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First Reading: Ezekiel Chapter 12 and 13 and 14Ezekiel 12
12:1 Judah's Captivity Portrayed
Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 2 "Son of man, you dwell
in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see,
and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.
3 "Therefore, son of man, prepare your belongings for captivity, and go
into captivity by day in their sight. You shall go from your place into captivity
to another place in their sight. It may be that they will consider, though they
are a rebellious house. 4 By day you shall bring out your belongings in their
sight, as though going into captivity; and at evening you shall go in their
sight, like those who go into captivity. 5 Dig through the wall in their sight,
and carry your belongings out through it. 6 In their sight you shall bear them
on your shoulders and carry them out at twilight; you shall cover your face,
so that you cannot see the ground, for I have made you a sign to the house of
Israel."
7 So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my belongings by day, as though
going into captivity, and at evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I
brought them out at twilight, and I bore them on my shoulder in their sight.
8 And in the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9 "Son of
man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you,'What are
you doing?' 10 Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "This burden concerns
the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are among them."'
11 Say,'I am a sign to you. As I have done, so shall it be done to them; they
shall be carried away into captivity.' 12 And the prince who is among them shall
bear his belongings on his shoulder at twilight and go out. They shall dig through
the wall to carry them out through it. He shall cover his face, so that he cannot
see the ground with his eyes. 13 I will also spread My net over him, and he
shall be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the
Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there. 14 I will scatter
to every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his troops; and I
will draw out the sword after them.
15 "Then they shall know that I am the LORD, when I scatter them among
the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. 16 But I will spare
a few of their men from the sword, from famine, and from pestilence, that they
may declare all their abominations among the Gentiles wherever they go. Then
they shall know that I am the LORD."
17 Judgment Not Postponed
Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 18 "Son of man, eat
your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and anxiety. 19
And say to the people of the land, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem and to the land of Israel: "They shall eat their bread with
anxiety, and drink their water with dread, so that her land may be emptied of
all who are in it, because of the violence of all those who dwell in it. 20
Then the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall become
desolate; and you shall know that I am the LORD."'"
21 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 22 "Son of man, what is
this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says,'The
days are prolonged, and every vision fails'? 23 Tell them therefore, 'Thus says
the Lord GOD: "I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more
use it as a proverb in Israel." But say to them,"The days are at hand,
and the fulfillment of every vision. 24 For no more shall there be any false
vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. 25 For I am the
LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more
be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and
perform it," says the Lord GOD.'"
26 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 27 "Son of man, look,
the house of Israel is saying, 'The vision that he sees is for many days from
now, and he prophesies of times far off.' 28 Therefore say to them, 'Thus says
the Lord GOD: "None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word
which I speak will be done," says the Lord GOD.'"
Ezekiel 13
13:1 Woe to Foolish Prophets
And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, prophesy against
the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their
own heart, 'Hear the word of the LORD!'"
3 Thus says the Lord GOD: "Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their
own spirit and have seen nothing! 4 O Israel, your prophets are like foxes in
the deserts. 5 You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house
of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the LORD. 6 They have envisioned
futility and false divination, saying, 'Thus says the LORD!' But the LORD has
not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. 7 Have you not
seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, 'The
LORD says,' but I have not spoken."
8 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Because you have spoken nonsense and
envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you," says the Lord GOD.
9 "My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine
lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, nor be written in the
record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel.
Then you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
10 "Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying,'Peace!'
when there is no peace and one builds a wall, and they plaster it with
untempered mortar 11 say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar,
that it will fall. There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones,
shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down. 12 Surely, when the wall has
fallen, will it not be said to you, 'Where is the mortar with which you plastered
it?'"
13 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "I will cause a stormy wind to break
forth in My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great
hailstones in fury to consume it. 14 So I will break down the wall you have
plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its
foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the
midst of it. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.
15 "Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered
it with untempered mortar; and I will say to you, 'The wall is no more, nor
those who plastered it, 16 that is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning
Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,'"
says the Lord GOD.
