Ezekiel 18:1-20:31, Proverbs 21:1-16

Our reading opens with a consideration of personal responsibility for sin. The Lord says that each man is responsible for his own sins; no man will be charged as guilty for the sins of his father, but will certainly be judged for his own actions. Moreover, a sinful man can be restored when he turns in repentance toward God, but the one who turns away from righteousness to live in unrighteousness will be condemned. Later we’ll read a lament for the princes of Israel, who are compared to lions that grow up to devour people, and are therefore captured and taken away. Finally, some of the elders of Israel gather around Ezekiel to inquire of the Lord, but God denies them and recounts the history of Israel’s rebellion and idolatry.