nda unina ko orine. Nda koye ŋga cini koziro kwoi bete oso inye 'do, nda odrana ndi. Okozina ndi modo ndaro ayani ta odra ndaro rota.
14 “Ka'do inye ondro ka'do ŋgwa mano käti 'do ro ka'do gwo ŋgwa aza be. Nda ndre takozi se cini täpi ndaro koyebe iyi te, oko so kote taoye ndaro voro. 15 Nda nya tori se alobe vo mätu ro se 'bereŋwai drisi iyi roko ago mätu lui edeedero Yisaraele'bai ro kote. Nda rudri kote toko manoaza robe 16 ago topa ŋga 'diaza ro kote kode eza 'diaza kote. Nda ka ŋgase ozobe ndäri tikoro iyi logona logo. Nda ka ŋgaonya ozoozo 'dise täbiri ro ri ago ka boŋgo ozo 'dise bägyuluro ri. 17 Nda leko taundiro oyene ago ozo parata ko ŋga litizana. Nda ka ota maro ätina ago ka orona. Nda unina ko odrane ta takozi täpi ndaro rota, oko endaro nda orina ndi lidriidriro. 18 Tana täpi ndaro, oco 'di te ago topa ŋga te, ago ondoalo ye takozi te 'dicini ri. Ta'doro nda odrana ndi ta takozi se nda andivona kegyebe 'do rota.
19 “Caoko nyà taeji mikye: ‘Tana e'di ŋgwa ezaru ko ta takozi täpi ndaro rota niya?’ Tadriozana begi ono anjioko ŋgwa yete tase ŋgye ago kado 'do ayani. Nda äti ota maro te ago sote voigye taoti si, ta'doro endaro nda orina ndi lidriidriro. 20 'Dise koye takozi be 'do odrana iro gini. Ko ŋgwa ri ruezane ta takozi täpi ndaro rota, ca kpa ko täpi ri ruezane ta takozi ŋgwa ndaro rota. Ozona päläti 'da mano se kado 'do ri taoye kado ndaro ta, ago mano se koziro 'do ezaruna 'da ta taoye kozi ndaro rota.
21 “Ondro ka'do mano se koziro 'do ke'be takozi oye te ago käti ota maro te, ondro ka'do nda kogo koyete tase ŋgye ndi takado be ayani; endaro nda orina ndi lidriidriro; ndäri odrane i'do. 22 E'bena nda 'da ta takozi cini ndaro rota, ago nda orina 'da lidriidriro, tana nda yete tase ŋgye 'do ayani.” 23 OPI Mbarapara ka taeji ekye: “Inye'do nyùsu amiro be ma orivoya riyä ro odra 'dise koziro ro ondrevoya ya? Hwa, aba male maro drietane ndäri ago orine lidriidriro ayani.
24 “Oko ondro ka'do mano taŋgye'ba aza ke'be takado oye gwo ago keto tase koziro oyena gwo, tase konjiekye se lidri se koziro kayibe loyena iyi, inye'do nda orina gindi lidriidriro ya? Hwa! Änina kote takado se nda koyebe 'do tana oyine. Nda odrana 'da ta ta'diriako ndi ta takozi ndaro be rota.
25 “Caoko nyà ata mìkye: ‘Tase Opi kabe oyena ono ko orivoya ŋgye.’ Nyèri yauono ta maro, ami Yisaraele'bai. Inye'do tase mabe oyena ono ko ŋgye ya? Liti taoye amiro ro koni ŋgye. 26 Ondro mano taŋgye'ba aza ke'be takado oye te ago keto takozi oyete, ndana odrana ndi. Nda odrana ndi ta tase koziro nda kabe loyena 'do rota. 27 Ondro mano koziro aza ke'be takozi oye te ago kate tase ŋgye ago kadoro 'do oyena, nda opana adri ndaro ndi. 28 Nda ni tase nda kabe ugu oyena ndi ago e'be takozi oye te, ta'doro nda ni kote odrane, oko ugu orina te lidriidriro. 29 Ago ami Yisaraele'bai nyà ata mikye: ‘Tase Opi kabe oyena ko orivoya ŋgye.’ Inye'do tase mabe oyena ono ko ŋgye ya? Liti taoye amiro ro koni ŋgye.
30 “Ka'do inye ma, OPI Mbarapara, mapena vure amiro 'da ami Yisaraele'bai 'di alo alo a'do taoye anyaro ro voro. Nyètadri ni takozi se cini nyàbe loyena 'do yasi, ukyi takozi amiro tufu ami 'da. 31 Nyè'be tase cini undiro nyà'dobe loyevonaya märi iyi, ago andivo amiro nyà'do tausu to'di drî ro ndi ya robe. Tana e'di ami Yisaraele'bai mile gwo odrane odra niya? 32 Male ko 'diaza ri odrane. Ka'do inye nyètadri ni takozi amiro yasi miri robe lidriidriro.” OPI Mbarapara atani inye.