'Iniquity' in the Bible

Then in the fourth generation your descendants shall return here [to Canaan, the land of promise], for the wickedness and guilt of the Amorites is not yet complete (finished).”

When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot [to hurry], saying, “Get up! Take your wife and two daughters who are here [and go], or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.”

So Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What can we reply? Or how can we clear ourselves, since God has exposed the sin and guilt of your servants? Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, the rest of us as well as he with whom the cup is found.”

You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous (impassioned) God [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers on the children [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers], to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall take away the guilt from the holy things which the sons of Israel dedicate, with regard to all their holy gifts. It shall always be on his forehead, so that they may be accepted before the Lord.

The various articles of clothing shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the Tent of Meeting, or when they approach the altar [of incense] to minister in the Holy Place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. It shall be a statute forever to Aaron and to his descendants after him.

keeping mercy and lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; but He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers upon the children and the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers].”

And he said, “If now I have found favor and lovingkindness in Your sight, O Lord, let the Lord, please, go in our midst, though it is a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your possession.”

‘If anyone sins after he hears a public adjuration (solemn command to testify) when he is a witness, whether he has seen or [otherwise] known [something]—if he fails to report it, then he will bear his guilt and be held responsible.

“Now if anyone sins and does any of the things which the Lord has forbidden, though he was not aware of it, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.

If any of the meat of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is ever eaten on the third day, then it will not be accepted, and the one who brought it will not be credited with it. It shall be an abhorred (offensive) thing; the one who eats it shall bear his own guilt.

“Why did you not eat the sin offering in the holy place? For it is most holy; and God gave it to you to remove the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord.

But if he does not wash his clothes or bathe his body, he shall bear his guilt [for it will not be borne by the sacrifice of atonement].”

For the land has become defiled; therefore I have brought its punishment upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.

Everyone who eats it will bear [the responsibility for] his wickedness, for he has profaned a holy thing of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].

‘If a man takes his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, so that he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace; and they shall be cut off in the sight of the sons of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he bears [responsibility for] his guilt.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of (have intimate relations with) your mother’s sister or your father’s sister, for such a one has uncovered his blood relative; they will bear their guilt.

and so cause them [by neglect of any essential observance] to bear the punishment of guilt when they eat their holy things; for I am the Lord who sanctifies them.’”

Those of you who are left will rot away because of their wickedness in the lands of your enemies; also because of the wickedness of their forefathers they will rot away like them.

‘If they confess their wickedness and the wickedness of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they have committed against Me—and also in their acting with hostility toward Me—

I also was acting with hostility toward them and brought them into the land of their enemies—then if their uncircumcised (sin-filled) hearts are humbled and they accept the punishment for their wickedness,

then the man shall bring his wife to the priest, and he shall bring as an offering for her, a tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall not pour oil on it nor put frankincense on it [the symbols of favor and joy], because it is a grain offering of jealousy, a memorial grain offering, a reminder of [the consequences of] wickedness.

Further, the husband will be free from guilt, but that woman [if guilty] shall bear her guilt.’”

‘The Lord is slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving wickedness and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting (avenging) the wickedness and guilt of the fathers on the children, to the third and fourth generations [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers].’

Please pardon the wickedness and guilt of these people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You have forgiven these people, from Egypt even until now.”

Because he has despised and rejected the word of the Lord, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; [the responsibility for] his wickedness and guilt will be upon him.’”

So the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s household (family) with you shall bear the guilt in connection with the sanctuary [that is, through your service as priests you will atone for the offenses which the people unknowingly commit when brought into contact with the manifestations of God’s presence]; and you and your sons with you shall bear the guilt in connection with your priesthood [that is, your own unintentional offenses].

Only the Levites shall perform the service of the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle), and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, that the Levites shall have no inheritance [of land] among the children of Israel.

“God has not observed wickedness in Jacob [for he is forgiven],Nor has He seen trouble in Israel.The Lord their God is with Israel,And the shout of their King is among the people.

But if he indeed nullifies them after he hears of them, then he shall be responsible for and bear her guilt [for breaking her promise].”

You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous (impassioned) God [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers on the children [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers], to the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,

Is the wrongdoing (idolatry) of Peor not enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, even though the affliction [in which twenty-four thousand died] came on the congregation of the Lord,

Did not Achan the son of Zerah act unfaithfully in the things under the ban, and [as a result God’s] wrath came on the entire congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his wrongdoing.’”

Now I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the sinful behavior which he knew [was happening], because his sons were bringing a curse on themselves [dishonoring and blaspheming God] and he did not rebuke them.

Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the sinful behavior of Eli’s house (family) shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”

I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. When he commits iniquity (wrongdoing), I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the strokes of the sons of man.

Absalom answered Joab, “I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here, so that I may send you to the king to ask, “Why have I come [back] from Geshur? It would be better for me to still be there.”’ Now then, let me see the king’s face, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.”

Perhaps the Lord will look on the wrong done to me [by Shimei, if he is acting on his own]; and [in that case perhaps] the Lord will this day return good to me in place of his cursing.”

and said to the king, “Let not my lord consider me guilty, nor remember what your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem, so that the king would take it to heart.

“I was also blameless before Him,And kept myself from wrongdoing.

But David’s heart (conscience) troubled him after he had counted the people. David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the sin of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”

Do not forgive their wrongdoing and do not let their sin be wiped out before You, for they have offended the builders [and provoked You].

