Old/New Testament
Rebellion and Return
20 On the tenth day of the fifth month of the seventh year, some of the elders of Israel came to seek Adonai. They sat before me. 2 The word of Adonai came to me saying: 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel. Say to them, thus says Adonai Elohim: ‘Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live’—it is a declaration of Adonai—‘I will not be inquired of by you.’
4 “Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Make them know the detestable practices of their fathers. 5 Say to them, thus says Adonai Elohim: On the day I chose Israel, I lifted up My hand to the seed of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I lifted up My hand to them saying, ‘I am Adonai your God.’ 6 On that day I lifted up My hand to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had sought out for them, flowing with milk and honey, the splendor of all lands. 7 I said to them, ‘Each of you must throw away every detestable thing from his eyes, and not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am Adonai your God.’
8 “But they rebelled against Me and were unwilling to listen to Me. None of them cast away the detestable things that were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My fury upon them, to expend My anger upon them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 But I acted, for the sake of My Name, to keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations, where they were, in whose sight I made Myself known to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt. 10 So I led them out from the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11 I gave them My laws and taught them My judgments, which if a man does, he will live by them. 12 I also gave them My Shabbatot, as a sign between Me and them, so that they would know that I am Adonai who made them holy.
13 “But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My statutes. They rejected My judgments, which if a man does, he will live by them. They greatly profaned My Shabbatot. Then I resolved to pour out My fury on them in the wilderness to consume them. 14 But for the sake of My Name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 15 Yet I also lifted My hand to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the splendor of all lands. 16 For they rejected My laws, did not walk in My rulings and profaned My Shabbatot—for their heart went after their idols. 17 Nevertheless, My eye spared them from destruction, so I did not make a full end of them in the wilderness.
18 “I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, do not keep their ordinances, do not defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am Adonai your God. Walk in My statutes, keep My ordinances and do them. 20 Keep My Shabbatot holy, so they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am Adonai your God.’
21 “But the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes. They did not keep My ordinances to do them, which if a man does, he will live by them; they profaned My Shabbatot. Then I resolved to pour out My fury on them, to expend My anger on them in the wilderness. 22 Nevertheless, I withheld My hand. For the sake of My Name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 I also lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness, to scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries. 24 For they had not obeyed My ordinances, but had rejected My statutes and profaned My Shabbatot. Their eyes went after their fathers’ idols. 25 I also gave them statutes that were not good, ordinances by which they could not live. 26 I let them become polluted in their own gifts, when they offered up all that opened the womb to pass through the fire, so that I might make them desolate, so that they would know that I am Adonai.
27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, thus says Adonai Elohim: ‘Again your fathers have blasphemed Me, in that they dealt faithlessly with Me. 28 When I brought them into the land, which I lifted up My hand to give to them, they saw every high hill and every leafy tree. There they slaughtered their sacrifices and presented their offensive offering. There they made their soothing aroma and poured out their drink offerings. 29 So I asked them, ‘What is the high place where you are going?’ So the name of it is called Bamah[a] to this day. 30 Therefore say to the house of Israel, thus says Adonai Elohim: Will you pollute yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go after their abominations? 31 When offering your gifts, making your sons pass through the fire, you keep polluting yourselves with all your idols, up to this day. So should I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“I will not be inquired of by you. 32 What comes up in your mind will not happen at all, when you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the families of the countries, worshiping wood and stone.’ 33 As I live,”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“surely with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with fury poured out, I will be king over you. 34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with fury poured out. 35 I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples. I will judge you there face to face. 36 Just as I judged your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
37 “I will make you pass under the rod and bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38 I will purge out the rebels from among you and those who transgress against Me. I will bring them out from the land where they dwell, but they will not enter the land of Israel. So you will know that I am Adonai.
39 “As for you, house of Israel,” thus says Adonai Elohim: “Go on serving your idols, all of you! Yet afterward, you will surely listen to Me. My holy Name you will no longer profane with your gifts and your idols. 40 For in My holy mountain, Israel’s high mountain”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“there the whole house of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land. There I will take pleasure in them. There I will receive your offerings, the first of your gifts, with all your holy things. 41 With your sweet aroma I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered. I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations. 42 You will know that I am Adonai, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country where I lifted up My hand to give it to your fathers. 43 There you will remember your ways and all your deeds, by which you defiled yourselves. You will loathe yourselves for all your evil that you have done. 44 Then you will know that I am Adonai, when I deal with you for My Name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt deeds, house of Israel.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
The Parable of the Sword
21 The word of Adonai came to me saying: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Teman and proclaim to the South. Prophesy against the brush land of the Negev. 3 Say to the brush land of the South: ‘Hear the word of Adonai!’ Thus says Adonai Elohim: ‘Behold, I will kindle a fire in you. It will devour every moist tree in you and every dry tree. Its leaping flame will not be extinguished. All faces from the south to the north will be scorched by it. 4 All flesh will see that I, Adonai, have kindled it; it will not be extinguished.’”
