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Ezekiel 14:12-16:41
New Living Translation
Ezekiel 14:12-16:41
New Living Translation
The Certainty of the Lord’s Judgment
12 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 13 “Son of man, suppose the people of a country were to sin against me, and I lifted my fist to crush them, cutting off their food supply and sending a famine to destroy both people and animals. 14 Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness would save no one but themselves, says the Sovereign Lord.
15 “Or suppose I were to send wild animals to invade the country, kill the people, and make the land too desolate and dangerous to pass through. 16 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if those three men were there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be made desolate.
17 “Or suppose I were to bring war against the land, and I sent enemy armies to destroy both people and animals. 18 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if those three men were there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.
19 “Or suppose I were to pour out my fury by sending an epidemic into the land, and the disease killed people and animals alike. 20 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved by their righteousness.
21 “Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How terrible it will be when all four of these dreadful punishments fall upon Jerusalem—war, famine, wild animals, and disease—destroying all her people and animals. 22 Yet there will be survivors, and they will come here to join you as exiles in Babylon. You will see with your own eyes how wicked they are, and then you will feel better about what I have done to Jerusalem. 23 When you meet them and see their behavior, you will understand that these things are not being done to Israel without cause. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
Jerusalem—a Useless Vine
15 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine’s wood as useful as the wood of a tree? 3 Can its wood be used for making things, like pegs to hang up pots and pans? 4 No, it can only be used for fuel, and even as fuel, it burns too quickly. 5 Vines are useless both before and after being put into the fire!
6 “And this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Jerusalem are like grapevines growing among the trees of the forest. Since they are useless, I have thrown them on the fire to be burned. 7 And I will see to it that if they escape from one fire, they will fall into another. When I turn against them, you will know that I am the Lord. 8 And I will make the land desolate because my people have been unfaithful to me. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
Jerusalem—an Unfaithful Wife
16 Then another message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable sins. 3 Give her this message from the Sovereign Lord: You are nothing but a Canaanite! Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 On the day you were born, no one cared about you. Your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were never washed, rubbed with salt, and wrapped in cloth. 5 No one had the slightest interest in you; no one pitied you or cared for you. On the day you were born, you were unwanted, dumped in a field and left to die.
6 “But I came by and saw you there, helplessly kicking about in your own blood. As you lay there, I said, ‘Live!’ 7 And I helped you to thrive like a plant in the field. You grew up and became a beautiful jewel. Your breasts became full, and your body hair grew, but you were still naked. 8 And when I passed by again, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.
9 “Then I bathed you and washed off your blood, and I rubbed fragrant oils into your skin. 10 I gave you expensive clothing of fine linen and silk, beautifully embroidered, and sandals made of fine goatskin leather. 11 I gave you lovely jewelry, bracelets, beautiful necklaces, 12 a ring for your nose, earrings for your ears, and a lovely crown for your head. 13 And so you were adorned with gold and silver. Your clothes were made of fine linen and costly fabric and were beautifully embroidered. You ate the finest foods—choice flour, honey, and olive oil—and became more beautiful than ever. You looked like a queen, and so you were! 14 Your fame soon spread throughout the world because of your beauty. I dressed you in my splendor and perfected your beauty, says the Sovereign Lord.
15 “But you thought your fame and beauty were your own. So you gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was theirs for the asking. 16 You used the lovely things I gave you to make shrines for idols, where you played the prostitute. Unbelievable! How could such a thing ever happen? 17 You took the very jewels and gold and silver ornaments I had given you and made statues of men and worshiped them. This is adultery against me! 18 You used the beautifully embroidered clothes I gave you to dress your idols. Then you used my special oil and my incense to worship them. 19 Imagine it! You set before them as a sacrifice the choice flour, olive oil, and honey I had given you, says the Sovereign Lord.
20 “Then you took your sons and daughters—the children you had borne to me—and sacrificed them to your gods. Was your prostitution not enough? 21 Must you also slaughter my children by sacrificing them to idols? 22 In all your years of adultery and detestable sin, you have not once remembered the days long ago when you lay naked in a field, kicking about in your own blood.
23 “What sorrow awaits you, says the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, 24 you built a pagan shrine and put altars to idols in every town square. 25 On every street corner you defiled your beauty, offering your body to every passerby in an endless stream of prostitution. 26 Then you added lustful Egypt to your lovers, provoking my anger with your increasing promiscuity. 27 That is why I struck you with my fist and reduced your boundaries. I handed you over to your enemies, the Philistines, and even they were shocked by your lewd conduct. 28 You have prostituted yourself with the Assyrians, too. It seems you can never find enough new lovers! And after your prostitution there, you still were not satisfied. 29 You added to your lovers by embracing Babylonia,[a] the land of merchants, but you still weren’t satisfied.
30 “What a sick heart you have, says the Sovereign Lord, to do such things as these, acting like a shameless prostitute. 31 You build your pagan shrines on every street corner and your altars to idols in every square. In fact, you have been worse than a prostitute, so eager for sin that you have not even demanded payment. 32 Yes, you are an adulterous wife who takes in strangers instead of her own husband. 33 Prostitutes charge for their services—but not you! You give gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come and have sex with you. 34 So you are the opposite of other prostitutes. You pay your lovers instead of their paying you!
Judgment on Jerusalem’s Prostitution
35 “Therefore, you prostitute, listen to this message from the Lord! 36 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have poured out your lust and exposed yourself in prostitution to all your lovers, and because you have worshiped detestable idols,[b] and because you have slaughtered your children as sacrifices to your gods, 37 this is what I am going to do. I will gather together all your allies—the lovers with whom you have sinned, both those you loved and those you hated—and I will strip you naked in front of them so they can stare at you. 38 I will punish you for your murder and adultery. I will cover you with blood in my jealous fury. 39 Then I will give you to these many nations who are your lovers, and they will destroy you. They will knock down your pagan shrines and the altars to your idols. They will strip you and take your beautiful jewels, leaving you stark naked. 40 They will band together in a mob to stone you and cut you up with swords. 41 They will burn your homes and punish you in front of many women. I will stop your prostitution and end your payments to your many lovers.
Ezekiel 14:12-16:41
New International Version
Ezekiel 14:12-16:41
New International Version
Jerusalem’s Judgment Inescapable
12 The word of the Lord came to me: 13 “Son of man, if a country sins(A) against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply(B) and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals,(C) 14 even if these three men—Noah,(D) Daniel[a](E) and Job(F)—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness,(G) declares the Sovereign Lord.
15 “Or if I send wild beasts(H) through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts,(I) 16 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.(J)
17 “Or if I bring a sword(K) against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its people and their animals,(L) 18 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.
19 “Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath(M) on it through bloodshed,(N) killing its people and their animals,(O) 20 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.(P)
21 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments(Q)—sword(R) and famine(S) and wild beasts and plague(T)—to kill its men and their animals!(U) 22 Yet there will be some survivors(V)—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it.(W) They will come to you, and when you see their conduct(X) and their actions, you will be consoled(Y) regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it. 23 You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord.(Z)”
Jerusalem as a Useless Vine
15 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine(AA) different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? 3 Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful?(AB) Do they make pegs(AC) from it to hang things on? 4 And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything?(AD) 5 If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred?
6 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. 7 I will set my face against(AE) them. Although they have come out of the fire(AF), the fire will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the Lord.(AG) 8 I will make the land desolate(AH) because they have been unfaithful,(AI) declares the Sovereign Lord.”
Jerusalem as an Adulterous Wife
16 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, confront(AJ) Jerusalem with her detestable practices(AK) 3 and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry(AL) and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father(AM) was an Amorite(AN) and your mother a Hittite.(AO) 4 On the day you were born(AP) your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. 5 No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.
6 “‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”[b](AQ) 7 I made you grow(AR) like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.(AS)
8 “‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment(AT) over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant(AU) with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.(AV)
9 “‘I bathed you with water and washed(AW) the blood from you and put ointments on you. 10 I clothed you with an embroidered(AX) dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen(AY) and covered you with costly garments.(AZ) 11 I adorned you with jewelry:(BA) I put bracelets(BB) on your arms and a necklace(BC) around your neck, 12 and I put a ring on your nose,(BD) earrings(BE) on your ears and a beautiful crown(BF) on your head.(BG) 13 So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes(BH) were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil(BI) and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen.(BJ) 14 And your fame(BK) spread among the nations on account of your beauty,(BL) because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.(BM)
15 “‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by(BN) and your beauty became his.(BO) 16 You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places,(BP) where you carried on your prostitution.(BQ) You went to him, and he possessed your beauty.[c] 17 You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them.(BR) 18 And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense(BS) before them. 19 Also the food I provided for you—the flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat—you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign Lord.(BT)
20 “‘And you took your sons and daughters(BU) whom you bore to me(BV) and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough?(BW) 21 You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.(BX) 22 In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth,(BY) when you were naked and bare,(BZ) kicking about in your blood.(CA)
23 “‘Woe!(CB) Woe to you, declares the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, 24 you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine(CC) in every public square.(CD) 25 At every street corner(CE) you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by.(CF) 26 You engaged in prostitution(CG) with the Egyptians,(CH) your neighbors with large genitals, and aroused my anger(CI) with your increasing promiscuity.(CJ) 27 So I stretched out my hand(CK) against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over(CL) to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines,(CM) who were shocked by your lewd conduct. 28 You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians(CN) too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied.(CO) 29 Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia,[d](CP) a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.(CQ)
30 “‘I am filled with fury against you,[e] declares the Sovereign Lord, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute!(CR) 31 When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines(CS) in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment.
