Ezekiel 2 Cross References - ISV

¹ Ezekiel’s Commission to Prophesy“Son of Man,” the LORD said, “get up on your feet. I want to talk to you.” ² Even while he was speaking to me, the Spirit entered me, set me on my feet, and I listened to the voice that had been speaking to me.
³ “Son of Man, I’m sending you to that rebellious people, the Israelis, who have rebelled against me the same way their ancestors did. And they’re still rebels to this very day! ⁴ They’re stubborn and strong willed. I’m sending you to them to tell them what the LORD says. ⁵ Whether this rebellious group listens to you or not, at least they’ll realize that a prophet had appeared in their midst!
⁶ “Now as for you, Son of Man, never be afraid of them or of anything they have to say, because being with them will be like settling down to live among briers, thorn bushes, and scorpions! Don’t be afraid of anything they have to say, and don’t be awed by their appearance, since they are a rebellious group. ⁷ You are to tell them whatever I have to say to them, whether they listen or not, since they are rebellious.”
⁸ The Vision of the Edible Scroll“Son of Man, you are to listen to what I tell you. You are never to be rebellious like they are: a rebellious group. Now, open your mouth and eat what I’m giving you…”
⁹ As I watched, all of a sudden there was a hand being stretched out in my direction! And there was a scroll ¹⁰ being unrolled right in front of me! Written on both sides were lamentations, mourning, and cries of grief.

⁴ what is man that you take notice of him, or the son of man that you pay attention to him?

²⁸ The appearance of the radiant light resembled that of a rainbow shining in a cloud on a rainy day. This was what the appearance of the form of the glory of the LORD resembled. When I saw all of this, I fell flat on my face. Then I heard a voice speaking.

³ “Son of Man, I’m sending you to that rebellious people, the Israelis, who have rebelled against me the same way their ancestors did. And they’re still rebels to this very day!

⁶ “Now as for you, Son of Man, never be afraid of them or of anything they have to say, because being with them will be like settling down to live among briers, thorn bushes, and scorpions! Don’t be afraid of anything they have to say, and don’t be awed by their appearance, since they are a rebellious group.

⁸ The Vision of the Edible Scroll“Son of Man, you are to listen to what I tell you. You are never to be rebellious like they are: a rebellious group. Now, open your mouth and eat what I’m giving you…”

¹ Ezekiel’s Commission to ProphesyThen he told me, “Son of Man, eat! Eat what you see—this scroll—and then go talk to the house of Israel.”

⁴ Then he told me, “Son of Man, go to the house of Israel and tell them what I have to say to them,

¹⁰ Ezekiel is Commissioned to SpeakNext, he told me, “Son of Man, take to heart every word that I’m telling you. Listen carefully,

¹⁷ “Son of Man,” he said, “I’ve appointed you to be a watchman over the house of Israel. Therefore when you hear a message that comes from me, you are to warn them for me.

¹ The Vision of the Brick“And now Son of Man, you are to take a brick, set it in front of you, and inscribe on it the outline of the city—that is, Jerusalem.

¹ Ezekiel Shaves with a Sword“Now as for you, Son of Man, you are to go find a sharp sword and use it like a barber’s razor. You are to cut your hair and beard. Then you are to take a weighing scale and divide your shaved hair into three parts.

² “Son of Man, this is what Lord GOD says to the land of Israel: ‘It’s over! All four corners of the land are out of time!

³ “So now, Son of Man, you are to prepare your luggage for a trip into exile, and then you are to leave during the daytime so they see you leaving. Leave from your place to another while they’re watching. Then perhaps they’ll realize that they’re a rebellious house.

² “Son of Man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who even now are prophesying, and tell those prophets that keep on prophesying according to what they wish would happen, ‘Listen to what the LORD says.’”

³ “Son of Man, these men have taken idols into their hearts. They’ve placed the stumbling block that is their own iniquity right in front of their faces. Should I be consulted by them at all?

¹³ “Son of Man, when a nation sins against me by a treacherous act, I’ll reach out to oppose it, destroying its source of food, by sending famine against it, and by destroying both people and beast within it.

² “Son of Man, how does wood from a vine compare to a branch taken from any of the trees in the forest?

² “Son of Man, make known to Israel her detestable practices.

² “Son of Man, compose a riddle and relate a parable to Israel’s house.

³ “Tell the elders of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord GOD asks, “Did you come to inquire of me? As long as I live, I won’t let myself be sought by you,” declares the Lord GOD.’

³ The LORD asked me, “Son of Man, will these bones ever live?”
“Lord GOD,” I replied, “you know the answer to that!”

¹⁷ “As he approached where I was standing, I became terrified and fell on my face. But he told me, ‘Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.’

¹¹ He told me, ‘Daniel, man highly regarded, understand the message that I’m about to relate to you. Stand up, because I’ve been sent to you.’ When he spoke this statement to me, I stood there trembling.

¹⁹ and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, man highly regarded. Be at peace, and be strong.’
“As soon as he spoke to me, I gained strength and replied, ‘Sir, please speak, now that you’ve strengthened me.’

¹³ Peter Declares His Faith in Jesus
When Jesus had come to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
¹⁴ They said, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
¹⁵ He asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!”

⁷ But Jesus came up to them and touched them, saying, “Get up, and stop being afraid.”

¹³ “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

¹⁶ “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his unique Son so that everyone who believes in him might not be lost but have eternal life.

⁶ Now get up, go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

¹⁶ But get up and stand on your feet, because I’ve appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you to be my servant and witness of what you’ve seen and of what I’ll show you.

²⁵ The LORD came down in a cloud, spoke to Moses, and made an apportionment from the spirit who rested on him to the 70 elders. When the spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but that was it.
²⁶ Now two men had remained in camp. One was named Eldad and the other was named Medad. When the spirit rested on them, since they were among those who were listed but had not gone out to the tent, they stayed behind and prophesied in the camp.

²⁵ Then the Spirit of the LORD began to rouse him where the tribe of Dan was encamped, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

¹³ God’s Spirit Comes on David and Departs from SaulThen Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD came on David from that day forward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.

³⁰ You were patient with them for many years, warning them by your Spirit through your prophets. But they would not listen, so you turned them over to the control of people in other lands.

¹² Then the Spirit lifted me up and I heard a great earthquake behind me and the glory of the LORD arose from his place,

¹⁴ Ezekiel Addresses the IsraelisThen the Spirit lifted me up and carried me away. I went bitterly with an angry attitude as the hand of the LORD rested on me.

²⁴ The Spirit entered me, rested on me, caused me to stand on my feet, and then he spoke to me. This is what he had to say: “Go barricade yourself in your house.

²⁷ I’ll place my spirit within you, empowering you to live according to my regulations and to keep my just decrees.

¹⁸ “While he had been speaking with me, I had fainted on my face, but he touched me and enabled me to stand upright on my feet.

