The Fathers have Eaten Sour Grapes
Table of Contents
1-2 [To Ezekiel] You people have a proverb: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. What does it mean?
3 As long as I live, you shall not need this proverb in Israel.
4 All souls are mine – the soul of the father, the son. The soul that sins shall die.
5 But a man shall surely live if he:
- is just, does which is lawful and right
- 6 has not eaten on the mountains
- has not lifted up his eyes to the idols of the Israelites
- has not defiled his neighbour’s wife
- has not come near to a menstruous woman
- 7 has not oppressed any
- has restored to the debtor his pledge
- has spoiled none by violence
- has given his bread to the hungry
- has covered the naked with a garment
- has 8 not committed usury, neither hath taken any increase, [that] haswithdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true judgment between man and man
- 9 has walked in my statutes
- has kept my judgments, to deal truly
10 He shall not live if he:
- begets a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and does similar things
- 11 does not do any of those duties
- has eaten upon the mountains
- has defiled his neighbour’s wife
- 12 has oppressed the poor
- has spoiled by violence
- has not restored the pledge
- has lifted up his eyes to the idols
- has committed abomination
- 13 has given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase:
He shall not live if he has done all these abominations.
He shall surely die. His blood shall be upon him.
14 Assume that he begets a son that sees all his father’s sins but does not do them himself.
The son shall surely live if he:
- 15 has not eaten upon the mountains
- has not lifted up his eyes to the idols of the Israelites
- has not defiled his neighbour’s wife
- 16 has not oppressed anyone
- has not withholden the pledge
- has not spoiled by violence
- has given his bread to the hungry
- has covered the naked with a garment
- 17 has taken off his hand from the poor
- has not received usury nor increase
- has executed my judgments
- has walked in my statutes
He shall not die for the iniquity of his father.
18 His father:
- cruelly oppressed
- spoiled his brother by violence
- did [that] which [is] not good among his people
Even he shall die in his iniquity.
19 Yet you say: Why?
Does not the son bear the iniquity of the father?
The son shall surely live if he:
- has done that which is lawful and right
- has kept and has done all my statutes
20 The soul that sinned shall die.
The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father. Neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son.
- The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him.
- The wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
21 But the wicked shall surely live and not die if he:
- turns from all his sins
- keep all my statutes
- does that which is lawful and right
22 All his transgressions that he has committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him.
He shall live in his righteousness that he has done.
23 Do I take pleasure in seeing the wicked die? saith Enki: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
24 But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live?
All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
25 Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?
26 When a righteous man shall die if he:
- turns away from his righteousness
- commits iniquity and dies in them
27 When the wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
28 Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
29 Yet said the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal.
O Israelites, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?
30 Therefore I will judge you, O Israelites, every one according to his ways, saith Enki.
Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby you have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, O Israelites?
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that died, saith Enki: wherefore turn yourselves and live!