Day 314 of 365

Ezek 12:1–13:23

12:1 The word of the Lord also came to me, saying,

12:2 "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and do not see, who have ears to hear, and do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.

12:3 Therefore, you son of man, prepare your stuff for moving, and move by day in their sight; and you shall move from your place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house.

12:4 You shall bring forth your stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for moving; and you shall go forth yourself at even in their sight, as when men go forth into exile.

12:5 Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your stuff out that way.

12:6 In their sight you shall bear it on your shoulder, and carry it forth in the dark; you shall cover your face, so that you do not see the land: for I have set you for a sign to the house of Israel."

12:7 I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for removing, and in the even I dug through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the dark, and bore it on my shoulder in their sight.

12:8 In the morning came the word of the Lord to me, saying,

12:9 "Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, 'What are you doing?'

12:10 Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are.'

12:11 Say, 'I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall go into exile, into captivity.'

12:12 "The prince who is among them shall bear on his shoulder in the dark, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, because he shall not see the land with his eyes.

12:13 My net also will I spread on him, and he shall be taken in my snare; and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

12:14 I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.

12:15 They shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall disperse them among the nations, and scatter them through the countries.

12:16 But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they come; and they shall know that I am the Lord."

12:17 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

12:18 "Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness;

12:19 and tell the people of the land, 'Thus says the Lord God concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with fearfulness, and drink their water in dismay, that her land may be desolate, and all that is therein, because of the violence of all those who dwell therein.

12:20 The cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be a desolation; and you shall know that I am the Lord.'"

12:21 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

12:22 "Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, 'The days are prolonged, and every vision fails?'

12:23 Tell them therefore, 'Thus says the Lord God: I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel'; but tell them, 'The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision.

12:24 For there shall be no more any false vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.

12:25 For I am the Lord; I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall be performed; it shall be no more deferred: for in your days, rebellious house, will I speak the word, and will perform it,' says the Lord God."

12:26 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

12:27 "Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, 'The vision that he sees is for many day to come, and he prophesies of times that are far off.'

12:28 Therefore tell them, 'Thus says the Lord God: None of my words shall be deferred any more, but the word which I shall speak shall be performed, says the Lord God.'"

13:1 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

13:2 "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, 'Hear the word of the Lord:

13:3 Thus says the Lord God, "Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

13:4 Israel, your prophets have been like foxes in the waste places.

13:5 You have not gone up into the gaps, neither built up the wall for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord."

13:6 They have seen falsehood and lying divination, who say, "The Lord says"; but the Lord has not sent them: and they have made men to hope that the word would be confirmed.

13:7 "Haven't you seen a false vision, and haven't you spoken a lying divination, in that you say, "The Lord says"; but I have not spoken?

13:8 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have spoken falsehood, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, says the Lord God.

13:9 My hand shall be against the prophets who see false visions, and who divine lies: they shall not be in the council of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and you shall know that I am the Lord God.

13:10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, 'Peace'; and there is no peace; and when one builds up a wall, behold, they plaster it with whitewash:

13:11 tell those who plaster it with whitewash, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and you, great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it.

13:12 Behold, when the wall has fallen, shall it not be said to you, 'Where is the plaster with which you have plastered it?'

13:13 "'"Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will even tear it with a stormy wind in my wrath; and there shall be an overflowing shower in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to consume it.

13:14 So will I break down the wall that you have plastered with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation shall be uncovered; and it shall fall, and you shall be consumed in its midst: and you shall know that I am the Lord.

13:15 Thus will I accomplish my wrath on the wall, and on those who have plastered it with whitewash; and I will tell you, 'The wall is no more, neither those who plastered it;

13:16 to wit, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace,'"' says the Lord God."

13:17 "You, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy against them,

13:18 and say, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Woe to the women who sew pillows on all elbows, and make kerchiefs for the head of persons of every stature to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of my people, and save souls alive for yourselves?

13:19 You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to kill the souls who should not die, and to save the souls alive who should not live, by your lying to my people who listen to lies."

13:20 "'Therefore thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I am against your pillows, with which you there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let the souls go, even the souls whom you hunt to make them fly.

13:21 Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and you shall know that I am the Lord.

13:22 Because with lies you have grieved the heart of the righteous, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, and be saved alive:

13:23 Therefore you shall no more see false visions, nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand; and you shall know that I am the Lord."'"

2 Thess 1:1–12

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you towards one another abounds;

4 so that we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you endure.

5 This is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that you may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you also suffer.

6 Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who afflict you,

7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,

8 giving vengeance to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus,

9 who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

10 when he comes to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired among all those who have believed (because our testimony to you was believed) in that day.

11 To this end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire of goodness and work of faith, with power;

12 that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Job 30:20–31

20 I cry to you, and you do not answer me. I stand up, and you gaze at me.

21 You have turned to be cruel to me. With the might of your hand you persecute me.

22 You lift me up to the wind, and drive me with it. You dissolve me in the storm.

23 For I know that you will bring me to death, To the house appointed for all living.

24 "However doesn't one stretch out a hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?

25 Did I not weep for him who was in trouble? Wasn't my soul grieved for the needy?

26 When I looked for good, then evil came; When I waited for light, there came darkness.

27 My heart is troubled, and doesn't rest. Days of affliction have come on me.

28 I go mourning without the sun. I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.

29 I am a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches.

30 My skin grows black and peels from me. My bones are burned with heat.

31 Therefore my harp has turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep.