Yǐsījiēshū 18

1 Yēhéhuá de huà yòu líndào wǒ shuō ,

2 Nǐmen zaì Yǐsèliè dì zĕnme yòng zhè súyǔ shuō fùqin chī le suān pútào , érzi de yá suān dǎo le ne .

3 Zhǔ Yēhéhuá shuō , wǒ zhǐ zhe wǒde yǒngshēng qǐshì , nǐmen zaì Yǐsèliè zhōng , bì bú zaì yǒu yòng zhè súyǔ de yīnyóu .

4 Kàn nǎ , shìrén dōu shì shǔ wǒde . wèi fù de zĕnyàng shǔ wǒ , wèi zǐ de yĕ zhàoyàng shǔ wǒ . fàn zuì de , tā bì sǐwáng .

5 Rén ruò shì gōngyì , qiĕ xíng zhèngzhí yǔ hélǐ de shì ,

6 Wèicéng zaì shān shang chī guō jì ǒuxiàng zhī wù , wèicéng yǎngwàng Yǐsèliè jiā de ǒuxiàng , wèicéng diànwū línshè de qī , wèicéng zaì fùrén de jīng qī neì qīnjìn tā ,

7 Wèicéng kuīfù rén , nǎi jiāng qiàn zhaì zhī rén de dāng tóu:5 hái gĕi tā . wèicéng qiǎngduó rén de wùjiàn , què jiāng shíwù gĕi jīè de rén chī , jiāng yīfu gĕi chì shēn de rén chuān .

8 Wèicéng xiàng jiè qián de dìxiōng qǔ lì , yĕ wèicéng xiàng jiè liáng de dìxiōng duō yào , suō shǒu bú zuò zuìniè , zaì liǎng rén zhī jiān , àn zhì lǐ pànduàn .

9 Zūnxíng wǒde lǜ lì , jǐn shǒu wǒde diǎnzhāng , àn chéngshí xíngshì zhè rén shì gōngyì de , bìdéng cún huó . zhè shì zhǔ Yēhéhuá shuō de .

10 Tā ruò shēng yī gè érzi , zuò qiángdào , shì liú rén xuè de , bù xíng yǐshàng suǒ shuō zhī shàn , fǎn xíng qízhōng zhī è , nǎi zaì shān shang chī guō jì ǒuxiàng zhī wù , bìng diànwū línshè de qī ,

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12 Kuīfù kùnkǔ hé qióngfá de rén , qiǎngduó rén de wù , wèicéng jiāng dāngtóu:5 huán gĕi rén , yǎngwàng ǒuxiàng , bìng xíng kĕ zēng de shì ,

13 Xiàng jiè qián de dìxiōng qǔ lì , xiàng jiè liáng de dìxiōng duō yào zhè rén qǐnéng cún huó ne . tā bì bùnéng cún huó . tā xíng zhè yīqiè kĕ zēng de shì , bìyào sǐwáng , tāde zuì ( yuánwén zuò xuè ) bì guī dào tā shēnshang .

14 Tā ruò shēng yī gè érzi , jiàn fùqin suǒ fàn de yīqiè zuì biàn jùpà ( yǒu gǔ juǎn zuò sī liáng ) , bù zhàoyàng qù zuò .

15 Wèicéng zaì shān shang chī guō jì ǒuxiàng zhī wù , wèicéng yǎngwàng Yǐsèliè jiā de ǒuxiàng , wèicéng diànwū línshè de qī ,

16 Wèicéng kuīfù rén , wèicéng qǔ rén de dāngtóu , wèicéng qiǎngduó rén de wùjiàn , què jiāng shíwù gĕi jīè de rén chī , jiāng yīfu gĕi chì shēn de rén chuān ,

17 Suō shǒu bù haì pínqióng rén , wèicéng xiàng jiè qián de dìxiōng qǔ lì , yĕ wèicéng xiàng jiè liáng de dìxiōng duō yào . tā shùncóng wǒde diǎnzhāng , zūnxíng wǒde lǜ lì , jiù bú yīn fùqin de zuìniè sǐwáng , déng yào cún huó .