32 “‘You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! 33 All prostitutes receive gifts,(CT) but you give gifts(CU) to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.(CV) 34 So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you.
35 “‘Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the Lord! 36 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you poured out your lust and exposed your naked body in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children’s blood,(CW) 37 therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure, those you loved as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and will strip(CX) you in front of them, and they will see you stark naked.(CY) 38 I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood;(CZ) I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger.(DA) 39 Then I will deliver you into the hands(DB) of your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry and leave you stark naked.(DC) 40 They will bring a mob against you, who will stone(DD) you and hack you to pieces with their swords. 41 They will burn down(DE) your houses and inflict punishment on you in the sight of many women.(DF) I will put a stop(DG) to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your lovers.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 14:14 Or Danel, a man of renown in ancient literature; also in verse 20
- Ezekiel 16:6 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts repeat and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”
- Ezekiel 16:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
- Ezekiel 16:29 Or Chaldea
- Ezekiel 16:30 Or How feverish is your heart,
Hebrews 7:18-28
New Living Translation
Hebrews 7:18-28
New Living Translation
18 Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. 19 For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
20 This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants became priests without such an oath, 21 but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him,
“The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow:
‘You are a priest forever.’”[a]
22 Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God.
23 There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. 24 But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. 25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save[b] those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.
26 He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.[c] 27 Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. 28 The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.
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Hebrews 7:18-28
New International Version
Hebrews 7:18-28
New International Version
18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless(A) 19 (for the law made nothing perfect),(B) and a better hope(C) is introduced, by which we draw near to God.(D)
20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:
22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.(G)
23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.(H) 25 Therefore he is able to save(I) completely[b] those who come to God(J) through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.(K)
26 Such a high priest(L) truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners,(M) exalted above the heavens.(N) 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices(O) day after day, first for his own sins,(P) and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all(Q) when he offered himself.(R) 28 For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness;(S) but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son,(T) who has been made perfect(U) forever.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 7:21 Psalm 110:4
- Hebrews 7:25 Or forever
Psalm 106:1-12
New Living Translation
Psalm 106:1-12
New Living Translation
Psalm 106
1 Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord?
Who can ever praise him enough?
3 There is joy for those who deal justly with others
and always do what is right.
4 Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people;
come near and rescue me.
5 Let me share in the prosperity of your chosen ones.
Let me rejoice in the joy of your people;
let me praise you with those who are your heritage.
6 Like our ancestors, we have sinned.
We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!
7 Our ancestors in Egypt
were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds.
They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them.
Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.[a]
8 Even so, he saved them—
to defend the honor of his name
and to demonstrate his mighty power.
9 He commanded the Red Sea[b] to dry up.
He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert.
10 So he rescued them from their enemies
and redeemed them from their foes.
11 Then the water returned and covered their enemies;
not one of them survived.
12 Then his people believed his promises.
Then they sang his praise.
Psalm 106:1-12
New International Version
Psalm 106:1-12
New International Version
Psalm 106(A)
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts(E) of the Lord
or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are those who act justly,(F)
who always do what is right.(G)
4 Remember me,(H) Lord, when you show favor(I) to your people,
come to my aid(J) when you save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity(K) of your chosen ones,(L)
that I may share in the joy(M) of your nation
and join your inheritance(N) in giving praise.
6 We have sinned,(O) even as our ancestors(P) did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.(Q)
7 When our ancestors were in Egypt,
they gave no thought(R) to your miracles;
they did not remember(S) your many kindnesses,
and they rebelled by the sea,(T) the Red Sea.[b]
8 Yet he saved them(U) for his name’s sake,(V)
to make his mighty power(W) known.
9 He rebuked(X) the Red Sea, and it dried up;(Y)
he led them through(Z) the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them(AA) from the hand of the foe;(AB)
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.(AC)
11 The waters covered(AD) their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.(AE)
Footnotes
- Psalm 106:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 48
- Psalm 106:7 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verses 9 and 22
Proverbs 27:4-6
New Living Translation
Proverbs 27:4-6
New Living Translation
4 Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood,
but jealousy is even more dangerous.
5 An open rebuke
is better than hidden love!
6 Wounds from a sincere friend
are better than many kisses from an enemy.
Proverbs 27:4-6
New International Version
Proverbs 27:4-6
New International Version
4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy?(A)
5 Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
but an enemy multiplies kisses.(B)
New Living Translation (NLT)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.