New Century Version NCV
Good News Translation GNT
1 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:
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The Lord spoke to me
2 "What do you mean by using this saying about the land of Israel: 'The parents have eaten sour grapes, and that caused the children to grind their teeth from the sour taste'?
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and said, "What is this proverb people keep repeating in the land of Israel? "The parents ate the sour grapes, But the children got 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.
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"As surely as I am the living God," says the Sovereign Lord, "you will not repeat this proverb in Israel any more.
4 Every living thing belongs to me. The life of the parent is mine, and the life of the child is mine. The person who sins is the one who will die.
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The life of every person belongs to me, the life of the parent as well as that of the child. The person who sins is the one who will die.
5 "Suppose a person is good and does what is fair and right.
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"Suppose there is a truly good man, righteous and honest.
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 have sexual relations with his neighbor's wife or with a woman during her time of monthly bleeding.
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He doesn't worship the idols of the Israelites or eat the sacrifices offered at forbidden shrines. He doesn't seduce another man's wife or have intercourse with a woman during her period.
7 He does not mistreat anyone but returns what was given as a promise for a loan. He does not rob other people. He gives bread to the hungry and clothes to those who have none.
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He doesn't cheat or rob anyone. He returns what a borrower gives him as security; he feeds the hungry and gives clothing to the naked.
8 He does not lend money to get too much interest or profit. He keeps his hand from doing wrong. He judges fairly between one person and another.
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He doesn't lend money for profit. He refuses to do evil and gives an honest decision in any dispute.
9 He lives by my rules and obeys my laws faithfully. Whoever does these things is good and will surely live, says the Lord God.
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Such a man obeys my commands and carefully keeps my laws. He is righteous, and he will live," says the Sovereign Lord.
10 "But suppose this person has a wild son who murders people and who does any of these other things.
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"Then suppose this man has a son who robs and kills, who does any of these things
11 (But the father himself has not done any of these things.) This son eats at the mountain places of worship. He has sexual relations with his neighbor's wife.
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that the father never did. He eats sacrifices offered at forbidden shrines and seduces other men's wives.
12 He mistreats the poor and needy. He steals and refuses to return what was promised for a loan. He looks to idols for help. He does things which I hate.
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He cheats the poor, he robs, he keeps what a borrower gives him as security. He goes to pagan shrines, worships disgusting idols,
13 He lends money for too much interest and profit. Will this son live? No, he will not live! He has done all these hateful things, so he will surely be put to death. He will be responsible for his own death.
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and lends money for profit. Will he live? No, he will not. He has done all these disgusting things, and so he will die. He will be to blame for his own death.
14 "Now suppose this son has a son who has seen all his father's sins, but after seeing them does not do those things.
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"Now suppose this second man has a son. He sees all the sins his father practiced, but does not follow his example.
15 He does not eat at the mountain places of worship. He does not look to the idols of Israel for help. He does not have sexual relations with his neighbor's wife.
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He doesn't worship the idols of the Israelites or eat the sacrifices offered at forbidden shrines. He doesn't seduce another man's wife
16 He does not mistreat anyone or keep something promised for a loan or steal. He gives bread to the hungry and clothes to those who have none.
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or oppress anyone or rob anyone. He returns what a borrower gives him as security. He feeds the hungry and gives clothing to the naked.
17 He keeps his hand from doing wrong. He does not take too much interest or profit when he lends money. He obeys my laws and lives by my rules. He will not die for his father's sin; he will surely live.
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He refuses to do evil and doesn't lend money for profit. He keeps my laws and obeys my commands. He will not die because of his father's sins, but he will certainly live.
18 But his father took other people's money unfairly and robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people. So he will die for his own sin.
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His father, on the other hand, cheated and robbed and always did evil to everyone. And so he died because of the sins he himself had committed.
19 "But you ask, 'Why is the son not punished for the father's sin?' The son has done what is fair and right. He obeys all my rules, so he will surely live.
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"But you ask, "Why shouldn't the son suffer because of his father's sins?' The answer is that the son did what was right and good. He kept my laws and followed them carefully, and so he will certainly live.
20 The person who sins is the one who will die. A child will not be punished for a parent's sin, and a parent will not be punished for a child's sin. Those who do right will enjoy the results of their own goodness; evil people will suffer the results of their own evil.
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It is the one who sins who will die. A son is not to suffer because of his father's sins, nor a father because of the sins of his son. Good people will be rewarded for doing good, and evil people will suffer for the evil they do.
21 "But suppose the wicked stop doing all the sins they have done and obey all my rules and do what is fair and right. Then they will surely live; they will not die.
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"If someone evil stops sinning and keeps my laws, if he does what is right and good, he will not die; he will certainly live.
22 Their sins will be forgotten. Because they have done what is right, they will live.
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All his sins will be forgiven, and he will live, because he did what is right.
23 I do not really want the wicked to die, says the Lord God. I want them to stop their bad ways and live.
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Do you think I enjoy seeing evil people die?" asks the Sovereign Lord. "No, I would rather see them repent and live.
24 "But suppose good people stop doing good and do wrong and do the same hateful things the wicked do. Will they live? All their good acts will be forgotten, because they became unfaithful. They have sinned, so they will die because of their sins.
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"But if a righteous person stops doing good and starts doing all the evil, disgusting things that evil people do, will he go on living? No! None of the good he did will be remembered. He will die because of his unfaithfulness and his sins.
25 "But you say, 'What the Lord does isn't fair.' Listen, people of Israel. I am fair. It is what you do that is not fair!
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"But you say, "What the Lord does isn't right.' Listen to me, you Israelites. Do you think my way of doing things isn't right? It is your way that isn't right.
26 When good people stop doing good and do wrong, they will die because of it. They will die, because they did wrong.
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When a righteous person stops doing good and starts doing evil and then dies, he dies because of the evil he has done.
27 When the wicked stop being wicked and do what is fair and right, they will save their lives.
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When someone evil stops sinning and does what is right and good, he saves his life.
28 Because they thought about it and stopped doing all the sins they had done, they will surely live; they will not die.
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He realizes what he is doing and stops sinning, so he will certainly not die, but go on living.
29 But the people of Israel still say, 'What the Lord does isn't fair.' People of Israel, I am fair. It is what you do that is not fair.
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And you Israelites say, "What the Lord does isn't right.' You think my way isn't right, do you? It is your way that isn't right.
30 "So I will judge you, people of Israel; I will judge each of you by what you do, says the Lord God. Change your hearts and stop all your sinning so sin will not bring your ruin.
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"Now I, the Sovereign Lord, am telling you Israelites that I will judge each of you by what you have done. Turn away from all the evil you are doing, and don't let your sin destroy you.
31 Get rid of all the sins you have done, and get for yourselves a new heart and a new way of thinking. Why do you want to die, people of Israel?
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Give up all the evil you have been doing, and get yourselves new minds and hearts. Why do you Israelites want to die?
32 I do not want anyone to die, says the Lord God, so change your hearts and lives so you may live.
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I do not want anyone to die," says the Sovereign Lord. "Turn away from your sins and live."
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.