Every Soul Go Answer to di Papa
Di proverb wey dey blame pikin dem for dia parents sour grapes, dem don retire am. Evri life dey stand for en own: wicked man wey turn go live, righteous man wey turn go die. Our Papa insist say e no dey happy for anybody death. Turn, e talk, and live.
18 1Di word of our Papa come meet me:
2"Why una dey repeat dis proverb about Israel land: ‘Di papa-mama dem chop sour grape, and na di pikin dem teeth dey pain’?
3"As I dey alive, na so di Sovereign Papa talk, una no go use dis proverb again for Israel. 4‘Every life na my own: di papa-mama own and di pikin own, all of dem be di same. Di person wey sin, na im go die. 5Make we say correct-and-holy man dey wey dey do wetin be just and right. 6He no dey chop for di mountain shrine dem or look di idol of di house of Israel. He no dey commit adultery with im neighbor wife or sleep with woman wey dey for her period. 7He no dey oppress anybody, but e dey give back di collateral wey e collect for loan. He no dey tief, but e dey give im bread to di person wey hungry dey catch and e dey cover di person wey naked with cloth. 8He no dey lend money with interest or take profit, but e dey stay far from wrongdoing and e dey judge honestly between one person and anoda.’ 9He dey follow my decree dem and e dey faithfully keep my law dem. Dat man na correct-and-holy man; for true, he go live, na so di Sovereign Papa talk.
10"Make we say e get violent pikin wey dey pour blood or dey do any of dis oda tins. 11(even though di papa no do any of dis tins): e dey chop for di mountain shrine dem, e dey defile im neighbor wife, 12e dey oppress di poor and di needy, e dey tief, e no dey return wetin e collect as collateral, e dey look idol, and e dey do detestable tins. 13He dey lend money with interest and e dey take profit. Dis kind man go live? He no go! Because e don do all dis detestable tins, for true dem go kill am, and im blood go dey for im own head.
14"But make we say dis pikin born im own pikin wey see all im papa sin dem, and after e see dem, e no do any of dem: 15He no dey chop for di mountain shrine dem or look di idol of di house of Israel. He no dey commit adultery with im neighbor wife. 16He no dey oppress anybody and e no dey collect collateral for loan. He no dey tief, but e dey give im bread to di person wey hungry dey catch and e dey cover di person wey naked with cloth. 17He dey stay far from wrongdoing and e no dey take interest or profit. He dey keep my law dem and e dey follow my decree dem. He no go die because of im papa sin; for true, he go live.
18"But im papa go die because of im own sin: e collect tin by force, e tief im broda, and e do bad-bad tin for im people middle.
19"But una still dey ask, ‘Why di pikin no go carry im papa guilt?’ Since di pikin don do wetin be just and right and e don carefully keep all my decree dem, for true, he go live. 20Di person wey sin na im go die. Pikin no go carry im papa guilt, and papa no go carry im pikin own. Di correct-and-holy person goodness go rest for imself; di wicked person evil go rest for imself.
21"But if wicked person turn comot from all im sin dem, keep all my decree dem, and do wetin be just and right, for true, he go live, he no go die. 22None of di wrong wey dem do go dey remembered against dem; because of di right wey dem do, dem go live.’ 23Abi I dey happy when wicked person die, na so di Sovereign Papa talk, abi na rather say make dem turn comot from dem way and live? a a v23 Our Papa no dey take joy for anybody destruction. Di deepest ting wey e want na say di person wey don waka comot go turn around come back home to life.
24"But if correct-and-holy person turn comot from im correct-and-holy way, sin, and do di same detestable tins wey wicked people dey do, dem go live? None of dem correct-and-holy work go dey remembered. Because of dem unfaithfulness and dem sin dem, dem go die.
25"But una dey talk say, ‘Di way of our Papa no dey just.’ Listen, house of Israel: Na my way no dey just? No be una own way dem no dey just? 26If correct-and-holy person turn comot from im correct-and-holy way and do wrong, dem go die because of am; because of di wrong wey dem do, dem go die. 27But if wicked person turn comot from di wickedness wey dem do and do wetin be just and right, dem go save dem life. 28Because dem consider all dem offense and turn comot from dem, for true, dem go live, dem no go die. 29But di house of Israel dey talk say, ‘Di way of our Papa no dey just.’ Na my way dem no dey just, house of Israel? No be una own way dem no dey just?’
30"So I go judge una, house of Israel, each person according to im own way, na so di Sovereign Papa talk. Repent! Turn comot from all una offense, so dat sin no go be una destruction. 31Comot all di sin wey una don do; make una make new heart and new spirit for unaself. Why una go die, house of Israel? 32For I no dey take pleasure for anybody death, na so di Sovereign Papa talk. So turn, and live!"