18 Zhìyú tā fùqin . yīnwei qī rén taì shén , qiǎngduó dìxiōng , zaì bĕn guó de mín zhōng xíng bú shàn , tā bì yīn zìjǐ de zuìniè sǐwáng .

19 Nǐmen hái shuō , érzi wèihé bù dāndāng fùqin de zuìniè ne . érzi xíng zhèngzhí yǔ hélǐ de shì , jǐn shǒu zūnxíng wǒde yīqiè lǜ lì , tā bìdéng cún huó .

20 Wéiyǒu fàn zuì de , tā bì sǐwáng . érzi bì bú dāndāng fùqin de zuìniè , fùqin yĕ b4 dāndāng érzi de zuìniè . yì rén de shàn guǒ bì guī zìjǐ , è rén de è bào yĕ bì guī zìjǐ .

21 È rén ruò huí tóu líkāi suǒ zuò de yīqiè zuìè , jǐn shǒu wǒ yīqiè de lǜ lì ,xíng zhèngzhí yǔ hélǐ de shì , tā bìdéng cún huó , bù zhì sǐwáng .

22 Tā suǒ fàn de yīqiè zuì guō dōu bú beì jìniàn , yīn suǒ xíng de yì , tā bì cún huó .

23 Zhǔ Yēhéhuá shuō , è rén sǐwáng , qǐ shì wǒ xǐyuè de ma . bú shì xǐyuè tā huí tóu líkāi suǒ xíng de dào cún huó ma .

24 Yì rén ruò zhuǎn lí yì xíng ér zuò zuìniè , zhào zhe è rén suǒ xíng yīqiè kĕ zēng de shì ér xíng , tā qǐnéng cún huó ma . tā suǒ xíng de yīqiè yì dōu bú beì jìniàn . tā bì yīn suǒ fàn de zuì , suǒ xíng de è sǐwáng .

25 Nǐmen hái shuō , zhǔ de dào bú gōngping . Yǐsèliè jiā a , nǐmen dāng tīng , wǒde dào qǐbù gōngping ma . nǐmen de dào qǐbù shì bú gōngping ma .

26 Yì rén ruò zhuǎn lí yì xíng ér zuò zuìniè sǐwáng , tā shì yīn suǒ zuò de zuìniè sǐwáng .

27 Zaìzhĕ , è rén ruò huí tóu líkāi suǒ xíng de è , xíng zhèngzhí yǔ hélǐ de shì , tā bìjiāng xìngméng jiùhuó le .

28 Yīnwei tā sāi liáng , huí tóu líkāi suǒ fàn de yīqiè zuì guō , bìdéng cún huó , bù zhì sǐwáng .

29 Yǐsèliè jiā hái shuō , zhǔ de dào bù gōngping . Yǐsèliè jiā a , wǒde dào qǐbù gōngping ma . nǐmen de dào qǐbù shì bù gōngping ma .

30 Suǒyǐ zhǔ Yēhéhuá shuō , Yǐsèliè jiā a , wǒ bì àn nǐmen gèrén suǒ xíng de shĕnpàn nǐmen . nǐmen dāng huí tóu líkāi suǒ fàn de yīqiè zuì guo . zhèyàng , zuìniè bì bú shǐ nǐmen baì wú .

31 Nǐmen yào jiāng suǒ fàn de yīqiè zuì guo jìn xíng pāo qì , zì zuò yī gè xīn xīn hé xīn líng . Yǐsèliè jiā a , nǐmen hébì sǐwáng ne .

