Our fatherssinned,[and] are nomore;It is we who have bornetheir iniquities.
But they said,"Your servantsare twelvebrothers[in all], the sonsof onemanin the landof Canaan;and behold,the youngestis with our fathertoday,and oneis nolongeralive."
Their fatherJacobsaidto them, "You have bereavedme of my children:Josephis nomore,and Simeonis nomore,and you would takeBenjamin;allthese things are againstme."
"Whythen do You not pardonmy transgressionAnd takeawaymy iniquity?For nowI will liedownin the dust;And You will seekme, but I will not be."
"The eyeof him who seesme will beholdme nolonger; Your eyes[will be] on me, but I will not be.
"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,
We knowour wickedness,O LORD,The iniquityof our fathers,for we have sinnedagainst You.
"Then you are to sayto them, '[It is] becauseyour forefathershave forsakenMe,' declaresthe LORD,'and have followedothergodsand servedthem and boweddownto them; but Me they have forsakenand have not keptMy law.
You too have doneevil,[even] morethanyour forefathers;for behold,you are eachonewalkingaccordingto the stubbornnessof his own evilheart,withoutlisteningto Me.
Thussaysthe LORD,"A voiceis heardin Ramah,Lamentation[and] bitterweeping.Rachelis weepingfor her children;She refusesto be comfortedfor her children,Becausethey are nomore."
"In thosedaysthey will not sayagain,The fathershave eatensourgrapes,And the children'steethare seton edge.'
"You have borne[the penalty of] your lewdnessand abominations,"the LORDdeclares.
"Whatdo you mean by usingthisproverbconcerningthe landof Israel,saying,The fatherseatthe sourgrapes,But the children'steethare seton edge'?
"Your fathers,whereare they? And the prophets,do they liveforever?
The LORDis slowto angerand abundantin lovingkindness,forgivinginiquityand transgression;but He will by nomeansclear[the guilty], visitingthe iniquityof the fatherson the childrento the thirdand the fourth[generations].'
