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

1 It was the ninth year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the tenth day of the tenth month, a message came to me from the Lord. He said,

2 "Son of man, write down today's date. The king of Babylonia has surrounded Jerusalem and attacked it this very day.

3 "Your people refuse to obey me. So tell them a story. Say to them, 'The LORD and King told me, " ' "Put a cooking pot on the fire. Pour water into it.

4 Put pieces of meat in it. Use all of the best pieces. Use the leg and shoulder. Fill it with the best bones.

5 Pick the finest animal in the flock. Pile wood under the pot to cook the bones. Bring the water to a boil. Cook the bones in it." ' "

6 The LORD and King says, "How terrible it will be for this city! It has so many murderers in it. How terrible for the pot that is coated with scum! The scum on it will not go away. Take the meat and bones out of the pot piece by piece. Do not cast lots for them.

7 "The blood Jerusalem's people spilled is inside its walls. They poured it out on a bare rock. They did not pour it on the ground. If they had, dust would have covered it up.

8 So I put their blood on the bare rock. I did not want it to be covered up. I poured my burning anger out on them. I paid them back."

9 So the LORD and King said to me, "How terrible it will be for this city! It has so many murderers in it. I too will pile the wood high.

10 So pile on the wood. Light the fire. Cook the meat well. Mix in the spices. Let the bones be blackened.

11 Then set the empty pot on the coals. Let it get hot. Let its copper glow. Then what is not pure in it will melt. Its scum will be burned away.

12 But it can't be cleaned up. Its thick scum has not been removed. Even fire can't burn it off.

13 "Jerusalem, you are really impure. I tried to clean you up. But you would not let me make you pure. So you will not be clean again until my burning anger against you has calmed down.

14 "I have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back. I will not feel sorry for you. I will do what I said I would do. You will be judged for your conduct and actions. I am the Lord," announces the LORD and King.

15 A message came to me from the Lord. He said,

16 "Son of man, I will take away from you the wife you delight in. It will happen very soon. But do not sing songs of sadness. Do not let any tears flow from your eyes.

17 Groan quietly. Do not sob out loud over your wife when she dies. Keep your turban on your head. Keep your sandals on your feet. Do not cover the lower part of your face. Do not eat the food people eat to comfort them when someone dies."

18 So I spoke to my people in the morning. And in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did what I had been commanded to do.

19 Then the people said to me, "Tell us what these things have to do with us."

20 So I told them. I said, "A message came to me from the Lord. He said,

21 'Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, "The LORD and King says, 'I am about to pollute my temple. I will let the Babylonians burn it down. It is the beautiful building you are so proud of. You take delight in it. You love it. The sons and daughters you left behind will be killed with swords.

22 " ' " 'So do what Ezekiel did. Do not cover the lower part of your face. Do not eat the food people eat to comfort them when someone dies.

23 Keep your turbans on your heads. Keep your sandals on your feet. Do not cry or sob. You will waste away because you have sinned so much. You will groan among yourselves.

24 " ' " 'What Ezekiel has done will show you what is going to happen to you. You will do just as he has done. Then you will know that I am the LORD and King.' " '

25 "Son of man, I will take away their beautiful temple. It is their joy and glory. They take delight in it. Their hearts long for it. I will also take away their sons and daughters.

26 On the day I destroy everything, a man will escape. He will come and tell you the news.

27 "At that time I will open your mouth. Then you will no longer be silent. You will speak with the man. That will show them what will happen to them. And they will know that I am the Lord."

1 A message came to me from the Lord. He said,

2 "Son of man, turn your attention to the Ammonites. Prophesy against them.

3 Tell them, 'Listen to the message of the LORD and King. He says, "You laughed when my temple was polluted. You also laughed when the land of Israel was completely destroyed. You made fun of the people of Judah when they were taken away as prisoners.

4 So I am going to hand you over to the people of the east. They will set up their tents in your land. They will camp among you. They will eat your fruit. They will drink your milk.

5 I will turn the city of Rabbah into grasslands for camels. Ammon will become a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the Lord." ' "

6 The LORD and King says, "You clapped your hands. You stamped your feet. You hated the land of Israel deep down inside you. You were glad because of what happened to it.

7 So I will reach out my powerful hand against you. I will give you and everything you have to the nations. I will cut you off from them. I will wipe you out. I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the Lord."

8 The LORD and King says, "Moab and Edom said, 'Look! The people of Judah have become like all of the other nations.'

9 So I will let Moab's enemies attack its lower hills. They will begin at the border towns. Those towns include Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon and Kiriathaim. They are the glory of that land.

10 I will hand Moab over to the people of the east. I will also give the Ammonites to them. And the Ammonites will no longer be remembered among the nations.

11 I will punish Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord."

12 The LORD and King says, "Edom got even with the people of Judah. That made them very guilty."

13 He continues, "I will reach out my hand against Edom. I will kill its people and their animals. I will completely destroy it. They will be killed with swords from Teman all the way to Dedan.

14 I will use my people Israel to pay Edom back. They will punish Edom because my anger burns against it. They will know how I pay my enemies back," announces the LORD and King.

15 The LORD and King says, "The Philistines hated Judah deep down inside them. So they tried to get even with them. They had been Judah's enemies for many years. So they tried to destroy them."

16 He continues, "I am about to reach out my hand against the Philistines. I will cut off the Kerethites. I will destroy those who remain along the coast.

17 You can be sure that I will pay them back. I will punish them because my anger burns against them. When I pay them back, they will know that I am the Lord."

1 It was the first day of a month near the end of the 11th year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. A message came to me from the Lord. He said,

2 "Son of man, Tyre laughed because of what happened to Jerusalem. The people of Tyre said, 'Jerusalem is the gateway to the nations. But the gate is broken. Its doors have swung open to us. Jerusalem has been destroyed. So now we will succeed.' "

3 The LORD and King says, "But I am against you, Tyre. I will bring many nations against you. They will come in like the waves of the sea.

4 They will destroy your walls. They will pull your towers down. I will clear away the stones of your broken-down buildings. I will turn you into nothing but a bare rock.

5 "Out in the Mediterranean Sea your island city will become a place to spread fishnets. I have spoken," announces the LORD and King. "The nations will take you and everything you have.

6 Your settlements on the coast will be destroyed by war. Then you will know that I am the Lord."

7 The LORD and King says, "From the north I am going to bring Nebuchadnezzar against Tyre. He is king of Babylonia. He is the greatest king of all. He will come with horses and chariots. Horsemen and a great army will be brought along with him.

8 "He will go to war against you. He will destroy your settlements on the coast. He will bring in war machines to attack you. A ramp will be built up to your walls. He will use his shields against you.

9 He will use huge logs to knock your walls down. He will destroy your towers with his weapons.

10 "He will have so many horses that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will shake because of the noise of his war horses, wagons and chariots. He will enter your gates, just as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through.

11 The hoofs of his horses will pound in your streets. He will kill your people with swords. Your strong pillars will fall to the ground.

12 "His men will take away from you your wealth and anything else you have. They will pull your walls down. They will completely destroy your fine houses. They will throw the stones and lumber of your broken-down buildings into the sea.

13 "I will put an end to your noisy songs. No one will hear the music of your harps anymore.

14 I will turn you into nothing but a bare rock. You will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt. I have spoken. I am the Lord," announces the LORD and King.

15 The LORD and King speaks to Tyre. He says, "The lands along the coast will shake because of the sound of your fall. Wounded people will groan because so many are dying there.

16 "Then all of the princes along the coast will step down from their thrones. They will put their robes away. They will take off their beautiful clothes. They will sit on the ground. They will put on terror as if it were their clothes. They will tremble with fear all the time. They will be shocked because of what has happened to you.

