Ezekiel 13-15; Psalms 34 - Prayer Tents

Judgment against False Prophets

13Then this message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H559 2“Son of man, prophesy against the false prophets of Israel who are inventing their own prophecies. Say to them, ‘Listen to the word of the Lord.H1121H120H5012H5030H3478H5012H559H5030H3820H8085H1697H3068 3This is what the Sovereign Lord says: What sorrow awaits the false prophets who are following their own imaginations and have seen nothing at all!’H559H136H3069H1945H5036H5030H1980H310H7307H7200 4“O people of Israel, these prophets of yours are like jackals digging in the ruins.H3478H5030H7776H2723 5They have done nothing to repair the breaks in the walls around the nation. They have not helped it to stand firm in battle on the day of the Lord.H5927H6556H1443H1447H1004H3478H5975H4421H3117H3068 6Instead, they have told lies and made false predictions. They say, ‘This message is from the Lord,’ even though the Lord never sent them. And yet they expect him to fulfill their prophecies!H2372H7723H3577H7081H559H3068H5002H3068H7971H3176H6965H1697 7Can your visions be anything but false if you claim, ‘This message is from the Lord,’ when I have not even spoken to you?H2372H7723H4236H1696H3577H4738H559H3068H5002H559 8“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because what you say is false and your visions are a lie, I will stand against you, says the Sovereign Lord.H559H136H3069H1696H7723H2372H3577H5002H136H3069 9I will raise my fist against all the prophets who see false visions and make lying predictions, and they will be banished from the community of Israel. I will blot their names from Israel’s record books, and they will never again set foot in their own land. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.H3027H5030H2374H7723H7080H3577H5475H5971H3789H3791H1004H3478H935H127H3478H3045H136H3069 10“This will happen because these evil prophets deceive my people by saying, ‘All is peaceful’ when there is no peace at all! It’s as if the people have built a flimsy wall, and these prophets are trying to reinforce it by covering it with whitewash!H2937H5971H559H7965H7965H1129H2434H2009H2902H8602 11Tell these whitewashers that their wall will soon fall down. A heavy rainstorm will undermine it; great hailstones and mighty winds will knock it down.H559H2902H8602H5307H7857H1653H859H417H68H5307H5591H7307H1234 12And when the wall falls, the people will cry out, ‘What happened to your whitewash?’H7023H5307H559H2915H2902 13“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will sweep away your whitewashed wall with a storm of indignation, with a great flood of anger, and with hailstones of fury.H559H136H3069H1234H5591H7307H2534H7857H1653H639H417H68H2534H3617 14I will break down your wall right to its foundation, and when it falls, it will crush you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.H2040H7023H2902H8602H5060H776H3247H1540H5307H3615H8432H3045H3068 15At last my anger against the wall and those who covered it with whitewash will be satisfied. Then I will say to you: ‘The wall and those who whitewashed it are both gone.H3615H2534H7023H2902H8602H559H7023H2902 16They were lying prophets who claimed peace would come to Jerusalem when there was no peace. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!’H5030H3478H5012H3389H2374H2377H7965H7965H5002H136H3069

Judgment against False Women Prophets

17“Now, son of man, speak out against the women who prophesy from their own imaginations.H1121H120H7760H6440H1323H5971H5012H3820H5012 18This is what the Sovereign Lord says: What sorrow awaits you women who are ensnaring the souls of my people, young and old alike. You tie magic charms on their wrists and furnish them with magic veils. Do you think you can trap others without bringing destruction on yourselves?H559H559H136H3069H1945H8609H3704H679H3027H6213H4555H7218H6967H6679H5315H6679H5315H5971H2421H5315H2421 19You bring shame on me among my people for a few handfuls of barley or a piece of bread. By lying to my people who love to listen to lies, you kill those who should not die, and you promise life to those who should not live.H2490H5971H8168H8184H6595H3899H4191H5315H4191H2421H5315H2421H2421H3576H5971H8085H3577 20“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against all your magic charms, which you use to ensnare my people like birds. I will tear them from your arms, setting my people free like birds set free from a cage.H559H136H3069H3704H859H6679H5315H6524H7167H2220H5315H7971H5315H6679H6524 21I will tear off the magic veils and save my people from your grasp. They will no longer be your victims. Then you will know that I am the Lord.H4555H7167H5337H5971H3027H3027H4686H3045H3068 22You have discouraged the righteous with your lies, but I didn’t want them to be sad. And you have encouraged the wicked by promising them life, even though they continue in their sins.H8267H3820H6662H3512H3510H2388H3027H7451H7725H7563H1870H2421 23Because of all this, you will no longer talk of seeing visions that you never saw, nor will you make predictions. For I will rescue my people from your grasp. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”H2372H7723H7080H7081H5337H5971H3027H3045H3068

