"Whatdo you mean by usingthisproverbconcerningthe landof Israel,saying,The fatherseatthe sourgrapes,But the children'steethare seton edge'?
"[You say], 'Godstoresawaya man's iniquityfor his sons.'Let God repayhim so that he may know[it].
"You shall not worshipthem or servethem; for I, the LORDyour God,am a jealousGod,visitingthe iniquityof the fatherson the children,on the thirdand the fourthgenerations of those who hateMe,
"Whatdo you mean by crushingMy peopleAnd grindingthe faceof the poor?"Declaresthe LordGODof hosts.
"I will makethem an objectof horroramong allthe kingdomsof the earthbecauseof Manasseh,the sonof Hezekiah,the kingof Judah,for whathe didin Jerusalem.
Our fatherssinned,[and] are nomore;It is we who have bornetheir iniquities.
"Sonof man,whatis thisproverbyou [people] have concerningthe landof Israel,saying,The daysare longand everyvisionfails'?
"Behold,everyonewho quotesproverbswill quote[this] proverbconcerningyou, saying,Like mother,like daughter.'
"Saynowto the rebellioushouse,Do you not knowwhatthesethings[mean]?' Say,'Behold,the kingof Babyloncameto Jerusalem,tookits kingand princesand broughtthem to him in Babylon.
Then the wordof the LORDcameto me, saying,
"Yet you say,Whyshould the sonnot bearthe punishmentfor the father'siniquity?'When the sonhas practicedjusticeand righteousnessand has observedallMy statutesand donethem, he shall surelylive.
"As I live,"declaresthe LordGOD,"you are surelynot going to usethisproverbin Israelanymore.
and sayto the sonsof Ammon,'Hearthe wordof the LordGOD!Thussaysthe LordGOD,"Becauseyou said,Aha!'againstMy sanctuarywhenit was profaned,and againstthe landof Israelwhenit was madedesolate,and againstthe houseof Judahwhenthey wentinto exile,
Then He saidto me, "Sonof man,thesebonesare the wholehouseof Israel;behold,they say,Our bonesare driedup and our hopehas perished.We are completely cutoff.'
sayto them, 'Thussaysthe LordGOD,"Behold,I will takethe stickof Joseph,whichis in the handof Ephraim,and the tribesof Israel,his companions;and I will putthem with it, with the stickof Judah,and makethem onestick,and they will be onein My hand."'
"They will liveon the landthat I gaveto JacobMy servant,in whichyour fatherslived;and they will liveon it, they, and their sonsand their sons'sons,forever;and DavidMy servantwill be their princeforever.
"And you, sonof man,thussaysthe LordGODto the landof Israel,An end!The endis comingon the fourcornersof the land.
"TrulyI sayto you, allthesethingswill comeupon thisgeneration.
On the contrary,whoare you, Oman,who answers backto God?The thing moldedwill not sayto the molder,"Whydid you makeme like this,"will it?
