Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Ezekiel 14:12–16:42; Hebrews 7:18-28; Psalm 106:1-12; and Proverbs 27:4-6. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.
Ezekiel 14:12-16:42 (Contemporary English Version)
Judgment on a Sinful Nation
12The LORD God said: 13Ezekiel, son of man, suppose an entire nation sins against me, and I punish it by destroying the crops and letting its people and livestock starve to death. 14Even if Noah, Daniel, a] and Job were living in that nation, their faithfulness would not save anyone but themselves. 15Or suppose I punish a nation by sending wild animals to eat people and scare away every passerby, so that the land becomes a barren desert. 16As surely as I live, I promise that even if these three men lived in that nation, their own children would not be spared. The three men would live, but the land would be an empty desert.
17Or suppose I send an enemy to attack a sinful nation and kill its people and livestock. 18If these three men were in that nation when I punished it, not even their children would be spared. Only the three men would live.
19And suppose I am so angry that I send a deadly disease to wipe out the people and livestock of a sinful nation. 20Again, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were living there, I, the LORD, promise that the children of these faithful men would also die. Only the three of them would be spared.
21I am the LORD God, and I promise to punish Jerusalem severely. I will send war, starvation, wild animals, and deadly disease to slaughter its people and livestock. 22And those who survive will be taken from their country and led here to Babylonia. Ezekiel, when you see how sinful they are, you will know why I did all these things to Jerusalem. 23You will be convinced that I, the LORD God, was right in doing what I did.
17Or suppose I send an enemy to attack a sinful nation and kill its people and livestock. 18If these three men were in that nation when I punished it, not even their children would be spared. Only the three men would live.
19And suppose I am so angry that I send a deadly disease to wipe out the people and livestock of a sinful nation. 20Again, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were living there, I, the LORD, promise that the children of these faithful men would also die. Only the three of them would be spared.
21I am the LORD God, and I promise to punish Jerusalem severely. I will send war, starvation, wild animals, and deadly disease to slaughter its people and livestock. 22And those who survive will be taken from their country and led here to Babylonia. Ezekiel, when you see how sinful they are, you will know why I did all these things to Jerusalem. 23You will be convinced that I, the LORD God, was right in doing what I did.
Ezekiel 15
Jerusalem Is a Useless Vine
1Some time later, the LORD said: 2Ezekiel, son of man, what happens to the wood of a grapevine after the grapes have been picked? It isn't like other trees in the forest, 3because the wood of a grapevine can't be used to make anything, not even a small peg to hang things on. 4It can only be used as firewood. But after its ends are burnt and its middle is charred, it can't be used for anything. 5The wood is useless before it is burned, and afterwards, it is completely worthless.
6I, the LORD God, promise that just as the wood of a grapevine is burned as firewood, 7I will punish the people of Jerusalem with fire. Some of them have escaped one destruction, but soon they will be completely burned. And when that happens, you, Ezekiel, will know that I am the LORD. 8I will make their country an empty wasteland, because they have not been loyal to me. I, the LORD God, have spoken.
6I, the LORD God, promise that just as the wood of a grapevine is burned as firewood, 7I will punish the people of Jerusalem with fire. Some of them have escaped one destruction, but soon they will be completely burned. And when that happens, you, Ezekiel, will know that I am the LORD. 8I will make their country an empty wasteland, because they have not been loyal to me. I, the LORD God, have spoken.
Ezekiel 16
Jerusalem Is Unfaithful
1The LORD said: 2Ezekiel, son of man, remind the people of Jerusalem of their disgusting sins 3and tell them that I, the LORD God, am saying:
Jerusalem, you were born in the country where Canaanites lived. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite. b] 4When you were born, no one cut you loose from your mother or washed your body. No one rubbed your skin with salt and olive oil, c] and wrapped you in warm blankets. 5Not one person loved you enough to do any of these things, and no one even felt sorry for you. You were despised, thrown into a field, and forgotten. 6I saw you lying there, rolling around in your own blood, and I couldn't let you die. 7I took care of you, like someone caring for a tender, young plant. You grew up to be a beautiful young woman with perfect breasts and long hair, but you were still naked.
