Ezekiel 13 - Legacy Standard Bible

Ezekiel 13

Yahweh’s Wrath Against Lying Prophets

Then the word of Yahweh came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own heart, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh! 3 Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Woe to the wickedly foolish prophets who are walking after their own spirit and have seen nothing. 4 O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among waste places. 5 You have not gone up into the breaches, nor did you build the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of Yahweh. 6 They behold worthlessness and lying divination who are saying, ‘Yahweh declares,’ when Yahweh has not sent them; yet they wait for the establishing of their word. 7 Did you not see a worthless vision and speak a lying divination when you said, ‘Yahweh declares,’ but it is not I who have spoken?”’” 8 Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because you have spoken worthlessness and beheld a lie, therefore behold, I am against you,” declares Lord Yahweh. 9 “So My hand will be against the prophets who see worthless visions and utter lying divinations. They will not be in the council of My people, nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, that you may know that I am Lord Yahweh. 10 It is definitely because they have misled My people by saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is 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 flooding rain will come, and you, O hailstones, will fall; and a stormy wind will break out. 12 Now behold, the wall will fall. Will it then not be said to you, ‘Where is the plaster with which you plastered it?’” 13 Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will make a stormy wind break out in My wrath. There will also be in My anger a flooding rain and hailstones to consume it in wrath. 14 So I will pull down the wall which you plastered over with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation is laid bare; and it will fall, and you will be consumed in its midst. And you will know that I am Yahweh. 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 is gone, and its plasterers are gone— 16 the prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ declares Lord Yahweh. 17 “Now as for you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their own heart. Prophesy against them 18 and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Woe to the women who sew magic bands on all wrists and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature to hunt down souls! Will you hunt down My people’s souls, but preserve your own souls? 19 For handfuls of barley and fragments of bread, you have profaned Me to My people to put to death souls who should not die and to keep other souls alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies.”’” 20 Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I am against your magic bands by which you hunt souls there as birds, and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let their souls go, the very souls whom you hunt as birds. 21 I will also tear off your veils and 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 Yahweh. 22 Because you disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have strengthened the hands of the wicked not to turn from his evil way and preserve his life, 23 therefore, you women will no longer see worthless visions or practice divination, and I will deliver My people out of your hand. Thus you will know that I am Yahweh.”

Colossians 3 - 4

Put On the New Man

Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you died and your life has been hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory. 5 Therefore, consider the members of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, lay them all aside: wrath, anger, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you put off the old man with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new man who is being renewed to a full knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, and freeman, but Christ is all and in all. 12 So, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and graciously forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone, just as the Lord graciously forgave you, so also should you. 14 Above all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with gratefulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Family and Work

18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. 20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart. 22 Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but with integrity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. Serve the Lord Christ. 25 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.

Final Instructions and Greetings

Masters, show to your slaves what is right and fair, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven. 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been bound, 4 that I may make it manifest in the way I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, redeeming the time. 6 Let your words always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should answer each person. 7 Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow slave in the Lord, will make known to you all my affairs, 8 whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts; 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will inform you about the whole situation here. 10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); 11 and also Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a slave of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand complete and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas. 15 Greet the brothers who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house. 16 And when this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” 18 The greeting is in my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

Psalm 143

My Soul Reaches for You

A Psalm of David.

O Yahweh, hear my prayer,

Give ear to my supplications!

Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness!

And do not enter into judgment with Your slave,

For no one living is righteous in Your sight.

For the enemy has pursued my soul;

He has crushed my life to the ground;

He has made me inhabit dark places, like those who have long been dead.

Therefore my spirit was faint within me;

My heart was appalled within me.

I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all You have done;

I muse on the work of Your hands.

I stretch out my hands to You;

My soul reaches for You like a weary land. Selah.

Answer me quickly, O Yahweh, my spirit wastes away;

Do not hide Your face from me,

Or I will become like those who go down to the pit.

Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;

For I trust in You;

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk;

For to You I lift up my soul.

Deliver me from my enemies, O Yahweh,

I have concealed myself in You.

Teach me to do Your will,

For You are my God;

Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

For the sake of Your name, O Yahweh, revive me.

In Your righteousness bring my soul out of distress.

And in Your lovingkindness, cut off my enemies

And cause all those who assail my soul to perish,

For I am Your slave.