Bear and Share Burdens

6 Brethren, if a man is ^[a]overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of ^(A)gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. ^2 (B)Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill ^(C)the law of Christ. ³ For ^(D)if anyone thinks himself to be something, when ^(E)he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But ^(F)let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and ^(G)not in another. ⁵ For ^(H)each one shall bear his own load.

Be Generous and Do Good

^6 (I)Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.

⁷ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for ^(J)whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. ⁸ For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap ^(K)everlasting life. ⁹ And ^(L)let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap ^(M)if we do not lose heart. ^10 (N)Therefore, as we have opportunity, ^(O)let us do good to all, ^(P)especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Glory Only in the Cross

¹¹ See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand! ¹² As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, ^(Q)only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. ¹³ For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴ But God forbid that I should boast except in the ^(R)cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by ^[b]whom the world has been crucified to me, and ^(S)I to the world. ¹⁵ For ^(T)in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

Blessing and a Plea

¹⁶ And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

¹⁷ From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁸ Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Ezekiel Called to Be a Prophet

2 And He said to me, “Son of man, ^(A)stand on your feet, and I will speak to you.” ² Then ^(B)the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me. ³ And He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has ^(C)rebelled against Me; ^(D)they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. ^4 (E)For they are ^[a]impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ ^5 (F)As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a ^(G)rebellious house—yet they ^(H)will know that a prophet has been among them.

⁶ “And you, son of man, ^(I)do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though ^(J)briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; ^(K)do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, ^(L)though they are a rebellious house. ^7 (M)You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. ⁸ But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and ^(N)eat what I give you.”

⁹ Now when I looked, there was ^(O)a hand stretched out to me; and behold, ^(P)a scroll of a book was in it. ¹⁰ Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.

The Responsibility of the Prophet

3 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; ^(Q)eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” ² So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll.

³ And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ^(R)ate, and it was in my mouth ^(S)like honey in sweetness.

⁴ Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. ⁵ For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel, ⁶ not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, ^(T)had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you. ⁷ But the house of Israel will not listen to you, ^(U)because they will not listen to Me; ^(V)for all the house of Israel are ^[b]impudent and hard-hearted. ⁸ Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads. ^9 (W)Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; ^(X)do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”

¹⁰ Moreover He said to me: “Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears. ¹¹ And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, ^(Y)‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear, or whether they refuse.”

¹² Then ^(Z)the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: “Blessed is the ^(AA)glory of the Lord from His place!” ¹³ I also heard the ^(AB)noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a great thunderous noise. ¹⁴ So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the ^[c]heat of my spirit; but ^(AC)the hand of the Lord was strong upon me. ¹⁵ Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar; and ^(AD)I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.

Ezekiel Is a Watchman

¹⁶ Now it ^(AE)came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ^17 (AF)“Son of man, I have made you ^(AG)a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them ^(AH)warning from Me: ¹⁸ When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man ^(AI)shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. ¹⁹ Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; ^(AJ)but you have delivered your soul.

²⁰ “Again, when a ^(AK)righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. ²¹ Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”

^22 (AL)Then the hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, “Arise, go out ^(AM)into the plain, and there I shall talk with you.”

²³ So I arose and went out into the plain, and behold, ^(AN)the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory which I ^(AO)saw by the River Chebar; ^(AP)and I fell on my face. ²⁴ Then ^(AQ)the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet, and spoke with me and said to me: “Go, shut yourself inside your house. ²⁵ And you, O son of man, surely ^(AR)they will put ropes on you and bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them. ^26 (AS)I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and ^(AT)not be ^[d]one to rebuke them, ^(AU)for they are a rebellious house. ^27 (AV)But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ^(AW)‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.

Praise to God for His Salvation and Judgment