8When I saw you again, you were old enough to have sex. So I covered your naked body with my own robe. d] Then I solemnly promised that you would belong to me and that I, the LORD God, would take care of you. 9I washed the blood off you and rubbed your skin with olive oil. 10I gave you the finest clothes and the most expensive robes, e] as well as sandals made from the best leather. 11I gave you bracelets, a necklace, 12a ring for your nose, some earrings, and a beautiful crown. 13Your jewelry was gold and silver, and your clothes were made of only the finest material and embroidered linen. Your bread was baked from fine flour, and you ate honey and olive oil. You were as beautiful as a queen, 14and everyone on earth knew it. I, the LORD God, had helped you become a lovely young woman. 15You learned that you were attractive enough to have any man you wanted, so you offered yourself to every passerby. f] 16You made shrines for yourself and decorated them with some of your clothes. That's where you took your visitors to have sex with them. These things should never have happened! g] 17You made idols out of the gold and silver jewelry I gave you, then you sinned by worshiping those idols. 18You dressed them in the clothes you got from me, and you offered them the olive oil and incense I gave you. 19I supplied you with fine flour, olive oil, and honey, but you sacrificed it all as offerings to please those idols. I, the LORD God, watched this happen. 20But you did something even worse than that--you sacrificed your own children to those idols! 21You slaughtered my children, so you could offer them as sacrifices. 22You were so busy sinning and being a prostitute that you refused to think about the days when you were young and were rolling around naked in your own blood.
23Now I, the LORD God, say you are doomed! Not only did you do these evil things, 24but you also built places on every street corner 25where you disgraced yourself by having sex with anyone who walked by. And you did that more and more every day! 26To make me angry, you even offered yourself to Egyptians, who were always ready to sleep with you.
27So I punished you by letting those greedy Philistine enemies take over some of your territory. But even they were offended by your disgusting behavior.
28You couldn't get enough sex, so you chased after Assyrians and slept with them. You still weren't satisfied, 29so you went after Babylonians. But those merchants could not satisfy you either.
30I, the LORD God, say that you were so disgusting that you would have done anything to get what you wanted. h] 31You had sex on every street corner, and when you finished, you refused to accept money. That's worse than being a prostitute! 32You are nothing but an unfaithful wife who would rather have sex with strangers than with your own husband. 33Prostitutes accept money for having sex, but you bribe men from everywhere to have sex with you. 34You're not like other prostitutes. Men don't ask you for sex--you offer to pay them!
Jerusalem, you were born in the country where Canaanites lived. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite. b] 4When you were born, no one cut you loose from your mother or washed your body. No one rubbed your skin with salt and olive oil, c] and wrapped you in warm blankets. 5Not one person loved you enough to do any of these things, and no one even felt sorry for you. You were despised, thrown into a field, and forgotten. 6I saw you lying there, rolling around in your own blood, and I couldn't let you die. 7I took care of you, like someone caring for a tender, young plant. You grew up to be a beautiful young woman with perfect breasts and long hair, but you were still naked.
8When I saw you again, you were old enough to have sex. So I covered your naked body with my own robe. d] Then I solemnly promised that you would belong to me and that I, the LORD God, would take care of you. 9I washed the blood off you and rubbed your skin with olive oil. 10I gave you the finest clothes and the most expensive robes, e] as well as sandals made from the best leather. 11I gave you bracelets, a necklace, 12a ring for your nose, some earrings, and a beautiful crown. 13Your jewelry was gold and silver, and your clothes were made of only the finest material and embroidered linen. Your bread was baked from fine flour, and you ate honey and olive oil. You were as beautiful as a queen, 14and everyone on earth knew it. I, the LORD God, had helped you become a lovely young woman. 15You learned that you were attractive enough to have any man you wanted, so you offered yourself to every passerby. f] 16You made shrines for yourself and decorated them with some of your clothes. That's where you took your visitors to have sex with them. These things should never have happened! g] 17You made idols out of the gold and silver jewelry I gave you, then you sinned by worshiping those idols. 18You dressed them in the clothes you got from me, and you offered them the olive oil and incense I gave you. 19I supplied you with fine flour, olive oil, and honey, but you sacrificed it all as offerings to please those idols. I, the LORD God, watched this happen. 20But you did something even worse than that--you sacrificed your own children to those idols! 21You slaughtered my children, so you could offer them as sacrifices. 22You were so busy sinning and being a prostitute that you refused to think about the days when you were young and were rolling around naked in your own blood.
23Now I, the LORD God, say you are doomed! Not only did you do these evil things, 24but you also built places on every street corner 25where you disgraced yourself by having sex with anyone who walked by. And you did that more and more every day! 26To make me angry, you even offered yourself to Egyptians, who were always ready to sleep with you.
