4 For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child-both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.
4 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.
4 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.
4 Every soul - man, woman, child - belongs to me, parent and child alike. You die for your own sin, not another's.
4 "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.
4 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.
23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
23 Then Abraham drew near and said, "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
23 Abraham confronted him, "Are you serious? Are you planning on getting rid of the good people right along with the bad?
23 And Abraham came near and said, "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
23 Abraham approached him and said, "Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked?
(Read Genesis 18:23-33)
Here is the first solemn prayer upon record in the Bible; and it is a prayer for the sparing of Sodom. Abraham prayed earnestly that Sodom might be spared, if but a few righteous persons should be found in it. Come and learn from Abraham what compassion we should feel for sinners, and how earnestly we should pray for them. We see here that the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Abraham, indeed, failed in his request for the whole place, but Lot was miraculously delivered. Be encouraged then to expect, by earnest prayer, the blessing of God upon your families, your friends, your neighbourhood. To this end you must not only pray, but you must live like Abraham. He knew the Judge of all the earth would do right. He does not plead that the wicked may be spared for their own sake, or because it would be severe to destroy them, but for the sake of the righteous who might be found among them. And righteousness only can be made a plea before God. How then did Christ make intercession for transgressors? Not by blaming the Divine law, nor by alleging aught in extenuation or excuse of human guilt; but by pleading HIS OWN obedience unto death.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel 18:4
Commentary on Ezekiel 18:1-20
(Read Ezekiel 18:1-20)
The soul that sinneth it shall die. As to eternity, every man was, is, and will be dealt with, as his conduct shows him to have been under the old covenant of works, or the new covenant of grace. Whatever outward sufferings come upon men through the sins of others, they deserve for their own sins all they suffer; and the Lord overrules every event for the eternal good of believers. All souls are in the hand of the great Creator: he will deal with them in justice or mercy; nor will any perish for the sins of another, who is not in some sense worthy of death for his own. We all have sinned, and our souls must be lost, if God deal with us according to his holy law; but we are invited to come to Christ. If a man who had shown his faith by his works, had a wicked son, whose character and conduct were the reverse of his parent's, could it be expected he should escape the Divine vengeance on account of his father's piety? Surely not. And should a wicked man have a son who walked before God as righteous, this man would not perish for his father's sins. If the son was not free from evils in this life, still he should be partaker of salvation. The question here is not about the meritorious ground of justification, but about the Lord's dealings with the righteous and the wicked.