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

“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:

“ 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 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 to the Temple and speak to the Lord for me and for all the remnant of Israel and Judah. Inquire about the words written in the scroll that has been found. For the Lord’s great anger has been poured out on us because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the Lord. We have not been doing everything this scroll says we must do.”

The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise.

They will live because they thought it over and decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die.

Its people don’t realize that I am watching them. Their sinful deeds are all around them, and I see them all.

I listen to their conversations and don’t hear a word of truth. Is anyone sorry for doing wrong? Does anyone say,“ What a terrible thing I have done”? No! All are running down the path of sin as swiftly as a horse galloping into battle!

This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!

Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started.

“ Then I warned their children not to follow in their parents’ footsteps, defiling themselves with their idols.

“ Think about this eighteenth day of December, the day when the foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid. Think carefully.

The person who made the idol never stops to reflect,“ Why, it’s just a block of wood! I burned half of it for heat and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat. How can the rest of it be a god? Should I bow down to worship a piece of wood?”

“ When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself,‘ At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!I will go home to my father and say,“ Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you,and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

“ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!

“ But suppose that man has a son who grows up to be a robber or murderer and refuses to do what is right.

We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven just as much as we like— just as we, and our ancestors, and our kings and officials have always done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles!

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value.

In the very first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah reopened the doors of the Temple of the Lord and repaired them.He summoned the priests and Levites to meet him at the courtyard east of the Temple.He said to them,“ Listen to me, you Levites! Purify yourselves, and purify the Temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all the defiled things from the sanctuary.Our ancestors were unfaithful and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They abandoned the Lord and his dwelling place; they turned their backs on him.They also shut the doors to the Temple’s entry room, and they snuffed out the lamps. They stopped burning incense and presenting burnt offerings at the sanctuary of the God of Israel.“ That is why the Lord’s anger has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has made them an object of dread, horror, and ridicule, as you can see with your own eyes.Because of this, our fathers have been killed in battle, and our sons and daughters and wives have been captured.But now I will make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us.My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer! The Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to him.”

I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws.I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands.

Instead, they have stubbornly followed their own desires and worshiped the images of Baal, as their ancestors taught them.

It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel.