EZEKIEL 37:1- 38:23
JAMES 1:19- 2:17
PSALM 117:1- 2
PROVERBS 28:1
The LORD took hold of me [Ezekiel], and I was carried away by the Spirit of the LORD to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me around among the old, dry bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground. 3 Then he asked me, "Son of man, can these bones become living people again?" "O Sovereign LORD," I replied, "you alone know the answer to that." 4 Then he said to me, "Speak to these bones and say, `Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says:Look! I am going to breathe into you and make you live again! 6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD. '" 7 So I spoke these words, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as they had been before. 8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, "Speak to the winds and say:`This is what the Sovereign LORD says:Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so that they may live again.'" 10 So I spoke as he commanded me, and the wind entered the bodies, and they began to breathe. They all came to life and stood up on their feet-- a great army of them. 11 Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, `We have become old, dry bones-- all hope is gone. '12 Now give them this message from the Sovereign LORD:O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the LORD. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I am the LORD. You will see that I have done everything just as I promised. I, the LORD, have spoken!" 15 Again a message came to me from the LORD:16 "Son of man, take a stick and carve on it these words:`This stick represents Judah and its allied tribes.' Then take another stick and carve these words on it:`This stick represents the northern tribes of Israel. '17 Now hold them together in your hand as one stick. 18 When your people ask you what your actions mean, 19 say to them, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says:I will take the northern tribes and join them to Judah. I will make them one stick in my hand.' 20 Then hold out the sticks you have inscribed, so the people can see them. 21 And give them this message from the Sovereign LORD:I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will bring them home to their own land from the places where they have been scattered. 22 I will unify them into one nation in the land. One king will rule them all; no longer will they be divided into two nations. 23 They will stop polluting themselves with their detestable idols and other sins, for I will save them from their sinful backsliding. I will cleanse them. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. 24" My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and keep my laws. 25 They will live in the land of Israel where their ancestors lived, the land I gave my servant Jacob. They and their children and their grandchildren after them will live there forever, generation after generation. And my servant David will be their prince forever. 26 And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give them their land and multiply them, and I will put my Temple among them forever. 27 I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 And since my Temple will remain among them forever, the nations will know that I, the LORD, have set Israel apart for myself to be holy. "38:1 THIS is another message that came to me from the LORD:2" Son of man, prophesy against Gog of the land of Magog, the prince who rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal. 3 Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD:Gog, I am your enemy! 4 I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws to lead you out to your destruction. I will mobilize your troops and cavalry and make you a vast and mighty horde, all fully armed. 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya will join you, too, with all their weapons. 6 Gomer and all its hordes will also join you, along with the armies of Beth- togarmah from the distant north and many others. 7 "Get ready; be prepared! Keep all the armies around you mobilized, and take command of them. 8 A long time from now you will be called into action. In the distant future you will swoop down on the land of Israel, which will be lying in peace after her recovery from war and after the return of her people from many lands. 9 You and all your allies-- a vast and awesome horde-- will roll down on them like a storm and cover the land like a cloud. 10" This is what the Sovereign LORD says:At that time evil thoughts will come to your mind, and you will devise a wicked scheme. 11 You will say, `Israel is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages! I will march against her and destroy these people who live in such confidence! 12 I will go to those once- desolate cities that are again filled with people who have returned from exile in many nations. I will capture vast amounts of plunder and take many slaves, for the people are rich with cattle now, and they think the whole world revolves around them! '13 But Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish will ask, `Who are you to rob them of silver and gold? Who are you to drive away their cattle and seize their goods and make them poor?' 14 "Therefore, son of man, prophesy against Gog. Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD:When my people are living in peace in their land, then you will rouse yourself. 15 You will come from your homeland in the distant north with your vast cavalry and your mighty army, 16 and you will cover the land like a cloud. This will happen in the distant future. I will bring you against my land as everyone watches, and my holiness will be displayed by what happens to you. Then all the nations will know that I am the LORD. 17" This is what the Sovereign LORD says:You are the one I was talking about long ago, when I announced through Israel's prophets that in future days I would bring you against my people. 18 But when Gog invades the land of Israel, says the Sovereign LORD, my fury will rise! 19 For in my jealousy and blazing anger, I promise a mighty shaking in the land of Israel on that day. 20 All living things-- all the fish, birds, animals, and people-- will quake in terror at my presence. Mountains will be thrown down; cliffs will crumble; walls will fall to the earth. 21 I will summon the sword against you throughout Israel, says the Sovereign LORD. Your men will turn against each other in mortal combat. 22 I will punish you and your hordes with disease and bloodshed; I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur! 23 Thus will I show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the LORD! "
My dear brothers and sisters, *be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Your anger can never make things right in God's sight. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls. 22 And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself. 23 For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law-- the law that sets you free-- and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. 26 If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us. 2:1 MY dear brothers and sisters, *how can you claim that you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people more than others? 2 For instance, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in shabby clothes. 3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one," You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor "-- well, 4 doesn't this discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives? 5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the kingdom God promised to those who love him? 6 And yet, you insult the poor man! Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? 8 Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord's royal command found in the Scriptures:" Love your neighbor as yourself. "9 But if you pay special attention to the rich, you are committing a sin, for you are guilty of breaking that law. 10 And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God's laws. 11 For the same God who said," Do not commit adultery, "also said," Do not murder. "So if you murder someone, you have broken the entire law, even if you do not commit adultery. 12 So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you free. 13 For there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God's mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you. 14 Dear brothers and sisters, what's the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can't save anyone. 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, 16 and you say," Well, good- bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well "-- but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? 17 So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all-- it is dead and useless.
Praise the LORD, all you nations.
Praise him, all you people of the earth.
2 For he loves us with unfailing love;
the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD!
The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions
JAMES 1:19- 2:17
PSALM 117:1- 2
PROVERBS 28:1
The LORD took hold of me [Ezekiel], and I was carried away by the Spirit of the LORD to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me around among the old, dry bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground. 3 Then he asked me, "Son of man, can these bones become living people again?" "O Sovereign LORD," I replied, "you alone know the answer to that." 4 Then he said to me, "Speak to these bones and say, `Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says:Look! I am going to breathe into you and make you live again! 6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD. '" 7 So I spoke these words, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as they had been before. 8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, "Speak to the winds and say:`This is what the Sovereign LORD says:Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so that they may live again.'" 10 So I spoke as he commanded me, and the wind entered the bodies, and they began to breathe. They all came to life and stood up on their feet-- a great army of them. 11 Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, `We have become old, dry bones-- all hope is gone. '12 Now give them this message from the Sovereign LORD:O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the LORD. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I am the LORD. You will see that I have done everything just as I promised. I, the LORD, have spoken!" 15 Again a message came to me from the LORD:16 "Son of man, take a stick and carve on it these words:`This stick represents Judah and its allied tribes.' Then take another stick and carve these words on it:`This stick represents the northern tribes of Israel. '17 Now hold them together in your hand as one stick. 18 When your people ask you what your actions mean, 19 say to them, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says:I will take the northern tribes and join them to Judah. I will make them one stick in my hand.' 20 Then hold out the sticks you have inscribed, so the people can see them. 21 And give them this message from the Sovereign LORD:I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will bring them home to their own land from the places where they have been scattered. 22 I will unify them into one nation in the land. One king will rule them all; no longer will they be divided into two nations. 23 They will stop polluting themselves with their detestable idols and other sins, for I will save them from their sinful backsliding. I will cleanse them. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. 24" My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and keep my laws. 25 They will live in the land of Israel where their ancestors lived, the land I gave my servant Jacob. They and their children and their grandchildren after them will live there forever, generation after generation. And my servant David will be their prince forever. 26 And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give them their land and multiply them, and I will put my Temple among them forever. 27 I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 And since my Temple will remain among them forever, the nations will know that I, the LORD, have set Israel apart for myself to be holy. "38:1 THIS is another message that came to me from the LORD:2" Son of man, prophesy against Gog of the land of Magog, the prince who rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal. 3 Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD:Gog, I am your enemy! 4 I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws to lead you out to your destruction. I will mobilize your troops and cavalry and make you a vast and mighty horde, all fully armed. 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya will join you, too, with all their weapons. 6 Gomer and all its hordes will also join you, along with the armies of Beth- togarmah from the distant north and many others. 7 "Get ready; be prepared! Keep all the armies around you mobilized, and take command of them. 8 A long time from now you will be called into action. In the distant future you will swoop down on the land of Israel, which will be lying in peace after her recovery from war and after the return of her people from many lands. 9 You and all your allies-- a vast and awesome horde-- will roll down on them like a storm and cover the land like a cloud. 10" This is what the Sovereign LORD says:At that time evil thoughts will come to your mind, and you will devise a wicked scheme. 11 You will say, `Israel is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages! I will march against her and destroy these people who live in such confidence! 12 I will go to those once- desolate cities that are again filled with people who have returned from exile in many nations. I will capture vast amounts of plunder and take many slaves, for the people are rich with cattle now, and they think the whole world revolves around them! '13 But Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish will ask, `Who are you to rob them of silver and gold? Who are you to drive away their cattle and seize their goods and make them poor?' 14 "Therefore, son of man, prophesy against Gog. Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD:When my people are living in peace in their land, then you will rouse yourself. 15 You will come from your homeland in the distant north with your vast cavalry and your mighty army, 16 and you will cover the land like a cloud. This will happen in the distant future. I will bring you against my land as everyone watches, and my holiness will be displayed by what happens to you. Then all the nations will know that I am the LORD. 17" This is what the Sovereign LORD says:You are the one I was talking about long ago, when I announced through Israel's prophets that in future days I would bring you against my people. 18 But when Gog invades the land of Israel, says the Sovereign LORD, my fury will rise! 19 For in my jealousy and blazing anger, I promise a mighty shaking in the land of Israel on that day. 20 All living things-- all the fish, birds, animals, and people-- will quake in terror at my presence. Mountains will be thrown down; cliffs will crumble; walls will fall to the earth. 21 I will summon the sword against you throughout Israel, says the Sovereign LORD. Your men will turn against each other in mortal combat. 22 I will punish you and your hordes with disease and bloodshed; I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur! 23 Thus will I show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the LORD! "
My dear brothers and sisters, *be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Your anger can never make things right in God's sight. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls. 22 And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself. 23 For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law-- the law that sets you free-- and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. 26 If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us. 2:1 MY dear brothers and sisters, *how can you claim that you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people more than others? 2 For instance, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in shabby clothes. 3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one," You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor "-- well, 4 doesn't this discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives? 5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the kingdom God promised to those who love him? 6 And yet, you insult the poor man! Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? 8 Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord's royal command found in the Scriptures:" Love your neighbor as yourself. "9 But if you pay special attention to the rich, you are committing a sin, for you are guilty of breaking that law. 10 And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God's laws. 11 For the same God who said," Do not commit adultery, "also said," Do not murder. "So if you murder someone, you have broken the entire law, even if you do not commit adultery. 12 So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you free. 13 For there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God's mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you. 14 Dear brothers and sisters, what's the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can't save anyone. 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, 16 and you say," Well, good- bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well "-- but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? 17 So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all-- it is dead and useless.
Praise the LORD, all you nations.
Praise him, all you people of the earth.
2 For he loves us with unfailing love;
the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD!
The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions
