Ezekiel 22 - Legacy Standard Bible

Ezekiel 22

The Abominations of Israel

Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 2 “Now as for you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the city of blood? Then you shall cause her to know all her abominations. 3 And you shall say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “A city shedding blood in her midst, so that her time will come; and she makes idols against herself for defilement! 4 You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed, and defiled by your idols which you have made. Thus you have brought your day near and have come to your years; therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations and a mocking to all the lands. 5 Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you, you of unclean name, full of turmoil. 6 “Behold, the princes of Israel, each according to his power, have been in you for the purpose of shedding blood. 7 They have treated father and mother with contempt within you. The sojourner they have oppressed in your midst; the fatherless and the widow they have mistreated in you. 8 You have despised My holy things and profaned My sabbaths. 9 Slanderous men have been in you for the purpose of shedding blood, and in you they have eaten at the mountain shrines. In your midst they have done acts of lewdness. 10 In you they have uncovered their fathers’ nakedness; in you they have humbled her who was unclean in her menstrual impurity. 11 One has also done what is an abomination with his neighbor’s wife, and another has lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law. And another in you has violated his sister, his father’s daughter. 12 In you they have taken bribes for the purpose of shedding blood; you have taken interest and profits, and you have injured your neighbors for gain by oppression, and you have forgotten Me,” declares Lord Yahweh. 13 “Now behold, I have struck My hand at your greedy gain which you have acquired and at the bloodshed which is among you. 14 Can your heart stand, or can your hands be strong in the days that I will act against you? I, Yahweh, have spoken and will act. 15 I will scatter you among the nations, and I will disperse you through the lands, and I will put an end to your uncleanness from you. 16 You will profane yourself in the sight of the nations, and you will know that I am Yahweh.”’” 17 And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are the dross of silver. 19 Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Because all of you have become dross, therefore, behold, I am going to gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As they gather silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into the furnace to blow fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in My anger and in My wrath, and I will lay you there and melt you. 21 And I will collect you together and blow on you with the fire of My fury, and you will be melted in the midst of it. 22 As silver is melted in the furnace, so you will be melted in the midst of it; and you will know that I, Yahweh, have poured out My wrath on you.’” 23 And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 24 “Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’ 25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her. 26 Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no separation between the holy and the profane, and they have not made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. 27 Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get greedy gain. 28 And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, beholding worthless visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh,’ when Yahweh has not spoken. 29 The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have mistreated the afflicted and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice. 30 And I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the breach before Me for the land, so that I would not bring it to ruin; but I found no one. 31 Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My fury; their way I have brought upon their heads,” declares Lord Yahweh.

1 Timothy 3 - 4

Overseers and Deacons

It is a trustworthy saying: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a good work. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but considerate, peaceable, free from the love of money; 4 leading his own household well, having his children in submission with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to lead his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not indulging in much wine, not fond of dishonest gain, 9 but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And these men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. 11 Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, leading their children and their own households well. 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. 14 I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you soon, 15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. 16 And by common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:

He who was manifested in the flesh,

Was vindicated in the Spirit,

Seen by angels,

Proclaimed among the nations,

Believed on in the world,

Taken up in glory.

Some Will Fall Away

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by the hypocrisy of liars, who have been seared in their own conscience, 3 who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God created to be shared in with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

A Good Minister’s Discipline

6 In pointing out these things to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. 7 But refuse godless myths fit only for old women. On the other hand, train yourself for the purpose of godliness, 8 for bodily training is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 It is a trustworthy saying and deserving full acceptance. 10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. 11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but show yourself as a model to those who believe in word, conduct, love, faith, and purity. 13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift within you, which was given to you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. 15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

Psalm 149 - 150

Yahweh Takes Pleasure in His People

Praise Yah!

Sing to Yahweh a new song,

His praise in the assembly of the holy ones.

Let Israel be glad in his Maker;

Let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King.

Let them praise His name with dancing;

With tambourine and lyre let them sing praises to Him.

For Yahweh takes pleasure in His people;

He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.

Let the holy ones exult in glory;

Let them sing for joy on their beds.

Let the exaltations of God be in their throats,

And a two‑edged sword in their hand,

To execute vengeance on the nations

And punishments on the peoples,

To bind their kings with chains

And their honored men with fetters of iron,

To execute on them the judgment written;

This is the majesty of all His holy ones.

Praise Yah!

Praise Him, Praise Yah!

Praise Yah!

Praise God in His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty expanse.

Praise Him for His mighty deeds;

Praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness.

Praise Him with trumpet blast;

Praise Him with harp and lyre.

Praise Him with tambourine and dancing;

Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.

Praise Him with resounding cymbals;

Praise Him with clashing cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise Yah.

Praise Yah!