Ezekiel 24; Ezekiel 25; Ezekiel 26; 1 Peter 2

1 The word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth [day] of the month:

2 "Son of man, write down today's date, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.

3 Now speak a parable to the rebellious house. Tell them: This is what the Lord God says: Put the pot on [the fire]- put [it] on, and then pour water into it!

4 Place the pieces of meat in it, every good piece- thigh and shoulder. Fill it with choice bones.

5 Take the choicest of the flock and also pile up the fuel under it. Bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it."

6 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: Woe to the city of bloodshed, the pot that has rust inside it, and whose rust will not come off! Empty it piece by piece; lots should not be cast for its contents.

7 For the blood she shed is in her midst. She put it out on the bare rock; she didn't pour it on the ground to cover it with dust.

8 In order to stir up wrath and take vengeance, I have put her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered.

9 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: Woe to the city of bloodshed! I Myself will make the pile of kindling large.

10 Pile on the logs and kindle the fire! Cook the meat well and mix in the spices! Let the bones be burned!

11 Set the empty pot on its coals so that it becomes hot and its copper glows. Then its impurity will melt inside it; its rust will be consumed.

12 It has frustrated every effort; its thick rust will not come off. Into the fire with its rust!

13 Because of the indecency of your uncleanness- since I tried to purify you, but you would not be purified from your uncleanness- you will not be pure again until I have satisfied My wrath on you.

14 I, the Lord, have spoken. It is coming, and I will do it! I will not refrain, I will not show pity, and I will not relent. I will judge you according to your ways and deeds. [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the declaration of the Lord God .

15 Then the word of the Lord came to me:

16 "Son of man, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you with a fatal blow. But you must not lament or weep or let your tears flow.

17 Groan quietly; do not observe mourning rites for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover [your] mustache or eat the bread of mourners."

18 I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. The next morning I did just as I was commanded.

19 Then the people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?"

20 So I answered them: "The word of the Lord came to me:

21 'Say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the desire of your heart. Also, the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.

22 Then you will do just as I have done: You will not cover [your] mustache or eat the bread of mourners.

23 Your turbans will remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not lament or weep but will waste away because of your sins and will groan to one another.

24 Now Ezekiel will be a sign for you. You will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord God .

25 " 'Son of man, know that on the day I take their stronghold from them, their pride and joy, the delight of their eyes and the longing of their hearts, [as well as] their sons and daughters,

26 on that day a fugitive will come to you and report the news.

27 On that day your mouth will be opened [to talk] with him; you will speak and no longer be mute. So you will be a sign for them, and they will know that I am the Lord.' "

1 Then the word of the Lord came to me:

2 "Son of man, turn your face toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them.

3 Say to the Ammonites: Hear the word of the Lord God : This is what the Lord God says: Because you said: Good! about My sanctuary when it was desecrated, about the land of Israel when it was laid waste, and about the house of Judah when they went into exile,

4 therefore I am about to give you to the people of the east as a possession. They will set up their encampments and pitch their tents among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk.

5 I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and Ammon a sheepfold. Then you will know that I am the Lord."

6 For this is what the Lord God says: "Because you clapped [your] hands, stamped [your] feet, and rejoiced over the land of Israel with wholehearted contempt,

7 therefore I am about to stretch out My hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples and eliminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the Lord."

8 This is what the Lord God says: "Because Moab and Seir said: Look, the house of Judah is like all the [other] nations,

9 therefore I am about to expose Moab's flank beginning with its frontier cities, the pride of the land: Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim.

10 I will give it along with Ammon to the people of the east as a possession, so that Ammon will not be remembered among the nations.

11 So I will execute judgments against Moab, and they will know that I am the Lord."

12 This is what the Lord God says: "Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah and incurred grievous guilt by taking revenge on them,

13 therefore this is what the Lord God says: I will stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off both man and animal from it. I will make it a wasteland; they will fall by the sword from Teman to Dedan.

14 I will take My vengeance on Edom through My people Israel, and they will deal with Edom according to My anger and wrath. So they will know My vengeance." [This is] the declaration of the Lord God .