²⁸ The Day of the LORD“Then it will come about at a later time that I will pour out my Spirit on every person. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your elderly people will dream dreams, and your young people will see visions. ²⁹ Also at that time I will pour out my Spirit upon men and women servants.

¹¹ The Resurrection of the WitnessesBut after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. Those who watched them were terrified.

¹⁰ Then Moses and Aaron gathered the community together in front of the rock. “Pay attention, you rebels!” Moses told them. “Are we to bring you water from this rock?”

¹³ “The LORD’s anger had flared up against Israel so that he made them wander in the wilderness for 40 years until that whole generation, who committed evil in the eyes of the LORD, had died. ¹⁴ And now, look! You’re acting just like your ancestors, like a brood of sinful men, who are provoking the fierce anger of the LORD against the Israelis one step at a time.

²⁴ You have been rebelling against the LORD since the day I knew you.

²⁷ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Don’t pay attention to the stubbornness, wickedness, and sinfulness of this people.

⁷ The LORD told Samuel, “Listen to the people in all that they say to you. In fact, it’s not you they have rejected, but rather they have rejected me from being their king. ⁸ Like all the things they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this very day, they have forsaken me and followed other gods. They’re also doing the same thing to you.

¹⁷ They passed their sons and daughters through fire, practiced divination, cast spells, and sold themselves to practice what the LORD considered to be evil, thereby provoking him. ¹⁸ As a result, the LORD was angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. No one was left except for the tribe of Judah.
¹⁹ But Judah, too, did not keep the commands of the LORD their God. Instead, they lived the lifestyle that Israel had chosen, ²⁰ so the LORD rejected all of the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and handed them over to the control of plunderers until he had thrown them away from his presence.

¹⁵ The LORD God of their ancestors pleaded with them time and again through his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on the place of his residence, ¹⁶ but they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until there was no remedy for the wrath of the LORD that arose to punish his people.

⁷ We have lived in great sin from the days of our ancestors even until today, and because of those iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been delivered over to foreign kings, for execution, for captivity, for plunder, and for humiliation, as is the case today.

¹⁶ “But they—our ancestors—became arrogant and stubborn, refusing to listen to your commands. ¹⁷ They would not listen, and did not remember the miracles you did among them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to return them to their slavery. “But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and rich in gracious love; therefore you did not abandon them. ¹⁸ Moreover, after they had cast a golden calf for themselves, they said, “This is your god who brought you out of Egypt!” and committed terrible blasphemies.

²⁶ “Then they disobeyed, rebelled against you, and threw your Law behind their backs. They murdered your prophets who had admonished the people to return to you, committing terrible blasphemies.

³³ You are righteous in all that is happening to us, because you have acted faithfully while we have practiced evil. ³⁴ Furthermore, neither our kings, nor our leaders, nor our priests nor our ancestors have practiced your Law or paid attention to your commands and warnings by which you admonished them. ³⁵ But they in their kingdom— in the midst of your great goodness that you gave them and in the large and fertile land that you provided them— did not serve you or turn away from their evil deeds.

¹⁶ They were envious of Moses in the camp, and of Aaron, the holy one of the LORD. ¹⁷ The earth opened and swallowed Dathan, closing over Abiram’s clan. ¹⁸ Then a fire burned among their company, a flame that set the wicked ablaze. ¹⁹ They fashioned a calf at Horeb and worshipped a carved image. ²⁰ They exchanged their glory with the image of a grass-eating bull. ²¹ They forgot God their Savior, who performed great things in Egypt—

²⁸ For they adopted the worship of Baal Peor and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.

³² They provoked wrath at the waters of Meribah, and Moses suffered on account of them. ³³ For they rebelled against him, so that he spoke thoughtlessly with his lips. ³⁴ They never destroyed the people, as the LORD had commanded them. ³⁵ Instead, they mingled among the nations and learned their ways. ³⁶ They worshipped their idols, and this became a trap for them. ³⁷ They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. ³⁸ They shed innocent blood— the blood of their sons and daughters— whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, thereby polluting the land with blood. ³⁹ Therefore, they became unclean because of what they did; they have acted like whores by their evil deeds. ⁴⁰ The LORD’s anger burned against his people, so that he despised his own inheritance.

⁸ Then I heard the voice of the LORD as he was asking, “Whom will I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am!” I replied. “Send me.”
⁹ “Go!” he responded. “Tell this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ ¹⁰ Dull the mind of this people, deafen their ears, and blind their eyes. By doing so, they won’t see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their minds, turn back, and be healed.”

⁷ Then the LORD told me, “Don’t say, ‘I’m only a young man,’ for you will go everywhere I send you, and you will speak everything I command you.

²⁵ “Let us lie down in our shame, and let our humiliation cover us, because both we and our ancestors have sinned against the LORD our God from our youth until this present time. We haven’t obeyed the LORD our God.”

² “Stand at the gate of the LORD’s Temple and proclaim this message there. Say, ‘Listen to this message from the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD.’”

¹¹ Then say to them, ‘It is because your ancestors abandoned me,’ declares the LORD. ‘They followed other gods, served them, worshipped them, abandoned me, and didn’t keep my Law. ¹² You have done even more evil than your ancestors, and each one of you is stubbornly following his own evil desires, refusing to listen to me.

³ “From the thirteenth year of the reign of Ammon’s son Josiah, the king of Judah, until the present time, for 23 years this message from the LORD has come to me, and I’ve spoken to you again and again, but you haven’t listened. ⁴ Again and again, the LORD sent all his servants, the prophets, to you, but you wouldn’t listen or even turn your ears in my direction to hear. ⁵ They said, ‘Turn, each one of you, from your evil habits and evil deeds, and live in the land that the LORD gave to you and your ancestors forever and ever. ⁶ Don’t follow other gods to serve and worship them. Don’t provoke me with the idols you make with your hands, and I won’t bring disaster on you.’ ⁷ But you didn’t listen to me,” declares the LORD, “so as to provoke me with the idols you make with your hands to your own harm.

² “This is what the LORD says: ‘Stand in the courtyard of the LORD’s Temple and tell those from all the cities of Judah who are coming to worship at the LORD’s Temple everything that I’ve commanded you to say to them. Don’t leave out a word! ³ Perhaps they’ll listen, and each of them will repent from his evil way. Then I’ll change my mind about the disaster I’m planning to bring on them because of their evil deeds. ⁴ Say to them, “This is what the LORD says: ‘If you don’t listen to me to follow my Law which I’ve set before you, ⁵ and listen to the words of my servants, the prophets, whom I’ve sent to you over and over—but you wouldn’t listen— ⁶ then I’ll make this house like Shiloh and make this city into a curse to all the nations of the earth.’”’”

² “Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I’ve spoken to you about Israel, about Judah, and about all the nations, since I first spoke to you in the time of Josiah until the present time.