27So I punished you by letting those greedy Philistine enemies take over some of your territory. But even they were offended by your disgusting behavior.
28You couldn't get enough sex, so you chased after Assyrians and slept with them. You still weren't satisfied, 29so you went after Babylonians. But those merchants could not satisfy you either.
30I, the LORD God, say that you were so disgusting that you would have done anything to get what you wanted. h] 31You had sex on every street corner, and when you finished, you refused to accept money. That's worse than being a prostitute! 32You are nothing but an unfaithful wife who would rather have sex with strangers than with your own husband. 33Prostitutes accept money for having sex, but you bribe men from everywhere to have sex with you. 34You're not like other prostitutes. Men don't ask you for sex--you offer to pay them!
Jerusalem Must Be Punished
The LORD said:
35Jerusalem, you prostitute, listen to me. 36You chased after lovers, then took off your clothes and had sex. You even worshiped disgusting idols and sacrificed your own children as offerings to them. 37So I, the LORD God, will gather every one of your lovers, those you liked and those you hated. They will stand around you, and I will rip off your clothes and let all of those lovers stare at your nakedness. 38I will find you guilty of being an unfaithful wife and a murderer, and in my fierce anger I will sentence you to death! 39Then I will hand you over to your lovers, who will tear down the places where you had sex. They will take your clothes and jewelry, leaving you naked and empty-handed. 40Your lovers and an angry mob will stone you to death; they will cut your dead body into pieces 41and burn down your houses. Other women will watch these terrible things happen to you. I promise to stop you from being a prostitute and paying your lovers for sex.
42Only then will I calm down and stop being angry and jealous.
Footnotes:- Ezekiel 14:14 Daniel: Or "Danel," possibly a well-known hero or wise man.
- Ezekiel 16:3 Amorite. . . Hittite: People who lived in Canaan before the Israelites and who worshiped idols.
- Ezekiel 16:4 rubbed your skin with salt and olive oil: People believed this toughened the skin of the babies.
- Ezekiel 16:8 I covered your naked body with my own robe: To show that he would protect and take care of her.
- Ezekiel 16:10 most expensive robes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Ezekiel 16:15 so you offered yourself to every passerby: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Ezekiel 16:16 These things should never have happened: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Ezekiel 16:30 wanted: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 30.
42Only then will I calm down and stop being angry and jealous.
Footnotes:
- Ezekiel 14:14 Daniel: Or "Danel," possibly a well-known hero or wise man.
- Ezekiel 16:3 Amorite. . . Hittite: People who lived in Canaan before the Israelites and who worshiped idols.
- Ezekiel 16:4 rubbed your skin with salt and olive oil: People believed this toughened the skin of the babies.
- Ezekiel 16:8 I covered your naked body with my own robe: To show that he would protect and take care of her.
- Ezekiel 16:10 most expensive robes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Ezekiel 16:15 so you offered yourself to every passerby: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Ezekiel 16:16 These things should never have happened: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Ezekiel 16:30 wanted: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 30.
Hebrews 7:18-28 (Contemporary English Version)
18In this way a weak and useless command was put aside, 19because the Law cannot make anything perfect. At the same time, we are given a much better hope, and it can bring us close to God.
20-21God himself made a promise when this priest was appointed. But he did not make a promise like this when the other priests were appointed. The promise he made is,
"I, the Lord, promise that you
will be a priest forever!
And I will never
change my mind!"
22This means that Jesus guarantees us a better agreement with God. 23There have been a lot of other priests, and all of them have died. 24But Jesus will never die, and so he will be a priest forever! 25He is forever able to save a] the people he leads to God, because he always lives to speak to God for them. 26Jesus is the high priest we need. He is holy and innocent and faultless, and not at all like us sinners. Jesus is honored above all beings in heaven, 27and he is better than any other high priest. Jesus doesn't need to offer sacrifices each day for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. He offered a sacrifice once for all, when he gave himself. 28The Law appoints priests who have weaknesses. But God's promise, which came later than the Law, appoints his Son. And he is the perfect high priest forever.
Footnotes:- Hebrews 7:25 forever able to save: Or "able to save forever."
20-21God himself made a promise when this priest was appointed. But he did not make a promise like this when the other priests were appointed. The promise he made is,
"I, the Lord, promise that you
will be a priest forever!
And I will never
change my mind!"