17 "Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people,
who prophesy out of their own heart; prophesy against them, 18 and say, 'Thus
says the Lord GOD: "Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their sleeves
and make veils for the heads of people of every height to hunt souls! Will you
hunt the souls of My people, and keep yourselves alive? 19 And will you profane
Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people
who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying
to My people who listen to lies?"
20'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against your magic charms
by which you hunt souls there like birds. I will tear them from your arms, and
let the souls go, the souls you hunt like birds. 21 I will also tear off your
veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as
prey in your hand. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.
22 "Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom
I have not made sad; and you have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that
he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life. 23 Therefore you shall
no longer envision futility nor practice divination; for I will deliver My people
out of your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD."'"
Ezekiel 14
14:1 Idolatry Will Be Punished
Now some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 2 And the word
of the LORD came to me, saying, 3 "Son of man, these men have set up their
idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble
into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?
4 "Therefore speak to them, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Everyone
of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him
what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the
LORD will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, 5 that
I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged
from Me by their idols."'
6 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Repent,
turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.
7 For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel,
who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before
him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire
of him concerning Me, I the LORD will answer him by Myself. 8 I will set My
face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him
off from the midst of My people. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.
9 "And if the prophet is induced to speak anything, I the LORD have induced
that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from
among My people Israel. 10 And they shall bear their iniquity; the punishment
of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment of the one who inquired,
11 that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me, nor be profaned anymore
with all their transgressions, but that they may be My people and I may be their
God," says the Lord GOD.'"
12 Judgment on Persistent Unfaithfulness
The word of the LORD came again to me, saying: 13 "Son of man, when a
land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand
against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off
man and beast from it. 14 Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were
in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness," says
the Lord GOD.
15 "If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they empty it,
and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts,
16 even though these three men were in it, as I live," says the Lord GOD,
"they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered,
and the land would be desolate.
17 "Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, 'Sword, go through the
land,' and I cut off man and beast from it, 18 even though these three men were
in it, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "they would deliver neither
sons nor daughters, but only they themselves would be delivered.
19 "Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury on it
in blood, and cut off from it man and beast, 20 even though Noah, Daniel, and
Job were in it, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "they would deliver
neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness."
21 For thus says the Lord GOD: "How much more it shall be when I send My
four severe judgments on Jerusalem the sword and famine and wild beasts
and pestilence to cut off man and beast from it? 22 Yet behold, there
shall be left in it a remnant who will be brought out, both sons and daughters;
surely they will come out to you, and you will see their ways and their doings.
Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon
Jerusalem, all that I have brought upon it. 23 And they will comfort you, when
you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing
without cause that I have done in it," says the Lord GOD.
Psalms 139
139:1 God's Perfect Knowledge of Man
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
O LORD, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my
rising up;You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my
lying down,And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on
my tongue,But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. 5 You have hedged me behind
and before,And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for
me;It is high, I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;If I make my bed in hell, behold, You
are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning,And dwell in the uttermost parts
of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,And Your right hand shall
hold me. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me,"Even
the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from
You,But the night shines as the day;The darkness and the light are both alike
to You.
13 For You formed my inward parts;You covered me in my mother's womb. 14 I will
praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works,And
that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You,When I was
made in secret,And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your
eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.And in Your book they all were written,The
days fashioned for me,When as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!How great is the sum of
them! 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;When
I awake, I am still with You.
19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!Depart from me, therefore, you
bloodthirsty men. 20 For they speak against You wickedly;Your enemies take Your
name in vain. 21 Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You?And do I not loathe
those who rise up against You? 22 I hate them with perfect hatred;I count them
my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And
see if there is any wicked way in me,And lead me in the way everlasting.
BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
EZEKIEL
Part 3 of 4
The next section of Ezekiel is found in chapters 33 through 39:
PROPHECIES OF THE RESTITUTION OF ISRAEL:
1. The prophet: His function in preparation for the new age - Ch 33
2. The royal house: The selfish shepherds of Israel and the Good Shepherd - Ch 34
3. The land: Israel to be restored and made fruitful - Ch 35-36
4. The people: Resurrection of the dry bones of Israel; reunion of Judah and Israel - Ch 37
5. Peace: The LORD defends Israel against Gog's invasion - Ch 38-39
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