Ezekiel 14; Ezekiel 15; James 2

1 Some of the older leaders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me.

2 Then the Lord spoke his word to me, saying:

3 "Human, these men want to worship idols. They put up evil things that cause people to sin. Should I allow them to ask me for help?

4 So speak to them and tell them, 'This is what the Lord God says: When any of the people of Israel want to worship idols and put up evil things that cause people to sin and then come to the prophet, I, the Lord, will answer them myself for worshiping idols.

5 Then I will win back my people Israel, who have left me because of all their idols.'

6 "So say to the people of Israel, 'This is what the Lord God says: Change your hearts and lives, and stop worshiping idols. Stop doing all the things I hate.

7 Any of the Israelites or foreigners in Israel can separate themselves from me by wanting to worship idols or by putting up the things that cause people to sin. Then if they come to the prophet to ask me questions, I, the Lord, will answer them myself.

8 I will reject them. I will make them a sign and an example, and I will separate them from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

9 "'But if the prophet is tricked into giving a prophecy, it is because I, the Lord, have tricked that prophet to speak. Then I will use my power against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.

10 The prophet will be as guilty as the one who asks him for help; both will be responsible for their guilt.

11 Then the nation of Israel will not leave me anymore or make themselves unclean anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, says the Lord God.'"

12 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:

13 "Human, if the people of a country sin against me by not being loyal, I will use my power against them. I will cut off their supply of food and send a time of hunger, destroying both people and animals.

14 Even if three great men like Noah, Daniel, and Job were in that country, their goodness could save only themselves, says the Lord God.

15 "Or I might send wild animals into that land, leaving the land empty and without children. Then no one would pass through it because of the animals.

16 As surely as I live, says the Lord God, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They could save only themselves, but that country would become empty.

17 "Or I might bring a war against that country. I might say, 'Let a war be fought in that land,' in this way destroying its people and its animals.

18 As surely as I live, says the Lord God, even if those three men were in the land, they could not save their sons or daughters. They could save only themselves.

19 "Or I might cause a disease to spread in that country. I might pour out my anger against it, destroying and killing people and animals.

20 As surely as I live, says the Lord God, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, they could not save their son or daughter. They could save only themselves because they did what was right.

21 "This is what the Lord God says: My plans for Jerusalem are much worse! I will send my four terrible punishments against it -- war, hunger, wild animals, and disease -- to destroy its people and animals.

22 But some people will escape; some sons and daughters will be led out. They will come out to you, and you will see what happens to people who live as they did. Then you will be comforted after the disasters I have brought against Jerusalem, after all the things I have brought against it.

23 You will be comforted when you see what happens to them for living as they did, because you will know there was a good reason for what I did to Jerusalem, says the Lord God."

1 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:

2 "Human, is the wood of the vine better than the wood of any tree in the forest?

3 Can wood be taken from the vine to make anything? Can you use it to make a peg on which to hang something?

4 If the vine is thrown into the fire for fuel, and the fire burns up both ends and starts to burn the middle, is it useful for anything?

5 When the vine was whole, it couldn't be made into anything. When the fire has burned it completely, it certainly cannot be made into anything."

6 So this is what the Lord God says: "Out of all the trees in the forest, I have given the wood of the vine as fuel for fire. In the same way I have given up the people who live in Jerusalem

7 and will turn against them. Although they came through one fire, fire will still destroy them. When I turn against them, you will know that I am the Lord.

8 So I will make the land empty, because the people have not been loyal, says the Lord God."

1 My dear brothers and sisters, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, never think some people are more important than others.

2 Suppose someone comes into your church meeting wearing nice clothes and a gold ring. At the same time a poor person comes in wearing old, dirty clothes.

3 You show special attention to the one wearing nice clothes and say, "Please, sit here in this good seat." But you say to the poor person, "Stand over there," or, "Sit on the floor by my feet."

4 What are you doing? You are making some people more important than others, and with evil thoughts you are deciding that one person is better.

5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! God chose the poor in the world to be rich with faith and to receive the kingdom God promised to those who love him.

6 But you show no respect to the poor. The rich are always trying to control your lives. They are the ones who take you to court.

7 And they are the ones who speak against Jesus, who owns you.

8 This royal law is found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." If you obey this law, you are doing right.

9 But if you treat one person as being more important than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God's law.

10 A person who follows all of God's law but fails to obey even one command is guilty of breaking all the commands in that law.

11 The same God who said, "You must not be guilty of adultery," also said, "You must not murder anyone." So if you do not take part in adultery but you murder someone, you are guilty of breaking all of God's law.

12 In everything you say and do, remember that you will be judged by the law that makes people free.

13 So you must show mercy to others, or God will not show mercy to you when he judges you. But the person who shows mercy can stand without fear at the judgment.

14 My brothers and sisters, if people say they have faith, but do nothing, their faith is worth nothing. Can faith like that save them?

15 A brother or sister in Christ might need clothes or food.

16 If you say to that person, "God be with you! I hope you stay warm and get plenty to eat," but you do not give what that person needs, your words are worth nothing.

17 In the same way, faith that is alone -- that does nothing -- is dead.

18 Someone might say, "You have faith, but I have deeds." Show me your faith without doing anything, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

19 You believe there is one God. Good! But the demons believe that, too, and they tremble with fear.

20 You foolish person! Must you be shown that faith that does nothing is worth nothing?

21 Abraham, our ancestor, was made right with God by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.

22 So you see that Abraham's faith and the things he did worked together. His faith was made perfect by what he did.

23 This shows the full meaning of the Scripture that says: "Abraham believed God, and God accepted Abraham's faith, and that faith made him right with God." And Abraham was called God's friend.

24 So you see that people are made right with God by what they do, not by faith only.

25 Another example is Rahab, a prostitute, who was made right with God by something she did. She welcomed the spies into her home and helped them escape by a different road.

26 Just as a person's body that does not have a spirit is dead, so faith that does nothing is dead!