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Chapter 18

Personal Responsibility. The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, what is the meaning of this proverb you recite in the land of Israel:

“Parents eat sour grapes,(A)
    but the children’s teeth are set on edge”?[a]

As I live—oracle of the Lord God: I swear that none of you will ever repeat this proverb in Israel. For all life is mine: the life of the parent is like the life of the child, both are mine. Only the one who sins shall die!

If a man is just—if he does what is right, if he does not eat on the mountains,[b] or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; if he does not defile a neighbor’s wife, or have relations with a woman during her period;(B) (C)if he oppresses no one, gives back the pledge received for a debt, commits no robbery; gives food to the hungry and clothes the naked; if he does not lend at interest or exact usury; if he refrains from evildoing and makes a fair judgment between two opponents;(D) if he walks by my statutes and is careful to observe my ordinances, that man is just—he shall surely live—oracle of the Lord God.(E)

10 But if he begets a son who is violent and commits murder, or does any of these things,(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 18:2 Parents…on edge: a proverb the people quoted to complain that they were being punished for their ancestors’ sins; cf. Jer 31:29.
  2. 18:6 Eat on the mountains: take part in meals after sacrifice at the high places.