²¹ “As for the sacrifices that you, your ancestors, your kings, your officials, and the people of the land offered in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, the LORD remembered them, did he not? And they came to his attention, did they not?

⁴ Then he told me, “Son of Man, go to the house of Israel and tell them what I have to say to them, ⁵ because you’re not going to a people whose speech you cannot understand or whose language is difficult to speak. Instead, you’re going to the house of Israel. ⁶ This isn’t a large group of people whose speech is unintelligible to you or whose language is difficult for you to comprehend. Frankly, if I had sent you to that kind of people, they would certainly have listened to you! ⁷ But the house of Israel won’t listen to you, since they weren’t willing to listen to me. That’s because the entire house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted. ⁸ So pay attention! I’m going to make you just as obstinate and unyielding as they are.

¹ A Prophecy Confronting JerusalemThis message came to me from the LORD: ² “Son of Man, make known to Israel her detestable practices. ³ You are to declare, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: “Your birth place was the territory that belonged to the Canaanites. Your father was an Ammonite and your mother was a Hittite. ⁴ Now as to your birth, on the day you were born your umbilical cord wasn’t cut. You weren’t washed with water to clean you, and nobody rubbed you with salt. And it’s certain that you weren’t wrapped in strips of cloth. ⁵ Nobody pitied you to do any of these things for you, and nobody showed you any compassion. You were tossed outside on the ground, because you were detested from the day you were born.
⁶ “‘“When I passed by you, I saw you kicking around, covered in your own blood. That’s when I told you, ‘Live!’—while you were wallowing in your blood. I commanded you to live, even as you lay there in your own blood. ⁷ I made you increase like sprouting grain in the field. As a result, you multiplied greatly. Eventually, you reached the age when young women start wearing jewelry. Your breasts were formed, your hair had grown, but you were still bare and naked.”’”
⁸ God’s Betrothal to Jerusalem“When I passed by you again, I looked at you, and noticed that it was your proper time for love. I spread my cloak over you to cover your nakedness. I made a solemn promise to you and entered into a covenant with you,” declares the Lord GOD. “You belong to me. ⁹ I bathed you with water, rinsed your own blood from you, and anointed you with oil. ¹⁰ Then I covered you with embroidered clothing, clothed your feet with leather sandals, wrapped you with fine linen, and dressed you in silk. ¹¹ I adorned you with jewels, placing bracelets on your hand and necklaces on your neck. ¹² I put a ring in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a crown encrusted with jewels on your head. ¹³ You were adorned with gold, silver, clothing of fine linen, silk, and embroidery. You ate food made from the finest flour, honey, and olive oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, attaining royal status. ¹⁴ Your fame spread throughout the nations because of your beauty. You were perfectly beautiful due to my splendor with which I endowed you,” declares the Lord GOD.
¹⁵ Jerusalem’s Arrogant Unfaithfulness“But you trusted in your beauty. You did what whores do, as a result of your fame. You passed out your sexual favors to anyone who passed by, giving yourself to anyone. ¹⁶ You took some of your clothes and made gaily-colored high places and prostituted yourself all around them—something which had never happened before nor will ever happen again.
¹⁷ “You also took your fine jewelry—including my gold and my silver that I had given you. Then you made for yourself male images and had sex with them! ¹⁸ You took your embroidered gowns and made clothes to cover them. Then you offered my olive oil and incense to them.
¹⁹ “Not only that, you took the food I gave you—my fine flour, olive oil, and honey with which I fed you, and you offered them to those gods in order to appease them. That’s exactly what happened,” says the Lord GOD. ²⁰ “Then you took your sons and daughters whom you bore for me and sacrificed them for your idols to eat. As though your prostitutions were an insignificant thing, ²¹ you also slaughtered my sons and offered them to idols, incinerating them in fire. ²² Throughout all of your detestable practices and immorality, you never did remember your earlier life when you were bare, naked, and wallowing in your own blood.”
²³ The Unfaithfulness of God’s People“How terrible! How terrible it will be for all of your wickedness!” declares the Lord GOD. ²⁴ “You built raised mounds and high places for yourself on every plaza. ²⁵ At every street corner you made your beauty abhorrent when you made yourself available for sex to anyone who was passing by. By doing this, you kept on committing more and more immorality. ²⁶ Then you committed immorality with your neighbors, the Egyptians, with perverted lust, and by doing so you fornicated even more, provoking me to anger.
²⁷ “Therefore, look out! I’ve reached out to oppose you. I withdrew your rations and delivered you to those Philistine women who hate you. Even they were embarrassed at your wicked ways! ²⁸ You committed immorality with the Assyrians, because you still weren’t satisfied. You committed immorality with them, but you still weren’t satisfied. ²⁹ You committed even more immorality with that land of the merchants, the Chaldeans. But you weren’t satisfied even with these!
³⁰ “How weak is your heart,” declares the Lord GOD, “when you committed all of these deeds, the acts of an imperious whore! ³¹ When you built your mound on every street corner and constructed your high place at every plaza, you weren’t like a common prostitute, in that you’ve insulted the wages of a prostitute ³² who commits adultery, preferring a stranger over her husband!
³³ “All prostitutes receive gifts, but you give your gifts to all your lovers, then you bribe them to come to you from everywhere to get your sexual favors! ³⁴ You’re different from other women when you commit immorality—no one can match you in that! After all, you pay fees, but no fee is given to you. You’re certainly different!”
³⁵ The Coming Punishment“Therefore listen to this message from the LORD, you whore! ³⁶ This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because your lust has been poured out and your nakedness has been uncovered by your acts of fornication with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols and the blood of your sons, whom you offered to them, ³⁷ therefore, watch out! I’m about to gather all your lovers from whom you’ve received your pleasure, everyone whom you’ve loved, and those whom you’ve hated. I’ll gather them together to oppose you from every side, and they’ll uncover your nakedness in their presence. Then they’ll see you completely naked. ³⁸ I’ll judge you with the same standards by which I issue verdicts against a woman who commits adultery and murder. I’ll avenge the blood you’ve shed with impassioned wrath.
³⁹ “I’ll also deliver you into their control, and they’ll break down your mounds, tear down your high places, strip off your clothes, remove your fine jewels, and then they’ll leave you stark naked! ⁴⁰ They’ll bring a mob against you to stone you to death and cut you into pieces with their swords. ⁴¹ Then they’ll burn your houses and carry out my sentence against you in the sight of many women.
“That’s how I’ll make you stop your prostitution so you won’t pay any prostitute’s fees anymore. ⁴² I’ll stop being angry with you, and I’ll cease being jealous. I’ll be calm and not be indignant anymore. ⁴³ Because you didn’t remember the time when you were young, but instead you provoked me to anger because of all these things, watch out! I’m going to bring your behavior back to haunt you!” declares the Lord GOD. “Didn’t you do this wicked thing, in addition to all your other detestable practices?”
⁴⁴ Like Mother, Like Daughter“Now, everyone who likes proverbs will quote this proverb about you, ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ ⁴⁵ You’re the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and children. You’re the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children.
“Your mother was a Hittite and your father was an Amorite. ⁴⁶ Your elder sister was Samaria. She and her daughters lived in the north, while your younger sister who lived in the south with her daughters was Sodom. ⁴⁷ It wasn’t just that you lived like they did and committed their detestable practices, but in just a little while your behavior led you to become more corrupt than they were!”
⁴⁸ Sins of Sodom“As I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “your sister Sodom and her daughters didn’t do what you and your daughters have done. ⁴⁹ Look! This was the sin of your sister Sodom and her daughters: Pride, too much food, undisturbed peace, and failure to help the poor and needy. ⁵⁰ In their arrogance, they committed detestable practices in my presence, so when I saw it, I removed them. ⁵¹ Samaria didn’t commit half of your sins—you practiced more detestable deeds than they did! You’ve caused your sister to be more righteous than you, because of the detestable practices that you’ve committed. ⁵² So now, bear your own shame as you mediate for your sisters. The sins that you’ve committed are more detestable than theirs. That makes them more righteous than you. Indeed, be ashamed and bear your reproach, because you’ve made your sisters to be more righteous than you.”
⁵³ A Change in Circumstances“I’ll bring them back from their captivity—that is, from the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, along with the captivity of Samaria and her daughters and the captivity of your captives among them. ⁵⁴ But you’ll continue to bear your own reproach and be humiliated for everything that you’ve done. You’ll be a comfort to them. ⁵⁵ Your sister Sodom and her daughters will be restored to their former status. Samaria and her daughters will be restored to their former status. Then you and your daughters will be restored to your former status.
⁵⁶ “When you were being so arrogant, you never once mentioned your sister Sodom ⁵⁷ before your wickedness was revealed. Now you’ve become an object of derision to the inhabitants of Aram and its neighbors, including the Philistines—all those around you who despise you. ⁵⁸ You are to bear the punishment of your wickedness and detestable practices,” declares the LORD, ⁵⁹ “since the Lord GOD says, ‘I’ll deal with you according to what you’ve done, when you despised your oath by breaking the covenant.
⁶⁰ “‘Meanwhile, as for me, I’ll remember my covenant with you from when you were young, because I’ll establish an eternal covenant with you. ⁶¹ Then you’ll remember your behavior and be ashamed when you greet your sisters—your elder sister and your younger sister. I’ll give them to you as daughters, but not on account of my covenant with you. ⁶² I’ll establish my covenant with you, and then you’ll know that I am the LORD. ⁶³ Then you will remember, be ashamed, and you won’t open your mouth anymore due to humiliation when I will have made atonement for you for everything that you’ve done,’ declares the Lord GOD.”

¹ A Prophecy against Israel’s EldersOn the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, men came from the elders of Israel to seek the LORD. They sat down in front of me.
² “Son of Man,” the LORD told me, ³ “Tell the elders of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord GOD asks, “Did you come to inquire of me? As long as I live, I won’t let myself be sought by you,” declares the Lord GOD.’
⁴ “Will you judge them? Son of Man, will you indeed judge them? Teach them about the detestable things that their ancestors did. ⁵ Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says, “The day I chose Israel, when I made my commitment to the descendants of Jacob’s house, I revealed myself to them in the land of Egypt and I made my promise to them with the words, ‘I am the LORD your God.’ ⁶ That day I promised to bring them out of the land of Egypt to the land that I had explored for them—a land flowing with milk and honey. It’s the most beautiful of all lands. ⁷ Then I told them, ‘Each of you are to abandon your detestable practices. You are not to defile yourselves with Egypt’s idols. I am the LORD your God.’”’”
⁸ A Brief History of Israel’s Rebellion“But they rebelled against me and weren’t willing to obey me. None of them abandoned their detestable practices or their Egyptian idols. So I said, ‘I’ll pour out my anger on them, extending my fury in the middle of the land of Egypt.’ ⁹ I did this so my reputation might not be tarnished among the nations where they were living, among whom I made myself known in their presence when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. ¹⁰ I brought them out of the land of Egypt to bring them to the wilderness ¹¹ where I gave them my statutes and revealed my ordinances to them, which if a person observes, he’ll live by them. ¹² Also, I instituted my Sabbath for them as a sign between me and them, so they would know that I am the LORD, who has set them apart.”
¹³ Israel Rebels in the Wilderness“But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They didn’t live by my statutes. They despised my ordinances, which if a person observes, he’ll live by them. They greatly profaned my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my anger on them and bring them to an end in the wilderness. ¹⁴ I did this so my reputation wouldn’t be tarnished among the nations in whose presence I had brought them out.
¹⁵ “Moreover, I solemnly swore to them in the wilderness that I wouldn’t bring them to the land that I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands— ¹⁶ because they kept on rejecting my ordinances. They didn’t live life consistent with my statutes, they profaned my Sabbaths, and their hearts followed their idols. ¹⁷ Even then, I looked on them with compassion and didn’t completely destroy them in the wilderness. ¹⁸ I told their children in the wilderness, ‘You are not to follow the statutes of your ancestors, observe their ordinances, or be defiled by their idols. ¹⁹ I am the LORD your God. You are to follow my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep them. ²⁰ You are to make my Sabbaths holy, and you are to let them serve as a sign between you and me, so that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’”
²¹ More of Israel’s Rebellion“But they rebelled against me. They didn’t live according to my statutes, observe my ordinances, or practice them, by which a person will live. They also kept profaning my Sabbaths. So I said that I was going to pour out my anger on them and in my anger I’m going to bring about a complete end to them in the wilderness. ²² But I withdrew my decision so my reputation wouldn’t be tarnished among the nations before whose eyes I brought them out.
²³ “Futhermore, I solemnly swore in the wilderness to disperse them among the nations and scatter them to other lands ²⁴ because they didn’t observe my ordinances. Instead, they rejected my statutes, profaned my Sabbaths, and worshipped their ancestors’ idols. ²⁵ So I gave them statutes that weren’t good and ordinances by which they could not live. ²⁶ I made them unclean because of their offerings, so they made all their firstborn to pass through the fire, so that I could make them astonished. Then they’ll know that I am the LORD.”
²⁷ The Blasphemy of Israel’s Ancestors“Therefore, Son of Man, you are to speak to the children of Israel and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “Your ancestors also blasphemed me in their treacherous behavior against me. ²⁸ I brought them to the land that I had promised to give them. But whenever they saw any high hill and or any leafy tree, they slaughtered their sacrifices there and presented their offerings that provoked my anger. There they presented their pleasing aromas and poured out their drink offering. ²⁹ So I asked them, ‘What is the high place to which you’re going?’ That’s why the name of the place has been called Bamah to this day.”’
³⁰ “Therefore you are to say to Israel’s house, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “Will you defile yourselves like your ancestors did by acting as a prostitute, consistent with their horrible deeds? ³¹ When you present your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with your idols to this day. Should I be inquired of by you, you house of Israel? As I live,” declares the LORD, “I certainly won’t be inquired of by you.” ³² The thing that you’re imagining is never going to happen, since you’re thinking, “We’ll be like the nations, like the clans of other lands who serve gods made from wood and stone.”’”
³³ The Coming Discipline of Israel“As I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “with my powerful hand and outstretched arm, along with my wrath poured out, I’ll reign as king over you. ³⁴ I’ll bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you were scattered. With a powerful hand, with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, ³⁵ I’ll bring you into the wilderness of the nations. I’ll judge you right there, face to face. ³⁶ Just as I judged your ancestors in the wilderness in the land of Egypt, so I’ll judge you,” declares the LORD. ³⁷ “I’ll cause you to pass under the rod until I will have brought you into the bond of the covenant. ³⁸ I’ll eliminate the rebels among you, along with those who are transgressing against me. I’ll bring them out of the land where you’ve lived, but they won’t be able to enter the land of Israel. Then you’ll know that I am the LORD.”
³⁹ The Coming Regathering of IsraelAnd now, you house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says, “Go ahead and serve your idols, both now and later, but later you’ll listen to me, and you won’t profane my sacred name again by your offerings and idols. ⁴⁰ For on my holy mountain, on Israel’s high mountains,” declares the Lord GOD, “the whole of Israel’s house—all of it—will serve me there in the land. I’ll accept them there. And there I’ll demand your offerings, the first fruits of your portions of all your sacred things.
⁴¹ “When I will have brought you from among the people and have gathered you from the lands where you were scattered, I’ll accept you as a pleasing aroma. I’ll reveal my holiness among you, and the entire world will see it. ⁴² Then you’ll know that I, the LORD, brought you to the land of Israel, to the land that I promised to give to your ancestors. ⁴³ You’ll remember all your practices and evil actions by which you’ve become defiled. You’ll loathe yourselves because of all the evil things you’ve done. ⁴⁴ Then you’ll know that I am the LORD, when I will have dealt with you for the benefit of my own reputation and not according to your evil attitudes or corrupt practices, you house of Israel,” declares the Lord GOD.
⁴⁵ Coming Judgment on the SouthThis message came to me from the LORD: ⁴⁶ “Son of Man, turn to the south and oppose it, talking toward the south. ⁴⁷ Prophesy against the forest of the Negev, ‘Listen to this message from the LORD. This is what the Lord GOD says: “Look out! I’m about to ignite a fire and set it against you. It will devour every tree—whether green or dry—that lives in you. This powerful flame will not be extinguishable, and the entire surface from south to north will be scorched by it. ⁴⁸ Then everyone will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it, because it won’t be extinguished.”’”
⁴⁹ Ezekiel’s Complaint to GodThen I said, “O Lord GOD! They’re saying about me, ‘Isn’t he one to propound parables?’”

¹ Introducing Oholah and OholibahThis message came to me from the LORD: ² “Son of Man, here are two sisters who are daughters from the same mother. ³ They committed sexual immorality in Egypt. They did this in their youth. There, their breasts were caressed. Their virgin breasts were fondled. ⁴ The older one was named Oholah and her sister was named Oholibah. They belonged to me and gave birth to sons and daughters. Now as to their real identities, Oholah refers to Samaria and Oholibah to Jerusalem.”
⁵ The Sins of Samaria“Oholah committed sexual immorality while she belonged to me. She lusted for Assyria’s warriors, ⁶ who were clothed in blue—including governors and commanders. All of them were desirable young men—horsemen mounted on horses. ⁷ She bestowed her sexual favors on them—all of them, the best of the Assyrians—and with whomever she lusted for.
“She defiled herself with all their idols. ⁸ She never abandoned the immorality that she practiced in Egypt during her youth, where they laid down with her and fondled her virgin breasts, lavishing her with all kinds of favors. ⁹ Therefore, I turned her over to the control of her lovers, that is, into the control of the Assyrians for whom she lusted. ¹⁰ They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters, and executed her with a sword. She became an object of ridicule among other nations when they punished her.”
¹¹ The Sins of Jerusalem“Her sister Oholibah saw this, but she was more corrupt in her lust and sexual immorality than her sister had been in her own sexual immorality. ¹² She lusted after the Assyrians—governors, commanders, warriors clothed in gorgeous attire, cavalry mounted on their horses—all of them desirable young men. ¹³ I saw that she was defiled, because the two of them both were on the same path.
¹⁴ “She became even more sexually immoral when she saw the images of the Chaldean men who had been carved in red on their walls. ¹⁵ Girded with waistbands around their loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looked like chariot officers, similar to the Babylonians from Chaldea, where they had been born.
¹⁶ “She lusted after them when she saw them, so she sent messengers to summon them from Chaldea. ¹⁷ The Babylonians came to her love nest and defiled her with their sexual immorality. As a result, she was defiled by them. Even so, she turned away from them in disgust. ¹⁸ She displayed her immorality publicly and stripped herself naked, so I turned away in disgust from her, just as I had turned away in disgust from her sister.
¹⁹ “Nevertheless, she became even more sexually immoral, even reminiscing about when she was young, when she kept on practicing sexual immorality in the land of Egypt. ²⁰ She lusted after her paramours, whose genitals are like those of donkeys, and whose emissions are like those of horses. ²¹ Think about the wickedness that you practiced when you were young, when the Egyptians fondled your breasts, the breasts of your youth.”
²² God’s Rebuke to Jerusalem“Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Look! I’m about to stir up your lovers against you, the ones from whom you’ve turned away in disgust. I’m going to bring them against you from every direction— ²³ the Babylonians, all the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, Koa, and all of the Assyrians with them. They’re all desirable young men, governors, commanders, chariot officers, and famous men, all of them mounted on horses.
²⁴ “‘They’ll invade you with weapons, chariots, wagons, and a vast army. They’ll set themselves in place to attack you from every direction with large shields, small shields, and helmets. I’ll turn over judgment to them, and they’ll punish you according to their own standards. ²⁵ I’ll expend my jealousy on you so they’ll deal with you in anger. They’ll cut off your noses and your ears. Your survivors will die violently. They’ll take your sons and daughters away from you, but your survivors will be incinerated. ²⁶ They’ll strip off your clothes and confiscate your jewelry. ²⁷ That’s how I’ll put an end to your obscene conduct and sexual immorality that you kept on practicing since the day you left the land of Egypt so that you won’t look in Egypt’s direction or even remember it anymore.’
²⁸ “This is what the Lord GOD says, ‘I’m about to turn you over to the control of those you hate, to the control of those from whom you turned away in disgust. ²⁹ They’ll deal with you with hatred. They’ll take away your productivity, leaving you naked and defenseless, so that the nakedness of your sexual immorality will be uncovered—your licentious sexual immorality. ³⁰ These things will happen to you because of your sexual immorality that was patterned after what the nations do. You’ve been defiled by their idols. ³¹ You took the path of your sister, so I’ll place her cup in your hand.’
³² “This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You’ll drink from your sister’s cup, which is both large and deep. You’ll become a laughing stock and an object of derision, since the cup is so full! ³³ You’ll be filled with drunkenness and grief. The cup that belongs to your sister Samaria is filled with horror and devastation, ³⁴ but you’ll drink from it and drain it completely. As for the vessel, you’ll break it to pieces and you’ll tear at your breasts, for I’ve spoken,’ declares the Lord GOD.
³⁵ “Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you abandoned me and threw me behind your back, you will bear the consequences of your obscene conduct and sexual immorality.’”
³⁶ What Israel and Samaria DidThen the LORD spoke to me. “Son of Man, speak out in judgment of both Oholah and Oholibah. Make their detestable practices widely known, ³⁷ because they’ve committed adultery, and blood covers their hands. They’ve also committed adultery with their idols, making their sons born to me to pass through the fire as an offering to them.
³⁸ “They’ve also done this to me: They defiled my sanctuary and profaned my Sabbaths, all at the same time! ³⁹ When they killed their sons as offerings to their idols, they brought them to my sanctuary and defiled it. Look what they’ve done with my Temple!
⁴⁰ “In addition, they sent messengers for men to come from afar. When they arrived, you bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes, adorned yourself with jewelry, ⁴¹ then sat down on an elegant bed. A table was arranged in front of it, on which you set out my incense and oil. ⁴² The sound of a carefree multitude accompanied her. Men from a multitude of peoples were coming—including Sabeans from the wilderness, adorned with bracelets on their hands and beautiful crowns on their heads.
⁴³ “After she had worn herself out by her adulterous behavior, I asked her, ‘Will they continue with their sexual immorality and with their prostitution?’ ⁴⁴ They’ve gone to her, like men do, to have sex with a prostitute. They had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, those licentious women. ⁴⁵ Righteous men will judge them with punishments fit for adulterers and for those who shed blood, because they’re adulterers with blood on their hands.”
⁴⁶ The Coming InvasionThis is what the Lord GOD says: “Bring an army against them and deliver them over to terror and plunder. ⁴⁷ Then the army will stone them with stones and cut them to pieces with their swords. They’ll kill their sons and daughters and incinerate their houses. ⁴⁸ I’ll cause obscene conduct to stop throughout the land, because all the women will be admonished not to practice their obscene conduct. ⁴⁹ You’ll receive the consequences for your obscene conduct and bear the punishment for your sins of idolatry. Then you’ll know that I am the Lord GOD.”

