18:5 「人若是公義，且行正直與合理的事：
18:6 未曾在山上吃過祭偶像之物，未曾仰望以色列家的偶像，未曾玷污鄰舍的妻，未曾在婦人的經期內親近她，
18:7 未曾虧負人，乃將欠債之人的當頭還給他；未曾搶奪人的物件，卻將食物給飢餓的人吃，將衣服給赤身的人穿；
18:8 未曾向借錢的弟兄取利，也未曾向借糧的弟兄多要，縮手不作罪孽，在兩人之間，按至理判斷；
18:9 遵行我的律例，謹守我的典章，按誠實行事─這人是公義的，必定存活。這是主耶和華說的。
18:10 「他若生一個兒子，作強盜，是流人血的，不行以上所說之善，反行其中之惡，乃在山上吃過祭偶像之物，並玷污鄰舍的妻，
18:11 【併於上節】
18:12 虧負困苦和窮乏的人，搶奪人的物，未曾將當頭還給人，仰望偶像，並行可憎的事，
18:13 向借錢的弟兄取利，向借糧的弟兄多要─這人豈能存活呢？他必不能存活。他行這一切可憎的事，必要死亡，他的罪（原文是血）必歸到他身上。
18:14 「他若生一個兒子，見父親所犯的一切罪便懼怕（有古卷：思量），不照樣去做；
18:15 未曾在山上吃過祭偶像之物，未曾仰望以色列家的偶像，未曾玷污鄰舍的妻，
18:16 未曾虧負人，未曾取人的當頭，未曾搶奪人的物件，卻將食物給飢餓的人吃，將衣服給赤身的人穿，
18:17 縮手不害貧窮人，未曾向借錢的弟兄取利，也未曾向借糧的弟兄多要；他順從我的典章，遵行我的律例，就不因父親的罪孽死亡，定要存活。
18:18 至於他父親；因為欺人太甚，搶奪弟兄，在本國的民中行不善，他必因自己的罪孽死亡。
18:19 「你們還說：『兒子為何不擔當父親的罪孽呢？』兒子行正直與合理的事，謹守遵行我的一切律例，他必定存活。
18:20 惟有犯罪的，他必死亡。兒子必不擔當父親的罪孽，父親也不擔當兒子的罪孽。義人的善果必歸自己，惡人的惡報也必歸自己。
5 "If a man is righteous and does what
is just and right— 6 if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes
to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife or
approach a woman in her time of menstrual impurity, 7 does not oppress anyone,
but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to
the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, 8 does not lend at interest or
take any profit, withholds his hand from injustice, executes true justice
between man and man, 9 walks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting
faithfully—he is righteous; he shall surely live, declares the Lord God.
10 "If he fathers a son who is
violent, a shedder of blood, who does any of these things 11 (though he himself
did none of these things), who even eats upon the mountains, defiles his
neighbor's wife, 12 oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not
restore the pledge, lifts up his eyes to the idols, commits abomination, 13
lends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He
has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon
himself.
14 "Now suppose this man fathers a son
who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do
likewise:15 he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols
of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife, 16 does not
oppress anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to
the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, 17 withholds his hand from
iniquity, takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, and walks in my
statutes; he shall not die for his father's iniquity; he shall surely live. 18
As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did
what is not good among his people, behold, he shall die for his iniquity.
19 "Yet you say, 'Why should not the
son suffer for the iniquity of the father? ' When the son has done what is just
and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely
live. 20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity
of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The
righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the
wicked shall be upon himself.
***********
猶大人的善惡觀念與華人相近，好像行善可以累積善報，行惡可以累積惡報，自己用不完還可以傳給下一代。所以猶大人會問：上一代的惡果與善報怎麼不算了呢？
其實上帝要人認識賜福的源頭是在祂自己，父母親敬虔，就要教導自己的兒女也敬虔，才能承受上帝所賜的福氣，若不敬虔招惹上帝的怒氣，怎麼能夠得著上帝所賜的福呢？
當然敬虔之根源就是透過耶穌基督與上帝建立合宜與正確的關係，若沒有信靠耶穌基督就不會敬虔，因為這是上帝設立的法則，別無他路可以得到上帝的接納，成為上帝的兒女！
