Tell of All His Wondrous Works

The Soul Who Sins Shall Die

18 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “What do you^[a] mean ^(A)by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ^(B)‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge’? ^3 (C)As I live, declares the Lord God, ^(D)this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. ⁴ Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: ^(E)the soul who sins shall die.

¹⁹ “Yet you say, ^(A)‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done ^(B)what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, ^(C)he shall surely live. ^20 (D)The soul who sins shall die. ^(E)The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. ^(F)The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, ^(G)and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

^21 (H)“But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does ^(I)what is just and right, ^(J)he shall surely live; he shall not die. ^22 (K)None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. ^23 (L)Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? ^24 (M)But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? ^(N)None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for ^(O)the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.

^25 (P)“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? ^26 (Q)When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. ²⁷ Again, ^(R)when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. ²⁸ Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. ²⁹ Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

³⁰ “Therefore ^(S)I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. ^(T)Repent and turn from all your transgressions, ^(U)lest iniquity be your ruin.^{[a] 31 (V)}Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and ^(W)make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! ^(X)Why will you die, O house of Israel? ^32 (Y)For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; ^(Z)so turn, and live.”

¹⁸ For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside ^(A)because of its weakness and uselessness ¹⁹ (for ^(B)the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, ^(C)a better hope is introduced, through which ^(D)we draw near to God.

²⁰ And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, ²¹ but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:

²² This makes Jesus the guarantor of ^(F)a better covenant.

²³ The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, ²⁴ but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues ^(G)forever. ²⁵ Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost^{[a] (H)}those who draw near to God ^(I)through him, since he always lives ^(J)to make intercession for them.

²⁶ For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, ^(K)holy, innocent, unstained, ^(L)separated from sinners, and ^(M)exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, ^(N)first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this ^(O)once for all when he offered up himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints men ^(P)in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made ^(Q)perfect forever.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

^25 (A)And behold, a ^(B)lawyer stood up to ^(C)put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to ^(D)inherit eternal life?” ²⁶ He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” ²⁷ And he answered, ^(E)“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and ^(F)your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁸ And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; ^(G)do this, and you will live.”

²⁹ But he, ^(H)desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ³⁰ Jesus replied, “A man ^(I)was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by chance a ^(J)priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. ³² So likewise ^(K)a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a ^(L)Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴ He went to him and ^(M)bound up his wounds, pouring on ^(N)oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ And the next day he took out two ^(O)denarii^[a] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ ³⁶ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” ³⁷ He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”