Ezekiel 2
Amplified Bible
The Prophet’s Call
2 Then He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet and I will speak to you.” 2 Then as He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me. 3 And He said to me, “I am sending you, son of man, to the children of Israel, to a rebellious people [in both the north and the south] that have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have sinned and revolted against Me to this very day. 4 I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord [a]God.’ 5 As for them, whether they listen or refuse [to listen]—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know and be fully aware of the fact that there has been a prophet among them. 6 And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words; though briars and thorns are all around you and you sit among scorpions, neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house. 7 But you shall speak My words to them whether they will listen or refuse [to listen], for they are [most] rebellious.
8 “As for you, son of man, listen to what I say to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.” 9 Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out toward me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. 10 And He spread it before me, and it was written on the front and on the back, and written on it were [words of] lamentation (funeral songs) and mourning and woe.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 2:4 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord and so throughout.
Micah 3
Amplified Bible
Rulers Denounced
3 And I said,
“Hear now, heads of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel.
Is it not for you to know and administer justice?
2
“You who hate good and love evil,
Who tear the skin off my people
And their flesh from their bones;
3
You who eat the flesh of my people,
Strip off their skin from them,
Break their bones
And chop them in pieces as for the pot,
Like meat in a kettle.”
4
Then they will cry to the Lord,
But He will not answer them;
Instead, He will even hide His face from them at that time [withholding His mercy]
Because they have practiced and tolerated and ignored evil acts.(A)
5 Thus says the Lord concerning the [false] prophets who lead my people astray;
When they have something good to bite with their teeth,
They call out, “Peace,”
But against the one who gives them nothing to eat,
They declare a holy war.
6
Therefore it will be night (tragedy) for you—without vision,
And darkness (cataclysm) for you—without foresight.
The sun shall go down on the [false] prophets,
And the day shall become dark and black over them.
7
The seers shall be ashamed
And the diviners discredited and embarrassed;
Indeed, they shall all cover their mouths [in shame]
Because there is no answer from God.
8
But in fact, I am filled with power,
With the Spirit of the Lord,
And with justice and might,
To declare to Jacob his transgression
And to Israel his sin.
9
Now hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel,
Who hate and reject justice
And twist everything that is straight,
10
Who build Zion with blood [and extortion and murder]
And Jerusalem with violent injustice.
11
Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe,
Her priests teach for a fee,
And her prophets foretell for money;
Yet they lean on the Lord, saying,
“Is not the Lord among us?
No tragedy or distress will come on us.”(B)
12
Therefore, on account of you
[a]Zion shall be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem shall become [b]a heap of ruins,
And the mountain of the house [of the Lord] shall become like a densely wooded hill.(C)
Footnotes
- Micah 3:12 Zion (City of David) was the elevated area between the Tyropoeon and Kidron valleys (southeastern area of Jerusalem during the time of Jesus). The city was the capital of Israel (the united kingdom) during the reigns of David and Solomon, and the site of Solomon’s temple.
- Micah 3:12 In 586 b.c. Jerusalem (including Solomon’s temple) was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar ruler of Babylon (Chaldean Dynasty).
Isaiah 56
Amplified Bible
Rewards for Obedience to God
56 This is what the Lord says,
“Maintain justice and do righteousness,
For My salvation is soon to come,
And My righteousness and justice is soon to be revealed.(A)
2
“Blessed (happy, fortunate) is the man who does this,
And the son of man who takes hold of it,
Who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
3
Do not let the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
“The Lord will most certainly separate me from His people.”
And do not let the eunuch say, “Look, I am a dry tree.”
4 This is what the Lord says,
“To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths
And choose what pleases Me,
And hold firmly to My covenant,
5
To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial,
And a name better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.
6
“Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
To minister to Him, and to love the name of the Lord,
To be His servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it
And holds fast to My covenant [by conscientious obedience];
7
All these I will bring to My holy mountain
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will [a]be accepted on My altar;
For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
8
The Lord God, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares:
“I will gather yet others to them (Israel), to those [already] gathered.”
9
All you beasts of the field,
All you beasts (hostile nations) in the forest,
Come to eat.
10
Israel’s watchmen are blind,
They are all without knowledge.
They are all mute dogs, they cannot bark;
Panting, lying down, they love to slumber.
11
And the dogs are greedy; they [b]never have enough.
They are shepherds who have no understanding;
They have all turned to their own way,
Each one to his unlawful gain, without exception.
12
“Come,” [they say,] “let us get wine, and let us fill ourselves with strong drink;
And tomorrow will be like today, very great indeed.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 56:7 Or win favor.
- Isaiah 56:11 Lit do not know satisfaction.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
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