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God Deals Justly with Individuals

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

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

⁵ "But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness,⁶ and does not ^(C1)eat at the mountain shrines or ^(C2)lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or ^(C3)defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period--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 does not lend money on ^(C1)interest or take ^(C2)increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and ^(C3)executes true justice between man and man,⁹ if he walks in ^(C1)My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully--^(C2)he is righteous and will surely ^(C3)live," declares the Lord GOD.

¹⁰ "Then he may ^(F1)have a violent son who sheds blood and who does any of these things to a brother¹¹ (though he himself did not do any of these things), that is, he even eats at the mountain shrines, and ^(C1)defiles his neighbor's wife,¹² oppresses the ^(C1)poor and needy, ^(C2)commits robbery, does not restore a pledge, but lifts up his eyes to the idols and ^(C3)commits abomination,¹³ he ^(C1)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 ^(C2)blood will be ^(F1)on his own head.

¹⁴ "Now behold, he ^(F1)has a son who has observed all his father's sins which he committed, and ^(C1)observing does not do likewise.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,¹⁶ or oppress anyone, or retain a 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 ^(F1)the poor, does not take interest or increase, but executes My ordinances, and walks in My statutes; ^(C1)he will not die for his father's iniquity, he will surely live.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 say, '^(C1)Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity?' When the son has practiced ^(C2)justice and righteousness and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live.²⁰ "The person who ^(C1)sins will die. The ^(C2)son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the ^(C3)righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

²¹ "But if the ^(C1)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.²² "^(C1)All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his ^(C2)righteousness which he has practiced, he will live.²³ "^(C1)Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked," declares the Lord GOD, "^(F1)rather than that he should ^(C2)turn from his ways and live?

²⁴ "But when a righteous man ^(C1)turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? ^(C2)All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his ^(C3)treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will 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, commits iniquity and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die.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 his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.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 I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct," declares the Lord GOD. "^(C1)Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you.³¹ "^(C1)Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a ^(C2)new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel?³² "For I have ^(C1)no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live."