Ezekiel 14:1-11; 1 Kings 22:1-23; 2 Timothy 4:1-4; Proverbs 7

Ezekiel 14:1-11

1 Then some elders of Israel came to me and sat down 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 have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all?

4 "Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols,

5 in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols."'

6 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Repent and 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 immigrants who stay in Israel who separates himself from Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me for himself, I the LORD will be brought to answer him in My own person.

8 "I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from among My people. So you will know that I am the LORD .

9 "But if the prophet is prevailed upon to speak a word, it is I, the LORD , who have prevailed upon that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.

10 "They will bear the punishment of their iniquity; as the iniquity of the inquirer is, so the iniquity of the prophet will be,

11 in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions. Thus they will be My people, and I shall be their God,"' declares the Lord GOD."

1 Kings 22:1-23

1 Three years passed without war between Aram and Israel.

2 In the third year Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.

3 Now the king of Israel said to his servants, "Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we are still doing nothing to take it out of the hand of the king of Aram?"

4 And he said to Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?" And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."

5 Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Please inquire first for the word of the LORD ."

6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king."

7 But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?"

8 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD , but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." But Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so."

9 Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, "Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah."

10 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

11 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, "Thus says the LORD , 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are consumed.' "

12 All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king."

13 Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, "Behold now, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably."

14 But Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I shall speak."

15 When he came to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?" And he answered him, "Go up and succeed, and the LORD will give it into the hand of the king."

16 Then the king said to him, "How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD ?"

17 So he said, "I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains, Like sheep which have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master. Let each of them return to his house in peace.' "

18 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?"

19 Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the word of the LORD . I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.

20 "The LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said this while another said that.

21 "Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.'

22 "The LORD said to him, 'How?' And he said, 'I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' Then He said, 'You are to entice him and also prevail. Go and do so.'

23 "Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you."

2 Timothy 4:1-4

1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,

4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

Proverbs 7

1 My son, keep my words And treasure my commandments within you.

2 Keep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of your eye.

3 Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," And call understanding your intimate friend;

5 That they may keep you from an adulteress, From the foreigner who flatters with her words.

6 For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice,

7 And I saw among the naive, And discerned among the youths A young man lacking sense,

8 Passing through the street near her corner; And he takes the way to her house,

9 In the twilight, in the evening , In the middle of the night and in the darkness.

10 And behold, a woman comes to meet him, Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart.

11 She is boisterous and rebellious, Her feet do not remain at home;

12 She is now in the streets, now in the squares, And lurks by every corner.

13 So she seizes him and kisses him And with a brazen face she says to him:

14 "I was due to offer peace offerings; Today I have paid my vows.

15 "Therefore I have come out to meet you, To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you.

16 "I have spread my couch with coverings, With colored linens of Egypt.

17 "I have sprinkled my bed With myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

18 "Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with caresses.

19 "For my husband is not at home, He has gone on a long journey;

20 He has taken a bag of money with him, At the full moon he will come home."

21 With her many persuasions she entices him; With her flattering lips she seduces him.

22 Suddenly he follows her As an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool,

23 Until an arrow pierces through his liver; As a bird hastens to the snare, So he does not know that it will cost him his life.

24 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, And pay attention to the words of my mouth.

25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths.

26 For many are the victims she has cast down, And numerous are all her slain.

27 Her house is the way to Sheol, Descending to the chambers of death.