32 Zhǔ Yēhéhuá shuō , wǒ bù xǐyuè nà sǐ rén zhī sǐ , suǒyǐ nǐmen dāng huí tóu ér cún huó .

Yǐsījiēshū 18 Commentary

Chapter 18

God has no respect of persons. (1-20) The Divine providence is vindicated. (21-29) A gracious invitation to repentance. (30-32)

Verses 1-20 The soul that sinneth it shall die. As to eternity, every man was, is, and will be dealt with, as his conduct shows him to have been under the old covenant of works, or the new covenant of grace. Whatever outward sufferings come upon men through the sins of others, they deserve for their own sins all they suffer; and the Lord overrules every event for the eternal good of believers. All souls are in the hand of the great Creator: he will deal with them in justice or mercy; nor will any perish for the sins of another, who is not in some sense worthy of death for his own. We all have sinned, and our souls must be lost, if God deal with us according to his holy law; but we are invited to come to Christ. If a man who had shown his faith by his works, had a wicked son, whose character and conduct were the reverse of his parent's, could it be expected he should escape the Divine vengeance on account of his father's piety? Surely not. And should a wicked man have a son who walked before God as righteous, this man would not perish for his father's sins. If the son was not free from evils in this life, still he should be partaker of salvation. The question here is not about the meritorious ground of justification, but about the Lord's dealings with the righteous and the wicked.

Verses 21-29 The wicked man would be saved, if he turned from his evil ways. The true penitent is a true believer. None of his former transgressions shall be mentioned unto him, but in the righteousness which he has done, as the fruit of faith and the effect of conversion, he shall surely live. The question is not whether the truly righteous ever become apostates. It is certain that many who for a time were thought to be righteous, do so, ( ezekiel 18:26-27 ) sin is forgiven, it is blotted out, it is remembered no more. In their righteousness they shall live; not for their righteousness, as if that were an atonement for their sins, but in their righteousness, which is one of the blessings purchased by the Mediator. What encouragement a repenting, returning sinner has to hope for pardon and life according to this promise! In verse ( 28 ) is the beginning and progress of repentance. True believers watch and pray, and continue to the end, and they are saved. In all our disputes with God, he is in the right, and we are in the wrong.

Verses 30-32 The Lord will judge each of the Israelites according to his ways. On this is grounded an exhortation to repent, and to make them a new heart and a new spirit. God does not command what cannot be done, but admonishes us to do what is in our power, and to pray for what is not. Ordinances and means are appointed, directions and promises are given, that those who desire this change may seek it from God.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 18

This chapter contains an answer to an objection of the Jews to the dealings of God with them in a providential way. The objection is expressed in a proverb of common use among them, and complained of as being without cause, Eze 18:1,2; however, for the future, no occasion should be given them to use it; for, though God could justify his proceedings upon the foot of his sovereignty, all souls being his; yet he was determined none but the sinner himself should suffer, Eze 18:3,4; and puts various cases for the illustration and vindication of his proceedings; as that a just man, who is described by his proper characters, as abstaining from several sins specified, and doing what is right and good, should surely live, Eze 18:5-9; but that the son of such a just man, being the reverse of his father's character, should surely die, Eze 18:10-13; and again, the son of such a wicked man, observing the heinousness of his father's sins, and abstaining from them, though his father should die in his iniquities, he should not die for them, but live, Eze 18:14-18; by which it appears that the dealings of God with the Jews were not according to the proverb used by them, but quite agreeable to his resolution; that the sinner, be he a father or a son, shall die for his own sins; and that the righteous man's righteousness shall be upon him, and the wicked man's sin upon him, and accordingly both shall be dealt with, Eze 18:19,20; which is further illustrated by a wicked man's turning from his sinful course, and doing righteousness, and living in that righteousness he has done; which is more agreeable to God that he should live, and not die in sin, Eze 18:21-23; and by a righteous man turning from his righteousness, and living a vicious life, and dying in it, Eze 18:24; from both which instances this conclusion follows, that God is to be justified; and that his ways are equal, and the Jews' ways were unequal, and their complaint unjust, Eze 18:25; and the same instances are repeated in a different order, and the same conclusion formed, Eze 18:26-29; upon which the Lord determines to judge them according to their own ways, their personal actions, good or bad; and exhorts them to repentance and reformation; and closes with a pathetic expostulation, with them, Eze 18:30-32.