Ezekiel:18

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* The Word of the LORD came to me again , saying , * What is it to you that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel , saying , The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the teeth of the sons [are ] dull ? * [As ] I live , says the Lord Jehovah , to you there is no longer any [occasion ] to use this proverb in Israel . * Behold , all souls [are ] Mine . As the soul of the father , also the soul of the son , they [are ] Mine . The soul that sins , it shall die . * But a man that is just and does what is just and right , * and has not eaten on the mountains , nor has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel , nor has defiled his neighbor 's wife , nor has come near a menstruating woman , * and has not ill-treated any man , [but ] has given the debtor 's pledge back to him , has robbed none by violence , has given his bread to the hungry and has covered the naked with a garment ; * he has not given out on usury , nor has taken any increase , he has withdrawn his hand from iniquity , has done judgment between man and man , * has walked in My statutes , and has kept My judgments to deal truly , he [is ] righteous , he shall surely live , says the Lord Jehovah . * And if he fathers a son [who is ] violent , who sheds blood , and who does to a brother [any ] of these ; * even if he does do not any of these himself , but his son ] has , but has even eaten on the mountains , and has defiled his neighbor 's wife ; * has ill-treated the poor and needy ; thieving , he stole ; has not given back the pledge ; and has lifted up his eyes to the idols ; has committed abomination ; * has loaned on usury ; and has taken increase ; shall he then live ? He shall not live ! He has done all these abominations ; he shall surely die ; his blood shall be on him . * And , lo , [if ] he fathers a son who sees all his father 's sins which he has done , and fears , and does not do like him ; * [who ] has not eaten on the mountains ; nor has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel ; has not defiled his neighbor 's wife ; * nor has ill-treated any man ; has not withheld the pledge ; nor has robbed by violence ; [but ] has given his bread to the hungry ; and has covered the naked [with ] clothes ; * has withdrawn his hand from the poor ; has not received usury nor increase ; has done My judgments ; has walked in My statutes ; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father ; he shall surely live . * His father , because he extorted , robbed [his ] brother by robbery , and did [what is ] not good among his people ; lo , even he shall die in his iniquity . * Yet you say , Why ? Does not the son bear the iniquity of the father ? When the son has done justice and right , has kept all My statutes , and has done them , he shall surely live . * The soul that sins , it shall die . The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father , nor shall the father bear the iniquity of the son . The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him , and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him . * But if the wicked will turn from all his sins which he has committed , and keep all My statutes , and do justice and right , he shall surely live ; he shall not die . * All his transgressions that he has done , they shall not be mentioned to him ; in his righteousness that he has done he shall live . * Do I actually delight in the death of the wicked ? says the Lord Jehovah . Is it not that he should turn from his ways and live ? * But when the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice , [and ] does according to all the abominations that the wicked do , shall he live ? All his righteousness that he has done shall not be remembered ; in his trespass that he has trespassed , and in his sin that he has sinned , in them he shall die . * Yet you say , The way of the LORD is not fair . Hear now , O house of Israel : Is not My way fair ? Are your ways not unfair ? * When a righteous one turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and dies in them ; for his iniquity that he has done , he shall die . * Again , when the wicked turns away from his wickedness that he has committed and does that which is lawful and righteous , he shall save his soul alive . * Because he looks carefully , and turns away from all his sins that he has committed , he shall surely live ; he shall not die . * Yet says the house of Israel : The way of the LORD is not fair . O house of Israel , are not My ways fair ? Are not your ways unfair ? * So I will judge you , O house of Israel , each one of you according to his ways , says the Lord Jehovah . Turn and be made to turn from all your sins ; and iniquity shall not be your stumbling-block . * Cast away from you all your sins by which you have sinned ; and make you a new heart and a new spirit ; for why will you die , O house of Israel ? * For I have no delight in the death of him who dies , says the Lord Jehovah . Therefore turn and live .

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