Ezekiel 18

New International Version

The One Who Sins Will Die

18 The word of the Lord came to me: ²“What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:

“‘The parents eat sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?^(A)

³“As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb^(B) in Israel. ⁴For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins^(C) is the one who will die.^(D)

⁵“Suppose there is a righteous man
    who does what is just and right.
⁶He does not eat at the mountain^(E) shrines
    or look to the idols^(F) of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife
    or have sexual relations with a woman during her period.^(G)
⁷He does not oppress^(H) anyone,
    but returns what he took in pledge^(I) for a loan.
He does not commit robbery^(J)
    but gives his food to the hungry^(K)
    and provides clothing for the naked.^(L)
⁸He does not lend to them at interest
    or take a profit from them.^(M)
He withholds his hand from doing wrong
    and judges fairly^(N) between two parties.
⁹He follows my decrees^(O)
    and faithfully keeps my laws.
That man is righteous;^(P)
    he will surely live,^(Q)
declares the Sovereign Lord.

¹⁰“Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood^(R) or does any of these other things^[a] ¹¹(though the father has done none of them):

“He eats at the mountain shrines.^(S)
He defiles his neighbor’s wife.
¹²He oppresses the poor^(T) and needy.
He commits robbery.
He does not return what he took in pledge.^(U)
He looks to the idols.
He does detestable things.^(V)
¹³He lends at interest and takes a profit.^(W)

Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.^(X)

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 such things:^(Y)

¹⁵“He does not eat at the mountain shrines^(Z)
    or look to the idols^(AA) of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.
¹⁶He does not oppress anyone
    or require a pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
    but gives his food to the hungry^(AB)
    and provides clothing for the naked.^(AC)
¹⁷He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor
    and takes no interest or profit from them.
He keeps my laws^(AD) and follows my decrees.

He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. ¹⁸But 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 been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live.^(AE) ²⁰The one who sins is the one who will die.^(AF) 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.^(AG)

²¹“But if^(AH) a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees^(AI) and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die.^(AJ) ²²None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live.^(AK) ²³Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased^(AL) when they turn from their ways and live?^(AM)

²⁴“But if a righteous person turns^(AN) from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness^(AO) they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.^(AP)

²⁵“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’^(AQ) Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust?^(AR) Is it not your ways that are unjust? ²⁶If 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. ²⁷But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life.^(AS) ²⁸Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die.^(AT) ²⁹Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

³⁰“Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent!^(AU) Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.^(AV) ³¹Rid^(AW) yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart^(AX) and a new spirit. Why^(AY) will you die, people of Israel?^(AZ) ³²For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent^(BA) and live!^(BB)

Footnotes

Ezekiel 18:10 Or things to a brother

1 John 2

New International Version

2 My dear children,^(A) I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate^(B) with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ²He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,^(C) and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.^(D)

Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers

³We know^(E) that we have come to know him^(F) if we keep his commands.^(G) ⁴Whoever says, “I know him,”^(H) but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.^(I) ⁵But if anyone obeys his word,^(J) love for God^[a] is truly made complete in them.^(K) This is how we know^(L) we are in him: ⁶Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.^(M)

⁷Dear friends,^(N) I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning.^(O) This old command is the message you have heard. ⁸Yet I am writing you a new command;^(P) its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing^(Q) and the true light^(R) is already shining.^(S)

⁹Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister^[b]^(T) is still in the darkness.^(U) ¹⁰Anyone who loves their brother and sister^[c] lives in the light,^(V) and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.^(W) ¹¹But anyone who hates a brother or sister^(X) is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness.^(Y) They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.^(Z)

Reasons for Writing

¹²I am writing to you, dear children,^(AA)
    because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.^(AB)
¹³I am writing to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.^(AC)
I am writing to you, young men,
    because you have overcome^(AD) the evil one.^(AE)

¹⁴I write to you, dear children,^(AF)
    because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.^(AG)
I write to you, young men,
    because you are strong,^(AH)
    and the word of God^(AI) lives in you,^(AJ)
    and you have overcome the evil one.^(AK)

On Not Loving the World

¹⁵Do not love the world or anything in the world.^(AL) If anyone loves the world, love for the Father^[d] is not in them.^(AM) ¹⁶For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh,^(AN) the lust of the eyes,^(AO) and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷The world and its desires pass away,^(AP) but whoever does the will of God^(AQ) lives forever.

Warnings Against Denying the Son

¹⁸Dear children, this is the last hour;^(AR) and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming,^(AS) even now many antichrists have come.^(AT) This is how we know it is the last hour. ¹⁹They went out from us,^(AU) but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.^(AV)

²⁰But you have an anointing^(AW) from the Holy One,^(AX) and all of you know the truth.^[e]^(AY) ²¹I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it^(AZ) and because no lie comes from the truth. ²²Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.^(BA) ²³No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.^(BB)

²⁴As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning^(BC) remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.^(BD) ²⁵And this is what he promised us—eternal life.^(BE)

²⁶I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.^(BF) ²⁷As for you, the anointing^(BG) you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things^(BH) and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.^(BI)

God’s Children and Sin

²⁸And now, dear children,^(BJ) continue in him, so that when he appears^(BK) we may be confident^(BL) and unashamed before him at his coming.^(BM)

²⁹If you know that he is righteous,^(BN) you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.^(BO)

Footnotes

1 John 2:5 Or word, God’s love
1 John 2:9 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in verse 11; and in 3:15, 17; 4:20; 5:16.
1 John 2:10 The Greek word for brother and sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in 3:10; 4:20, 21.
1 John 2:15 Or world, the Father’s love
1 John 2:20 Some manuscripts and you know all things

Psalm 98

New International Version

Psalm 98

A psalm.

¹Sing to the Lord^(A) a new song,^(B)
    for he has done marvelous things;^(C)
his right hand^(D) and his holy arm^(E)
    have worked salvation^(F) for him.
²The Lord has made his salvation known^(G)
    and revealed his righteousness^(H) to the nations.^(I)
³He has remembered^(J) his love
    and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth^(K) have seen
    the salvation of our God.^(L)

⁴Shout for joy^(M) to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music;
⁵make music to the Lord with the harp,^(N)
    with the harp and the sound of singing,^(O)
⁶with trumpets^(P) and the blast of the ram’s horn^(Q)—
    shout for joy^(R) before the Lord, the King.^(S)

⁷Let the sea^(T) resound, and everything in it,
    the world, and all who live in it.^(U)
⁸Let the rivers clap their hands,^(V)
    let the mountains^(W) sing together for joy;
⁹let them sing before the Lord,
    for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples with equity.^(X)