Ezekiel 14

The Idolatry of Israel's Leaders
 ¹  Then some of the leaders of Israel visited me, and while they were sitting with me,  ²  this message came to me from the LORD:  ³  "Son of man, these leaders have set up idols [3]  in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests?  ⁴  Tell them, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Israel have set up idols in their hearts and fallen into sin, and then they go to a prophet asking for a message. So I, the LORD, will give them the kind of answer their great idolatry deserves.  <sup>5</sup>  I will do this to capture the minds and hearts of all my people who have turned from me to worship their detestable idols.'
   <sup>6</sup>  "Therefore, tell the people of Israel, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent and turn away from your idols, and stop all your detestable sins.  ⁷  I, the LORD, will answer all those, both Israelites and foreigners, who reject me and set up idols in their hearts and so fall into sin, and who then come to a prophet asking for my advice.  ⁸  I will turn against such people and make a terrible example of them, eliminating them from among my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
   ⁹  "`And if a prophet is deceived into giving a message, it is because I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet. I will lift my fist against such prophets and cut them off from the community of Israel.  ¹⁰  False prophets and those who seek their guidance will all be punished for their sins.  ¹¹  In this way, the people of Israel will learn not to stray from me, polluting themselves with sin. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!'"

The Certainty of the LORD's Judgment
 ¹²  Then this message came to me from the LORD:  ¹³  "Son of man, suppose the people of a country were to sin against me, and I lifted my fist to crush them, cutting off their food supply and sending a famine to destroy both people and animals.  ¹⁴  Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness would save no one but themselves, says the Sovereign LORD.
   ¹⁵  "Or suppose I were to send wild animals to invade the country, kill the people, and make the land too desolate and dangerous to pass through.  ¹⁶  As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, even if those three men were there, they wouldn't be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be made desolate.
   ¹⁷  "Or suppose I were to bring war against the land, and I sent enemy armies to destroy both people and animals.  ¹⁸  As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, even if those three men were there, they wouldn't be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.
   ¹⁹  "Or suppose I were to pour out my fury by sending an epidemic into the land, and the disease killed people and animals alike.  ²⁰  As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, they wouldn't be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved by their righteousness.
   ²¹  "Now this is what the Sovereign LORD says: How terrible it will be when all four of these dreadful punishments fall upon Jerusalem—war, famine, wild animals, and disease—destroying all her people and animals.  ²²  Yet there will be survivors, and they will come here to join you as exiles in Babylon. You will see with your own eyes how wicked they are, and then you will feel better about what I have done to Jerusalem.  ²³  When you meet them and see their behavior, you will understand that these things are not being done to Israel without cause. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!"

Ezekiel 15

Jerusalem—a Useless Vine
 ¹  Then this message came to me from the LORD:  ²  "Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine's wood as useful as the wood of a tree?  ³  Can its wood be used for making things, like pegs to hang up pots and pans?  ⁴  No, it can only be used for fuel, and even as fuel, it burns too quickly.  ⁵  Vines are useless both before and after being put into the fire!
   ⁶  "And this is what the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Jerusalem are like grapevines growing among the trees of the forest. Since they are useless, I have thrown them on the fire to be burned.  ⁷  And I will see to it that if they escape from one fire, they will fall into another. When I turn against them, you will know that I am the LORD.  ⁸  And I will make the land desolate because my people have been unfaithful to me. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!"

<<  14:3 The Hebrew term (literally round things) probably alludes to dung; also in 14:4, 5, 6, 7.

James 2

A Warning against Prejudice
 ¹  My dear brothers and sisters, [1]  how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?
   ²  For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting [2]  dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes.  ³  If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, "You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor"—well,  ⁴  doesn't this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?
   ⁵  Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?  ⁶  But you dishonor the poor! Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?  ⁷  Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name [7]  you bear?
   ⁸  Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as yourself." [8]   ⁹  But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.
   ¹⁰  For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws.  ¹¹  For the same God who said, "You must not commit adultery," also said, "You must not murder." [11]  So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.
   ¹²  So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.  ¹³  There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead
 ¹⁴  "What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?"  ¹⁵  Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing,  ¹⁶  and you say, "Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well"—but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
   ¹⁷  So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.    ¹⁸  Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds."
   ¹⁹  You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.  ²⁰  How foolish! Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
   ²¹  Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  ²²  You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.  ²³  And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith." [23]  He was even called the friend of God. [23]   ²⁴  So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
   ²⁵  Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.  ²⁶  Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

<<  2:1 Greek brothers; also in 2:5, 14.
<<  2:2 Greek your synagogue.
<<  2:7 Greek slander the noble name.
<<  2:8 Lev 19:18.
<<  2:11 Exod 20:13-14; Deut 5:17-18.
<<  2:19 Some manuscripts read that God is one; see Deut 6:4.
<<  2:23a Gen 15:6. 2:23b See Isa 41:8.
<<  2:26 Or without spirit.