Ezekiel 14; Ezekiel 15; James 2

1 When some of the elders of the house of Israel came to sit in my presence,

2 the LORD's word came to me:

3 Human one, these men decide on their own to set up their idols, so the cause of their downfall is right in front of them. Why should I allow them to ask me anything?

4 Therefore, speak to them and tell them, The LORD God proclaims: If anyone from the house of Israel decides on his own to set up his idols and puts the cause of his downfall right in front him, but then comes to the prophet, I, the LORD, will require an answer from him through his many idols.

5 So I'll seize the hearts of the house of Israel, whose idols have made them all strangers to me.

6 Therefore, say to the house of Israel, The LORD God proclaims: Come back! Turn away from your idols and from all your detestable practices. Turn away!

7 Or anyone of the house of Israel or any immigrant in Israel who becomes estranged from me by deciding on their own to set up their idols and puts the cause of their downfall right in front of them, but then comes to the prophet to ask me something through him, I, the LORD, will require an answer.

8 I will confront that one. I will set them up as a sign and an object lesson, and I will cut them off from my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

9 As for the prophet who was seduced into speaking a word, even though it was I, the LORD, who seduced that prophet, I will use my power against him and cut him off completely from my people Israel.

10 The prophet and the inquirer alike will bear their guilt,

11 so that the house of Israel won't stray away from me again or make themselves impure with any of their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God. This is what the LORD God says!

12 The LORD's word came to me:

13 Human one, suppose a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, so that I use my power against it, break off its food supply, let famine run rampant, and eliminate both humans and animals.

14 If these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, lived there, their lives alone would be saved because they were righteous. This is what the LORD God says.

15 Or suppose I allow wild animals to roam through the land, and it becomes so wild that no one can live there or even travel through it on account of the wild animals.

16 If these three men lived there, as surely as I live, proclaims the LORD God, they wouldn't be able to rescue even their sons or daughters. They alone would be rescued, but the land would become a ruin.

17 Or suppose I bring a sword against that land and command the sword to pass through and eliminate both humans and animals.

18 If these three men lived there, as surely as I live, proclaims the LORD God, they wouldn't be able to rescue even their sons or daughters. They alone would be rescued.

19 Or suppose I send a plague against that land and pour out my fury on it. With great bloodshed I would eliminate both humans and animals.

20 If Noah, Daniel, and Job lived there, as surely as I live, proclaims the LORD God, they wouldn't be able to rescue either sons or daughters. But they would save their lives because they were righteous.

21 The LORD God proclaims: How much more if I send all four of these terrible acts of judgment—sword, famine, wild animals, and plague—against Jerusalem, to eliminate both humans and animals?

22 Yet a few survivors will be left. Sons and daughters will be brought out to you. When you see their ways and their deeds, you will be consoled for the evil that I inflicted on Jerusalem, for all that I brought against it.

23 Seeing their ways and their deeds will bring you some consolation, because then you will understand what I've done, and that I didn't do any of these things without cause. This is what the LORD God says.

1 The LORD's word came to me:

2 Human one, how is the vine's wood better than the wood of all the trees in the forest?

3 Can you make anything useful from its wood? Can you make a peg from it and hang objects on it?

4 If not, can it be used as firewood? Fire would consume its two ends, but its middle part would only get charred. So is it useful for anything?

5 Look, even when it was whole, it was worthless. Now that the fire has consumed it, and it is charred, it's even more useless.

6 Therefore, the LORD God proclaims: Of all the trees in the forest, I have decreed that the vine's wood is destined to be consumed by fire. So also have I decreed for those who live in Jerusalem,

7 and I have confronted them. They may try to go out from the fire, but the fire will consume them. You will know that I am the LORD, because I confronted them.

8 I will turn the land into a ruin because they acted faithlessly, proclaims the LORD God.

1 My brothers and sisters, when you show favoritism you deny the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been resurrected in glory.

2 Imagine two people coming into your meeting. One has a gold ring and fine clothes, while the other is poor, dressed in filthy rags.

3 Then suppose that you were to take special notice of the one wearing fine clothes, saying, "Here's an excellent place. Sit here." But to the poor person you say, "Stand over there"; or, "Here, sit at my feet."

4 Wouldn't you have shown favoritism among yourselves and become evil-minded judges?

5 My dear brothers and sisters, listen! Hasn't God chosen those who are poor by worldly standards to be rich in terms of faith? Hasn't God chosen the poor as heirs of the kingdom he has promised to those who love him?

6 But you have dishonored the poor. Don't the wealthy make life difficult for you? Aren't they the ones who drag you into court?

7 Aren't they the ones who insult the good name spoken over you at your baptism?

8 You do well when you really fulfill the royal law found in scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself.

9 But when you show favoritism, you are committing a sin, and by that same law you are exposed as a lawbreaker.

10 Anyone who tries to keep all of the Law but fails at one point is guilty of failing to keep all of it.

11 The one who said, Don't commit adultery, also said, Don't commit murder. So if you don't commit adultery but do commit murder, you are a lawbreaker.

12 In every way, then, speak and act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom.

13 There will be no mercy in judgment for anyone who hasn't shown mercy. Mercy overrules judgment.

14 My brothers and sisters, what good is it if people say they have faith but do nothing to show it? Claiming to have faith can't save anyone, can it?

15 Imagine a brother or sister who is naked and never has enough food to eat.

16 What if one of you said, "Go in peace! Stay warm! Have a nice meal!"? What good is it if you don't actually give them what their body needs?

17 In the same way, faith is dead when it doesn't result in faithful activity.

18 Someone might claim, "You have faith and I have action." But how can I see your faith apart from your actions? Instead, I'll show you my faith by putting it into practice in faithful action.

19 It's good that you believe that God is one. Ha! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble with fear.

20 Are you so slow? Do you need to be shown that faith without actions has no value at all?

21 What about Abraham, our father? Wasn't he shown to be righteous through his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

22 See, his faith was at work along with his actions. In fact, his faith was made complete by his faithful actions.

23 So the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and God regarded him as righteous. What is more, Abraham was called God's friend.

24 So you see that a person is shown to be righteous through faithful actions and not through faith alone.

25 In the same way, wasn't Rahab the prostitute shown to be righteous when she received the messengers as her guests and then sent them on by another road?

26 As the lifeless body is dead, so faith without actions is dead.