Ezekiel 11; Ezekiel 12; Ezekiel 13; James 1

Ezekiel 11

1 Then the Spirit lifted me and took me to the east gate of the LORD's temple. (It's the gate that faces east.) Twenty-five men were at the entrance of the gate. I saw among them Azzur's son Jaazaniah and Benaiah's son Pelatiah. They were leaders of the people.

2 Then the LORD said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who plan evil and give bad advice in this city.

3 They say, 'It's almost time to rebuild homes. This city is a cooking pot, and we're the meat.'

4 So prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man."

5 The LORD's Spirit came to me and told me to say, "This is what the LORD says: You are saying these things, nation of Israel. But I know what's going through your mind.

6 You have killed many people in this city and have filled its streets with corpses.

7 "So this is what the Almighty LORD says: The corpses that you put in the middle of the city are the meat, and the city is the cooking pot. I will force you out of the city.

8 You are afraid of swords, so I will bring swords to attack you, declares the Almighty LORD.

9 I will force you out of the city. I will hand you over to foreigners, and I will punish you.

10 You will die in battle. I will judge you at Israel's borders. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

11 The city will not be your cooking pot, and you will not be the meat in it. I will judge you at Israel's borders.

12 Then you will know that I am the LORD. You haven't lived by my laws, and you haven't obeyed my rules. You have followed the standards set by the nations around you."

13 While I was prophesying, Benaiah's son Pelatiah died. I immediately bowed down and cried out, "Almighty LORD, will you completely destroy all the remaining people in Israel?"

14 Then the LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

15 "Son of man, the people who live in Jerusalem are talking about your own relatives and about the entire nation of Israel. The people who live in Jerusalem say, 'They are far away from the LORD. This land has been given to us as our own property.'

16 "So tell them, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, I have been their sanctuary for a little while among the countries where they've gone.'

17 "So tell them, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: I will bring them together from the nations and gather them from the countries where I've scattered them. I will give them the land of Israel.

18 They will come and remove all the disgusting and detestable things that are there.

19 I will give them a single purpose and put a new spirit in them. I will remove their stubborn hearts and give them obedient hearts.

20 Then they will live by my laws and obey my rules. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

21 But as for those whose minds are set on following detestable and disgusting idols, I will pay them back for what they have done, declares the Almighty LORD.'"

22 Then the angels raised their wings, with the wheels beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was above them.

23 The LORD's glory left the middle of the city and stopped above the mountain east of the city.

24 In this vision from God's Spirit, the Spirit lifted me and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia. Then the vision I saw left me.

25 I told the exiles everything the LORD had shown me.

Ezekiel 12

1 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

2 "Son of man, you are living among rebellious people. They have eyes, but they can't see. They have ears, but they can't hear because they are rebellious people.

3 "Son of man, pack your bags as if you were going into exile. Let the people see you leave in the daylight. March like a captive from your place to another place as they watch. Maybe they will understand, even though they are rebellious people.

4 Let them see you in the daylight. Bring out your bags as if you were going into exile. In the evening let them see you leave like a captive going into exile.

5 Dig a hole through the wall of your house, and leave through it.

6 Let them see you put your bags on your shoulders and carry them out in the dark. Cover your face so that you won't see the land. I've made you a sign to warn the nation of Israel."

7 I did what I was ordered to do. During the day I brought out bags as if I were going into exile. In the evening I dug a hole through the wall. I brought out my bags in the dark. I let the people see me as I carried my bags on my shoulders.

8 The next morning the LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

9 "Son of man, didn't the rebellious nation of Israel ask you what you were doing?

10 "Tell them, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: This is the divine revelation about the prince from Jerusalem and about all the people of Israel who live there.'

11 "Tell them, 'I am your warning sign. What I have done will happen to you. You will go into exile and into captivity.

12 The prince who is among you will put his bags on his shoulders in the dark and leave. People will dig holes in the wall to go through. The prince will cover his face so that he cannot see the land.

13 I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my net. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, but he will not see it. And that's where he'll die.

14 I will scatter in every direction all those who are around him--his staff and all his troops. I will pursue them with my sword.

15 Then they will know that I am the LORD, because I will scatter them among the nations and force them into other countries.

16 However, I will spare a few of them from wars, famines, and plagues. Wherever they go among the nations, they will realize that everything they did was disgusting. Then they will know that I am the LORD.'"

17 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

18 "Son of man, shake as you eat your food. Tremble and be worried as you drink your water.

19 "Tell the people of this land, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says about the people who live in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will be worried as they eat their food and terrified as they drink their water. Their country will be stripped of everything because everyone who lives there is violent.

20 The cities where people live will be destroyed, and the country will become a wasteland. Then they will know that I am the LORD.'"

21 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

22 "Son of man, what is this proverb you have in Israel: 'Days go by, and every vision comes to nothing'?

23 "Tell the people, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: I will put a stop to the use of this proverb. You will no longer quote it in Israel.' Instead, tell them, 'The time is near when every vision will come true.

24 There will no longer be any false visions or flattering fortunetelling to the people.

25 I, the LORD, will speak. Everything that I say will happen without any more delay. I will say something, and it will happen during your lifetime, you rebellious people, declares the Almighty LORD.'"

26 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

27 "Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, 'The vision that Ezekiel sees won't happen for a long time. What he prophecies will happen in the distant future.'

28 "Tell them, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: Everything that I say will no longer be delayed. Whatever I say will happen, declares the Almighty LORD.'"

Ezekiel 13

1 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

2 "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel. Tell those who make up their prophecies, 'Listen to the word of the LORD.

3 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: How horrible it will be for the foolish prophets. They follow their own ideas, and they have seen nothing.

4 Israel, your prophets are like foxes among the ruins [of a city].

5 They haven't repaired the gaps in the wall or rebuilt the wall for the nation of Israel. So Israel will not be protected in battle on the day of the LORD.

6 These foolish prophets see false visions, and their predictions don't come true. They say, "The LORD said this." But the LORD hasn't sent them. Then they hope that their message will come true.

7 Prophets of Israel, haven't you seen false visions and predicted things that don't come true? Don't you say, "The LORD said this," even though I haven't said anything?

8 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: Your predictions are false, and your visions are lies. That is why I'm against you, declares the Almighty LORD.

9 I will use my power against the prophets who see false visions and predict things that don't come true. They will not help my people make decisions or be recorded in the records of the nation of Israel. They won't even enter Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

10 "'They have deceived my people by saying that everything is alright, but it's not alright. When someone builds a flimsy wall, the prophets cover it up with paint.

11 Tell those who cover up the wall with paint that their wall will fall down. Rain will pour down, hailstones will fall on it, and stormy winds will break it to pieces.

12 When the wall falls down, people will ask them, "Where's the paint that you used to cover the wall?"

13 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: In my fury I'll cause a storm to break out. In my anger rain will pour down, and hailstones will destroy the wall.

14 I will tear down the wall that the prophets covered up with paint. I will level it and expose its foundation. When the wall falls, they will be destroyed by it. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

15 I will unleash my fury on the wall and on those who covered it up with paint. "'Then I will say to you, "The wall is gone, and so are those who painted it.

16 The prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem are gone. Those who said that everything was alright, when it wasn't alright, are gone, declares the Almighty LORD."'

17 "Son of man, look at the women among your people who make up prophecies, and prophesy against them.

18 "Tell them, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: How horrible it will be for women who sew magic charms for people's wrists and make magic veils of every size for people's heads. You want to trap people. You want to control the lives of my people for your own profit.

19 You dishonor me in front of my people for a few handfuls of barley and a few pieces of bread. You kill people who shouldn't die, and you spare the lives of people who shouldn't live. You lie to my people who are willing to listen.

20 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: I'm against the magic charms that you use to trap people like birds. I will tear them from your arms and free the people that you have trapped.

21 I will tear off your magic veils and rescue my people from your power so that they will no longer be under your control. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

22 You have discouraged righteous people with your lies, even though I hadn't brought them any grief. You encouraged wicked people not to turn from their wicked ways to save their lives.

23 That is why you will no longer see false visions or make predictions. I will rescue my people from your power. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'"

James 1

1 From James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. To God's faithful people who have been scattered. Greetings.

2 My brothers and sisters, be very happy when you are tested in different ways.

3 You know that such testing of your faith produces endurance.

4 Endure until your testing is over. Then you will be mature and complete, and you won't need anything.

5 If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn't find fault with them.

6 When you ask for something, don't have any doubts. A person who has doubts is like a wave that is blown by the wind and tossed by the sea.

7 A person who has doubts shouldn't expect to receive anything from the Lord.

8 A person who has doubts is thinking about two different things at the same time and can't make up his mind about anything.

9 Humble believers should be proud because being humble makes them important.

10 Rich believers should be proud because being rich should make them humble. Rich people will wither like flowers.

11 The sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up plants. The flowers drop off, and the beauty is gone. The same thing will happen to rich people. While they are busy, they will die.

12 Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

13 When someone is tempted, he shouldn't say that God is tempting him. God can't be tempted by evil, and God doesn't tempt anyone.

14 Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him.

15 Then desire becomes pregnant and gives birth to sin. When sin grows up, it gives birth to death.

16 My dear brothers and sisters, don't be fooled.

17 Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. The Father doesn't change like the shifting shadows produced by the sun and the moon.

18 God decided to give us life through the word of truth to make us his most important creatures.

19 Remember this, my dear brothers and sisters: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and should not get angry easily.

20 An angry person doesn't do what God approves of.

21 So get rid of all immoral behavior and all the wicked things you do. Humbly accept the word that God has placed in you. This word can save you.

22 Do what God's word says. Don't merely listen to it, or you will fool yourselves.

23 If someone listens to God's word but doesn't do what it says, he is like a person who looks at his face in a mirror,

24 studies his features, goes away, and immediately forgets what he looks like.

25 However, the person who continues to study God's perfect teachings that make people free and who remains committed to them will be blessed. People like that don't merely listen and forget; they actually do what God's teachings say.

26 If a person thinks that he is religious but can't control his tongue, he is fooling himself. That person's religion is worthless.

27 Pure, unstained religion, according to God our Father, is to take care of orphans and widows when they suffer and to remain uncorrupted by this world.