Ezekiel 17 - 18 - Legacy Standard Bible

Ezekiel 17 - 18

Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

Now the word of Yahweh came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, propound a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel, 3 and you will say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “A great eagle with great wings, long pinions, and a full plumage of many colors came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar. 4 He plucked off the topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a city of traders. 5 He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in a field fit for seed. He placed it beside abundant waters; he set it like a willow. 6 Then it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine with its foliage turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and yielded shoots and sent out branches. 7 “But there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and sent out its foliage toward him from the beds where it was planted, that he might water it. 8 It was planted in a good field beside abundant waters, that it might yield branches and bear fruit and become a majestic vine.”’ 9 Say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Will it succeed? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it dries up—so that all its sprouting leaves dry up? And neither by great strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again. 10 And behold, though it is planted, will it succeed? Will it not completely dry up as soon as the east wind strikes it—dry up on the beds where it sprouted?”’”

The King Shall Die in Babylon

11 Moreover, the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 12 “Say now to the rebellious house, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Say, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and princes, and brought them to him in Babylon. 13 He took one of the royal seed and cut a covenant with him and brought him under oath. He also took away the dominant one of the land, 14 that the kingdom might become lowly, not lifting itself up, but keeping his covenant that it might continue. 15 But he rebelled against him by sending his messengers to Egypt that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape? 16 As I live,’ declares Lord Yahweh, ‘Surely in the country of the king who made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, in Babylon he shall die. 17 And Pharaoh with his mighty military force and great assembly will not help him in the war, when they cast up ramps and build siege walls to cut off many lives. 18 Now he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and behold, he pledged his allegiance, yet did all these things; he shall not escape.’” 19 Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “As I live, surely My oath which he despised and My covenant which he broke, I will put on his head. 20 I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. Then I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there regarding the unfaithful act which he has committed against Me. 21 All the choice men in all his troops will fall by the sword, and the remnant will be scattered to every wind; and you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken.” 22 Thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I will pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on an exalted and lofty mountain. 23 On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may lift up boughs and yield fruit and become a majestic cedar. And birds of every kind will dwell under it; they will dwell in the shade of its branches. 24 And all the trees of the field will know that I am Yahweh; I bring down the exalted tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am Yahweh; I have spoken, and I will do it.”

The Soul Who Sins Will Die

Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 2 “What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying,

‘The fathers eat the sour grapes,

But the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

3 As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore. 4 Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die. 5 “But if a man is righteous and does justice and righteousness, 6 and does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period— 7 if a man does not mistreat anyone, but returns to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, 8 if he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he turns his hand from injustice and does true justice between man and man, 9 if he walks in My statutes and My judgments and is careful to do the truth—he is righteous and will surely live,” declares Lord Yahweh. 10 “Then he may have a violent son who sheds blood and who does any of these things to a brother 11 (though he himself did not do any of these things), that is, he even eats at the mountain shrines and defiles his neighbor’s wife; 12 he mistreats the afflicted and needy, commits robbery, does not return a pledge, but lifts up his eyes to the idols and does abominations; 13 he lends money on interest and takes increase; will he live? He will not live! He has done all these abominations; he will surely be put to death; his blood will be on himself. 14 “Now behold, he has a son who has seen all his father’s sins which he has done. And he saw this but does not do likewise. 15 He does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife 16 or mistreat anyone, or retain a pledge or commit robbery, but he gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing; 17 he turns his hand away from the afflicted, does not take interest or increase, but does My judgments and walks in My statutes; he will not die for his father’s iniquity; he will surely live. 18 As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what was not good among his people, behold, he will die for his iniquity. 19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ But the son has done justice and righteousness and has kept all My statutes and done them. He shall surely live. 20 The soul who sins will die. The son will not bear the iniquity of the father, nor will the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. 21 “But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has done and keeps all My statutes and does justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 All his transgressions which he has done will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has done, he will live. 23 Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares Lord Yahweh, “is it not that he should turn from his ways and live? 24 “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, does injustice, and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his unfaithfulness which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die. 25 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right? 26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, does injustice, and dies because of it, for his injustice which he has done he will die. 27 Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has done and does justice and righteousness, he will preserve his life. 28 Again, he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had done; he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 But the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right? 30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his way,” declares Lord Yahweh. “Turn back and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you. 31 Cast away from yourselves all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Now why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares Lord Yahweh. “Therefore, turn back and live.”

1 Thessalonians 4 - 5

Sanctification and Love

Finally then, brothers, we ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. 2 For you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God did not call us to impurity, but in sanctification. 8 Consequently, he who sets this aside is not setting aside man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you. 9 Now concerning love of the brothers, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, 10 for indeed you do practice it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to excel still more, 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, 12 so that you will walk properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.

The Dead in Christ Will Rise

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The Day of the Lord

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman who is pregnant, and they will never escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief, 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be awake and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not appointed us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore, comfort one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

Admonishment and Instruction

12 But we ask of you, brothers, that you know those who labor among you, and lead you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and that you regard them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit; 20 do not despise prophecies, 21 but examine all things; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it. 25 Brothers, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27 I implore you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Psalm 145 - 146

Yahweh’s Greatness Is Unsearchable

A Praise of David.

א Aleph

I will exalt You, my God, O King,

And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

ב Beth

Every day I will bless You,

And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

ג Gimel

Great is Yahweh, and highly to be praised,

And His greatness is unsearchable.

ד Daleth

One generation shall laud Your works to another,

And shall declare Your mighty deeds.

ה He

On the glorious splendor of Your majesty

And on the words of Your wondrous deeds, I will muse.

ו Vav

Men shall speak of the strength of Your fearsome acts,

And I will recount Your greatness.

ז Zayin

They shall pour forth the memory of Your abundant goodness

And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.

ח Heth

Yahweh is gracious and compassionate;

Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.

ט Teth

Yahweh is good to all,

And His compassions are over all His works.

י Yodh

All Your works, O Yahweh, shall give thanks to You,

And Your holy ones shall bless You.

כ Kaph

They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom

And talk of Your might;

ל Lamedh

To make known to the sons of men His mighty deeds

And the glory of the majesty of His kingdom.

מ Mem

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

And Your dominion endures from generation to every generation.

ס Samekh

Yahweh sustains all who fall

And raises up all who are bowed down.

ע Ayin

The eyes of all wait on You,

And You give them their food in due time.

פ Pe

You open Your hand

And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

צ Tsadhe

Yahweh is righteous in all His ways

And holy in all His works.

ק Qoph

Yahweh is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in truth.

ר Resh

He will work out the desire of those who fear Him;

He will hear their cry for help and He will save them.

שׁ Shin

Yahweh keeps all who love Him,

But all the wicked He will destroy.

ת Tav

My mouth will speak the praise of Yahweh,

And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.

I Will Praise Yahweh Throughout My Life

Praise Yah!

Praise Yahweh, O my soul!

I will praise Yahweh throughout my life;

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

Do not trust in nobles,

In merely a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.

His spirit departs, he returns to the earth;

In that very day his plans perish.

How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

Whose hope is in Yahweh his God,

Who made heaven and earth,

The sea and all that is in them;

Who keeps truth forever;

Who does justice for the oppressed;

Who gives food to the hungry.

Yahweh sets the prisoners free.

Yahweh opens the eyes of the blind;

Yahweh raises up those who are bowed down;

Yahweh loves the righteous;

Yahweh keeps the sojourners;

He helps up the orphan and the widow,

But He bends the way of the wicked.

Yahweh will reign forever,

Your God, O Zion, from generation to generation.

Praise Yah!