Old/New Testament
Idolatrous Elders Punished
14 Then some (A)elders of Israel came to me and (B)sat down before me. 2 And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 3 “Son of man, these men have (C)set up their idols in their hearts and have (D)put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be (E)inquired by them at all? 4 Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I Yahweh will be brought to give him an answer [a]in light of it, [b]in light of the (F)multitude of his idols, 5 in order to seize the house of Israel by (G)their heart, those who are [c](H)estranged from Me through all their idols.”’
6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “[d](I)Turn back and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your (J)abominations. 7 For anyone of the house of Israel or of the (K)sojourners who sojourn in Israel who separates himself from Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me for himself, (L)I, Yahweh, will be brought to answer him in My own person. 8 I will (M)set My face against that man and make him a (N)sign and [e]a proverb, and I will cut him off from among My people. So you will know that I am Yahweh.
9 “But if the prophet is enticed to speak a word, it is I, Yahweh, who have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and (O)destroy him from among My people Israel. 10 They will bear the punishment of their iniquity; as the iniquity of the inquirer is, so the iniquity of the prophet will be, 11 in order that the house of Israel may no longer (P)wander from Me and no longer (Q)defile themselves with all their transgressions. Thus they will be (R)My people, and I shall be their God,”’ declares Lord Yahweh.”
Calamitous Judgments of Jerusalem
12 Then the word of Yahweh came to me saying, 13 “Son of man, if a country sins against Me by (S)committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, break its (T)staff of bread, send famine against it, and cut off from it both man and beast, 14 even (U)though these three men, (V)Noah, (W)Daniel, and (X)Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver (Y)themselves,” declares Lord Yahweh. 15 “If I were to cause (Z)wild beasts to pass through the land and they bereaved it of children and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the beasts, 16 though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters. (AA)They alone would be delivered, but the country would become desolate. 17 Or if I should (AB)bring a sword on that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass through the country and (AC)cut off man and beast from it,’ 18 even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be delivered. 19 Or if I should send a (AD)plague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and beast from it, 20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, as I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”
21 For thus says Lord Yahweh, “How much more when (AE)I send My four calamitous judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague to cut off man and beast from it! 22 Yet, behold, [f]survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come forth to you, and you will (AF)see their way and actions; then you will be (AG)comforted for the calamity which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it. 23 Then they will comfort you when you see their way and actions, so you will know that I have not done (AH)in vain all that I did [g]to it,” declares Lord Yahweh.
Is Jerusalem Useful for Anything?
15 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, how is the wood of the (AI)vine better than any wood of a branch which is among the trees of the forest? 3 Can wood be taken from it to make [h]anything, or can men take a peg from it on which to hang any vessel? 4 [i]If it has been put into the (AJ)fire for fuel, and the fire has consumed both of its ends, and its middle part has been charred, is it then useful for [j]anything? 5 Behold, while it is intact, it is not made into [k]anything. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it still be made into [l]anything! 6 Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘As the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 7 and I will (AK)give My face to be against them. Though they have (AL)come out of the fire, yet the fire will consume them. Then you will know that I am Yahweh, when I set My face against them. 8 Thus I will give over the land to desolation because they have (AM)acted unfaithfully,’” declares Lord Yahweh.
The Sin of Favoritism
2 (A)My brothers, (B)do not hold your faith in our [a](C)glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of (D)personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your [b]assembly with a gold ring and dressed in (E)bright clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in (F)dirty clothes, 3 and you [c]pay special attention to the one who is wearing the (G)bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges (H)with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, (I)my beloved brothers: did not (J)God choose the poor [d]of this world to be (K)rich in faith and (L)heirs of the kingdom which He (M)promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and they themselves (N)drag you into [e]court? 7 (O)Do they not blaspheme the good name [f]by which you have been called?
8 If, however, you (P)are fulfilling the [g]royal law according to the Scripture, “(Q)You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you (R)show partiality, you are committing sin, being convicted by the [h]law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole [i]law and yet (S)stumbles in one point, he has become (T)guilty of all. 11 For He who said, “(U)Do not commit adultery,” also said, “(V)Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the [j]law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by (W)the law of freedom. 13 For (X)judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy [k]triumphs over judgment.
Faith and Works
14 (Y)What use is it, (Z)my brothers, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can [l]that faith save him? 15 (AA)If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “(AB)Go in peace, [m]be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so (AC)faith, if it has no works, is [n]dead by itself.
18 (AD)But someone will say, “You have faith; and I have works. Show me your (AE)faith without the works, and I will (AF)show you my faith (AG)by my works.” 19 You believe that [o](AH)God is one. (AI)You do well; (AJ)the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to recognize, (AK)you foolish fellow, that (AL)faith without works is useless? 21 (AM)Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that (AN)faith was working with his works, and [p]as a result of the (AO)works, faith was [q]perfected. 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “(AP)And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he was called (AQ)the friend of God. 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way, was not (AR)Rahab the harlot also justified by works (AS)when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also (AT)faith without works is dead.
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