Ezekiel 11:1-12:20

New International Version

God’s Sure Judgment on Jerusalem

11 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the Lord that faces east. There at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah^(A) son of Benaiah, leaders^(B) of the people.^(C) ²The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil^(D) and giving wicked advice in this city.^(E) ³They say, ‘Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot,^(F) and we are the meat in it.’^(G) ⁴Therefore prophesy^(H) against them; prophesy, son of man.”

⁵Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and he told me to say: “This is what the Lord says: That is what you are saying, you leaders in Israel, but I know what is going through your mind.^(I) ⁶You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead.^(J)

⁷“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot,^(K) but I will drive you out of it.^(L) ⁸You fear the sword,^(M) and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(N) ⁹I will drive you out of the city and deliver you into the hands^(O) of foreigners and inflict punishment on you.^(P) ¹⁰You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel.^(Q) Then you will know that I am the Lord. ¹¹This city will not be a pot^(R) for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. ¹²And you will know that I am the Lord,^(S) for you have not followed my decrees^(T) or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you.^(U)”

¹³Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah^(V) son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! Will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel?^(W)”

The Promise of Israel’s Return

¹⁴The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁵“Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have said of your fellow exiles and all the other Israelites, ‘They are far away from the Lord; this land was given to us as our possession.’^(X)

¹⁶“Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary^(Y) for them in the countries where they have gone.’

¹⁷“Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’^(Z)

¹⁸“They will return to it and remove all its vile images^(AA) and detestable idols.^(AB) ¹⁹I will give them an undivided heart^(AC) and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone^(AD) and give them a heart of flesh.^(AE) ²⁰Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.^(AF) They will be my people,^(AG) and I will be their God.^(AH) ²¹But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols,^(AI) I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AJ)”

²²Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory^(AK) of the God of Israel was above them.^(AL) ²³The glory^(AM) of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain^(AN) east of it. ²⁴The Spirit^(AO) lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia^[a] in the vision^(AP) given by the Spirit of God.

Then the vision I had seen went up from me, ²⁵and I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.^(AQ)

The Exile Symbolized

12 The word of the Lord came to me: ²“Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people.^(AR) They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.^(AS)

³“Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps^(AT) they will understand,^(AU) though they are a rebellious people.^(AV) ⁴During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those who go into exile.^(AW) ⁵While they watch, dig through the wall^(AX) and take your belongings out through it. ⁶Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign^(AY) to the Israelites.”

⁷So I did as I was commanded.^(AZ) During the day I brought out my things packed for exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulders while they watched.

⁸In the morning the word of the Lord came to me: ⁹“Son of man, did not the Israelites, that rebellious people, ask you, ‘What are you doing?’^(BA)

¹⁰“Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This prophecy concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the Israelites who are there.’ ¹¹Say to them, ‘I am a sign^(BB) to you.’

“As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as captives.^(BC)

¹²“The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder at dusk^(BD) and leave, and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land.^(BE) ¹³I will spread my net^(BF) for him, and he will be caught in my snare;^(BG) I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans,^(BH) but he will not see^(BI) it, and there he will die.^(BJ) ¹⁴I will scatter to the winds all those around him—his staff and all his troops—and I will pursue them with drawn sword.^(BK)

¹⁵“They will know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations^(BL) and scatter them through the countries. ¹⁶But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the Lord.^(BM)”

¹⁷The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁸“Son of man, tremble as you eat your food,^(BN) and shudder in fear as you drink your water. ¹⁹Say to the people of the land: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of everything^(BO) in it because of the violence of all who live there.^(BP) ²⁰The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.^(BQ)’”

Footnotes

Ezekiel 11:24 Or Chaldea

Proverbs 25

New International Version

More Proverbs of Solomon

25 These are more proverbs^(A) of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:^(B)

²It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings.^(C)
³As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

⁴Remove the dross from the silver,
and a silversmith can produce a vessel;
⁵remove wicked officials from the king’s presence,^(D)
and his throne will be established^(E) through righteousness.^(F)

⁶Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
and do not claim a place among his great men;
⁷it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”^(G)
than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.

What you have seen with your eyes
⁸ do not bring^[a] hastily to court,
for what will you do in the end
if your neighbor puts you to shame?^(H)

⁹If you take your neighbor to court,
do not betray another’s confidence,
¹⁰or the one who hears it may shame you
and the charge against you will stand.

¹¹Like apples^[b] of gold in settings of silver^(I)
is a ruling rightly given.
¹²Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.^(J)

¹³Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time
    is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him;
    he refreshes the spirit of his master.^(K)
¹⁴Like clouds and wind without rain
    is one who boasts of gifts never given.

¹⁵Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,^(L)
and a gentle tongue can break a bone.^(M)

¹⁶If you find honey, eat just enough—
too much of it, and you will vomit.^(N)
¹⁷Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—
too much of you, and they will hate you.

¹⁸Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
    is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor.^(O)
¹⁹Like a broken tooth or a lame foot
    is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.
²⁰Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
    or like vinegar poured on a wound,
    is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
²²In doing this, you will heap burning coals^(P) on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.^(Q)

²³Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain
is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.

²⁴Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.^(R)

²⁵Like cold water to a weary soul
is good news from a distant land.^(S)
²⁶Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
are the righteous who give way to the wicked.

²⁷It is not good to eat too much honey,^(T)
nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep.^(U)

²⁸Like a city whose walls are broken through
is a person who lacks self-control.