Ezekiel 18:4

Bible in Basic English

See, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so the soul of the son is mine: death will be the fate of the sinner's soul.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Look, every life belongs to me. The life of the father is like the life of the son—both belong to me. The person who sins is the one who will die.

Hebrew Names Version
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins, he shall die.

King James Version
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

English Standard Version
Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.

New American Standard Bible
"Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.

New Century Version
Every living thing belongs to me. The life of the parent is mine, and the life of the child is mine. The person who sins is the one who will die.

Amplified Bible
"Behold (pay close attention), all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.

World English Bible
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins, he shall die.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Beholde, all soules are mine, both the soule of the father, and also the soule of the sonne are mine: the soule that sinneth, it shall die.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.

Legacy Standard Bible
Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.

Berean Standard Bible
Behold, every soul belongs to Me; both father and son are Mine. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

Contemporary English Version
The lives of all people belong to me—parents as well as children. Only those who sin will be put to death.

Complete Jewish Bible
Look, all lives belong to me — both the parent's life and the child's life are equally mine — so it is the person who sins, himself, who must die.

Darby Translation
Behold, all the souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Easy-to-Read Version
I will treat everyone, child and parent, just the same. The one who sins is the one who will die!

George Lamsa Translation
Because all souls are mine; the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine; the soul that sins, it shall die.

Good News Translation
The life of every person belongs to me, the life of the parent as well as that of the child. The person who sins is the one who will die.

Lexham English Bible
Look! All lives are mine. The lives of father and son alike are mine. The person sinning will die.

Literal Translation
Behold, they are all My souls. As the soul of the father, also the soul of the son, they are Mine. The soul that sins, it shall die.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Beholde, all soules are myne. Like as the father is myne, so is ye sonne myne also. The soule that synneth, shal dye.

American Standard Version
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine; the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

King James Version (1611)
Behold, all soules are mine, as the soule of the father, so also the soule of the sonne is mine: the soule that sinneth, it shall die.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Beholde, all soules are mine, lyke as the soule of the father is mine, so is the soule of the sonne myne also: the soule that sinneth shall dye it selfe.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son, they are mine: the soul that sins, it shall die.

English Revised Version
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Lo! alle soulis ben myne; as the soule of the fadir, so and the soule of the sone is myn. Thilke soule that doith synne, schal die.

Update Bible Version
Look, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins, it shall die.

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

New English Translation
Indeed! All lives are mine—the life of the father as well as the life of the son is mine. The one who sins will die.

New King James Version
"Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.

New Living Translation
For all people are mine to judge—both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: The person who sins is the one who will die.

New Life Bible
For all souls belong to Me. Both the soul of the father and the soul of the son are Mine. The soul who sins will die.

New Revised Standard
Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Lo! as for all persons, mine they are, As the person of the father, so also the person of the son, mine they are, - The person that sinneth, the same shall die.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold all souls are mine: as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, the same shall die.

Revised Standard Version
Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins shall die.

Young's Literal Translation
Lo, all the souls are Mine, As the soul of the father, So also the soul of the son -- they are Mine, The soul that is sinning -- it doth die.

Contextual Overview

¹ The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, ² Why do you make use of this saying about the land of Israel, The fathers have been tasting bitter grapes and the children's teeth are on edge? ³ By my life, says the Lord, you will no longer have this saying in Israel. ⁴ See, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so the soul of the son is mine: death will be the fate of the sinner's soul. ⁵ But if a man is upright, living rightly and doing righteousness, ⁶ And has not taken flesh with the blood for food, or given worship to the images of the children of Israel; if he has not had connection with his neighbour's wife, or come near to a woman at the time when she is unclean; ⁷ And has done no wrong to any, but has given back to the debtor what is his, and has taken no one's goods by force, and has given food to him who was in need of it, and clothing to him who was without it; ⁸ And has not given his money out at interest or taken great profits, and, turning his hand from evil-doing, has kept faith between man and man, ⁹ And has been guided by my rules and has kept my laws and done them: he is upright, life will certainly be his, says the Lord.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

