Ezekiel 14; Ezekiel 15; James 2

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Ezekiel 14

1 Some of the leaders of the Israelites came to consult me about the Lord's will.
2 Then the Lord spoke to me.
3 "Mortal man," he said, "these men have given their hearts to idols and are letting idols lead them into sin. Do they think I will give them an answer?
4 "Now speak to them and tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them: Each of you Israelites who have given your heart to idols and let them lead you into sin and who then come to consult a prophet, will get an answer from me - the answer that your many idols deserve!
5 All those idols have turned the Israelites away from me, but by my answer I hope to win back their loyalty.
6 "Now then, tell the Israelites what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: Turn back and leave your disgusting idols.
7 "Whenever one of you Israelites or one of you foreigners who live in the Israelite community turn away from me and worship idols, and then go to consult a prophet, I, the Lord, will give you your answer!
8 I will oppose you. I will make an example of you. I will remove you from the community of my people, so that all of you will know that I am the Lord.
9 "If any prophets are deceived into giving a false answer, it is because I, the Lord, have deceived them. I will remove them from the people of Israel.
10 Both prophets and anyone who consults them will get the same punishment.
11 I will do this to keep the Israelites from deserting me and defiling themselves by their sins. They are to be my people, and I will be their God." The Sovereign Lord has spoken.
12 The Lord spoke to me.
13 "Mortal man," he said, "if a country sins and is unfaithful to me, I will reach out and destroy its supply of food. I will send a famine and kill people and animals alike.
14 Even if those three men, Noah, Danel, and Job, were living there, their goodness would save only their own lives." The Sovereign Lord has spoken.
15 "Or I might send wild animals to kill the people, making the land so dangerous that no one could travel through it,
16 and even if those three men lived there - as surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God - they would not be able to save even their own children. They would save only their own lives, and the land would become a wilderness.
17 "Or I might bring war on that country and send destructive weapons to wipe out people and animals alike,
18 and even if those three men lived there - as surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God - they would not be able to save even their children, but only their own lives.
19 "If I send an epidemic on that country and in my anger take many lives, killing people and animals,
20 even if Noah, Danel, and Job lived there - as surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God - they would not be able to save even their own children. Their goodness would save only their own lives."
21 This is what the Sovereign Lord is saying: "I will send my four worst punishments on Jerusalem - war, famine, wild animals, and disease - to destroy people and animals alike.
22 If some survive and save their children, look at them when they come to you. See how evil they are, and be convinced that the punishment I am bringing on Jerusalem is justified;
23 then you will know that there was good reason for everything I did." The Sovereign Lord has spoken.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.

Ezekiel 15

1 The Lord spoke to me.
2 "Mortal man," he said, "how does a vine compare with a tree? What good is a branch of a grapevine compared with the trees of the forest?
3 Can you use it to make anything? Can you even make a peg out of it to hang things on?
4 It is only good for building a fire. And when the ends are burned up and the middle is charred, can you make anything out of it?
5 It was useless even before it was burned. Now that the fire has burned it and charred it, it is even more useless."
6 Now this is what the Sovereign Lord is saying: "Just as a vine is taken from the forest and burned, so I will take the people who live in Jerusalem
7 and will punish them. They have escaped one fire, but now fire will burn them up. When I punish them, you will know that I am the Lord.
8 They have been unfaithful to me, and so I will make the country a wilderness." The Sovereign Lord has spoken.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.

James 2

1 My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.
2 Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes.
3 If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, "Have this best seat here," but say to the poor man, "Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet,"
4 then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives.
5 Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.
6 But you dishonor the poor! Who are the ones who oppress you and drag you before the judges? The rich!
7 They are the ones who speak evil of that good name which has been given to you.
8 You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."
9 But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker.
10 Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all.
11 For the same one who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murder." Even if you do not commit adultery, you have become a lawbreaker if you commit murder.
12 Speak and act as people who will be judged by the law that sets us free.
13 For God will not show mercy when he judges the person who has not been merciful; but mercy triumphs over judgment.
14 My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you?
15 Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat.
16 What good is there in your saying to them, "God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!" - if you don't give them the necessities of life?
17 So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.
18 But someone will say, "One person has faith, another has actions." My answer is, "Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions."
19 Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe - and tremble with fear.
20 You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless?
21 How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.
22 Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions.
23 And the scripture came true that said, "Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous." And so Abraham was called God's friend.
24 You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone.
25 It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road.
26 So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.