Ezekiel 18:1-4

Amplified Bible

God Deals Justly with Individuals

18 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, ²“What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel,

‘^[a]The fathers eat sour grapes [they sin],
But the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

³As I live,” says the Lord God, “you are certainly not going to use this proverb [as an excuse] in Israel anymore. ⁴Behold (pay close attention), all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.^(A)

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Footnotes

Ezekiel 18:2 This proverb is generally interpreted to mean that the subsequent generations suffer (‘the children’s teeth are set on edge’) for the sins of their ancestors (‘the fathers eat sour grapes’). The Israelites were using this well-known proverb as an excuse to blame their forefathers for their suffering and misfortune instead of acknowledging their guilt and taking personal responsibility for their sin.