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Ezekiel Prepares for Exile
12 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, you live in the (A)midst of the (B)rebellious house, who (C)have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house. 3 Therefore, son of man, prepare for yourself baggage for exile and go into exile by day in their sight; even go into exile from your place to another place in their sight. (D)Perhaps they will [a]understand though they are a rebellious house. 4 Bring your baggage out by day in their sight, as baggage for exile. Then you will go out (E)at evening in their sight, as those going into exile. 5 Dig a hole through the wall in their sight and [b]go out through it. 6 Load the baggage on your shoulder in their sight and carry it out in the dark. You shall (F)cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a (G)sign to the house of Israel.”
7 I (H)did so, as I had been commanded. By day I (I)brought out my baggage like the baggage of an exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands; I went out in the dark and carried the baggage on my shoulder in their sight.
8 In the morning the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the (J)rebellious house, said to you, ‘(K)What are you doing?’ 10 Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord [c]God, “This [d](L)burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem as well as all the house of Israel who are [e]in it.”’ 11 Say, ‘I am [f]a (M)sign to you. As I have done, so it will be done to them; they will (N)go into exile, into captivity.’ 12 The (O)prince who is among them will load his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. [g]They will dig a hole through the wall to bring it out. He will cover his face so that he can not see the land with his eyes. 13 I will also spread My (P)net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. And I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will (Q)not see it, though he will die there. 14 I will (R)scatter to every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops; and I will draw out a sword after them. 15 So they will (S)know that I am the Lord when I scatter them among the nations and spread them among the countries. 16 But I will [h]spare a few of them from the (T)sword, the famine and the pestilence that they may tell all their abominations among the nations where they go, and [i]may (U)know that I am the Lord.”
17 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me saying, 18 “Son of man, (V)eat your bread with trembling and drink your water with quivering and anxiety. 19 Then say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says the Lord God concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel, “They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with horror, because [j]their land will be [k](W)stripped of its fullness on account of the violence of all who live in it. 20 The inhabited (X)cities will be laid waste and the (Y)land will be a desolation. So you will know that I am the Lord.”’”
21 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 22 “Son of man, what is this (Z)proverb you people have concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The (AA)days are long and every (AB)vision fails’? 23 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “I will make this proverb cease so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel.” But tell them, “(AC)The days draw near as well as the [l]fulfillment of every vision. 24 For there will no longer be any [m](AD)false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. 25 For I the Lord will speak, and whatever (AE)word I speak will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, for in (AF)your days, O (AG)rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it,” declares the Lord God.’”
26 Furthermore, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 27 “Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for (AH)many [n]years from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ 28 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be performed,”’” declares the Lord God.
False Prophets Condemned
13 Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the (AI)prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own [o]inspiration, ‘(AJ)Listen to the word of the Lord! 3 Thus says the Lord [p]God, “Woe to the (AK)foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have (AL)seen nothing. 4 O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among ruins. 5 You have not (AM)gone up into the (AN)breaches, nor did you build the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the (AO)day of the Lord. 6 They see [q](AP)falsehood and lying divination who are saying, ‘The Lord declares,’ when the Lord has not sent them; (AQ)yet they hope for the fulfillment of their word. 7 (AR)Did you not see a false vision and speak a lying divination when you said, ‘The Lord declares,’ but it is not I who have spoken?”’”
8 Therefore, thus says the Lord God, “Because you have spoken [r]falsehood and seen a lie, therefore behold, (AS)I am against you,” declares the Lord God. 9 “So My hand will be against the (AT)prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will [s]have no place in the council of My people, (AU)nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, [t]that you may know that I am the Lord God. 10 It is definitely because they have (AV)misled My people by saying, ‘(AW)Peace!’ when there is (AX)no peace. And when anyone builds a wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash; 11 so tell those who plaster it over with whitewash, that it will fall. A (AY)flooding rain will come, and you, O hailstones, will fall; and a violent wind will break out. 12 Behold, when the wall has fallen, will you not be asked, ‘Where is the plaster with which you plastered it?’” 13 Therefore, thus says the Lord God, “I will make a violent wind break out in My wrath. There will also be in My anger a flooding rain and (AZ)hailstones to consume it in wrath. 14 So I will tear down the wall which you plastered over with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its (BA)foundation is laid bare; and when it falls, you will be (BB)consumed in its midst. And you will (BC)know that I am the Lord. 15 Thus I will spend My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it over with whitewash; and I will say to you, ‘The wall [u]is gone and its plasterers are gone, 16 along with the prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem, and who (BD)see visions of peace for her when there is (BE)no peace,’ declares the Lord God.
17 “Now you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are (BF)prophesying (BG)from their own [v]inspiration. Prophesy against them 18 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe to the women who sew magic bands on [w]all wrists and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature to (BH)hunt down [x]lives! Will you hunt down the [y]lives of My people, but preserve the [z]lives of others for yourselves? 19 (BI)For handfuls of barley and fragments of bread, you have profaned Me to My people to put to death [aa]some who should not die and to (BJ)keep [ab]others alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies.”’”
20 Therefore, thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against your magic bands by which you hunt [ac]lives there as [ad]birds and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let [ae]them go, even those [af]lives whom you hunt as [ag]birds. 21 I will also tear off your veils and (BK)deliver My people from your hands, and they will no longer be in your hands to be hunted; and you will know that I am the Lord. 22 Because you (BL)disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have [ah](BM)encouraged the wicked not to (BN)turn from his wicked way and preserve his life, 23 therefore, you women will no longer see [ai](BO)false visions or practice divination, and I will (BP)deliver My people out of your hand. Thus you will (BQ)know that I am the Lord.”
Idolatrous Elders Condemned
14 Then some (BR)elders of Israel came to me and (BS)sat down before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 3 “Son of man, these men have (BT)set up their idols in their hearts and have (BU)put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be (BV)consulted by them at all? 4 Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord [aj]God, “Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will be brought to give him an answer in [ak]the matter in view of the (BW)multitude of his idols, 5 in order to lay hold of [al](BX)the hearts of the house of Israel who are [am](BY)estranged from Me through all their idols.”’
6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “(BZ)Repent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your (CA)abominations. 7 For anyone of the house of Israel or of the (CB)immigrants who stay in Israel who separates himself from Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me for himself, (CC)I the Lord will be brought to answer him in My own person. 8 I will (CD)set My face against that man and make him a (CE)sign and [an]a proverb, and I will cut him off from among My people. So you will know that I am the Lord.
9 “But if the prophet is [ao]prevailed upon to speak a word, it is I, the Lord, who have [ap]prevailed upon that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and (CF)destroy him from among My people Israel. 10 They will bear the punishment of their iniquity; as the iniquity of the inquirer is, so the iniquity of the prophet will be, 11 in order that the house of Israel may no longer (CG)stray from Me and no longer (CH)defile themselves with all their transgressions. Thus they will be (CI)My people, and I shall be their God,”’ declares the Lord God.”
Melchizedek’s Priesthood Like Christ’s
7 For this (A)Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the (B)Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. 3 Without father, without mother, (C)without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like (D)the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.
4 Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the (E)patriarch, (F)gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. 5 And those indeed of (G)the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment [a]in the Law to collect [b]a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these [c]are descended from Abraham. 6 But the one (H)whose genealogy is not traced from them (I)collected [d]a tenth from Abraham and [e](J)blessed the one who (K)had the promises. 7 But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8 In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, (L)of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. 9 And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
11 (M)Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it (N)the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise (O)according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. 13 For (P)the one concerning whom (Q)these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord [f]was (R)descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. 15 And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become such not on the basis of a law of [g](S)physical requirement, but according to the power of (T)an indestructible life. 17 For it is attested of Him,
“(U)You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.”
37 Then He brought them out with (A)silver and gold,
And among His tribes there was not one who stumbled.
38 Egypt was (B)glad when they departed,
For the (C)dread of them had fallen upon them.
39 He spread a (D)cloud for a [a]covering,
And (E)fire to illumine by night.
40 [b]They (F)asked, and He brought (G)quail,
And satisfied them with the [c](H)bread of heaven.
41 He opened the [d]rock and (I)water flowed out;
[e]It ran in the dry places like a river.
42 For He (J)remembered His holy word
With Abraham His servant;
43 And He brought forth His people with joy,
His chosen ones with a joyful (K)shout.
44 He (L)gave them also the lands of the [f]nations,
That they (M)might take possession of the fruit of the peoples’ labor,
45 So that they might (N)keep His statutes
And observe His laws,
[g]Praise [h]the Lord!
3 A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,
But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.