Old/New Testament
Chapter 20
History of Israel’s Infidelity. 1 In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to consult the Lord and were sitting with me.
2 Then this word of the Lord came to me: 3 Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Have you come to consult me? As I live, I will refuse to be consulted by you, says the Lord God.
4 Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then make clear to them the abominations of their ancestors, 5 and say to them: The Lord says: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob and revealed myself to the land of Egypt, declaring: I am the Lord, your God.
6 On that day I swore that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had personally chosen for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the fairest of all lands. 7 And I said to them, “Each one of you must cast away the loathsome things upon which your eyes have feasted and refuse to defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord, your God.”
8 However, they rebelled against me and refused to listen to me. Not a single one of them cast aside the loathsome things that seemed so desirable, nor did any of them forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I resolved to pour out my wrath on them, and to vent my anger against them in the land of Egypt. 9 However, for the sake of my name I acted in such a way that it would not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, and I promised to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
10 Therefore, I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the desert. 11 I gave them my laws and made known to them my ordinances according to the observance of which they would live. 12 And I also gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between me and them so that they would know that I, the Lord, made them holy.
13 However, the house of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They refused to obey my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances whose observance is necessary for life. Furthermore, they profaned my Sabbaths. I then resolved to pour out my fury on them in the desert and destroy them. 14 But I acted for the sake of my name so that it would not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose presence I had brought them out.
15 Furthermore, I swore to them in the desert that I would not bring them into the land I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the fairest of all lands, 16 because they rejected my ordinances, they did not observe my statutes, and they desecrated my Sabbaths, for their hearts were devoted to their idols. 17 Nevertheless, I pitied them too much to destroy them, and I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.
18 Then I gave this warning to their children in the desert: Do not follow the statutes of your parents or observe their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I, the Lord, am your God. You must obey my laws and be careful to observe my ordinances. 20 Keep holy my Sabbaths as a sign between me and you so that you will know that I am the Lord, your God.
21 However, the children rebelled against me. They did not observe my statutes or keep my ordinances, even though observance of them would lead to life. Moreover, they profaned my Sabbaths. Then I again resolved to pour forth my wrath against them and vent my anger on them in the wilderness. 22 But I restrained my hand and acted for the sake of my name, so that it would not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose presence I had brought them out.
23 Nevertheless, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them over the earth, 24 because they had rejected my laws and profaned my Sabbaths and had regard only for the idols of their ancestors. 25 Furthermore, I imposed on them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could never live. 26 I also defiled them through their offerings, making them sacrifice their firstborn son, in order to fill them with revulsion. Thus they would know that I am the Lord.
27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: In this way also your ancestors blasphemed me by dealing treacherously with me. 28 For when I had brought them into the land I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and made offerings that aroused my anger; there they sent up offerings of pleasing odors, and there they poured out their drink offerings. 29 I then said to them, “What is this high place to which you go?” And ever since it has been called Bamah.
30 Therefore, say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did and lust after their loathsome gods? 31 When you offer your gifts and burn your children as sacrifices, you defile yourselves with all your idols even to this day. Shall I allow myself to be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord God, I swear that I will not allow myself to be consulted by you.
32 When you say to yourselves, “We shall become like the nations and peoples of foreign lands, worshiping wood and stone,” you are making plans for something that will never occur. 33 As I live, says the Lord God, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with my wrath poured out, I shall reign over you. 34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you have been dispersed with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with my wrath poured out.
35 Then I will lead you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will bring you to judgment face to face. 36 As I judged your ancestors in the Desert[a] of Egypt, so will I judge you, says the Lord God. 37 I will make you pass under the staff and bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38 I will purge out those of you who revolt and rebel against me. I will bring them out of the land where they reside as aliens, but they will not set foot on the soil of Israel. Thus, you will know that I am the Lord.
39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Continue, each one of you, to serve your idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me. But later on you will listen to me and never again profane my name with your gifts and your idols. 40 For on my holy mountain, on the mountain heights of Israel, there in the land the entire house of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your presents and your choicest offerings and all your consecrated gifts. 41 I will accept you as a pleasing odor when I bring you back from the peoples and gather you out of the countries to which you have been scattered. Through you I will manifest my holiness in the sight of all the nations.
42 You shall know that I am the Lord when I bring you back to the land of Israel, to the country that I swore to give to your ancestors. 43 There you will remember your past conduct and all the deeds by which you have defiled yourselves. Then you will loathe yourselves for all the wickedness you have committed. 44 You will know that I am the Lord when I deal with you thus for your name’s sake, and not as your wicked behavior and corrupt deeds deserve, O house of Israel, says the Lord God.
45 The word of the Lord came to me: 46 Son of man, turn your face to the south. Preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land of the Negeb. 47 Say to the forest of the Negeb: Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God: I am about to kindle a fire in you, and it will burn up every green tree in you and every dry tree. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and from south to north every face shall be scorched by it. 48 All flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it, and it will not be extinguished. 49 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God, they are always saying of me, ‘He only speaks in riddles.’ ”
Chapter 21[b]
The Unsheathed Sword. 1 Then the word of the Lord was addressed to me: 2 Son of man, turn your face in the direction of Jerusalem; preach against the sanctuaries and prophesy against the land of Israel. 3 Say to the land of Israel: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am coming against you. I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the upright and the wicked.