22This means that Jesus guarantees us a better agreement with God. 23There have been a lot of other priests, and all of them have died. 24But Jesus will never die, and so he will be a priest forever! 25He is forever able to save a] the people he leads to God, because he always lives to speak to God for them. 26Jesus is the high priest we need. He is holy and innocent and faultless, and not at all like us sinners. Jesus is honored above all beings in heaven, 27and he is better than any other high priest. Jesus doesn't need to offer sacrifices each day for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. He offered a sacrifice once for all, when he gave himself. 28The Law appoints priests who have weaknesses. But God's promise, which came later than the Law, appoints his Son. And he is the perfect high priest forever.
Footnotes:
- Hebrews 7:25 forever able to save: Or "able to save forever."
Psalm 106:1-12 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 106
A Nation Asks for Forgiveness
1We will celebrate and praise you, LORD!
You are good to us,
and your love never fails.
2No one can praise you enough
for all of the mighty things
you have done.
3You bless those people
who are honest and fair
in everything they do.
4Remember me, LORD,
when you show kindness
by saving your people.
5Let me prosper with the rest
of your chosen ones,
as they celebrate with pride
because they belong to you.
6We and our ancestors
have sinned terribly.
7When they were in Egypt,
they paid no attention
to your marvelous deeds
or your wonderful love.
And they turned against you
at the Red Sea. a] 8But you were true to your name,
and you rescued them to prove
how mighty you are.
9You said to the Red Sea,
"Dry up!"
Then you led your people across
on land as dry as a desert.
10You saved all of them
11and drowned every one
of their enemies.
12Then your people trusted you
and sang your praises.
Footnotes:- Psalm 106:7 Red Sea: Hebrew yam suph " Sea of Reeds," one of the marshes or fresh water lakes near the eastern part of the Nile Delta. This identification is based on Exodus 13.17--14.9, which lists the towns on the route of the Israelites before crossing the sea. In the Greek translation of the Scriptures made about 200 (B).(C)., the " Sea of Reeds" was named " Red Sea."
You are good to us,
and your love never fails.
2No one can praise you enough
for all of the mighty things
you have done.
3You bless those people
who are honest and fair
in everything they do.
4Remember me, LORD,
when you show kindness
by saving your people.
5Let me prosper with the rest
of your chosen ones,
as they celebrate with pride
because they belong to you.
6We and our ancestors
have sinned terribly.
7When they were in Egypt,
they paid no attention
to your marvelous deeds
or your wonderful love.
And they turned against you
at the Red Sea. a] 8But you were true to your name,
and you rescued them to prove
how mighty you are.
9You said to the Red Sea,
"Dry up!"
Then you led your people across
on land as dry as a desert.
10You saved all of them
11and drowned every one
of their enemies.
12Then your people trusted you
and sang your praises.
Footnotes:
- Psalm 106:7 Red Sea: Hebrew yam suph " Sea of Reeds," one of the marshes or fresh water lakes near the eastern part of the Nile Delta. This identification is based on Exodus 13.17--14.9, which lists the towns on the route of the Israelites before crossing the sea. In the Greek translation of the Scriptures made about 200 (B).(C)., the " Sea of Reeds" was named " Red Sea."
Proverbs 27:4-6 (Contemporary English Version)
4An angry person is dangerous,
but a jealous person
is even worse.
5A truly good friend
will openly correct you.
6You can trust a friend
who corrects you,
but kisses from an enemy
are nothing but lies.
but a jealous person
is even worse.
5A truly good friend
will openly correct you.
6You can trust a friend
who corrects you,
but kisses from an enemy
are nothing but lies.
Thought for the Day
“and by what Christ has done, God has shown us his own mysterious ways. Then when the time is right, God will do all that he has planned, and Christ will bring together everything in heaven and on earth.” (Ephesians 1:9-10 - Contemporary English Version) The future is in the hands of God. And we can believe that his will is going to be done on earth as it is in heaven. And since we also believe he loves us, we can feel great hope as we move forward.
Quote for the Day
“and by what Christ has done, God has shown us his own mysterious ways. Then when the time is right, God will do all that he has planned, and Christ will bring together everything in heaven and on earth.” (Ephesians 1:9-10 - Contemporary English Version) The future is in the hands of God. And we can believe that his will is going to be done on earth as it is in heaven. And since we also believe he loves us, we can feel great hope as we move forward.
Joke for Today
After writing a simple equation on the board the teacher asked if anyone could solve the problem.
Little Johnny walked up to the board, erased it and said, “Problem Solved.”
A Prayer Request
As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.
That those in the entertainment industry recognize any negative influences within their media creations.
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