“ Now suppose he has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed, and though he sees them, he does not do likewise.

“他若生一个儿子，见父亲所犯的一切罪便惧怕，不照样去做；

“看哪，他若生了儿子，儿子见父亲所犯的一切罪，他见了，却不照样去做；

“看哪，他若生了儿子，儿子见父亲所犯的一切罪，他见了，却不照样去做；

“倘若这不肖子有一个好儿子，他看见父亲的所作所为，不愿步父亲的后尘。

“他若生一个儿子，这儿子看见他父亲所犯的一切罪，他虽然看见了，却不照样去作：

「他若生一個兒子，見父親所犯的一切罪便懼怕，不照樣去做；

「看哪，他若生了兒子，兒子見父親所犯的一切罪，他見了，卻不照樣去做；

「看哪，他若生了兒子，兒子見父親所犯的一切罪，他見了，卻不照樣去做；

「倘若這不肖子有一個好兒子，他看見父親的所作所為，不願步父親的後塵。

“他若生一個兒子，這兒子看見他父親所犯的一切罪，他雖然看見了，卻不照樣去作：

『但是他若生個兒子，這兒子見他父親所犯的一切罪，便懼怕，不照樣去行；

設斯人生子、見父所犯諸罪、則懼、而不效之、

如此惡人有子、見父作惡、思改其行、

如彼有有原文作生子、見父所作之罪、而自忖思、不效之以行、

“ But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:

“ But suppose this son has a son of his own. And the son sees all the sins his father commits. He sees them, but he does not do them.

“ Now suppose this man fathers a son who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do likewise:

“ But suppose that sinful son, in turn, has a son who sees his father’s wickedness and decides against that kind of life.

“ Now behold, he has fathered a son who saw all his father’s sins which he committed, but he has seen them and does not do likewise.

“ If, however, he begets a son Who sees all the sins which his father has done, And considers but does not do likewise;

Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins, which he hath done, and feareth, and doeth not such like;

“ Now suppose he has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed, and though he sees them, he does not do likewise.

Now, lo,[ if] he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,

“ But suppose he in turn has a son who notices all the sins his father commits, considers them, and does not follow his father’s example.

“ Now, behold, if he fathers a son, who sees all his father’s sins, which he has done, and fears, and does not such like;

“ Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for those remaining in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that was found. For great is the LORD’s wrath that is poured out on us because our ancestors have not kept the word of the LORD in order to do everything written in this book.”

The father of a righteous son will rejoice greatly, and one who fathers a wise son will delight in him.

He will certainly live because he thought it over and turned from all the transgressions he had committed; he will not die.

But they never consider that I remember all their evil. Now their actions are all around them; they are right in front of my face.

I have paid careful attention. They do not speak what is right. No one regrets his evil, asking,‘ What have I done?’ Everyone has stayed his course like a horse rushing into battle.

Now, the LORD of Armies says this:“ Think carefully about your ways:

Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors’ sins!

“‘ Then I said to their children in the wilderness,“ Don’t follow the statutes of your fathers, defile yourselves with their idols, or keep their ordinances.

From this day on, think carefully; from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid; think carefully.

No one comes to his senses; no one has the perception or insight to say,“ I burned half of it in the fire, I also baked bread on its coals, I roasted meat and ate. Should I make something detestable with the rest of it? Should I bow down to a block of wood?”

When he came to his senses, he said,‘ How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger!I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him,“ Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.”’

The LORD of Armies says this:“ Think carefully about your ways.

“ But suppose the man has a violent son, who sheds blood and does any of these things,

Instead, we will do everything we promised: we will burn incense to the queen of heaven and offer drink offerings to her just as we, our ancestors, our kings, and our officials did in Judah’s cities and in Jerusalem’s streets. Then we had enough food, we were well off, and we saw no disaster,

For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold,

In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the LORD’s temple and repaired them.Then he brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them in the eastern public square.He said to them,“ Hear me, Levites. Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the LORD, the God of your ancestors. Remove everything impure from the holy place.For our ancestors were unfaithful and did what is evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They abandoned him, turned their faces away from the LORD’s dwelling place, and turned their backs on him.They also closed the doors of the portico, extinguished the lamps, did not burn incense, and did not offer burnt offerings in the holy place of the God of Israel.Therefore, the wrath of the LORD was on Judah and Jerusalem, and he made them an object of terror, horror, and mockery, as you see with your own eyes.Our fathers fell by the sword, and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity because of this.It is in my heart now to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel so that his burning anger may turn away from us.My sons, don’t be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand in his presence, to serve him, and to be his ministers and burners of incense.”

I thought about my ways and turned my steps back to your decrees.I hurried, not hesitating to keep your commands.

Instead, they followed the stubbornness of their hearts and followed the Baals as their ancestors taught them.”

A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow; the father of a fool has no joy.