Ezekiel 9

English Standard Version

Idolaters Killed

9 Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, “Bring near the executioners of the city, ^(A)each with his destroying weapon in his hand.” ²And behold, six men came from the direction of ^(B)the upper gate, which faces north, each with his weapon for slaughter in his hand, and with them was ^(C)a man clothed in linen, with a writing case at his waist. And they went in and stood beside ^(D)the bronze altar.

³Now ^(E)the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub on which it rested to ^(F)the threshold of the house. And he called to ^(G)the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his waist. ⁴And the Lord said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and ^(H)put a mark on the foreheads of the men who ^(I)sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.” ⁵And to ^(J)the others he said in my hearing, “Pass through the city after him, and strike. ^(K)Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity. ⁶^(L)Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but ^(M)touch no one on whom is the mark. And ^(N)begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the house. ⁷Then he said to them, ^(O)“Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out.” So they went out and struck in the city. ⁸And while they were striking, and I was left alone, ^(P)I fell upon my face, and cried, ^(Q)“Ah, Lord God! ^(R)Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel ^(S)in the outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?”

⁹Then he said to me, ^(T)“The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. ^(U)The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For ^(V)they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see.’ ¹⁰As for me, ^(W)my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; ^(X)I will bring their deeds upon their heads.”

¹¹And behold, ^(Y)the man clothed in linen, with the writing case at his waist, brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded me.”

1 Timothy 5

English Standard Version

Instructions for the Church

5 ^(A)Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, ^(B)younger men as brothers, ²older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

³Honor widows ^(C)who are truly widows. ⁴But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn ^(D)to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for ^(E)this is pleasing in the sight of God. ⁵She ^(F)who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and ^(G)continues in supplications and prayers night and day, ⁶but ^(H)she who is self-indulgent is ^(I)dead even while she lives. ⁷^(J)Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. ⁸But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for ^(K)members of his household, he has ^(L)denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been ^(M)the wife of one husband,^[a] ¹⁰and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has ^(N)shown hospitality, ^(O)has washed the feet of the saints, has ^(P)cared for the afflicted, and has ^(Q)devoted herself to every good work. ¹¹But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when ^(R)their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry ¹²and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. ¹³Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also ^(S)gossips and ^(T)busybodies, saying what they should not. ¹⁴So I would have ^(U)younger widows marry, bear children, ^(V)manage their households, and ^(W)give the adversary no occasion for slander. ¹⁵^(X)For some have already strayed after Satan. ¹⁶If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those ^(Y)who are truly widows.

¹⁷Let the elders ^(Z)who rule well be considered worthy of ^(AA)double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. ¹⁸For the Scripture says, ^(AB)“You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, ^(AC)“The laborer deserves his wages.” ¹⁹Do not admit a charge against an elder except ^(AD)on the evidence of two or three witnesses. ²⁰As for those who persist in sin, ^(AE)rebuke them in the presence of all, ^(AF)so that the rest may stand in fear. ²¹In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels ^(AG)I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, ^(AH)doing nothing from partiality. ²²^(AI)Do not be hasty in the ^(AJ)laying on of hands, nor ^(AK)take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. ²³(No longer drink only water, but ^(AL)use a little wine ^(AM)for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) ²⁴The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. ²⁵So also good works are conspicuous, and ^(AN)even those that are not cannot remain hidden.