EZEKIEL 14:12- 16:41
HEBREWS 7:18- 28
PSALM 106:1- 12
PROVERBS 27:4- 6
Then this message came to me [Ezekiel] from the LORD:13 "Son of man, suppose the people of a country were to sin against me, and I lifted my fist to crush them, cutting off their food supply and sending a famine to destroy both people and animals alike. 14 Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness would save no one but themselves, declares the Sovereign LORD. 15" Or suppose I were to send an invasion of dangerous wild animals to devastate the land and kill the people. 16 Even if these three men were there, the Sovereign LORD swears that it would do no good-- it wouldn't save the people from destruction. Those three alone would be saved, but the land would be devastated. 17 "Or suppose I were to bring war against the land, and I told enemy armies to come and destroy everything. 18 Even if these three men were in the land, the Sovereign LORD swears that they could not save the people. They alone would be saved. 19" Or suppose I were to pour out my fury by sending an epidemic of disease into the land, and the plague killed people and animals alike. 20 Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were living there, the Sovereign LORD swears that they could not save the people. They alone would be saved by their righteousness. 21 "Now this is what the Sovereign LORD says:How terrible it will be when all four of these fearsome punishments fall upon Jerusalem-- war, famine, beasts, and plague-- destroying all her people and animals. 22 Yet there will be survivors, and they will come here to join you as exiles in Babylon. You will see with your own eyes how wicked they are, and then you will feel better about what I have done to Jerusalem. 23 When you meet them and see their behavior, you will agree that these things are not being done to Israel without cause, says the Sovereign LORD." 15:1 THEN this message came to me from the LORD:2 "Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine's wood as useful as the wood of a tree? 3 Can its wood be used for making things, like pegs to hang up pots and pans? 4 No, it can only be used for fuel, and even as fuel, it burns too quickly. 5 Vine branches are useless both before and after being put into the fire! 6" And this is what the Sovereign LORD says:The people of Jerusalem are like grapevines growing among the trees of the forest. Since they are useless, I have set them aside to be burned! 7 And I will see to it that if they escape from one fire, they will fall into another. When this happens, you will know that I am the LORD. 8 And I will make the land desolate because my people have been unfaithful to me, says the Sovereign LORD. "16:1 THEN another message came to me from the LORD:2" Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her loathsome sins. 3 Give her this message from the Sovereign LORD:You are nothing but a Canaanite! Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite! 4 When you were born, no one cared about you. Your umbilical cord was left uncut, and you were never washed, rubbed with salt, and dressed in warm clothing. 5 No one had the slightest interest in you; no one pitied you or cared for you. On the day you were born, you were dumped in a field and left to die, unwanted. 6 "But I came by and saw you there, helplessly kicking about in your own blood. As you lay there, I said, `Live! '7 And I helped you to thrive like a plant in the field. You grew up and became a beautiful jewel. Your breasts became full, and your hair grew, though you were still naked. 8 And when I passed by and saw you again, you were old enough to be married. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine. 9" Then I bathed you and washed off your blood, and I rubbed fragrant oils into your skin. 10 I gave you expensive clothing of linen and silk, beautifully embroidered, and sandals made of fine leather. 11 I gave you lovely jewelry, bracelets, and beautiful necklaces, 12 a ring for your nose and earrings for your ears, and a lovely crown for your head. 13 And so you were made beautiful with gold and silver. Your clothes were made of fine linen and were beautifully embroidered. You ate the finest foods-- fine flour, honey, and olive oil-- and became more beautiful than ever. You looked like a queen, and so you were! 14 Your fame soon spread throughout the world on account of your beauty, because the splendor I bestowed on you perfected your beauty, says the Sovereign LORD. 15 "But you thought you could get along without me, so you trusted instead in your fame and beauty. You gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was theirs for the asking! 16 You used the lovely things I gave you to make shrines for idols, where you carried out your acts of prostitution. Unbelievable! How could such a thing ever happen? 17 You took the very jewels and gold and silver ornaments I had given you and made statues of men and worshiped them, which is adultery against me. 18 You used the beautifully embroidered clothes I gave you to cover your idols. Then you used my oil and incense to worship them. 19 Imagine it! You set before them as a lovely sacrifice the fine flour and oil and honey I had given you, says the Sovereign LORD. 20" Then you took your sons and daughters-- the children you had borne to me-- and sacrificed them to your gods. Was it not enough that you should be a prostitute? 21 Must you also slaughter my children by sacrificing them to idols? 22 In all your years of adultery and loathsome sin, you have not once thought of the days long ago when you lay naked in a field, kicking about in your own blood. 23 "Your destruction is certain, says the Sovereign LORD. In addition to all your other wickedness, 24 you built a pagan shrine and put altars to idols in every town square. 25 On every street corner you defiled your beauty, offering your body to every passerby in an endless stream of prostitution. 26 Then you added lustful Egypt to your lovers, fanning the flames of my anger with your increasing promiscuity. 27 That is why I struck you with my fist and reduced your boundaries. I handed you over to your enemies, the Philistines, and even they were shocked by your lewd conduct! 28 You have prostituted yourselves with the Assyrians, too. It seems you can never find enough new lovers! And after your prostitution there, you still were not satisfied. 29 You added to your lovers by embracing that great merchant land of Babylonia-- but you still weren't satisfied! 30" What a sick heart you have, says the Sovereign LORD, to do such things as these, acting like a shameless prostitute. 31 You build your pagan shrines on every street corner and your altars to idols in every square. You have been worse than a prostitute, so eager for sin that you have not even demanded payment for your love! 32 Yes, you are an adulterous wife who takes in strangers instead of her own husband. 33 Prostitutes charge for their services-- but not you! You give gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come to you. 34 So you are the opposite of other prostitutes. No one pays you; instead, you pay them! 35 "Therefore, you prostitute, listen to this message from the LORD! 36 This is what the Sovereign LORD says:Because you have exposed yourself in prostitution to all your lovers, and because you have worshiped detestable idols, and because you have slaughtered your children as sacrifices to your gods, 37 this is what I am going to do. I will gather together all your allies-- these lovers of yours with whom you have sinned, both those you loved and those you hated-- and I will strip you naked in front of them so they can stare at you. 38 I will punish you for your murder and adultery. I will cover you with blood in my jealous fury. 39 Then I will give you to your lovers-- these many nations-- and they will destroy you. They will knock down your pagan shrines and the altars to your idols. They will strip you and take your beautiful jewels, leaving you completely naked and ashamed. 40 They will band together in a mob to stone you and run you through with swords. 41 They will burn your homes and punish you in front of many women. I will see to it that you stop your prostitution and end your payments to your many lovers."
Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. 19 For the law made nothing perfect, and now a better hope has taken its place. And that is how we draw near to God. 20 God took an oath that Christ would always be a priest, but he never did this for any other priest. 21 Only to Jesus did he say, "The Lord has taken an oath
and will not break his vow:
`You are a priest forever.'"
22 Because of God's oath, it is Jesus who guarantees the effectiveness of this better covenant. 23 Another difference is that there were many priests under the old system. When one priest died, another had to take his place. 24 But Jesus remains a priest forever; his priesthood will never end. 25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save everyone who comes to God through him. He lives forever to plead with God on their behalf. 26 He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has now been set apart from sinners, and he has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. 27 He does not need to offer sacrifices every day like the other high priests. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he sacrificed himself on the cross. 28 Those who were high priests under the law of Moses were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made perfect forever.
Praise the LORD!
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Who can list the glorious miracles of the LORD?
Who can ever praise him half enough?
3 Happy are those who deal justly with others
and always do what is right.
4 Remember me, too, LORD, when you show favor to your people;
come to me with your salvation.
5 Let me share in the prosperity of your chosen ones.
Let me rejoice in the joy of your people;
let me praise you with those who are your heritage.
6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned.
We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!
7 Our ancestors in Egypt
were not impressed by the LORD's miracles.
They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them.
Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.
8 Even so, he saved them--
to defend the honor of his name
and to demonstrate his mighty power.
9 He commanded the Red Sea to divide, and a dry path appeared.
He led Israel across the sea bottom that was as dry as a desert.
10 So he rescued them from their enemies
and redeemed them from their foes.
11 Then the water returned and covered their enemies;
not one of them survived.
12 Then at last his people believed his promises.
Then they finally sang his praise.
Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood, but who can survive the destructiveness of jealousy? An open rebuke is better than hidden love! Wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy
HEBREWS 7:18- 28
PSALM 106:1- 12
PROVERBS 27:4- 6
Then this message came to me [Ezekiel] from the LORD:13 "Son of man, suppose the people of a country were to sin against me, and I lifted my fist to crush them, cutting off their food supply and sending a famine to destroy both people and animals alike. 14 Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness would save no one but themselves, declares the Sovereign LORD. 15" Or suppose I were to send an invasion of dangerous wild animals to devastate the land and kill the people. 16 Even if these three men were there, the Sovereign LORD swears that it would do no good-- it wouldn't save the people from destruction. Those three alone would be saved, but the land would be devastated. 17 "Or suppose I were to bring war against the land, and I told enemy armies to come and destroy everything. 18 Even if these three men were in the land, the Sovereign LORD swears that they could not save the people. They alone would be saved. 19" Or suppose I were to pour out my fury by sending an epidemic of disease into the land, and the plague killed people and animals alike. 20 Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were living there, the Sovereign LORD swears that they could not save the people. They alone would be saved by their righteousness. 21 "Now this is what the Sovereign LORD says:How terrible it will be when all four of these fearsome punishments fall upon Jerusalem-- war, famine, beasts, and plague-- destroying all her people and animals. 22 Yet there will be survivors, and they will come here to join you as exiles in Babylon. You will see with your own eyes how wicked they are, and then you will feel better about what I have done to Jerusalem. 23 When you meet them and see their behavior, you will agree that these things are not being done to Israel without cause, says the Sovereign LORD." 15:1 THEN this message came to me from the LORD:2 "Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine's wood as useful as the wood of a tree? 3 Can its wood be used for making things, like pegs to hang up pots and pans? 4 No, it can only be used for fuel, and even as fuel, it burns too quickly. 5 Vine branches are useless both before and after being put into the fire! 6" And this is what the Sovereign LORD says:The people of Jerusalem are like grapevines growing among the trees of the forest. Since they are useless, I have set them aside to be burned! 7 And I will see to it that if they escape from one fire, they will fall into another. When this happens, you will know that I am the LORD. 8 And I will make the land desolate because my people have been unfaithful to me, says the Sovereign LORD. "16:1 THEN another message came to me from the LORD:2" Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her loathsome sins. 3 Give her this message from the Sovereign LORD:You are nothing but a Canaanite! Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite! 4 When you were born, no one cared about you. Your umbilical cord was left uncut, and you were never washed, rubbed with salt, and dressed in warm clothing. 5 No one had the slightest interest in you; no one pitied you or cared for you. On the day you were born, you were dumped in a field and left to die, unwanted. 6 "But I came by and saw you there, helplessly kicking about in your own blood. As you lay there, I said, `Live! '7 And I helped you to thrive like a plant in the field. You grew up and became a beautiful jewel. Your breasts became full, and your hair grew, though you were still naked. 8 And when I passed by and saw you again, you were old enough to be married. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine. 9" Then I bathed you and washed off your blood, and I rubbed fragrant oils into your skin. 10 I gave you expensive clothing of linen and silk, beautifully embroidered, and sandals made of fine leather. 11 I gave you lovely jewelry, bracelets, and beautiful necklaces, 12 a ring for your nose and earrings for your ears, and a lovely crown for your head. 13 And so you were made beautiful with gold and silver. Your clothes were made of fine linen and were beautifully embroidered. You ate the finest foods-- fine flour, honey, and olive oil-- and became more beautiful than ever. You looked like a queen, and so you were! 14 Your fame soon spread throughout the world on account of your beauty, because the splendor I bestowed on you perfected your beauty, says the Sovereign LORD. 15 "But you thought you could get along without me, so you trusted instead in your fame and beauty. You gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was theirs for the asking! 16 You used the lovely things I gave you to make shrines for idols, where you carried out your acts of prostitution. Unbelievable! How could such a thing ever happen? 17 You took the very jewels and gold and silver ornaments I had given you and made statues of men and worshiped them, which is adultery against me. 18 You used the beautifully embroidered clothes I gave you to cover your idols. Then you used my oil and incense to worship them. 19 Imagine it! You set before them as a lovely sacrifice the fine flour and oil and honey I had given you, says the Sovereign LORD. 20" Then you took your sons and daughters-- the children you had borne to me-- and sacrificed them to your gods. Was it not enough that you should be a prostitute? 21 Must you also slaughter my children by sacrificing them to idols? 22 In all your years of adultery and loathsome sin, you have not once thought of the days long ago when you lay naked in a field, kicking about in your own blood. 23 "Your destruction is certain, says the Sovereign LORD. In addition to all your other wickedness, 24 you built a pagan shrine and put altars to idols in every town square. 25 On every street corner you defiled your beauty, offering your body to every passerby in an endless stream of prostitution. 26 Then you added lustful Egypt to your lovers, fanning the flames of my anger with your increasing promiscuity. 27 That is why I struck you with my fist and reduced your boundaries. I handed you over to your enemies, the Philistines, and even they were shocked by your lewd conduct! 28 You have prostituted yourselves with the Assyrians, too. It seems you can never find enough new lovers! And after your prostitution there, you still were not satisfied. 29 You added to your lovers by embracing that great merchant land of Babylonia-- but you still weren't satisfied! 30" What a sick heart you have, says the Sovereign LORD, to do such things as these, acting like a shameless prostitute. 31 You build your pagan shrines on every street corner and your altars to idols in every square. You have been worse than a prostitute, so eager for sin that you have not even demanded payment for your love! 32 Yes, you are an adulterous wife who takes in strangers instead of her own husband. 33 Prostitutes charge for their services-- but not you! You give gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come to you. 34 So you are the opposite of other prostitutes. No one pays you; instead, you pay them! 35 "Therefore, you prostitute, listen to this message from the LORD! 36 This is what the Sovereign LORD says:Because you have exposed yourself in prostitution to all your lovers, and because you have worshiped detestable idols, and because you have slaughtered your children as sacrifices to your gods, 37 this is what I am going to do. I will gather together all your allies-- these lovers of yours with whom you have sinned, both those you loved and those you hated-- and I will strip you naked in front of them so they can stare at you. 38 I will punish you for your murder and adultery. I will cover you with blood in my jealous fury. 39 Then I will give you to your lovers-- these many nations-- and they will destroy you. They will knock down your pagan shrines and the altars to your idols. They will strip you and take your beautiful jewels, leaving you completely naked and ashamed. 40 They will band together in a mob to stone you and run you through with swords. 41 They will burn your homes and punish you in front of many women. I will see to it that you stop your prostitution and end your payments to your many lovers."
Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. 19 For the law made nothing perfect, and now a better hope has taken its place. And that is how we draw near to God. 20 God took an oath that Christ would always be a priest, but he never did this for any other priest. 21 Only to Jesus did he say, "The Lord has taken an oath
and will not break his vow:
`You are a priest forever.'"
22 Because of God's oath, it is Jesus who guarantees the effectiveness of this better covenant. 23 Another difference is that there were many priests under the old system. When one priest died, another had to take his place. 24 But Jesus remains a priest forever; his priesthood will never end. 25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save everyone who comes to God through him. He lives forever to plead with God on their behalf. 26 He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has now been set apart from sinners, and he has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. 27 He does not need to offer sacrifices every day like the other high priests. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he sacrificed himself on the cross. 28 Those who were high priests under the law of Moses were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made perfect forever.
Praise the LORD!
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Who can list the glorious miracles of the LORD?
Who can ever praise him half enough?
3 Happy are those who deal justly with others
and always do what is right.
4 Remember me, too, LORD, when you show favor to your people;
come to me with your salvation.
5 Let me share in the prosperity of your chosen ones.
Let me rejoice in the joy of your people;
let me praise you with those who are your heritage.
6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned.
We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!
7 Our ancestors in Egypt
were not impressed by the LORD's miracles.
They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them.
Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.
8 Even so, he saved them--
to defend the honor of his name
and to demonstrate his mighty power.
9 He commanded the Red Sea to divide, and a dry path appeared.
He led Israel across the sea bottom that was as dry as a desert.
10 So he rescued them from their enemies
and redeemed them from their foes.
11 Then the water returned and covered their enemies;
not one of them survived.
12 Then at last his people believed his promises.
Then they finally sang his praise.
Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood, but who can survive the destructiveness of jealousy? An open rebuke is better than hidden love! Wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy
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