5 Then I said, “Ah, Adonai! They say of me. ‘Isn’t he just speaking in parables?’”
6 Then the word of Adonai came to me saying: 7 “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem and proclaim to the sanctuaries and prophesy against the land of Israel. 8 Say to the land of Israel, thus says Adonai Elohim: ‘Behold, I am against you. I will draw My sword from its sheath. I will cut off the righteous and the wicked from you. 9 Since I will cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will come out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north. 10 All flesh will know that I, Adonai, have drawn My sword from its sheath; it will not return any more. 11 As for you, son of man, groan, with breaking of your sides and with bitterness you will groan before their eyes. 12 Now when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you will say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt, every hand will be limp, every spirit will be faint, and all knees will turn to water. Behold, it is coming, and it will happen!’” It is a declaration of Adonai Elohim.
A Sword Sharpened
13 The word of Adonai came to me saying, 14 “Son of man, prophesy and say, thus says Adonai, and say: ‘A sword! A sword! Sharpened and also polished! 15 Sharpened to slaughter ruthlessly! Polished so it will flash like lightning! Or should we rejoice? It is the rod,[b] My son—despising every tree! 16 It is given to be polished, to be seized. The sword is sharpened, polished, to be put into the hand of the slayer. 17 Cry and wail, son of man! For it is against My people. It is against all the leaders of Israel. They are thrown over to the sword, along with My people. Therefore strike your thigh. 18 For it is a testing. What if they scorn even the rod? It must not be!” It is a declaration of Adonai. 19 You, son of man, prophesy. Strike your hands together. The sword will strike twice, even three times, a sword for the slain, a sword for a great slaughter—it surrounds them! 20 So that their hearts will melt and many will stumble and fall, I have set the point of the sword against all their gates. Alas! It is made for lightning, it is polished for slaughter. 21 Slash to the right, turn to the left—wherever your blade is meeting! 22 I also will clap My hands together. So I will satisfy My wrath. I, Adonai, have spoken.’”
The Sword of God’s Judgment
23 The word of Adonai came to me saying: 24 “Now you, son of man, mark two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come. Both of them should originate from the same land. Mark a signpost; cut it out at the start of the road to the city. 25 You are to mark out a way, so the sword can come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon and to Judah in fortified Jerusalem. 26 For the king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road, at the start of the two roads, to seek divination. He shakes the arrows, consults the idols,[c] he looks in the liver. 27 In his right hand is the lot for Jerusalem—to set up battering rams, to open the mouth for slaughter, to lift up the voice with a war cry, to set up battering rams against the gates, to cast up ramps, to build a siege wall. 28 It will seem to them like a false divination. They have sworn solemn oaths, but he will remember their iniquity, so they may be seized.”
29 Therefore thus says Adonai Elohim: “Because you have caused your iniquity to be remembered, by exposing your transgressions, so that your sins appear in all your deeds—because you have come to remembrance, you will be seized with the hand. 30 So you, wicked one, prince of Israel, the day has come to be slain, the time of final punishment.”
31 Thus says Adonai Elohim:
“Remove the turban, take off the crown!
This will no longer be the same.
What is low will be exalted.
What is high will be abased.
32 Ruin, ruin, I will make it a ruin!
Even this will not be,
until He comes to whom belongs the judgment,
and I give it to Him.
33 “Now you, son of man, prophesy and say, thus says Adonai Elohim concerning the children of Ammon and concerning their taunt, say:
‘A sword, a sword,
drawn for slaughter,
polished to consume,
to flash like lightning—
34 while they see false visions for you,
while they divine lies for you
—to lay you out on the necks
of the wicked who are to be slain,
whose day has come,
in the time of the final punishment.
35 Return to its sheath!
In the place where you were created,
in the land of your origin,
I will judge you.
36 I will pour out My indignation on you.
I will blow on you with the fire of My fury.
I will hand you over to brutal men,
skilled to destroy.
37 You will be fuel for the fire.
Your blood will be throughout the land.
You will not be remembered.
For I, Adonai, have spoken.’”
Rotten Riches
5 Come now, you rich, weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your clothes have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the workers who mowed your fields—which you kept back by fraud—are crying out against you. And the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts. [a] 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts for a day of slaughter. [b] 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous person[c]—he does not resist you.
Be Patient for His Coming
7 So be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient for it until it receives the early and late rain. [d] 8 You also be patient. Strengthen your hearts because the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. Behold, the judge is standing at the doors. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 Behold, we consider blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job,[e] and you have seen the outcome of Adonai—that Adonai is full of compassion and mercy.[f]
12 But above all, my dear brothers and sisters, do not swear—either by heaven, or by the earth, or by any other oath. But let your “yes” be “yes,” and your “no,” be “no”—so that you may not fall under judgment.
Praying for the Sick
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.[g] Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of Messiah’s community, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 So confess your offenses to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous person is very powerful. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain. And it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. [h] 18 He prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
19 My brothers and sisters, if any among you strays from the truth and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that the one who turns a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.[i]
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.