|
Chapter 18 |
| 1 | The word of
the LORD came unto me again, saying, |
| 2 | What mean ye, that ye use this
proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour
grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? |
| 3 | As I live,
saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in
Israel. |
| 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. |
| 5 |
But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right, |
| 6 | And
hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols
of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath
come near to a menstruous woman, |
| 7 | And hath not oppressed any, but
hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath
given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
|
| 8 | He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any
increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true
judgment between man and man, |
|
9 | Hath walked in my statutes, and hath
kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the
Lord GOD. |
| 10
| If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood,
and that doeth the like to any one of these things, |
| 11 | And that
doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and
defiled his neighbour's wife, |
|
12 | Hath oppressed the poor and needy,
hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his
eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination, |
| 13 | Hath given
forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not
live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall
be upon him. |
|
14 | Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his
father's sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such
like, |
| 15 |
That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up
his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's
wife, |
| 16 |
Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge,
neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and
hath covered the naked with a garment, |
| 17 | That hath taken off his hand
from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my
judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his
father, he shall surely live. |
|
18 | As for his father, because he cruelly
oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good
among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity. |
| 19 | Yet say
ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath
done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath
done them, he shall surely live. |
| 20 | The soul that sinneth, it
shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the
father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall
be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. |
| 21 |
But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep
all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live,
he shall not die. |
| 22 | All his transgressions that he hath
committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he
hath done he shall live. |
|
23 | Have I any pleasure at all that the
wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his
ways, and live? |
|
24 | But when the righteous turneth away from his
righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the
abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness
that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath
trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
|
| 25 | Yet ye say, The way of the LORD is not equal. Hear now, O house of
Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? |
| 26 | When a
righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and
dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. |
| 27 |
Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath
committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul
alive. |
| 28
| Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his
transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not
die. |
| 29 |
Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the LORD is not
equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways
unequal? |
| 30
| Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one
according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all
your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. |
| 31 | Cast
away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make
you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
|
| 32 | For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord
GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. |