all souls: Numbers 16:22, Numbers 27:16, Zechariah 12:1, Hebrews 12:9

the soul that: Ezekiel 18:20, Romans 6:23, Galatians 3:10-13, Galatians 3:22

Reciprocal: Genesis 2:17 - surely Genesis 5:5 - and he died Genesis 12:13 - and Exodus 32:33 - sinned Leviticus 5:1 - a soul Numbers 5:31 - bear Numbers 27:3 - died in his 2 Kings 1:4 - but shalt 2 Kings 14:6 - The fathers 2 Chronicles 25:4 - as it is written Job 19:4 - mine Jeremiah 31:30 - General Ezekiel 3:18 - I say Ezekiel 18:18 - even Ezekiel 33:8 - O wicked Ezekiel 33:13 - he shall die Romans 2:9 - soul Romans 5:12 - and death Romans 6:13 - unrighteousness Galatians 6:5 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 18:5
And let me get a bit of bread to keep up your strength, and after that you may go on your way: for this is why you have come to your servant. And they said, Let it be so.

Genesis 18:15
Then Sarah said, I was not laughing; for she was full of fear. And he said, No, but you were laughing.

Genesis 19:2
And he said, My masters, come now into your servant's house and take your rest there for the night, and let your feet be washed; and early in the morning you may go on your way. And they said, Not so, but we will take our night's rest in the street.

Genesis 24:32
Then the man came into the house, and Laban took their cords off the camels and gave them dry grass and food, and he gave to him and the men who were with him water for washing their feet.

Genesis 43:24
And the servant took them into Joseph's house, and gave them water for washing their feet; and he gave their asses food.

1 Samuel 25:41
And she got up, and going down on her face to the earth, said, See, I am ready to be a servant-girl, washing the feet of the servants of my lord.

Luke 7:44
And turning to the woman he said to Simon, You see this woman? I came into your house; you did not give me water for my feet: but she has been washing my feet with the drops from her eyes, and drying them with her hair.

1 Timothy 5:10
And if witness is given of her good works; if she has had the care of children, if she has been kind to travellers, washing the feet of the saints, helping those who are in trouble, giving herself to good works.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Behold, all souls are mine,.... By creation; they being the immediate produce of his power; hence he is called "the Father of spirits", Hebrews 12:9, or the souls of men; these he has an apparent right unto; a property in; a dominion over; they are accountable to him, and will be judged impartially by him:

as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine; and therefore must be thought to have as great a respect and affection for the one as for the other; for the soul of a son as for the soul of a father; and not deal partially in favour of the one, and cruelly and unrighteously with the other:

the soul that sinneth, it shall die; the soul that continues in sin, without repentance towards God, and faith in Christ, shall die the second death; shall be separated from the presence of God, and endure his wrath to all eternity: or the meaning is, that a person that is guilty of gross sins, and continues in them, shall personally suffer; he shall endure one calamity or another, as the famine, sword, pestilence, or be carried into captivity, which is the death all along spoken of in this chapter; the Lord will exercise no patience towards him, or defer punishment to a future generation, his offspring; but shall immediately execute it upon himself.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

All souls are mine - Man is not simply to ascribe his existence to earthly parents, but to acknowledge as his Father Him who created man in His own image, and who gave and gives him the spirit of life. The relation of father to son is merged in the common relation of all (father and son alike) as sons to their heavenly Father.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 18:4. All souls are mine — Equally so; I am the Father of the spirits of all flesh, and shall deal impartially with the whole.

The soul that sinneth, it shall die. — None shall die for another's crimes, none shall be saved by another's righteousness. Here is the general judgment relative to the righteousness and unrighteousness of men, and the influence of one man's state on that of another; particularly in respect to their moral conduct.