Ezekiel 18:1-9

1The word of the Lord came to me:

2“What do you mean by quoting this proverb concerning the land of Israel, “‘The fathers eat sour grapes And the children’s teeth become numb?’

3“As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, you will not quote this proverb in Israel anymore!

4Indeed! All lives are mine – the life of the father as well as the life of the son is mine. The one who sins will die.

5“Suppose a man is righteous. He practices what is just and right,

6does not eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains or pray to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, does not have sexual relations with a woman during her period,

7does not oppress anyone, but gives the debtor back whatever was given in pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and clothes the naked,

8does not engage in usury or charge interest, but refrains from wrongdoing, promotes true justice between men,

9and follows my statutes and observes my regulations by carrying them out. That man is righteous; he will certainly live, declares the sovereign Lord.