“ 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;

“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 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.

“ Go inquire of Yahweh for me, and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is Yahweh’s wrath that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept Yahweh’s word, to do according to all that is written in this book.”

The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.

Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live. He shall not die.

They don’t consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. Now their own deeds have engulfed them. They are before my face.

I listened and heard, but they didn’t say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying,“ What have I done?” Everyone turns to his course, as a horse that rushes headlong in the battle.

Now therefore this is what Yahweh of Armies says: Consider your ways.

Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.

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

‘ Consider, please, from this day and backward, from the twenty- fourth day of the ninth month, since the day that the foundation of Yahweh’s temple was laid, consider it.

No one thinks, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say,“ I have burned part of it in the fire. Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals. I have roasted meat and eaten it. Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination? Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?”

But when he came to himself he said,‘ How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger!I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him,“ Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight.I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’

This is what Yahweh of Armies says:“ Consider your ways.

“ If he fathers a son who is a robber who sheds blood, and who does any one of these things,

But we will certainly perform every word that has gone out of our mouth, to burn incense to the queen of the sky, and to pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then had we plenty of food, and were well, and saw no evil.

knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers,

In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of Yahweh’s house, and repaired them.He brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the wide place on the east,and said to them,“ Listen to me, you Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify Yahweh, the God of your fathers’ house, and carry the filthiness out of the holy place.For our fathers were unfaithful, and have done that which was evil in Yahweh our God’s sight, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of Yahweh, and turned their backs.Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.Therefore Yahweh’s wrath was on Judah and Jerusalem, and he has delivered them to be tossed back and forth, to be an astonishment, and a hissing, as you see with your eyes.For, behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with Yahweh, the God of Israel, that his fierce anger may turn away from us.My sons, don’t be negligent now; for Yahweh has chosen you to stand before him, to minister to him, and that you should be his ministers, and burn incense.”

I considered my ways, and turned my steps to your statutes.I will hurry, and not delay, to obey your commandments.

but have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart, and after the Baals, which their fathers taught them.”

He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy.