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God Deals Justly with Individuals

¹ The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,² "^(C1)What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel,

'^(F1)(C2)The fathers eat sour grapes they sin,
But the children's teeth are set on edge'?

⁵ "But if a man is righteous (keeps the law) and practices justice and righteousness,⁶ and does not ^(C1)eat at the pagan shrines on the mountains or ^(C2)raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or ^(C3)defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her monthly time of impurity—⁷ if a man does not oppress anyone, but ^(C1)restores to the debtor his pledge, ^(C2)does not commit robbery, but ^(C3)gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing,⁸ if he ^(F1)does not charge ^(C1)interest or take a percentage of ^(C2)increase on what he lends in compassion, if he keeps his hand from sin and ^(C3)executes true justice between man and man,⁹ if he walks in ^(C1)My statutes and keeps My ordinances so as to act with integrity; then ^(C2)he is truly righteous and shall certainly ^(C3)live," says the Lord GOD. ^(VR1)

¹⁰ "If he is the father of a violent son who sheds blood, and who does any of these things to a brother¹¹ (though the father did not do any of these things), that is, the son even eats the food set before idols at the mountain shrines, and ^(C1)defiles his neighbor's wife,¹² oppresses the ^(C1)poor and needy, ^(C2)commits robbery, does not restore to the debtor his pledge, but raises his eyes to the idols, and ^(C3)commits repulsive acts,¹³ and charges interest and takes a percentage of increase on what he has ^(C1)loaned; will he then live? He will not live! He has done all these disgusting things, he shall surely be put to death; his ^(C2)blood will be on his own head.

¹⁴ "Now behold, if this wicked man has a son who has observed all the sins which his father committed, and ^(C1)considers thoughtfully what he has observed and does not do like his father:¹⁵ "He does not eat food set before idols at the mountain shrines or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife,¹⁶ or oppress anyone, or take anything in pledge, or commit robbery, but he ^(C1)gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing,¹⁷ he keeps his hand from oppressing the poor, does not receive interest or increase from the needy, but executes My ordinances and walks in My statutes; ^(C1)he shall not die for the sin (guilt) of his father; he shall certainly live.¹⁸ "As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he shall die for his sin.

¹⁹ "Yet do you say, '^(C1)Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's sin?' When the son has practiced ^(C2)justice and righteousness and has kept all My statutes and has done them, he shall certainly live.²⁰ "The person who ^(C1)sins is the one that will die. The ^(C2)son will not bear the punishment for the sin of the father, nor will the father bear the punishment for the sin of the son; the ^(C3)righteousness of the righteous shall be on himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on himself.

²¹ "But if the ^(C1)wicked man turns away from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall certainly live; he shall not die.²² "^(C1)All of his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his ^(C2)righteousness which he has practiced for his moral and spiritual integrity in every area and relationship, he will live.²³ "^(C1)Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked," says the Lord GOD, "rather than that he should ^(C2)turn away from his malevolent acts and live?

²⁴ "But when the righteous man ^(C1)turns away from his righteousness and commits sin and acts in accordance with all the repulsive things that the wicked man does, will he live? ^(C2)All of his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered because of the ^(C3)treachery that he has committed and for his sin which he has committed; for them he shall die.²⁵ "Yet you say, '^(C1)The way of the Lord is not right.' Hear now, O house of Israel! Is ^(C2)My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?²⁶ "When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits sin and dies because of it, it is for his sin which he has committed that he dies.²⁷ "Again, when a wicked man turns away ^(C1)from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life.²⁸ "Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions which he had committed, he shall certainly live; he shall not die.²⁹ "Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not right!' O house of Israel, are My ways not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

³⁰ "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each one in accordance with his conduct," says the Lord GOD. "^(C1)Repent (change your way of thinking) and turn away from all your transgressions, so that sin may not become a stumbling block to you. ^(VR1)31 "^(C1)Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed against Me, and make yourselves a ^(C2)new heart and a new spirit! For why should you die, O house of Israel? ^(VR1)32 "For I have ^(C1)no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live!"