The Soul Who Sins Shall Die

1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “What do you¹ mean by repeating this ^vproverb concerning the land of Israel, ^w‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? 3 As I live, declares the Lord God, ^xthis proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: ^ythe soul who sins shall die.

25 “Yet you say, ^q‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? 26 When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. 27 Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. 28 Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one ^raccording to his ways, declares the Lord God. ^sRepent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.¹ 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a ^tnew heart and a new spirit! ^uWhy will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”

Christ’s Example of Humility

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any ^sparticipation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 ^tcomplete my joy by ^ubeing of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from ^vselfish ambition or ^wconceit, ^xbut in ^yhumility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 ^zLet each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

14 Do all things ^wwithout grumbling or ^xdisputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a ^ycrooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as ^zlights in the world, 16 holding fast to the ^aword of life, so that in the day of Christ ^bI may be proud that I did not ^crun ^din vain or labor in vain. 17 ^eEven if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, ^fI am glad and ^grejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

23 ^sAnd when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what ^tauthority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you ^unot believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a ^vprophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.