Ezekiel 18:12-18

The Message

^10-13“But if this person has a child who turns violent and murders and goes off and does any of these things, even though the parent has done none of them—

eats at the pagan shrines,

seduces his neighbor’s spouse,

bullies the weak,

steals,

piles up bad debts,

admires idols,

commits outrageous obscenities,

exploits the poor

“—do you think this person, the child, will live? Not a chance! Because he’s done all these vile things, he’ll die. And his death will be his own fault.

^14-17“Now look: Suppose that this child has a child who sees all the sins done by his parent. The child sees them, but doesn’t follow in the parent’s footsteps—

doesn’t eat at the pagan shrines,

doesn’t worship the popular idols of Israel,

doesn’t seduce his neighbor’s spouse,

doesn’t bully anyone,

doesn’t refuse to loan money,

doesn’t steal,

doesn’t refuse food to the hungry,

doesn’t refuse to give clothes to the ill-clad,

doesn’t live by impulse and greed,

doesn’t exploit the poor.

He does what I say;

he performs my laws and lives by my statutes.

^17-18“This person will not die for the sins of the parent; he will live truly and well. But the parent will die for what the parent did, for the sins of—

oppressing the weak,

robbing brothers and sisters,

doing what is dead wrong in the community.

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