⁷ And he said to the people, “Go forward. March around the city and let ^(A)the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord.”

²² Thus says the Lord God: ^(A)“I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. ^(B)I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and ^(C)I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. ^23 (D)On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. ^(E)And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. ²⁴ And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; ^(F)I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up ^(G)the green tree, and make ^(H)the dry tree flourish. ^(I)I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.”

The Soul Who Sins Shall Die

18 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “What do you^[a] mean ^(J)by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ^(K)‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge’? ^3 (L)As I live, declares the Lord God, ^(M)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: ^(N)the soul who sins shall die.

⁵ “If a man is righteous and does ^(O)what is just and right— ⁶ if he ^(P)does not eat upon the mountains or ^(Q)lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, ^(R)does not defile his neighbor's wife ^(S)or approach ^(T)a woman in her time of menstrual impurity, ^7 (U)does not oppress anyone, but ^(V)restores to the debtor his pledge, ^(W)commits no robbery, ^(X)gives his bread to the hungry ^(Y)and covers the naked with a garment, ^8 (Z)does not lend at interest ^(AA)or take any profit,^[b] withholds his hand from injustice, ^(AB)executes true justice between man and man, ^9 (AC)walks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting faithfully—he is righteous; ^(AD)he shall surely live, declares the Lord God.

¹⁰ “If he fathers a son who is violent, ^(AE)a shedder of blood, who does any of these things ¹¹ (though he himself did none of these things), ^(AF)who even eats upon the mountains, ^(AG)defiles his neighbor's wife, ¹² oppresses the poor and needy, ^(AH)commits robbery, ^(AI)does not restore the pledge, ^(AJ)lifts up his eyes to the idols, ^(AK)commits abomination, ^13 (AL)lends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; ^(AM)his blood shall be upon himself.