engages in usury and charges interest. Will he live? He will not! Because he has done all these abominable deeds he will certainly die.<n id="1" /> He will bear the responsibility for his own death.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;But suppose he in turn has a son who notices all the sins his father commits, considers them, and does not follow his father&#8217;s example.<n id="1" />

He does not eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains, does not pray to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor&#8217;s wife,

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;But if the wicked person turns from all the sin he has committed and observes all my statutes and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die.

Throw away all your sins you have committed and fashion yourselves a new heart and a new spirit!<n id="1" /> Why should you die, O house of Israel?

<t /><p class="bodytext">In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month,<n id="1" /> some of the elders<n id="2" /> of Israel came to seek<n id="3" /> the <sc>Lordsc>, and they sat down in front of me.

I gave them my statutes<n id="1" /> and revealed my regulations to them. The one<n id="2" /> who carries<n id="3" /> them out will live by them!<n id="4" />

I also gave them my Sabbaths<n id="1" /> as a reminder of our relationship,<n id="2" /> so that they would know that I, the <sc>Lord,sc> sanctify them.<n id="3" />

But I refrained from doing so,<n id="1" /> and acted instead for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

I also swore<n id="1" /> to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.<n id="2" />

Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>.

Then you will know that I am the <sc>Lordsc> when I bring you to the land of Israel, to the land I swore<n id="1" /> to give to your fathers.

And there you will remember your conduct<n id="1" /> and all your deeds by which you defiled yourselves. You will despise yourselves<n id="2" /> because of all the evil deeds you have done.

Mark out the routes for the sword to take: &#8220;Rabbah of the Ammonites&#8221; and &#8220;Judah with Jerusalem in it.&#8221;<n id="1" />

&#8220;Son of man, say to her: &#8216;You are a land that receives no rain<n id="1" /> or showers in the day of my anger.&#8217;<n id="2" />

When she lustfully exposed her nakedness,<n id="1" /> I<n id="2" /> was disgusted with her, just as I<n id="3" /> had been disgusted with her sister.

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Therefore this is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: Because you have forgotten me and completely disregarded me,<n id="1" /> you must bear now the punishment<n id="2" /> for your obscene conduct and prostitution.&#8221;p>

For they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and their sons, whom they bore to me,<n id="1" /> they have passed through the fire as food to their idols.<n id="2" />

On the same day they slaughtered their sons for their idols, they came to my sanctuary to desecrate it. This is what they have done in the middle of my house.p>

<p class="poetry">You mix uncleanness with obscene conduct.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I tried to cleanse you,<n id="2" /> but you are not clean.p> <p class="poetry">You will not be cleansed from your uncleanness<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">until I have exhausted my anger on you.p>