“As I have seen, those who plow wickednessAnd those who sow trouble and harm harvest it.

“So the helpless have hope,And injustice shuts its mouth.

“Why then do You not pardon my transgressionAnd take away my sin and guilt?For now I will lie down in the dust;And You will seek me [diligently], but I will not be.”

That You seek my guiltAnd search for my sin?

‘If I sin, then You would take note and observe me,And You would not acquit me of my guilt.

And [that He would] show you the secrets of wisdom!For sound wisdom has two sides.Know therefore that God forgets a part of your wickedness and guilt.

“For He recognizes and knows false and worthless men,And He sees wickedness, will He not consider it?

“My transgression is sealed up in a bag,And You cover my wickedness [from Your view].

“For your guilt teaches your mouth,And you choose [to speak] the language of the crafty and cunning.

How much less [pure and clean is] the one who is repulsive and corrupt,Man, who drinks unrighteousness and injustice like water!

“They conceive mischief and bring forth wickedness,And their inmost soul prepares deceit and fraud.”

“The heavens will reveal his wickedness and guilt,And the earth will rise up against him.

“You say, ‘God stores away [the punishment of] man’s wickedness for his children.’Let God repay him so that he may know and experience it.

“Does not tragedy fall [justly] on the unjustAnd disaster to those who work wickedness?

“For adultery is a heinous and lustful crime;Moreover, it would be a sin punishable by the judges.

This also would have been [a heinous] sin calling for judgment,For I would have denied God above.

“Have I concealed my transgressions like Adam or like other men,By hiding my wickedness in my bosom,

‘I am pure, without transgression;I am innocent and there is no guilt in me.

“He sings out to other men,‘I have sinned and perverted that which was right,And it was not proper for me!

Who goes in company with those who do evilAnd walks with wicked men?

“Therefore hear me, you men of understanding.Far be it from God that He would do wickedness,And from the Almighty to do wrong.

Teach me what I do not see [in regard to how I have sinned];If I have done wrong (injustice, unrighteousness),I will not do it again’?

“He opens their ears to instruction and discipline,And commands that they return from evil.

“Take heed and be careful, do not turn to wickedness,For you have chosen this [the vice of complaining against God] rather than [learning from] affliction.

Depart from me, all you who do evil,For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.

Behold, the [wicked and irreverent] man is pregnant with sin,And he conceives mischief and gives birth to lies.

His mouth is full of curses and deceit (fraud) and oppression;Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness [injustice and sin].

Have all the workers of wickedness and injustice no knowledge,Who eat up my people as they eat bread,And do not call upon the Lord?

For Your name’s sake, O Lord,Pardon my wickedness and my guilt, for they are great.

Do not drag me away with the wickedAnd with those who do evil,Who speak peace with their neighbors,While malice and mischief are in their hearts.

For my life is spent with sorrowAnd my years with sighing;My strength has failed because of my iniquity,And even my body has wasted away.

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute wickedness,And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

I acknowledged my sin to You,And I did not hide my wickedness;I said, “I will confess [all] my transgressions to the Lord”;And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.

For he flatters and deceives himself in his own eyesThinking that his sinfulness will not be discovered and hated [by God].

There those who [are perverse and] do evil have fallen;They have been thrust down and cannot rise.

For I do confess my guilt and iniquity;I am filled with anxiety because of my sin.

Why should I fear in the days of evil,When the wickedness of those who would betray me surrounds me [on every side],

Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and guiltAnd cleanse me from my sin.

I was brought forth in [a state of] wickedness;In sin my mother conceived me [and from my beginning I, too, was sinful].

The [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”They are corrupt and evil, and have committed repulsive injustice;There is no one who does good.

Day and night they go around her walls;Wickedness and mischief are in her midst.

Cast them out because of their wickedness.In anger bring down the peoples, O God!

If I regard sin and baseness in my heart [that is, if I know it is there and do nothing about it],The Lord will not hear [me];

Add [unforgiven] iniquity to their iniquity [in Your book],And may they not come into Your righteousness.

But He, the source of compassion and lovingkindness, forgave their wickedness and did not destroy them;Many times He restrained His angerAnd did not stir up all His wrath.

You have forgiven the wickedness of Your people;You have covered all their sin. Selah.

Then I will punish their transgression with the rod [of discipline],And [correct] their wickedness with stripes.

Who will stand up for me against the evildoers?Who will take a stand for me against those who do wickedness?

Can a throne of destruction be allied with You,One which frames and devises mischief by decree [under the sacred name of law]?

He has turned back their own wickedness upon themAnd will destroy them by means of their own evil;The Lord our God will wipe them out.

We have sinned like our fathers;We have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly.

Many times He rescued them;But they were rebellious in their counsel,And sank down in their wickedness.

The upright see it and rejoice;But all unrighteousness shuts its mouth.

Let the wickedness of his fathers be remembered by the Lord;And do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out.

Establish my footsteps in [the way of] Your word;Do not let any human weakness have power over me [causing me to be separated from You].

For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land of the righteous,So that the righteous will not reach out their hands to do wrong.

But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways [in unresponsiveness to God],The Lord will lead them away with those who do evil.Peace be upon Israel.

Do not incline my heart to [consent to or tolerate] any evil thing,Or to practice deeds of wickednessWith men who plan and do evil;And let me not eat of their delicacies (be tempted by their gain).