17 "Then they will sing a song of sadness about you. They will say to you, " 'Famous city, you have been completely destroyed! You were filled with sea traders. You and your citizens were a mighty power on the seas. You terrified everyone who lived in you.

18 The lands along the coast trembled with fear when you fell. The islands in the sea were terrified when you were destroyed.' "

19 The LORD and King says to Tyre, "I will turn you into an empty city. You will be like cities where no one lives anymore. I will cause the ocean to sweep over you. Its mighty waters will cover you.

20 So I will bring you down together with those who go down into the grave. The people who are there lived long ago. You will have to live in the earth below. It will be like living in buildings that were destroyed many years ago. You will go down into the grave along with others. And you will never come back. You will not take your place in this world again.

21 I will bring you to a horrible end. You will be gone forever. People will look for you. But they will never find you," announces the LORD and King.

1 So get rid of every kind of evil. Stop telling lies. Don't pretend to be something you are not. Stop wanting what others have. Don't speak against each other.

2 Like babies that were just born, you should long for the pure milk of God's word. It will help you grow up as believers.

3 You can do it now that you have tasted how good the Lord is.

4 Christ is the living Stone. People did not accept him. But God chose him. God places the highest value on him.

5 You also are like living stones. As you come to him you are being built into a house for worship. There you will be holy priests. You will offer spiritual sacrifices. God will accept them because of what Jesus Christ has done.

6 In Scripture it says, "Look! I am placing a stone in Zion. It is a chosen and very valuable stone. It is the most important stone in the building. The one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." (Isaiah 28:16)

7 The stone is very valuable to you who believe. But to people who do not believe, "The stone the builders did not accept has become the most important stone of all." (Psalm 118:22)

8 And, "It is a stone that causes people to trip. It is a rock that makes them fall." (Isaiah 8:14) They trip and fall because they do not obey the message. That is also what God planned for them.

9 But God chose you to be his people. You are royal priests. You are a holy nation. You are a people who belong to God. All of this is so that you can sing his praises. He brought you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

10 Once you were not a people. But now you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy. But now you have received mercy.

11 Dear friends, you are outsiders and strangers in this world. So I'm asking you not to give in to your sinful longings. They fight against your soul.

12 People who don't believe might say you are doing wrong. But lead good lives among them. Then they will see your good works. And they will give glory to God on the day he comes to judge.

13 Follow the lead of every human authority. Do it because the Lord wants you to. Obey the king. He is the highest authority.

14 Obey the governors. The king sends them to punish those who do wrong. He also sends them to praise those who do right.

15 By doing good you will put a stop to the talk of foolish people. They don't know what they are saying. God wants you to stop them.

16 Live like free people. But don't use your freedom to cover up evil. Live like people who serve God.

17 Show proper respect to everyone. Love the community of believers. Have respect for God. Honor the king.

18 Slaves, obey your masters with all the respect you should give them. Obey not only those who are good and kind. Obey also those who are not kind.

19 Suppose a person suffers pain unfairly because he wants to obey God. That is worthy of praise.

20 But suppose you receive a beating for doing wrong, and you put up with it. Will anyone honor you for that? Of course not. But suppose you suffer for doing good, and you put up with it. God will praise you for that.

21 Christ suffered for you. He left you an example. He expects you to follow in his steps. You too were chosen to suffer.

22 Scripture says, "He didn't commit any sin. No lies ever came out of his mouth." (Isaiah 53:9)

23 People shouted at him and made fun of him. But he didn't do the same back to them. He suffered. But he didn't say that bad things would happen to them. Instead, he trusted in the One who judges fairly.

24 He himself carried our sins in his body on the cross. He did it so that we would die as far as sins are concerned. Then we would lead godly lives. His wounds have made you whole.

25 You were like sheep who were wandering away. But now you have returned to the Shepherd. He is the Leader of your souls.