1. The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man,
2. what is the meaning of this proverb you recite in the land of Israel:“Parents eat sour grapes,but the children’s teeth are set on edge”?
3. As I live—oracle of the Lord God: I swear that none of you will ever repeat this proverb in Israel.
4. For all life is mine: the life of the parent is like the life of the child, both are mine. Only the one who sins shall die!
5. If a man is just—if he does what is right,
6. if he does not eat on the mountains, or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; if he does not defile a neighbor’s wife, or have relations with a woman during her period;
7. if he oppresses no one, gives back the pledge received for a debt, commits no robbery; gives food to the hungry and clothes the naked;
8. if he does not lend at interest or exact usury; if he refrains from evildoing and makes a fair judgment between two opponents;
9. if he walks by my statutes and is careful to observe my ordinances, that man is just—he shall surely live—oracle of the Lord God.
10. But if he begets a son who is violent and commits murder, or does any of these things,
11. even though the father does none of them—a son who eats on the mountains, defiles the wife of his neighbor,
12. oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not give back a pledge, raises his eyes to idols, does abominable things,
13. lends at interest and exacts usury—this son certainly shall not live. Because he practiced all these abominations, he shall surely be put to death; his own blood shall be on him.
14. But, in turn, if he begets a son who sees all the sins his father commits, yet fears and does not imitate him—
15. a son who does not eat on the mountains, or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile a neighbor’s wife;
16. who does not oppress anyone, or exact a pledge, or commit robbery; who gives his food to the hungry and clothes the naked;
17. who refrains from evildoing, accepts no interest or usury, but keeps my ordinances and walks in my statutes—this one shall not die for the sins of his father. He shall surely live!
18. Only the father, since he committed extortion and robbed his brother, and did what was not good among his people—he will die because of his sin!