Statement about personal responsability 1 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...’ ?"
3 "As I am," says Lord God, "I swear that you will never again quote this proverb in Isra'el.
4 Behold, all lives be long to me — both the parent's life and the child's life are equally mine — So it is the person who sins, himself, who must die!
5 "Consider someone who is righteous,
who does what is just and right; 6 He/she does not eat on the mountain shrines or
lift his eyes toward the idols of the house of Isra'el;
He/she doesn't defile his neighbor's spouse or
touch his woman during her time of menstrual impurity; 7 He/she does not oppress anyone,
returns what he/she took in pledge for a loan;
Will not grab anything with force,
but gives bread to the hungry and
provides clothing for the naked; 8 Neither demands nor accepts interest on a loan;
he/she refrains from what are wrong and evil;
and he/she judges honestly between one person and another; 9 In short: he/she lives according to my laws and observes my commandments,
so as to act faithfully. Such a person is righteous, and will certainly live!" - says the LORD God.
10 "Now suppose he/she is the father of a son
who is a robber, a murderer,
or who does any of these things to a "brother",
"brother":
in the ancient hebrew "brother" was called all those from the hebrew-nation since all were relatives going up to Aron
Jesus called "
"all who obeyed God's will
in the New Testament the "neighbour" expression is used more often instead of the relative related "brother" word
11 (though the father has done none of them):
he/she eats at the mountain shrines,
he/she defiles his neighbor’s spouse, 12 Wrongs the poor and needy,
commits robbery, does not return what was taken as pledge;
Lifts up his/her eyes to the idols and commits abomination;
abomination: has a grave meaning in Bible and it leads to desolation, destruction and final disaster. Abomination are those detestable things and behaviors that are against the common sense of the bile like perversity, sexual aberrations, homosexuality, etc. ("abomination of desolation")
13 Demands and accepts interest.
Should he/she live? He/she will not live!
Because he/she has engaged in all these disgusting practices he/she shell die and his/her blood is on him/her."
14 "But now if such a wicked man/woman has a child
who sees all the sins the parent committed,
thinks about them, but will not commit them: 15 He/she does not eat from the sacrifices done at the mountain shrines
or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
Or defile his neighbor’s spouse; 16 Will not wrong or opress anyone,
keep pledged property or take by robbery,
But shares the food with the hungry
and clothing with the needy;
17 He/she refrains from oppressing the poor,
he/she neither demands nor accepts interest.
He/she obeys my rulings and lives according to my laws. So he/she will not die for his/her parent's sins but will certainly live!
18Yet his/her parent, because he oppressed so cruelly,
committed robbery against his peer [brother*]
and never did anything good among his people — he will die for his sins!
19 "So you ask, 'Why doesn't the child bear his parent's guilt?'
Since the child has done what is lawful and right,
has kept all my laws and obeyed them, he/she will certainly live! 20The person who sins is the one that will die!
A child is not to bear his/her parent's guilt with him/her,
nor is the parent to bear his/her child's guilt with him; But the righteousness of the righteous will be his/her own, and the wickedness of the wicked be his/her own.
21 "However, if the wicked person repents of all the sins he/she committed,
keeps my laws and does what is lawful and right; then he/she will certainly live, he/she will not die! 22 None of the transgressions he/she has committed will be remembered against him/her;
for the righteousness that he/she has done, he/she will live! 23 Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked person?" asks LORD God.
"I would not rather prefer that he/she turns back from his/her ways and live?"
24 "On the other hand, if the righteous person tums away from his/her righteousness
and commits wickedness by acting in accordance
with all the disgusting practices that the wicked person does;
Will he/she live?
None of the righteous deeds he/she has done will be remembered;
For the trespasses and sins he/she has committed, he/she will die!"
25 "Yet you say, 'The way of the LORD is not right.'
Hear now, my people!
Is My way unfair?
Are not your ways rather unfair and unjust?"
26 "When the righteous person turns away from his/her righteousness and commits wickedness,
he/she will die for it — for the sin he/she commits he will die!
27 And when the wicked person turns away from all and each of the wickedness he/she has committed
and does what is lawful and right, he/she will save his/her life. 28 Because he/she thinks it over and repents of all the transgressions he/she committed,
he/she will certainly live and will not die!"
29 "Yet my people say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.'
Are my ways unjust? Rather your ways are unjust! 30 Therefore my people, I will judge each of you according to his/her ways," - says LORD God -
"Repent, and turn yourselves away from all your transgressions,
so that none of them will be a stumbling block that brings guilt upon you! 31Throw far away from you all your transgressions which you have committed, make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why should you die, my chosen people? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the LORD God. "Therefore, repent and live!"
