International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1This message came to me from the LORD:

1Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2"Why do you cite this proverb when you talk about Israel's land: 'The fathers eat sour grapes but it's their children's teeth that have become numb.'

2"What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, 'The fathers eat the sour grapes, But the children's teeth are set on edge '?

3As long as I live," declares the LORD, "you won't use this proverb about Israel anymore.

3"As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore.

4Look! Every living soul belongs to me—the father's as well as the son's. So pay attention! The person who keeps on sinning is going to 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 will die.

5"If a person is righteous, and practices what's lawful and right,

5"But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness,

6if he doesn't eat at mountain shrines, and doesn't look to the idols that have been erected in Israel's house, if he doesn't defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her time of menstrual separation,

6and does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period--

7if he doesn't oppress anyone, but instead returns the debtor's security for his debt, if he doesn't rob anyone, but instead shares his food with the hungry and gives clothes to those who are naked,

7if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing,

8if he doesn't lend with usury or exact interest, but instead refuses to participate in what is unjust, if he administers true justice between people,

8if he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between man and man,

9if he lives his life consistent with my statutes and keeps my ordinances by practicing what's true, then he's righteous and will certainly live," declares the Lord GOD.

9if he walks in My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully-- he is righteous and will surely live," declares the Lord GOD.

10"Now suppose that person produces a son who's violent, a murderer, and practices any of these things,

10"Then he may have a violent son who sheds blood and who does any of these things to a brother

11even though the father hasn't done any of these things. The son who eats at mountain shrines, defiles his neighbor's wife,

11(though he himself did not do any of these things), that is, he even eats at the mountain shrines, and defiles his neighbor's wife,

12oppresses the afflicted and the poor, robs others, doesn't return security for a debt, looks to idols, does detestable things,

12oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore a pledge, but lifts up his eyes to the idols and commits abomination,

13loans with usury, and exacts interest; will he live? He certainly will not! He has done all these detestable practices. He will certainly die, and his guilt will be his own fault."

13he lends money on interest and takes increase; will he live? He will not live! He has committed all these abominations, he will surely be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.

14"Now suppose that he produced a son who practiced all of his father's sins, but then that son began to fear me and stopped doing all of these things.

14"Now behold, he has a son who has observed all his father's sins which he committed, and observing does not do likewise.

15That is, suppose he doesn't eat at the mountain shrines, doesn't look to the idols of Israel's house, doesn't defile his neighbor's wife,

15"He does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife,

16doesn't oppress anyone, doesn't take possession of a debtor's pledge, or doesn't steal, but instead shares his food with the hungry, gives clothes to those who are naked,

16or oppress anyone, or retain a pledge, or commit robbery, but he gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing,

17doesn't refuse to help the afflicted, or refuses to loan with usury or exact interest, but instead follows my ordinances and lives his life consistent with my statutes. He won't die because of his father's sin, will he? No! He'll certainly live.

17he keeps his hand from the poor, does not take interest or increase, but executes My ordinances, and walks in My statutes; he will not die for his father's iniquity, he will surely live.

18As for his father, watch out! If he wrongfully oppressed or robbed his brother and did what wasn't good among his people, he'll die because of his own sin."

18"As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was not good among his people, behold, he will die for his iniquity.

19"Yet you keep asking, 'Why wouldn't the son bear the punishment of his father's sin?' Because the son has done what was lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes and obeyed them, he's certainly going to live.

19"Yet you say, 'Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity?' When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live.

20The soul who sins dies. The son won't bear the punishment of his father's sin and the father won't bear the punishment of his son's sin. The righteous deeds of that righteous person will be attributed to him, while the wicked deeds of the wicked person will be charged against him.

20"The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

21But if the wicked person turns from all his sins, which he did and keeps my statutes, then he'll live. He won't die.

21"But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

22None of the transgressions that he had committed will be held against him. Because of the righteous deeds that he had done, he'll live.

22"All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live.

23"I don't take delight in the death of the wicked, do I?" asks the Lord GOD. "Shouldn't I rather delight when he turns from his wicked ways and lives?

23"Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked," declares the Lord GOD, "rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?

24But when the righteous person abandons his righteous deeds and commits evil, detestable practices, as wicked people do, he won't live, will he? None of the righteous acts that he had done will be remembered. He'll die in his treacherous unfaithfulness and sins that he had committed."

24"But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die.

25"Yet you keep saying, 'The LORD isn't being consistent with his standards.' Pay attention, you house of Israel: Is my behavior really inconsistent with my standards? Isn't it your behavior that isn't just?

25"Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

26"When a righteous person turns from his righteous deeds and does evil, he'll die because of that evil. He'll die because of his unrighteous acts that he committed.

26"When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die.

27When a wicked person quits his wicked behavior and does what's just and right, he'll be enabled to live.

27"Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life.

28Because he reconsidered his transgression and turned away from everything that he had been doing, he'll certainly live and not die.

28"Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

29Yet Israel's house keeps saying, 'The LORD isn't being consistent with his standards.' Is it my behavior that's inconsistent with my standards? Is it not your behavior that's inconsistent with my standards?"

29"But the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?

30"Therefore, Israel, I'm going to judge you according to the behavior of each and every one of you," declares the Lord GOD. "So repent and turn from all your sins so that sin won't keep on being a stumbling block for you.

30"Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct," declares the Lord GOD. "Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you.

31Stop your transgressing—the deeds by which you've rebelled—and then make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, you house of Israel?

31"Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel?

32I don't take pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the LORD. "So repent, so you may live!"

32"For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live."

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