4 Because I will cut off from you both the upright and the wicked, my sword shall be unsheathed against everyone from south to north, 5 and all people will know that I, the Lord, have drawn my sword from its sheath, and it will never again be sheathed.
Symbols of the City’s Fall. 6 As for you, son of man, groan. With a breaking heart grieve bitterly as they look on. 7 And when they ask you why you are groaning, you shall reply: Because of the news that is about to come. Every heart will melt and every hand will become feeble; every spirit will grow faint and all knees will turn to water. Behold, it is coming now. It will surely take place, says the Lord God.
Song of the Sword. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 Prophesy, son of man, and say: Thus says the Lord:
A sword, a sword has been sharpened;
it has also been burnished.
10 It is sharpened for slaughter,
burnished to flash like lightning.
11 The sword has been polished to be wielded
and to be placed in the slayer’s hand.
12 Cry out and wail, son of man,
for it will be wielded against my people.
All of Israel’s princes
will fall by the sword.
And so slap your thigh, my people,
13 for the sword has been tested.
And why should it not be so,
says the Lord God,
since you have spurned the rod?
14 As for you, son of man, prophesy,
and strike your hands together.
Let the sword strike twice,
even three times.
It is a sword for killing,
a sword for great slaughter,
that threatens their enemies on every side.
15 Therefore, make their hearts melt
and cause many to fall.
I have posted at the gates
the sword for slaughter.
The great sword of slaughter
will flash like lightning.
16 Be prepared on the right,
be ready on the left—
wherever your sword is needed.
17 I, too, will strike my hands together
and satisfy my fury.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
18 The King of Babylon at the Crossroads. The following word of the Lord was addressed to me: 19 Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take. Both roads shall begin from the same land. Then put up a signpost for the place where the roads diverge. 20 Indicate the route which the sword should take for Rabbah of the Ammonites, and the one for Judah and the fortress of Jerusalem.
21 For the king of Babylon will stand at the fork where the two roads divide to seek an omen. He will shake the arrows, consult the household gods, and inspect the liver. 22 Into his right hand the arrow marked Jerusalem will fall. Here, then, he will issue the command for slaughter, sound the battle cry, post battering rams at the gates, cast up siege-ramps, and build siege-towers. 23 The inhabitants who have sworn allegiance[c] to him will believe that this is a false omen, but he will remind them of their guilt and take them captive.
24 Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because your open rebellion has caused us to remember your guilt, in that you have paraded your misdeeds and flaunted your sins in all your deeds, you shall be taken into captivity.
25 As for you,
O vile and wicked ruler of Israel,
the day of your doom is approaching,
the time of your final punishment.
26 Thus says the Lord:
Remove your diadem; take off your crown;
everything is destined to be changed.
The lowly will be exalted
and the exalted will be brought low.
27 A ruin! A ruin!
I will make it all a ruin
until the rightful ruler comes.
28 The Ammonites’ Punishment. As for you, son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord in regard to the Ammonites and their insults:
A sword, a sword, drawn for slaughter,
burnished to consume and to flash like lightning.
29 In spite of false visions about you
as well as lying divinations,
that sword will be laid on the necks
of the wicked who are to be slain—
those whose day has come,
the hour of final punishment.
30 Return it to its sheath.
I will judge you
in the place where you were created,
in the land of your origin.
31 I will pour forth my wrath upon you
with the fire of my blazing anger.
I will hand you over to barbarous men
who are skilled in the art of destruction.
32 You will serve as fuel for the fire,
and your blood shall flow throughout the land.
You shall remember no more,
for I, the Lord, have spoken.
Chapter 5
Woe to the Rich.[a] 1 Come now, you who are rich. Lament and weep over the miseries that will soon overwhelm you. 2 Your riches have rotted. Your clothes are all moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded. Their corrosion will serve as a witness against you and consume your flesh like a fire. You have hoarded wealth for the last days.
4 Behold, the wages you fraudulently withheld from the laborers who harvested your fields are crying out, and the cries of those harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have gorged yourselves as on the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned the righteous man and murdered him, even though he offered you no resistance.
Patience, for the Lord’s Coming Is Near.[b] 7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Think of how patiently a farmer awaits the precious crop from his fields until they have received the early and the late rains. 8 You too must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.[c]
9 Brethren, do not raise complaints against one another lest you yourselves be brought to judgment. Behold, the Judge is standing at the gates.
10 As an example of patience in enduring hardship, brethren, consider the Prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Indeed, those who had perseverance are the ones we call blessed. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and have come to understand the Lord’s purpose in this respect, because the Lord is merciful and compassionate.
12 Do Not Swear. Above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth, or use any oaths at all. Let your “Yes” mean “Yes” and your “No” mean “No.” Otherwise you may be condemned.[d]
13 Anointing of the Sick.[e]Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should send for the presbyters of the Church so that they may pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Confession and Intercession. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a man like us. Yet when he prayed fervently that it might not rain for three and a half years, it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and the heavens gave forth rain, and the earth once again brought forth its harvest.
Conclusion
19 The Peace of Fraternal Love.[f] My brethren, if one of you should stray from the truth and another succeeds in bringing him back, 20 remember this: A person who brings back a sinner from erring ways will rescue his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
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