⁵ we’ve sinned, we’ve practiced evil, we’ve acted wickedly, and we’ve rebelled, turning away from your commands and from your regulations. ⁶ Furthermore, we haven’t listened to your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, to our officials, to our ancestors, and to all of the people of the land. ⁷ ‘To you, Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us, open humiliation—even to this day, to the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, both those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the lands to which you drove them because of their unfaithful acts that they committed against you. ⁸ ‘Open humiliation belongs to us, LORD, to our kings, our officials, and our ancestors, because we’ve sinned against you. ⁹ But to the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we’ve rebelled against him ¹⁰ and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws that he gave us through his servants the prophets. ¹¹ And all Israel flouted your Law, turning aside from it and not obeying your voice. Because we’ve sinned against him, the curse has been poured upon us, along with the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God. ¹² ‘He has confirmed his accusation that he spoke against us and against our rulers who governed us by bringing upon us great calamity, because nowhere in the universe has anything been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. ¹³ As it’s written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has befallen us, but we still haven’t sought the LORD our God by turning from our lawlessness to pay attention to your truth.

² At the right time, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect from them a share of the produce from the vineyard. ³ But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him, and sent him back empty-handed. ⁴ Again, the man sent another servant to them. They beat the servant over the head and treated him shamefully. ⁵ Then the man sent another, and that one they killed. So it was with many other servants. Some of these they beat, and others they killed.

⁴⁷ and then repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things.

²¹ Jesus told them again, “Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” ²² When he had said this, he breathed on them and told them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

⁵¹ “You stubborn people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do.

¹⁵ And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are those who bring the good news!” ¹⁶ Therefore, circumcise your heart and stop being stubborn.

²⁷ because indeed I know your rebellion and stubbornness. Note that even while I’m still alive, you’ve been rebelling against the LORD—how much more so after my death!

¹⁴ “As the LORD lives,” Micaiah replied, “I’ll say what my God tells me to say.”

⁸ So don’t be stiff-necked like your ancestors were. Instead, submit to the LORD, enter his sanctuary that he has sanctified forever, and serve the LORD your God so that he’ll stop being angry with you.

¹³ Zedekiah rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear allegiance in the name of God. Instead, he stiffened his resolve, and hardened his heart, and would not return to the LORD God of Israel.

⁸ do not be stubborn like your ancestors were at Meribah, as on that day at Massah, in the wilderness,

²⁹ The wicked man puts up a bold appearance, but the upright thinks about what he is doing.

⁴ Because I knew that you are obstinate, and because your neck is an iron sinew, and your forehead is bronze,

³ This is why the rain has been withheld and there are no spring showers. Yet you have a harlot’s look and you refuse to be ashamed.

³ The Prophet SpeaksLORD, don’t your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they didn’t flinch. You brought them to an end, but they refused to receive discipline. They made their faces harder than stone, and they refused to repent.

¹⁵ Were they ashamed because they did what was repugnant to God? They were not ashamed at all— they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore they’ll fall with those who fall. When I punish them, they’ll be brought down,” says the LORD.

¹² Are they ashamed because they have done what is repugnant to God? They weren’t ashamed at all; they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore they’ll fall with those who fall. When I punish them, they’ll be brought down,” says the LORD.

² “This is what the LORD says: ‘Stand in the courtyard of the LORD’s Temple and tell those from all the cities of Judah who are coming to worship at the LORD’s Temple everything that I’ve commanded you to say to them. Don’t leave out a word! ³ Perhaps they’ll listen, and each of them will repent from his evil way. Then I’ll change my mind about the disaster I’m planning to bring on them because of their evil deeds.

⁷ But the house of Israel won’t listen to you, since they weren’t willing to listen to me. That’s because the entire house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted.

¹⁶ Future Persecutions
“Pay attention, now! I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as serpents and as innocent as doves.

