Each Soul Answers to the Father
18 1 The word of our Father came to me:
2 "What do you mean by repeating this proverb about the land of Israel: 'The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'?
3 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Father, you will no longer use this proverb in Israel. 4 For every living person belongs to me: the parent and the child alike are mine. The person who sins is the one who will die.
5 Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. 6 He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not commit adultery with his neighbor's wife or sleep with a woman during her period. 7 He oppresses no one but gives back the collateral he took for a loan. He commits no robbery but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. 8 He does not lend at interest or take a profit but keeps away from wrongdoing and judges honestly between one person and another. 9 He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous he will surely live, declares the Sovereign Father.
10 Suppose he has a violent son who sheds blood or does any of these other things 11 (though the father has done none of them): he eats at the mountain shrines, commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, 12 oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not return what he took as collateral, looks to idols and commits detestable acts. 13 He lends at interest and takes a profit. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death and his blood will be on his own head.
14 But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do likewise: 15 He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not commit adultery with his neighbor's wife. 16 He oppresses no one and takes no collateral for a loan. He commits no robbery but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. 17 He keeps away from wrongdoing and takes no interest or profit. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father's sin he will surely live.
18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what was wrong among his people.
19 Yet you ask, 'Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?' Since the son has done what is just and right and has carefully kept all my decrees, he will surely live. 20 The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.
21 But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, they will surely live; they will not die. 22 None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Father. Do I not rather delight when they turn from their ways and live? 1 1 v23 Our Father takes no joy in anyone's ruin. His deepest desire is that the one who has wandered would turn around and come home to life.
24 But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked do, will they live? None of the righteous things they have done will be remembered. Because of their unfaithfulness and the sins they have committed, they will die.
25 Yet you say, 'The way of our Father is not just.' Listen, house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. 27 But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. 28 Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, they will surely live; they will not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of our Father is not just.' Are my ways unjust, house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?
30 Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each one according to their ways, declares the Sovereign Father. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Father. So turn, and live!