A proverb about sour grapes and set-on-edge teeth opens Ezekiel 18, which spends 32 verses arguing that each soul answers for its own sin, not its father’s or its child’s.
Full sung version coming soon.
Lyrics
What do you mean that you use this proverb Concerning the land of Israel The fathers have eaten sour grapes And the children’s teeth are set on edge
As I live you shall not use this proverb any more Behold all souls are mine As the soul of the father so also the soul of the son is mine The soul who sins he shall die
But if a man is just and does that which is lawful and right Walks in my statutes and keeps my ordinances to deal truly He is just he shall surely live
The soul who sins he 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 on him The wickedness of the wicked shall be on him
But if the wicked turns from all his sins And keeps all my statutes and does that which is lawful and right He shall surely live he shall not die None of his transgressions will be remembered against him
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked Says the Lord God and not rather that he should return From his way and live When the righteous turns away from his righteousness
And commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations That the wicked man does should he live None of his righteous deeds will be remembered In his trespass that he has trespassed he shall die
Yet the house of Israel says the way of the LORD is not fair House of Israel are not my ways fair Are not your ways unfair Therefore I will judge you everyone according to his ways
Return and turn yourselves from all your transgressions Cast away from you all your transgressions Make yourself a new heart and a new spirit For why will you die house of Israel I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies Therefore turn yourselves and live
Listen
Ezekiel 18 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.