The Daily Audio Bible
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18 Then the Lord’s message came to me again.
2 “Why do people use this proverb about the land of Israel: The children are punished for their fathers’ sins?[a] 3 As I live,” says the Lord God, “you will not use this proverb anymore in Israel, 4 for all souls are mine to judge—fathers and sons alike—and my rule is this: It is for a man’s own sins that he will die.
5 “But if a man is just and does what is lawful and right, 6 and has not gone out to the mountains to feast before the idols of Israel and worship them, and does not commit adultery nor lie with any woman during the time of her menstruation; 7 if he is a merciful creditor, not holding onto the items given to him in pledge by poor debtors, and is no robber but gives food to the hungry and clothes to those in need; 8 and if he grants loans without interest,[b] stays away from sin, is honest and fair when judging others, 9 and obeys my laws—that man is just,” says the Lord, “and he shall surely live.
10 “But if that man has a son who is a robber or murderer and who fulfills none of his responsibilities, 11 who refuses to obey the laws of God but worships idols on the mountains and commits adultery, 12 oppresses the poor and helpless, robs his debtors by refusing to let them redeem what they have given him in pledge, loves idols and worships them, 13 and loans out his money at interest[c]—shall that man live? No! He shall surely die, and it is his own fault.
14 “But if this sinful man has, in turn, a son who sees all his father’s wickedness, so that he fears God and decides against that kind of life; 15 he doesn’t go up on the mountains to feast before the idols and worship them and does not commit adultery; 16 he is fair to those who borrow from him and doesn’t rob them, but feeds the hungry, clothes the needy, 17 helps the poor, does not loan money at interest, and obeys my laws—he shall not die because of his father’s sins; he shall surely live. 18 But his father shall die for his own sins because he is cruel and robs and does wrong.
19 “‘What?’ you ask. ‘Doesn’t the son pay for his father’s sins?’ No! For if the son does what is right and keeps my laws, he shall surely live. 20 The one who sins is the one who dies. The son shall not be punished for his father’s sins, nor the father for his son’s. The righteous person will be rewarded for his own goodness and the wicked person for his wickedness. 21 But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins and begins to obey my laws and do what is just and right, he shall surely live and not die. 22 All his past sins will be forgotten, and he shall live because of his goodness.
23 “Do you think I like to see the wicked die?” asks the Lord. “Of course not! I only want him to turn from his wicked ways and live. 24 However, if a righteous person turns to sinning and acts like any other sinner, should he be allowed to live? No, of course not. All his previous goodness will be forgotten and he shall die for his sins.
25 “Yet you say: ‘The Lord isn’t being fair!’ Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one who is unfair, or is it you? 26 When a good man turns away from being good, begins sinning, and dies in his sins, he dies for the evil he has done. 27 And if a wicked person turns away from his wickedness and obeys the law and does right, he shall save his soul, 28 for he has thought it over and decided to turn from his sins and live a good life. He shall surely live—he shall not die.
29 “And yet the people of Israel keep saying: ‘The Lord is unfair!’ O people of Israel, it is you who are unfair, not I. 30 I will judge each of you, O Israel, and punish or reward each according to his own actions. Oh, turn from your sins while there is yet time. 31 Put them behind you and receive a new heart and a new spirit. For why will you die, O Israel? 32 I do not enjoy seeing you die,” the Lord God says. “Turn, turn and live!
19 “Sing this death dirge for the leaders of Israel: 2 What a woman your mother was—like a lioness! Her children were like lion’s cubs! 3 One of her cubs, King Jehoahaz,[d] grew into a strong young lion and learned to catch prey and became a man-eater. 4 Then the nations called out their hunters; they trapped him in a pit and brought him in chains to Egypt.
5 “When Israel, the mother lion, saw that all her hopes for him were gone, she took another of her cubs, King Jehoiachin,[e] and taught him to be ‘king of the beasts.’ 6 He became a leader among the lions and learned to catch prey, and he too became a man-eater. 7 He demolished the palaces of the surrounding nations and ruined their cities; their farms were desolated, their crops destroyed; everyone in the land shook with terror when they heard him roar. 8 Then the armies of the nations surrounded him, coming from every side, and trapped him in a pit and captured him. 9 They prodded him into a cage and brought him before the king of Babylon. He was held in captivity so that his voice could never again be heard upon the mountains of Israel.
10 “Your mother was like a vine beside an irrigation ditch, with lush, green foliage because of all the water. 11 Its strongest branch became a ruler’s scepter, and it was very great, towering above the others and noticed from far away. 12 But the vine was uprooted in fury and thrown down to the ground. Its branches were broken and withered by a strong wind from the east; the fruit was destroyed by fire. 13 Now the vine is planted in the wilderness where the ground is hard and dry. 14 It is decaying from within;[f] no strong branch remains. The fulfillment of this sad prophecy has already begun, and there is more ahead.”
9 1-2 Now in that first agreement between God and his people there were rules for worship and there was a sacred tent down here on earth. Inside this place of worship there were two rooms. The first one contained the golden candlestick and a table with special loaves of holy bread upon it; this part was called the Holy Place. 3 Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was a room called the Holy of Holies. 4 In that room there were a golden incense-altar and the golden chest, called the ark of the covenant, completely covered on all sides with pure gold. Inside the ark were the tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments written on them, and a golden jar with some manna in it, and Aaron’s wooden cane that budded. 5 Above the golden chest were statues of angels called the cherubim—the guardians of God’s glory—with their wings stretched out over the ark’s golden cover, called the mercy seat. But enough of such details.
6 Well, when all was ready, the priests went in and out of the first room whenever they wanted to, doing their work. 7 But only the high priest went into the inner room, and then only once a year, all alone, and always with blood that he sprinkled on the mercy seat as an offering to God to cover his own mistakes and sins and the mistakes and sins of all the people.
8 And the Holy Spirit uses all this to point out to us that under the old system the common people could not go into the Holy of Holies as long as the outer room and the entire system it represents were still in use.
9 This has an important lesson for us today. For under the old system, gifts and sacrifices were offered, but these failed to cleanse the hearts of the people who brought them. 10 For the old system dealt only with certain rituals—what foods to eat and drink, rules for washing themselves, and rules about this and that. The people had to keep these rules to tide them over until Christ came with God’s new and better way.
32 At Meribah, too, Israel angered God, causing Moses serious trouble, 33 for he became angry and spoke foolishly.
34 Nor did Israel destroy the nations in the land as God had told them to, 35 but mingled in among the heathen and learned their evil ways, 36 sacrificing to their idols, and were led away from God. 37-38 They even sacrificed their little children to the demons—the idols of Canaan—shedding innocent blood and polluting the land with murder. 39 Their evil deeds defiled them, for their love of idols was adultery in the sight of God. 40 That is why Jehovah’s anger burned against his people, and he abhorred them. 41-42 That is why he let the heathen nations crush them. They were ruled by those who hated them and oppressed by their enemies.
43 Again and again he delivered them from their slavery, but they continued to rebel against him and were finally destroyed by their sin. 44 Yet, even so, he listened to their cries and heeded their distress; 45 he remembered his promises to them and relented because of his great love, 46 and caused even their enemies who captured them to pity them.
47 O Lord God, save us! Regather us from the nations so we can thank your holy name and rejoice and praise you.
48 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen!” Hallelujah!
10 Never abandon a friend—either yours or your father’s. Then you won’t need to go to a distant relative for help in your time of need.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.