15 This is what the Lord God says: "Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with deep contempt, destroying [because of their] ancient hatred,

16 therefore this is what the Lord God says: I am about to stretch out My hand against the Philistines, cutting off the Cherethites and wiping out what remains of the coastal peoples.

17 I will execute great vengeance against them with furious rebukes. They will know that I am the Lord when I take My vengeance on them."

1 In the eleventh year, on the first [day] of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:

2 "Son of man, because Tyre said about Jerusalem: Good! The gateway to the peoples is shattered. She has been turned over to me. I will be filled [now that] she lies in ruins,

3 therefore this is what the Lord God says: See, I am against you, Tyre! I will raise up many nations against you, just as the sea raises its waves.

4 They will destroy the walls of Tyre and demolish her towers. I will scrape the soil from her and turn her into a bare rock.

5 She will become a place in the sea to spread nets, for I have spoken." [This is] the declaration of the Lord God . "She will become plunder for the nations,

6 and her villages on the mainland will be slaughtered by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord."

7 For this is what the Lord God says: "See, I am about to bring King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, king of kings, against Tyre from the north with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a vast company of troops.

8 He will slaughter your villages on the mainland with the sword. He will set up siege works against you, and will build a ramp and raise a wall of shields against you.

9 He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his iron tools.

10 His horses will be so numerous that their dust will cover you. When he enters your gates as [an army] entering a breached city, your walls will shake from the noise of cavalry, wagons, and chariots.

11 He will trample all your streets with the hooves of his horses. He will slaughter your people with the sword, and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground.

12 They will take your wealth as spoil and plunder your merchandise. They will also demolish your walls and tear down your beautiful homes. Then they will throw your stones, timber, and soil into the water.

13 I will put an end to the noise of your songs, and the sound of your lyres will no longer be heard.

14 I will turn you into a bare rock, and you will be a place to spread nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I, the Lord, have spoken." [This is] the declaration of the Lord God .

15 This is what the Lord God says to Tyre: "Won't the coasts and islands quake at the sound of your downfall, when the wounded groan and slaughter occurs within you?

16 All the princes of the sea will descend from their thrones, remove their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, tremble continually, and be appalled at you.

17 Then they will lament for you and say of you: How you have perished, city of renown, you who were populated from the seas! She who was powerful on the sea, she and all of her inhabitants inflicted their terror.

18 Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your downfall; the islands in the sea are alarmed by your demise."

19 For this is what the Lord God says: "When I make you a ruined city like [other] deserted cities, when I raise up the deep against you so that the mighty waters cover you,

20 then I will bring you down [to be] with those who descend to the Pit, to the people of antiquity. I will make you dwell in the underworld like the ancient ruins, with those who descend to the Pit, so that you will no longer be inhabited or display [your] splendor in the land of the living.

21 I will make you an object of horror, and you will no longer exist. You will be sought but will never be found again." [This is] the declaration of the Lord God .

1 So rid yourselves of all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.

2 Like newborn infants, desire the unadulterated spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it in [your] salvation,

3 since you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 Coming to Him, a living stone-rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God-

5 you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6 For it stands in Scripture: Look! I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and valuable cornerstone, and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame!

7 So the honor is for you who believe; but for the unbelieving, The stone that the builders rejected- this One has become the cornerstone, and

8 A stone that causes men to stumble, and a rock that trips them up. They stumble by disobeying the message; they were destined for this.

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11 Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you.

12 Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do evil, they may, by observing your good works, glorify God in a day of visitation.

13 Submit to every human institution because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor as the supreme authority,

14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.

15 For it is God's will that you, by doing good, silence the ignorance of foolish people.

16 As God's slaves, [live] as free people, but don't use your freedom as a way to conceal evil.

17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the Emperor.

18 Household slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel.

19 For it [brings] favor if, because of conscience toward God, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly.

20 For what credit is there if you endure when you sin and are beaten? But when you do good and suffer, if you endure, it brings favor with God.

21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps.

22 He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth;

23 when reviled, He did not revile in return; when suffering, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to the One who judges justly.

24 He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; by His wounding you have been healed.

25 For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.