²⁶ I therefore declare to you today that I’m not responsible for the blood of any of you, ²⁷ because I never shrank from telling you the whole plan of God.

⁷ You are to tell them whatever I have to say to them, whether they listen or not, since they are rebellious.”

¹⁰ Ezekiel is Commissioned to SpeakNext, he told me, “Son of Man, take to heart every word that I’m telling you. Listen carefully, ¹¹ then go immediately to the exiles; that is, to your people’s descendants, and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says…’ whether they listen or not.”

¹⁹ If you warn the wicked person, and he doesn’t repent of his wickedness or of his wicked behavior, he’ll die in his sin, but you will have saved your own life.

²⁷ But when I speak with you, I’ll open your mouth so you can say to them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “As for those who will listen, ‘Let them listen,’ but as for those who refuse, ‘Let them refuse,’ since they’re a rebellious group.”’”

⁹ However, if you warn the wicked to turn from his behavior and he does not do so, he will die in his guilt, and you will have saved yourself.”

³³ When all of this comes about—and you can be sure that it will!—they’ll learn that a prophet has been in their midst.”

¹² As you enter the house, greet its occupants. ¹³ If the household is receptive, let your blessing of peace come on it. But if it isn’t receptive, let your blessing of peace return to you. ¹⁴ If no one welcomes you or listens to your words, as you leave that house or town, shake its dust off your feet. ¹⁵ I tell all of you with certainty, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town!”

¹⁰ But whenever you go into a town and people don’t welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘We’re wiping off your town’s dust that clings to our feet in protest against you! But realize this: the kingdom of God is near!’ ¹² I tell you, on the last day it will be easier for Sodom than for that town!”

²² “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have any sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin.

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas boldly declared, “We had to speak God’s word to you first, but since you reject it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are now going to turn to the gentiles.

³ What if some of the Jews were unfaithful? Their unfaithfulness cannot cancel God’s faithfulness, can it?

¹⁵ To God we are the aroma of the Messiah among those who are being saved and among those who are being lost. ¹⁶ To some people we are a deadly fragrance, while to others we are a living fragrance. Who is qualified for this? ¹⁷ At least we are not commercializing God’s word like so many others. Instead, we speak with sincerity in the Messiah’s name, like people who are sent from God and are accountable to God.

⁶ But ungodly men are like thorns that are discarded because they cannot be safely handled. ⁷ Whoever handles them wears heavy duty clothing, carries strong tools, and burns them to ashes on the spot!

¹⁵ The angel of the LORD told Elijah, “Go down the hill with that man. Don’t be afraid of him!” So Elijah got up and went down with him to meet the king.

¹³ Some people—what an arrogant look they have!— raise their eyebrows haughtily. ¹⁴ Some people have swords for teeth and knives for fangs to devour the afflicted from the earth and the needy from among mankind.

¹⁸ “For wickedness has burned like a blaze that consumes briers and thorns; it sets thickets of the forest on fire, and skyward they swirl in a column of smoke.

⁷ Listen to me, you who know righteousness, you people who have my instruction in their hearts. Don’t fear the insults of mortals, and don’t be dismayed at their hateful words.

¹² “I—yes, I—am the one who comforts you. Who are you, that you are so afraid of humans who will die, descendants of mere men, who have been made like grass?

⁸ Don’t be afraid of them, because I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.

¹⁷ The LORD’s Assurance to Jeremiah“As for you, get ready! Stand up and tell them everything that I’ve commanded you. Don’t be frightened as you face them, or I’ll frighten you right in front of them.

²⁸ All of them are very rebellious, going around as slanderers. They’re bronze and iron, and all of them are corrupt.

¹⁸ Jeremiah Reacts to the Plot against HimThen they said, “Come, let’s make up a plot against Jeremiah. After all, the priest’s instruction, the wise man’s counsel, and the prophet’s message won’t be destroyed. So let’s verbally attack him. Pay no attention to anything he says!”

⁸ So pay attention! I’m going to make you just as obstinate and unyielding as they are. ⁹ I’m making you harder than flint—like diamond! So you are not to fear them or be intimidated by how they look at you, since they’re a rebellious group.”

²⁶ Meanwhile, I’ll make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you’ll be mute and unable to reprove them, since they’re a rebellious group. ²⁷ But when I speak with you, I’ll open your mouth so you can say to them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “As for those who will listen, ‘Let them listen,’ but as for those who refuse, ‘Let them refuse,’ since they’re a rebellious group.”’”

²⁴ The Future Regathering of Israel“The house of Israel will never again suffer from painful briers and sharp thorn bushes that surround them on every side, and they will learn that I am the LORD.

¹⁰ A Rebuke for AmaziahSo Amaziah priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel. It said, “Amos has been conspiring against you in the very heart of the house of Israel! The land cannot bear everything he has to say, ¹¹ because Amos is saying this: ‘By the sword will Jeroboam die, and Israel will surely go into exile far from her homeland.’”
¹² So Amaziah kept saying to Amos, “Get out of here, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Live there and prophesy there. ¹³ Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because it’s the king’s sanctuary and a temple of the kingdom.”
¹⁴ Amos replied in answer to Amaziah, “I am no prophet, nor am I a prophet’s son, for I have been shepherding and picking the fruit of sycamore trees. ¹⁵ But the LORD took me from tending the flock and the LORD kept saying to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’
¹⁶ “Very well then, hear this message from the LORD: ‘You are saying, “Don’t prophesy against Israel, and don’t preach against the house of Isaac.” ¹⁷ ‘Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Your wife will become a whore in the city, and your sons and daughters will die by the sword. Your land will be divided and apportioned, and you will die in a foreign land. Israel will surely go into exile, far from its homeland.”’”

⁸ The Message of God’s Prophet“As for me, I am truly filled with power by the Spirit of the LORD, filled with judgment and power to announce to Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.

⁴ The best of them is like a thorn, and their most upright like a hedge of thorns. The day announced by your watchmen— and by your own calculations—approaches. Now it’s your time to be confused!

²⁸ Stop being afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.

¹⁹ Look! I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to destroy all the enemy’s power, and nothing will ever hurt you.

⁴ Fear God
“But I tell you, my friends, never be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can’t do anything more.

¹³ Now when the Jewish leaders saw the boldness of Peter and John and found out that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and realized that they had been with Jesus.

¹⁹ But Peter and John answered them, “You must decide whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God,

²⁹ Lord, pay attention to their threats now, and allow your servants to speak your word boldly

¹⁹ Pray also for me, so that, when I begin to speak, the right words will come to me. Then I will boldly make known the secret of the gospel,

²⁸ and that you are not intimidated by your opponents in any way. This is evidence that they will be destroyed and that you will be saved—and all because of God.

⁷ For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but one of power, love, and self-discipline.

²⁷ By faith he left Egypt, without being afraid of the king’s anger, and he persevered because he saw the one who is invisible.

¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. “Never be afraid of their threats, and never get upset.

³ Locusts came out of the smoke onto the earth, and they were given power like that of earthly scorpions. ⁴ They were told not to harm the grass on the earth, any green plant, or any tree. They could harm only the people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵ They were not allowed to kill them, but were only allowed to torture them for five months. Their torture was like the pain of a scorpion when it stings someone. ⁶ In those days people will seek death, but never find it. They will long to die, but death will escape them.

²⁸ Let the prophet who has a dream relate the dream, but let whoever receives my message speak my message truthfully. What does straw have in common with wheat?” declares the LORD.

² “This is what the LORD says: ‘Stand in the courtyard of the LORD’s Temple and tell those from all the cities of Judah who are coming to worship at the LORD’s Temple everything that I’ve commanded you to say to them. Don’t leave out a word!

⁵ Whether this rebellious group listens to you or not, at least they’ll realize that a prophet had appeared in their midst!

² “Get up and go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.”

²⁰ teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. And remember, I am with you each and every day until the end of the age.”

³ Moses spoke with Aaron about what the LORD had said: “Among those who are near me, I’ll show myself holy so that I’ll be glorified before all people.” So Aaron remained silent.

¹⁰ Then Moses and Aaron gathered the community together in front of the rock. “Pay attention, you rebels!” Moses told them. “Are we to bring you water from this rock?” ¹¹ Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Lots of water gushed out, and both the community and their cattle were able to drink.
¹² The LORD Disciplines MosesBut the LORD rebuked Moses and Aaron, telling Moses: “Because you both didn’t believe me, because you didn’t consecrate me as holy in the presence of the Israelis, you won’t be the ones to bring this congregation into the land that I’m about to give them.” ¹³ Because the Israelis argued with the LORD and he was set apart among them, this place was called the Meribah Springs.

²⁴ “Aaron is to be gathered to his people, since he is not to enter the land that I’m about to give the Israelis. After all, you both rebelled against my command at the Meribah Springs.

²¹ so he cried out to the man of God from Judah: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you disobeyed a command from the LORD and haven’t done what the LORD your God commanded you to do, ²² but instead you returned to eat and drink in the very place that he told you “Eat no food and drink no water,” your body will not be buried in the same grave as your ancestors.’”

⁵ My Lord GOD has opened my ears, and I did not rebel; I did not shrink back.

¹⁶ Your words were found, and I consumed them. Your words were joy and my hearts delight, because I bear your name, LORD God of the Heavenly Armies.

¹ Ezekiel’s Commission to ProphesyThen he told me, “Son of Man, eat! Eat what you see—this scroll—and then go talk to the house of Israel.” ² So I opened my mouth and he fed me the scroll.
³ Then he told me, “Son of Man, fill your stomach and digest this scroll that I’m giving you.” So I ate it, and it was like sweet honey in my mouth.

¹⁴ Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy when the elders laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Think on these things. Devote your life to them so that everyone can see your progress. ¹⁶ Pay close attention to your life and your teaching. Persevere in these things, because if you do so, you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

³ Do not lord it over the people entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock.

⁹ So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the small scroll. “Take it and eat it,” he told me. “It will turn bitter in your stomach, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”

⁹ The LORD stretched out his hand, touched my mouth, and then told me, “Look, I’ve put my words in your mouth.

³ The form of a hand reached out and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and sky, brought me toward Jerusalem, and in visions that came from God took me through the doors of the inner gate that faced north, where an image that provoked God’s jealous anger had been erected.

⁵ The Handwriting on the WallAt that moment, humanlike fingers of a hand appeared near the lamp stand of the royal palace and wrote on the plaster of the wall.

¹⁰ Daniel is Given Understanding“All of a sudden, a hand touched me and lifted me upon my hands and knees.

¹⁶ But suddenly someone who resembled a human being touched my lips, so addressing the one who was standing in front of me, I opened my mouth and said, ‘Sir, I’m overwhelmed with anguish by this vision. I have no strength left. ¹⁷ So how can a servant of my lord talk with someone like you, sir? And as for me, there’s no strength left in me, and I can hardly breathe.’
¹⁸ “Then this person who looked like a man touched me again and strengthened me

⁷ Then I said, ‘See, I have come to do your will, O God’ In the volume of the scroll this is written about me.”

¹ The Vision of the Scroll with Seven SealsThen I saw in the right hand of the one who sits on the throne a scroll written on the inside and on the outside, sealed with seven seals. ² I also saw a powerful angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” ³ No one in heaven, on earth, or under the earth could open the scroll or look inside it. ⁴ I began to cry bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look inside it.
⁵ “Stop crying,” one of the elders told me. “Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered. He can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁸ Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go and take the opened scroll from the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”
⁹ So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the small scroll. “Take it and eat it,” he told me. “It will turn bitter in your stomach, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”
¹⁰ So I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, it turned bitter in my stomach. ¹¹ Then the seven thunders told me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”

¹¹ Warning to the Wicked“How terrible it will be for the wicked! Disaster is headed their way, because what they did with their hand will be repaid to them.

⁸ The Illusions of False Prophecy“Go now, and write it down on a tablet in their presence, inscribing it in a book, so that for times to come it may be an everlasting witness. ⁹ For they are a rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to hear the LORD’s instruction. ¹⁰ They say to the seers, ‘Don’t see visions,’ and to the prophets, ‘Don’t give us visions of what is right! Instead, tell us welcome things, prophesy illusions, ¹¹ get out of the way, turn aside from the path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel.”

²⁹ Concerning Jehoiakim, king of Judah, you are to say, ‘This is what the LORD says: “You burned this scroll, all the while saying, ‘Why did you write on it that the king of Babylon will definitely come, destroy this land, and eliminate both people and animals from it?’” ³⁰ Therefore, this is what the LORD says concerning Jehoiakim, king of Judah, “He will have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his corpse will be thrown out to rot during the heat of the day and the frost of the night. ³¹ I’ll punish him, his descendants, and his officials for their iniquity. I’ll bring on them, on the residents of Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah all the calamity about which I’ve warned them, but they would not listen.”’”
³² Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Neriah’s son Baruch the scribe. He wrote on it, at Jeremiah’s dictation, all the words of the book that Jehoiakim king of Judah burned in the fire. He also added to them many similar words.

² God’s Reply to the Prophet’s ComplaintWhen he answered, the LORD told me: “Write out the revelation, engraving it clearly on the tablets, so that a courier may run with it.

¹³ The Vision of the Eagle FlyingThen I looked, and I heard an eagle flying overhead say in a loud voice, “How terrible, how terrible, how terrible for those living on the earth, because of the blasts of the remaining trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

¹² The first catastrophe is over. After these things, there are still two more catastrophes to come.

¹⁴ The second catastrophe is over. The third catastrophe is coming very soon.