God reproveth the unjust parable of sour grapes.

1 ¶ The wordº of the LORDº came² unto² me again, saying,ºª 2 What² mean ye, that ye² useºª this²² proverbº concerning² the landº of Israel,º saying,ºª The fathersº have eatenºª sour grapes,º and the children'sº teethº are set on edge?ºª 3 [As] I² live,º saithºª the Lordº GOD,º ye shall not² have² [occasion] any more² to useºª this² proverbº in Israel.º 4 Behold,² all² soulsº are mine; as the soulº of the father,º so also the soulº of the sonº is mine: the soulº that sinneth,ºª it² shall die.ºª

He sheweth how he dealeth with a just father:

5 ¶ But if² a manº be² just,º and doºª that which is lawfulº and right,º 6 [And] hath not² eatenºª upon² the mountains,º neither² hath lifted upºª his eyesº to² the idolsº of the houseº of Israel,º neither² hath defiledºª his neighbour'sº wife,º neither² hath come nearºª to² a menstruousº woman,º 7 And hath not² oppressedºª any,º [but] hath restoredºª to the debtorº his pledge,º hath spoiledºª none² by violence,º hath givenºª his breadº to the hungry,º and hath coveredºª the nakedº with a garment;º 8 He [that] hath not² given forthºª upon usury,º neither² hath takenºª any increase,º [that] hath withdrawnºª his handº from iniquity,º² hath executedºª trueº judgmentº between² manº and man,º 9 Hath walkedºª in my statutes,º and hath keptºª my judgments,º to dealºª truly;º he² [is] just,º he shall surely¹ª live,ºª saithºª the Lordº GOD.º

with a wicked son of a just father:

10 ¶ If he begetºª a sonº [that is] a robber,º a shedderºª of blood,º and [that] doethºª the likeº to [any] oneº² of these²² [things], 11 And that² doethºª not²² any² of those² [duties], but² even² hath eatenºª upon² the mountains,º and defiledºª his neighbour'sº wife,º 12 Hath oppressedºª the poorº and needy,º hath spoiledºª by violence,º hath not² restoredºª the pledge,º and hath lifted upºª his eyesº to² the idols,º hath committedºª abomination,º 13 Hath given forthºª upon usury,º and hath takenºª increase:º shall he then live?¹ª² he shall not² live:ºª he hath doneºª² all² these² abominations;º he shall surely¹ª die;ºª his bloodº shall be² upon him.

with a just son of a wicked father:

14 ¶ Now, lo,² [if] he begetºª a son,º that seethºª² all² his father'sº sinsº which² he hath done,ºª and considereth,ºª and doethºª not² such like,¹ 15 [That] hath not² eatenºª upon² the mountains,º neither² hath lifted upºª his eyesº to² the idolsº of the houseº of Israel,º hath not² defiledºª his neighbour'sº² wife,º 16 Neither² hath oppressedºª any,º hath not² withholdenºª the pledge,º neither² hath spoiledºª by violence,º [but] hath givenºª his breadº to the hungry,º and hath coveredºª the nakedº with a garment,º 17 [That] hath taken offºª his handº from the poor,º² [that] hath not² receivedºª usuryº nor increase,º hath executedºª my judgments,º hath walkedºª in my statutes;º he² shall not² dieºª for the iniquityº of his father,º he shall surely¹ª live.ºª 18 [As for] his father,º because² he cruelly¹ oppressed,ºª² spoiledºª his brotherº by violence,º and didºª [that] which² [is] not² goodº amongº his people,º lo,² even he shall dieºª in his iniquity.º

with a wicked man repenting:

19 ¶ Yet sayºª ye, Why?² doth not² the sonº bearºª the iniquityº of the father?º When the sonº hath doneºª that which is lawfulº and right,º [and] hath keptºª² all² my statutes,º and hath doneºª them, he shall surely¹ª live.ºª 20 The soulº that sinneth,ºª it² shall die.ºª The sonº shall not² bearºª the iniquityº of the father,º neither² shall the fatherº bearºª the iniquityº of the son:º the righteousnessº of the righteousº shall be² upon² him, and the wickednessº of the wickedº shall be² upon² him. 21 But if² the wickedº will turnºª from all²² his sinsº that² he hath committed,ºª and keepºª² all² my statutes,º and doºª that which is lawfulº and right,º he shall surely¹ª live,ºª he shall not² die.ºª 22 All² his transgressionsº that² he hath committed,ºª they shall not² be mentionedºª unto him: in his righteousnessº that² he hath doneºª he shall live.ºª 23 Have I any pleasure¹ª at allºª that the wickedº should die?º saithºª the Lordº GOD:º [and] not² that he should returnºª from his ways,º² and live?ºª

with a just man revolting.

24 ¶ But when the righteousº turneth awayºª from his righteousness,º² and committethºª iniquity,º [and] doethºª according to all² the abominationsº that² the wickedº [man] doeth,ºª shall he live?¹ª² All² his righteousnessº that² he hath doneºª shall not² be mentioned:ºª in his trespass¹ª² that² he hath trespassed,¹² and in his sinº that² he hath sinned,ºª in them shall he die.ºª

He defendeth his justice,

25 ¶ Yet ye say,ºª The wayº of the Lordº is not equal.ºª² Hearºª now,² O houseº of Israel;º Is not² my wayº equal?ºª are not² your waysº unequal?ºª² 26 When a righteousº [man] turneth awayºª from his righteousness,º² and committethºª iniquity,º and diethºª in² them; for his iniquityº that² he hath doneºª shall he die.ºª 27 Again, when the wickedº [man] turneth awayºª from his wickednessº² that² he hath committed,ºª and doethºª that which is lawfulº and right,º he² shall save¹ª his soul¹ alive.ºª²² 28 Because he considereth,ºª and turneth awayºª from all²² his transgressionsº that² he hath committed,ºª he shall surely¹ª live,ºª he shall not² die.ºª 29 Yet saithºª the houseº of Israel,º The wayº of the Lordº is not equal.ºª² O houseº of Israel,º are not² my waysº equal?ºª are not² your waysº unequal?ºª² 30 Therefore² I will judgeºª you, O houseº of Israel,º every oneº according to his ways,º saithºª the Lordº GOD.º Repent,ºª and turnºª [yourselves] from all²² your transgressions;º so iniquityº shall not² be² your ruin.º

and exhorteth to repentance.

31 ¶ Cast awayºª from²² you² all² your transgressions,º whereby² ye have transgressed;ºª and makeºª you a newº heartº and a newº spirit:º for why² will ye die,ºª O houseº of Israel?º 32 For² I have no pleasureºª² in the deathº of him that dieth,ºª saithºª the Lordº GOD:º wherefore turnºª [yourselves], and liveºª ye.