The Idolatry of Israel’s Leaders

14Then some of the leaders of Israel visited me, and while they were sitting with me,H935H582H2205H3478H3427H6440 2this message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H559 3“Son of man, these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests?H1121H120H582H5927H1544H3820H5414H4383H5771H5227H6440H1875H1875 4Tell 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.H1696H559H559H136H3069H376H1004H3478H5927H1544H3820H7760H4383H5771H5227H6440H935H5030H3068H6030H935H7230H1544 5I will do this to capture the minds and hearts of all my people who have turned from me to worship their detestable idols.’H8610H1004H3478H3820H2114H1544 6“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.H559H1004H3478H559H136H3069H7725H7725H1544H7725H6440H8441 7I, 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.H376H1004H3478H1616H1481H3478H5144H310H5927H1544H3820H7760H4383H5771H5227H6440H935H5030H1875H3068H6030 8I 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.H5414H6440H376H8074H226H4912H3772H8432H5971H3045H3068 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.H5030H6601H1696H1697H3068H6601H5030H5186H3027H8045H8432H5971H3478 10False prophets and those who seek their guidance will all be punished for their sins.H5375H5771H5771H5030H5771H1875 11In 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!’”H1004H3478H8582H310H2930H6588H5971H430H5002H136H3069

The Certainty of the Lord’s Judgment

12Then this message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H559 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.H1121H120H776H2398H4603H4604H5186H3027H7665H4294H3899H7971H7458H3772H120H929 14Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness would save no one but themselves, says the Sovereign Lord.H7969H582H5146H1840H347H8432H5337H5315H6666H5002H136H3069 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.H3863H7451H2416H5674H776H7921H8077H5674H6440H2416 16As 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.H7969H582H8432H2416H5002H136H3069H5337H1121H1323H5337H776H8077 17“Or suppose I were to bring war against the land, and I sent enemy armies to destroy both people and animals.H935H2719H776H559H2719H5674H776H3772H120H929 18As 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.H7969H582H8432H2416H5002H136H3069H5337H1121H1323H5337 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.H7971H1698H776H8210H2534H1818H3772H120H929 20As 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.H5146H1840H347H8432H2416H5002H136H3069H5337H1121H518H1323H5337H5315H6666 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.H559H136H3069H7971H702H7451H8201H3389H2719H7458H7451H2416H1698H3772H120H929 22Yet 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.H3498H6413H3318H1121H1323H3318H7200H1870H5949H5162H7451H935H3389H935 23When 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!”H5162H7200H1870H5949H3045H6213H2600H6213H5002H136H3069

Jerusalem—a Useless Vine

15Then this message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H559 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?H1121H120H1612H6086H6086H2156H6086H3293 3Can its wood be used for making things, like pegs to hang up pots and pans?H6086H3947H6213H4399H3947H3489H8518H3627 4No, it can only be used for fuel, and even as fuel, it burns too quickly.H5414H784H402H784H398H8147H7098H8432H2787H6743H4399 5Vines are useless both before and after being put into the fire!H8549H6213H4399H6213H4399H784H398H2787 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.H559H136H3069H1612H6086H6086H3293H5414H784H402H5414H3427H3389 7And 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.H5414H6440H3318H784H784H398H3045H3068H7760H6440 8And I will make the land desolate because my people have been unfaithful to me. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”H5414H776H8077H4603H4604H5002H136H3069

34[A psalm of David, regarding the time he pretended to be insane in front of Abimelech, who sent him away.] I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.H1732H8138H2940H6440H40H1644H3212H1288H3068H6256H8416H8548H6310 2I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are helpless take heart.H5315H1984H3068H6035H8085H8055 3Come, let us tell of the LORD's greatness; let us exalt his name together.H1431H3068H7311H8034H3162 4I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.H1875H3068H6030H5337H4035 5Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.H5027H5102H6440H2659 6In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles.H6041H7121H3068H8085H3467H6869 7For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.H4397H3068H2583H5439H3373H2502 8Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!H2938H7200H3068H2896H835H1397H2620 9Fear the LORD, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.H3372H3068H6918H4270H3373 10Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing.H3715H7326H7456H1875H3068H2637H2896 11Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the LORD.H3212H1121H8085H3925H3374H3068 12Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous?H376H2655H2416H157H3117H7200H2896 13Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!H5341H3956H7451H8193H1696H4820 14Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.H5493H7451H6213H2896H1245H7965H7291 15The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help.H5869H3068H6662H241H7775 16But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth.H6440H3068H6213H7451H3772H2143H776 17The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.H6817H3068H8085H5337H6869 18The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.H3068H7138H7665H3820H3467H1793H7307 19The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.H7227H7451H6662H3068H5337 20For the LORD protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!H8104H6106H259H2007H7665 21Calamity will surely overtake the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished.H7451H4191H7563H8130H6662H816 22But the LORD will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.H3068H6299H5315H5650H2620H816