Judgment on Idolatrous Israel

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “Son of man, (A)set your face toward the (B)mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains, to the hills, to the ravines, and to the valleys: “Indeed I, even I, will bring a sword against you, and (C)I will destroy your [a]high places. Then your altars shall be desolate, your incense altars shall be broken, and (D)I will cast down your slain men before your idols. And I will lay the corpses of the children of Israel before their idols, and I will scatter your bones all around your altars. In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the [b]high places shall be desolate, so that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, your idols may be broken and made to cease, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be abolished. The slain shall fall in your midst, and (E)you shall know that I am the Lord.

(F)“Yet I will leave a remnant, so that you may have some who escape the sword among the nations, when you are (G)scattered through the countries. Then those of you who escape will (H)remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because (I)I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me, and (J)by their eyes which play the harlot after their idols; (K)they will loathe themselves for the evils which they committed in all their abominations. 10 And they shall know that I am the Lord; I have not said in vain that I would bring this calamity upon them.”

11 ‘Thus says the Lord God: (L)“Pound[c] your fists and stamp your feet, and say, ‘Alas, for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! (M)For they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. 12 He who is far off shall die by the pestilence, he who is near shall fall by the sword, and he who remains and is besieged shall die by the famine. (N)Thus will I spend My fury upon them. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when their slain are among their idols all around their altars, (O)on every high hill, (P)on all the mountaintops, (Q)under every green tree, and under every thick oak, wherever they offered sweet incense to all their idols. 14 So I will (R)stretch out My hand against them and make the land desolate, yes, more desolate than the wilderness toward (S)Diblah, in all their dwelling places. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.’ ” ’ ”

Judgment on Israel Is Near

Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “And you, son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel:

(T)‘An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.
Now the end has come upon you,
And I will send My anger against you;
I will judge you (U)according to your ways,
And I will repay you for all your abominations.
(V)My eye will not spare you,
Nor will I have pity;
But I will repay your ways,
And your abominations will be in your midst;
(W)Then you shall know that I am the Lord!’

“Thus says the Lord God:

‘A disaster, a singular (X)disaster;
Behold, it has come!
An end has come,
The end has come;
It has dawned for you;
Behold, it has come!
(Y)Doom has come to you, you who dwell in the land;
(Z)The time has come,
A day of trouble is near,
And not of rejoicing in the mountains.
Now upon you I will soon (AA)pour out My fury,
And spend My anger upon you;
I will judge you according to your ways,
And I will repay you for all your abominations.

‘My eye will not spare,
Nor will I have pity;
I will [d]repay you according to your ways,
And your abominations will be in your midst.
Then you shall know that I am the Lord who strikes.

10 ‘Behold, the day!
Behold, it has come!
(AB)Doom has gone out;
The rod has blossomed,
Pride has budded.
11 (AC)Violence has risen up into a rod of wickedness;
None of them shall remain,
None of their multitude,
None of [e]them;
(AD)Nor shall there be wailing for them.
12 The time has come,
The day draws near.

‘Let not the buyer (AE)rejoice,
Nor the seller (AF)mourn,
For wrath is on their whole multitude.
13 For the seller shall not return to what has been sold,
Though he may still be alive;
For the vision concerns the whole multitude,
And it shall not turn back;
No one will strengthen himself
Who lives in iniquity.

14 ‘They have blown the trumpet and made everyone ready,
But no one goes to battle;
For My wrath is on all their multitude.
15 (AG)The sword is outside,
And the pestilence and famine within.
Whoever is in the field
Will die by the sword;
And whoever is in the city,
Famine and pestilence will devour him.

16 ‘Those who (AH)survive will escape and be on the mountains
Like doves of the valleys,
All of them mourning,
Each for his iniquity.
17 Every (AI)hand will be feeble,
And every knee will be as weak as water.
18 They will also (AJ)be girded with sackcloth;
Horror will cover them;
Shame will be on every face,
Baldness on all their heads.

19 ‘They will throw their silver into the streets,
And their gold will be like refuse;
Their (AK)silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them
In the day of the wrath of the Lord;
They will not satisfy their souls,
Nor fill their stomachs,
Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity.

20 ‘As for the beauty of his ornaments,
He set it in majesty;
(AL)But they made from it
The images of their abominations—
Their detestable things;
Therefore I have made it
Like refuse to them.
21 I will give it as (AM)plunder
Into the hands of strangers,
And to the wicked of the earth as spoil;
And they shall defile it.
22 I will turn My face from them,
And they will defile My secret place;
For robbers shall enter it and defile it.

23 ‘Make a chain,
For (AN)the land is filled with crimes of blood,
And the city is full of violence.
24 Therefore I will bring the (AO)worst of the Gentiles,
And they will possess their houses;
I will cause the pomp of the strong to cease,
And their holy places shall be (AP)defiled.
25 [f]Destruction comes;
They will seek peace, but there shall be none.
26 (AQ)Disaster will come upon disaster,
And rumor will be upon rumor.
(AR)Then they will seek a vision from a prophet;
But the law will perish from the priest,
And counsel from the elders.

27 ‘The king will mourn,
The prince will be clothed with desolation,
And the hands of the common people will tremble.
I will do to them according to their way,
And according to what they deserve I will judge them;
Then they shall know that I am the Lord!’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 6:3 Places for pagan worship
  2. Ezekiel 6:6 Places for pagan worship
  3. Ezekiel 6:11 Lit. Strike your hands
  4. Ezekiel 7:9 Lit. give
  5. Ezekiel 7:11 Or their wealth
  6. Ezekiel 7:25 Lit. Shuddering

Bear and Share Burdens

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. (B)Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill (C)the law of Christ. For (D)if anyone thinks himself to be something, when (E)he is nothing, he deceives himself. But (F)let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and (G)not in another. For (H)each one shall bear his own load.

Be Generous and Do Good

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

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for (J)whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 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. 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.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 6:1 caught
  2. Galatians 6:14 Or which, the cross

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