Old/New Testament
14 Then some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me.
2 And the Word of the LORD came to me, saying:
3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face. Should I be required to consult them?
4 “Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Every man of the House of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face and comes to the Prophet! I, the LORD, will answer who comes, according to the multitude of his idols,
5 so that I may take the House of Israel by their own heart, because they have all departed from Me through their idols.”’
6 “Therefore say to the House of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Return, and withdraw yourselves; and turn your faces from your idols; and turn your faces from all your abominations.
7 “For every one of the House of Israel, or the stranger who sojourns in Israel, who departs from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face and comes to a Prophet to inquire of him about Me, I the LORD will answer him Myself.
8 “And I will set My Face against that man and will make him an example and a proverb. And I will cut him off from the midst of My people. And you shall know that I am the LORD.
9 “And if the Prophet is persuaded to speak a thing, I the LORD have persuaded that Prophet. And I will stretch out My Hand upon him and will destroy him from the midst of My people of Israel.
10 “And they shall bear their punishment. The punishment of the Prophet shall be the same as the punishment of him who inquires,
11 “so that the House of Israel may no longer go astray from Me or be polluted anymore with all their transgressions, and that they may be my people and I may be their God,” says the Lord GOD.’”
12 The Word of the Lord GOD came to me again, saying:
13 “Son of man, when the land sins against Me by committing a trespass, then I will stretch out My Hand upon it and will break the staff of its bread and will send famine upon it. And I will cut off man and beast from it.
14 “Even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were among them, they could only deliver their own souls by their righteousness,” says the Lord GOD.
15 “If I bring evil beasts into the land and they plunder it, so that it is desolate, so that no one may pass through because of beasts,
16 “even if these three men were in its midst, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they shall save neither sons nor daughters. They alone shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.
17 “Or if I bring a sword upon this land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land, so that I cut off man and beast from it,
18 “though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they themselves shall be delivered.
19 Or if I send a pestilence into this land, and pour out My wrath upon it in blood, to cut off man and beast from it,
20 with Noah, Daniel and Job in the midst of it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they shall deliver neither son nor daughter: they shall only deliver their own souls by their righteousness.”
21 For thus says the Lord GOD: “How much more when I send My four severe judgments upon Jerusalem—the sword, and famine, and the evil beast, and pestilence—to cut off man and beast from it?
22 “Yet behold, therein shall be left a remnant of those who shall be carried away, sons and daughters. Behold, they shall come forth to you, and you shall see their ways and their enterprises. And you shall be comforted concerning the misery that I have brought upon Jerusalem, concerning all that I have brought upon it.
23 “And they shall comfort you when you see their ways and their enterprises. And you shall know that I have not done all that I have done in it without cause,” says the Lord GOD.
15 And the Word of the LORD came to me, saying:
2 “Son of man, how is the wood from the vine above all wood — the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest?
3 “Shall wood be taken from it do any work? Or will men take a pin from it to hang a vessel on?
4 “Behold, it is cast into the fire to be consumed. The fire consumes both ends of it, and the middle of it is burnt. Is it useful for any work?
5 “Behold, when it was whole, it was not useful for any work; how much less shall it be useful for any work when the fire has consumed it, and it is burnt?”
6 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “As the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire to be consumed, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
7 “And I will set My Face against them. They shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall consume them. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I set My Face against them,
8 “and I make the land waste, because they have greatly offended,” says the Lord GOD.
2 My brothers, do not hold the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with favoritism.
2 For if a man with a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly. And then, also, a poor man in rags comes in—
3 and you have respect for the one wearing the fine clothing, saying to him, “Sit here in a good place”, yet you say to the poor, “Stand over there”, or “Sit here under my footstool” —
4 are you not partial among yourselves, becoming judges of evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my beloved brothers. Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
6 But you have despised the poor. Do not the rich oppress you by tyranny? And do they not draw you before the judgment seats?
7 Do they not blaspheme the worthy Name after which you are named?
8 But if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”, you do well.
9 But if you show favoritism, you commit sin and are rebuked by the Law as transgressors.
10 For whoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet fails in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For He Who said, “You shall not commit adultery”, also said, “You shall not kill”. Now, though you do no adultery, if you kill you are still a transgressor of the Law.
12 So speak and so do as those who shall be judged by the Law of liberty.
13 For there shall be merciless condemnation for the one who does not show mercy. And mercy rejoices against condemnation.
14 What profit is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but has no works? Can faith save him?
15 For if a brother or a sister is naked and without daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace. Warm yourselves and fill your bellies”, what help is it if you don’t give them those things which the body needs?
17 Even so, faith - if it has no works - is dead by itself.
18 But someone might say, “You have faith, and I have works”. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. The demons also believe it, and tremble.
20 But will you understand, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not our father Abraham justified through works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
22 Do you not see that faith worked with his works? And through works was faith made perfect?
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness”. And he was called the friend of God.
24 You see then how a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified through works when she had received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.
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