The most sacred Bible, whiche is the Holy Scripture conteyning the Old and New Testament / translated into English, and newly recognised with great diligence after most faythful exemplars, by Rychard Taverner.

¶ He sheweth that euery man shall beare his owne synne. To hym that amendeth is saluacyon promy∣sed. Deathe is prophecyed to the ryghtous whiche turneth backe from the ryght waye.

CAPI. XVIII.

THe worde of the Lorde came vnto me [ A] on this maner: what meane ye by this cōmon prouerbe, that ye vse in the land of Israel, sayinge: The fathers haue eaten foure grapes,* 1.1 and the childrēs teth are set on edge? As truely as I lyue sayth the Lorde God, ye shall vse this by worde no more in Israel.

Beholde, all soules are myne. Lyke as the [ B] father is myne, so is the sonne myne also. The soule that synneth, shall dye.* 1.2 If a man be godly, and do the thyng that is equal and ryght, he eateth not vpon the hylles: he lif∣teth not his eyes vp to the Idols of Israel: he defyleth not his neighbours wife: he med¦leth with no menstrous woman: he gre∣ueth no body: he giueth his detter his pledge agayne he taketh none other mans good by vyolence: he parteth his meate with the hō∣grye, he clothed the naked: he lendeth no∣thynge vpon vsury, he taketh nothinge ouer, he w^tdraweth his hand from doing wrōg: he handleth faythfully betwyxt man and man▪ he walketh in my commaundementes, and kepeth ••y lawes, & perfourmeth them faith¦fully: This is a ryghtous man, he shal sure∣ly lyue saith the Lorde God.

If he now get a sonne, that is a murthe¦rer, a sheder of bloude: yf he do one of these thinges (thoughe he do not al) he eateth vpō the hilles, he defyleth his neyhboures wife, he greueth the poore and nedy, he robbeth & spoyleth, he gyueth not the detter his pledge agayne, he lyfteth vp his eyes vnto Idols, & medleth with abhominable thinges, he len∣deth vpon vsurye, & taketh more ouer. Shal this man lyue? He shall not lyue. Seinge he hath done all these abhomynacions, he shall dye his bloude shall be vpon him.

Nowe if this man get a sonne also, that [ C] seeth all his fathers synnes,* 1.3 whiche he hathe done: and feareth, neyther doth suche lyke Namely, he eateth not vpon the moūtaynes he lyfteth not his eyes vp to the Idols of Is¦rael: he defyleth not his neighboures wyfe, he vexeth no man, he kepeth no mans pledge he neither spoyleth, ne robbeth any man, h•• dealeth his meate with the hungrye, he clo∣theth the naked, he oppresseth not the poore, he receyueth no vsurye, ne any thinge oute, he kepeth my lawes, and walketth in my com∣maundementes, This man shall not dye•••• his fathers synne, but shall lyue without fayle. As for his father: because he oppressed and spoyled his brother, and dyd wycked••••

among his people: lo, he is deed in his owne synne. And yet say ye: Wherfore then shulde not this sonne beare his fathers synne? Ther¦fore: because the sonne hathe done equitye & [ E] right, hath kept all my commaundementes, and done them: therfore shall he lyue in dede. The same soule that synneth,* 1.4 shall dye. The sonne shall not beare the fathers offence, nei∣ther shal the father beare the sonnes offence. The rightousnesse of the ryghtous shall be vpon him, and the wyckednes of the wicked shall be vpon him selfe also. But if the vn∣godly wyll turne away frome all his synnes that he hath done, and kepe all my commaū∣dementes, and do the thynge that is equall & right: doubtles he shal lyue, and not dye. As for al his sinnes that he did before, they shal not be thought vpō: but in his rightousnes y^t he hathe done, he shall lyue. For haue I any pleasure in the death of a synner, saythe the Lorde God:* 1.5 but rather that he conuert, and lyue?

[ F] Agayne: if the ryghtous turne awaye frome his rightousnes, and do iniquytie, ac∣cordinge to all the abhomynacions, that the wycked mā doth shal he lyue? All the rygh∣tousnes y^t he hath done, shal not be thought vpon, but in the faute that he hath offended withall, and in the synne that he hathe done, he shall dye.

* 1.6And yet ye saye: Tush, the waye of the Lord is not indifferēt. Here therfore ye house of Israel: Is not my waye righte? Or are not your wayes rather wicked? Whē a righ∣tous man turneth awaye from his rightous∣nesse, and medleth with vngodlynes: he must dye therin: yea for the vnryghtousnesse that he hath done, muste he dye. Agayne: when the wycked man turneth awaye frome his wickednesse, that he hath done, and doth the thynge whiche is equall and ryght: he shall saue his soule alyue. For in so moch as he re¦membreth him selfe, and turneth him frome al the vngodlynesse that he hath vsed, he shal lyue and not dye.

[ G] And yet sayth the house of Israel: Tush, the waye of the Lorde is not equall. Are my wayes vnright, O ye house of Israell: Are not your wayes rather vnequall? As for me I will iudge euerye man, accordynge to his wayes, O ye house of Israell, sayth the Lord God.

* 1.7Wherfore be conuerted, and turne you cleane from all youre wyckednesse, so shall there no synne do you harme. Caste awaye from you al your vngodlynesse, that ye haue done: make you newe hertes and a new spi∣rite. Wherfore wyll ye dye, O ye house of Is¦rael? seinge I haue no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth, sayth y^e Lord God. Turne you then,* 1.8 and ye shall lyue.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.2

  ☜
• * 1.3

  〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.4

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 .x••••ii .c •• ••eg .iiii. b 〈◊〉〈◊〉 .xxv. b.
• * 1.5

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 .xx••x. a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 .xxxiii. b.
• * 1.6

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 xxxiii. d
• * 1.7

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••ii. a.
• * 1.8

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 .xxxiii .c