1. The Lord spoke his word to me. He said:
2. “What do you mean by using this saying about the land of Israel:‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes.And that caused the children to grind their teeth from the sour taste’?
3. “As surely as I live, says the Lord God, this is true: You will not use this saying in Israel anymore.
4. Every living thing belongs to me. The life of the father is mine. And the life of the son is mine. The person who sins will die.
5. “There may be a good person. This person does what is fair and right.
6. He does not eat at the mountain places of worship. He does not look to the idols of Israel for help. He does not commit adultery with his neighbor’s wife. He does not have physical relations with a woman during her time of monthly bleeding.
7. He does not mistreat anyone. But he returns what was given as a promise for a loan. He does not rob other people. He gives bread to hungry people. He gives clothes to those who have no clothes.
8. He does not lend money to get too much interest or profit. He keeps his hand from doing wrong. He judges fairly between men.
9. He lives by my rules and obeys my laws faithfully. The person who does all these things is good. He will surely live, says the Lord God.
10. “But this person might have a wild son who murders people. This son may do any of these other bad things.
11. (But the father himself has not done any of these things.) This son eats at the mountain places of worship. He commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife.