The FarAboveAll translation of the Westminster Leningrad Codex edition of the Old Testament / Tanakh

This is the FarAboveAll English translation of the Westminster Leningrad Codex (version 4.18), obtained from the Groves Center. This document contains the English translation text only, without notes. Please refer to the Introduction, the Hebrew and Aramaic source text and the English translation and notes at www.FarAboveAll.com.

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Version 0.35.76, 26 August 2024

Isaiah  

Isaiah Chapter 1 

1The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

2Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth,

For the Lord has spoken.

“I have raised sons and brought them up,

But they have rebelled against me.

3The ox knows his owner,

And the donkey his master's stall,

But Israel does not know

– My people do not understand.

4Alas, a sinful nation,

A people laden with iniquity,

A seed acting wickedly,

Sons acting corruptly.

They have deserted the Lord,

They have despised the holy one of Israel;

They have drawn back.

5Why should you be struck any more?

You would add to the apostasy.

Every head is ailing,

And every heart is faint.

6From the sole of the foot to the head

There is no health in it,

But bruising and scars and raw wounds.

They have not been bathed,

And they have not been bound up,

And they have not been dressed with oil.

7Your land is a desolation,

Your cities have been burned with fire;

As for your land in front of you,

Foreigners are devouring it,

And it is a desolation,

As overthrown by foreigners.

8And the daughter of Zion is left like a shed in a vineyard,

Like a shack in a cucumber field,

Like a besieged city.”

9If the Lord of hosts had not left us a very small remnant,

We would be like Sodom;

We would resemble Gomorrah.

10Hear the word of the Lord,

You leaders of Sodom;

Listen to the word of our God,

You people of Gomorrah.

11“To what end is the abundance of your sacrifices to me?

Says the Lord.

I am replete with burnt offerings of rams

And the fat of fatted calves,

And I do not take pleasure in the blood of bulls

And lambs and he-goats.

12When you come to see my face,

I will ask, ‘Who requested this on your part

To trample over my courtyards?’

13Do not bring a vain meal-offering any more;

Incense is an abomination to me.

I cannot bear the new moon and the Sabbath

Or the convening of a convocation.

They are iniquity,

As is the solemn assembly.

14My being hates your new moons and your festivals;

They are a burden on me,

Which I am weary of bearing.

15And when you stretch out your hands,

I will hide my eyes from you.

Even if you make much prayer,

I will not hear it.

Your hands are full of blood.

16Wash, cleanse yourselves,

Banish evil from your works in my sight;

Cease doing wrong.

17Learn to do good,

Seek justice,

Succour the oppressed,

Give the orphan justice;

Defend the case of the widow.

18Come now, and let us come to a settlement,

Says the Lord,

Even if your sins are as scarlet,

They will become as white as snow.

Even if they are as red as the cochineal worm,

They will become like wool.

19If you are willing, and you are heedful,

You will eat the goodness of the land.

20But if you refuse and rebel,

You will be consumed by the sword,

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

21How did the faithful city become a prostitute?

She was full of justice,

Righteousness used to dwell in her,

But now – murderers.

22Your silver has become dross;

Your liquor has been adulterated

With water.

23Your officials are recalcitrant

And are friends of thieves.

Each one loves bribes

And pursues corrupt payments.

They do not give the orphan justice,

And the case of the widow does not reach them.

24“That is why,

Says the Lord

– The Lord of hosts,

The mighty one of Israel –

Alas, I will rid myself of my adversaries,

And I will avenge myself on my enemies.

25And I will draw my hand over you

And refine your dross,

As is done with potash,

And I will remove all your tin.

26And I will restore your judges as in the beginning,

And your counsellors as at the start.

After that you will be called

The City of Righteousness,

The Faithful Town.

27Zion will be redeemed justly,

As will those returning to her, righteously.

28And it will be the demise of transgressors and sinners together,

Whilst those who abandon the Lord

Will be annihilated.

29For they will be ashamed of the terebinths

Which you delighted in,

And you will be ashamed of the parks

Which you were partial to.

30For they will be like a terebinth

Whose leaves are withering,

And like a park

Which has no water.

31And he who is strong

Will be like hemp fibres,

And his work will be tinder to a spark,

And both will burn together,

And there will be no-one to put them out.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 1: v.9 ↔ Romans 9:29 ● v.11 ↔ Mark 12:33.

Isaiah Chapter 2 

1The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2And it will come to pass in the last days

That the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established

As the foremost of the mountains.

And it will be exalted above the hills,

And all the Gentiles will flock to it.

3And many peoples will go,

And they will say,

“Come, let's go up to the mountain of the Lord

– To the house of the God of Jacob –

And he will instruct us concerning his ways,

And let us walk in his paths.”

For the law will go out from Zion,

And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

4And he will judge among nations

And convict many peoples.

And they will beat their swords into ploughshares

And their spears into pruning shears.

Nation will not lift up sword against nation,

And they will no longer learn warfare.

5O house of Jacob,

Come, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.

6For you have forsaken your people

– The house of Jacob –

For they are full of eastern practices,

And they divine by clouds like the Philistines,

And they make alliances with foreigners.

7And his land has been filled with silver and gold,

And there is no end to his treasure stores.

And his land has been filled with horses,

And there is no end to his chariots.

8And his land has been filled with idols.

They worship the work of their hands

– What their fingers have made.

9Then when a man is made low,

And a person is humbled,

Do not lift them up.

10Go into the rock,

And hide in the dust,

For fear of the Lord

And because of the splendour of his majesty.

11A man's arrogant eyes will be humbled,

And the haughtiness of the people will be brought low,

And the Lord alone will be exalted

On that day.

12For the day of the Lord of hosts

Is against all the proud and haughty,

And against everyone exalted,

And each one will be humbled,

13And against all the cedars of Lebanon,

Which are high and exalted,

And against all the oaks of Bashan,

14And against all the high mountains,

And against all the exalted hills,

15And against every tall tower,

And against every fortified wall,

16And against all the ships of Tarshish,

And against all attractive sights.

17And the arrogance of man will be brought low,

And the haughtiness of people will be humbled,

And the Lord alone will be exalted

On that day.

18And the idols will vanish in their entirety.

19And they will go into the caves in the rocks

And the caverns of the ground,

For fear of the Lord

And because of the splendour of his majesty

When he arises to terrify the earth.

20On that day

Man will throw his silver idols

And his golden idols,

Which were made for him to worship,

To the moles and bats,

21As he goes into the clefts in the rocks,

And into the cracks in the outcrops,

For fear of the Lord

And because of the splendour of his majesty

When he arises to terrify the earth.

22Renounce your ties with man,

Whose breath is in his nose,

For what is he considered worth?

Reference(s) in Chapter 2: v.12 ↔ Revelation 1:10 ● v.19 ↔ Revelation 6:15.

Isaiah Chapter 3 

1For behold, the Lord – the Lord of hosts –

Is removing supplies and provisions from Jerusalem and from Judah –

All supplies of bread

And all supplies of water,

2Affecting the warrior and soldier,

Judge and prophet and diviner,

And old man,

3Commander of fifty and dignitary,

And counsellor and skilled craftsman,

And the initiate in incantations.

4And I will appoint youngsters as their officials,

And children will rule over them.

5And the people will be oppressed,

One man by another,

And one man by his neighbour.

And a young man will be insolent to an old man,

As will a common man to an honourable man.

6For a man will take hold of his brother in his father's house,

And he will say, “You have a coat;

You shall be our leader,

And these ruins will be under your direction.”

7He will take an oath on that day,

And he will say,

“I will not be the one who remedies this

While there is no food and no coat in my house.

Do not make me a leader of the people.”

8For Jerusalem has toppled over,

And Judah has fallen down,

For their tongue and their deeds were directed against the Lord,

In grieving his majestic gaze.

9The expression on their faces testifies against them,

And they betray their sin like Sodom;

They do not conceal it.

Woe to their very selves,

For they are recompensed with evil.

10Say to the righteous man that this is pleasing:

That men will eat the fruit of their works.

11Woe to the evil wicked man!

For the just deserts of his hands

Will be repaid him.

12As for my people, their taskmasters are juvenile,

And women rule over them.

My people, those guiding you are leading you astray,

And they have subverted the way of your paths.

13The Lord is poised to take issue,

And he is taking a stand in judging various peoples.

14The Lord will enter into a judicial process

With the elders of his people and their officials,

For you have consumed the vineyard,

And the plunder taken from the poor is in your houses.

15“What concern has it been to you

Who tread my people down

And grind down the dignity of the poor?”

Says the Lord,

The Lord of hosts.

16And the Lord said,

“Since the daughters of Zion have been haughty

And have walked vaunting their throats

And flirting with their eyes,

Mincing along as they walk,

And wearing anklets on their feet,

17The Lord* will make the hair of the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion fall out,

And the Lord will expose their nakedness.

18On that day the Lord* will remove the adornment of anklets,

And the sun-disks,

And the moon-bangles,

19The pendants, and the bracelets,

And the veils,

20The headdresses and the ankle-chains and the waistbands,

And the perfume boxes,

And the amulets,

21The rings on fingers and the noserings,

22The mantles and the fine coats,

And the cloaks,

And the purses,

23And the mirrors,

And the linen underwear,

And the turbans

And the scarves.

24And it will come to pass

That instead of perfume there will be rottenness,

And instead of a girdle, a cord,

And instead of hairstyling, baldness,

And instead of an overcoat, a wrapping of sackcloth;

Burn marks instead of beauty.

25Your men will fall by the sword,

As will your military might in war.

26And her gates will sigh and mourn,

And she will be vacated

And remain on the ground.”

Isaiah Chapter 4 

1And on that day,

Seven women will take hold of one man

And will say,

“We will eat our own bread,

And we will wear our own clothing,

Only let us be called by your name

To remove our reproach.”

2On that day the Lord's branch will be

The source of beauty and of honour,

And the fruit of the land

Will demonstrate excellence and splendour

To the escaped remnant of Israel.

3And it will come to pass that he who is left in Zion, and he who remains in Jerusalem, will be declared holy to him – everyone in Jerusalem who is written as destined for life, 4when the Lord* washes away the excrement of the daughters of Zion and purges the blood of Jerusalem from its confines, with a spirit of judgment and with a spirit of burning. 5And the Lord will create over every dwelling place in Mount Zion, and over its assemblies, a cloud by day, and smoke, and a flaming fiery glow by night, for all glory will have a canopy over it. 6But there will be a booth as a shade from the heat, and as a shelter and refuge from storm and rain.

Isaiah Chapter 5 

1Let me now sing to my lover

The song of my loved one about his vineyard.

My lover had a vineyard

On a fertile hilltop.

2And he dug it and cleared it of stones,

And he planted it with a choice vine,

And he built a tower in the middle of it,

And he also hewed out a wine vat in it.

And he expected it to produce good grapes,

But it produced blighted ones.

3So now, O inhabitant of Jerusalem,

And men of Judah,

Please judge between me and my vineyard.

4What more was there to do to my vineyard

That I didn't do in it?

How is it that I expected it to produce good grapes,

But it produced blighted ones?

5So now let me make known to you what I am about to do to my vineyard.

I will remove its hedge,

And it will be consigned to burning;

And I will tear down its wall,

And it will become a place trodden down.

6And I will make it a desolate place,

Where it is not pruned or hoed,

And the briar and thorn will come up.

And I will command the rainclouds

Not to precipitate rain on it.

7For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts

Is the house of Israel,

And the men of Judah

Are his delightful plantation.

And he expected justice

But what came was bloodshed;

And righteousness,

But what came was crying out.

8Woe to those who join house to house,

And who adjoin field to field,

Until there is no room,

And you are housed on your own,

In the middle of the land.

9In my ear, the Lord of hosts said,

“Many houses will certainly become a desolation

– Large ones and good ones –

For want of an occupant.

10For ten times what a yoke of oxen plough in a day in a vineyard

Will yield one bath,

And seed for a homer

Will yield one ephah.”

11Woe to those who get up early in the morning

And go looking for strong drink;

They stay up until late in the night,

While wine inflames them.

12And there will be at their banquets

The harp and the lute,

The drum and the pipe, and wine,

But they do not have respect for the Lord's deeds,

And they do not regard the work of his hands,

13Which is why my people have gone into captivity,

For want of knowledge.

And what was its glory

Is now hungry men,

And what was its populousness

Is now thirsty dryness.

14That is why the grave has opened itself wide

And distended its mouth without limit,

And their glory and their many people, and their bustling,

And he who is joyful

Will descend into it.

15A man is made low,

And a person is humbled,

And the eyes of the arrogant will be brought down,

16But the Lord of hosts is exalted by justice,

And holy God is sanctified by righteousness.

17And lambs will feed according to what pasture they have,

And foreigners will eat from the desolate places of the well-fed.

18Woe to those who pull iniquity along

With cords of vanity,

And sinfulness,

As if with a cart-rope,

19Who say, “Let his work come quickly,

Let it hasten so we can see it,

And let the counsel of the holy one of Israel draw near and arrive

So we can acknowledge it.”

20Woe to those who call bad good,

And good bad,

Substituting darkness for light,

And light for darkness,

Substituting bitter for sweet,

And sweet for bitter.

21Woe to the wise in their own eyes,

And the intelligent in their own opinion.

22Woe to the champions in drinking liquor,

And the masters in mixing strong drink,

23And those who justify the wicked for a bribe,

But as for the justice of the righteous,

They deny him it.

24That is why as a tongue of fire consumes the stubble,

And the hay collapses before the flame.

Their root will be rotten,

And their blossoms will appear like dust,

For they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts,

And they have despised the words of the holy one of Israel.

25This is why the Lord's anger is kindled against his people,

And why he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,

And the mountains stood in awe,

And their corpses were like the filth in the middle of the open places.

Yet for all this,

His anger is not receding,

And his hand is still stretched out.

26And he will raise a banner to the Gentiles from afar off,

And he will whistle for them from the end of the earth,

And behold, they will come

With haste and speed.

27There is no-one weary, and no-one stumbles among them;

They do not slumber and do not sleep,

And the girdle around their waist does not come loose,

And the fastening of their shoes does not come undone.

28And their arrows are sharp,

And all their bows are drawn,

And the hoofs of their horses are considered as flint,

And their chariot wheels are like a hurricane.

29They have a roar like a lion,

And they roar like lion cubs,

And they growl and seize prey,

And they make off with it,

And there is no-one to rescue it.

30But he will roar at them on that day,

Like the roaring of the sea.

And if one looks at the earth,

There will be darkness and distress,

And the light will be made dark

By its overclouding.

Isaiah Chapter 6 

1In the year of the death of King Uzziah, I saw the Lord* sitting on a throne, high and exalted, and his robe-train filled the temple. 2Seraphim were standing around him, each having six wings. With two each covered his face, and with two each covered his feet, and with two each flew. 3And one called to another and said,

“Holy, holy, holy,

Is the Lord of hosts.

His glory is the fulness

Of all the earth.”

4And the bases of the thresholds moved at the sound of the one calling, and the house became filled with smoke. 5Then I said,

“Woe is me,

For I am reduced to silence,

For I am a man of unclean lips,

And I live among a people of unclean lips,

For my eyes have seen the king

– The Lord of hosts.”

6And one of the Seraphim flew towards me, in whose hand was a hot coal in tongs, which he had taken from the altar. 7And he brought it in contact with my mouth, and he said,

“Look, this has touched your lips,

And your iniquity has departed,

And your sin has been expiated.”

8And I heard the voice of the Lord*, who said,

“Whom shall I send,

And who will go on our behalf?”

And I said, “Here I am; send me.” 9And he said,

“Go and say to this people,

‘You will definitely hear

But certainly not understand,

And you will definitely see

But certainly not discern.

10Make the heart of this people obtuse,

And make their ears dull,

And cover their eyes,

Lest they should see with their eyes,

Or hear with their ears,

And their heart would understand,

And they would come back,

And it would heal them.’ ”

11Then I said, “For how long is it, Lord*?” And he said,

“Until the cities have become desolate,

For want of an inhabitant,

And houses, for want of a man,

And the ground is laid waste in desolation.

12So the Lord will put man at a distance,

And the abandonment within the land will be great.

13But there will still be a tenth in it,

For that tenth will return,

But it will be ravaged.

Yet just as the terebinth and the oak

After felling retain a stump,

So shall the holy seed be, as its stump.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 6: v.3 ↔ Revelation 4:8 ● v.4 ↔ Revelation 15:8 ● v.9 ↔ Matthew 13:14, Mark 4:12, Luke 8:10, John 12:40, Acts 28:26, Romans 11:8 ● v.10 ↔ Matthew 13:15, Mark 4:12, Luke 8:10, John 12:40, Acts 28:27.

Isaiah Chapter 7 

1And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, the king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aramaea, with Pekah the son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem in a war against it, but he could not prevail against it. 2And it was reported to the house of David as follows: “Aramaea has taken up a position in Ephraim.” And his heart and the heart of his people were moved, like the movement of the trees of the forest by the wind. 3And the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the conduit at the upper pool, to the road of the fuller's field, 4and say to him, ‘Take care, and keep quiet. Do not fear and do not become faint-hearted at these two tails of smoking firebrands, at the burning anger of Rezin and Aramaea and the son of Remaliah, 5in that Aramaea has taken evil counsel against you, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, saying, 6«Let us go up into Judah and besiege it and divide it among ourselves and appoint a king in it – the son of Tabeal.» 7This is what my Lord the Lord, says:

«It will not arise

And it will not come to pass.

8For the head of Aramaea is Damascus,

And the head of Damascus is Rezin,

And in sixty-five years' time,

Ephraim will be severed from being a people.

9And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,

And the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.

If your faith does not hold up,

You will not be upheld.» ’ ”

10Then the Lord spoke to Ahaz again and said, 11“Ask for a sign for yourself from the Lord your God. Make the request profound or make it soaringly high.” 12But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not test the Lord.” 13Then Isaiah said, “Listen now, O house of David. Is it a small matter to you to weary men? For you are also wearying my God. 14Therefore the Lord* himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin will conceive and bear a son, and she will call him Immanuel. 15He will eat curds and honey, for him to know to reject evil and to choose good. 16For before the boy knows to reject evil and choose good, the land which you loathe will be deserted by its two kings. 17The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father days which have not come before, since the day when Ephraim departed from Judah allying himself with the king of Assyria.

18And it will come to pass on that day

That the Lord will whistle for the fly

Which is at the far end of the River of Egypt,

And for the bee

Which is in the land of Assyria.

19And they will all come and settle

In the watercourses of the ravines,

And the fissures in the rocks,

And in all the thorn bushes

And in all the pasture lands.

20On that day, the Lord* will shave with a razor

With the hired company on the far side of the river –

With the king of Assyria,

Shaving the head and the hair on the feet,

And it will also remove the beard.

21And it will come to pass on that day

That a man will keep a heifer and two sheep,

22And it will come to pass,

From the high yield of the production of milk,

That he will eat curds.

For everyone who remains in the land

Will eat curds and honey.

23And it will come to pass on that day

That in every place where there were a thousand vineyards for a thousand pieces of silver,

It will be consigned to briars and thorns.

24With arrows and the bow one will go there,

For all the land will be briars and thorns.

25And as for all the mountains which had been hoed with a hoe,

You shall not go there,

For fear of briars and thorns.

And it will be a place to drive oxen to,

And for sheep to tread down.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 7: v.14 ↔ Matthew 1:23.

Isaiah Chapter 8 

1And the Lord said to me, “Get yourself a large tablet, and write on it with a stylus of a common man, ‘For Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.’ ” 2And I took faithful witnesses to be witnesses for me: Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah. 3And I approached the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son, and the Lord said to me, “Call him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. 4For before the boy knows how to shout, ‘My father’, or, ‘My mother’, an army will carry away the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria in the presence of the king of Assyria.” 5The Lord spoke to me yet again and said,

6“Since this people rejects the waters of Shiloah,

Which flow gently,

And rejoices in Rezin and the son of Remaliah,

7You will see the Lord* bringing up over them

The mighty and massive waters of the river

– The king of Assyria and all his glory –

And he will come up through all his channels

And overflow all his banks.

8And he will pass through Judah,

Inundating and crossing through,

Coming up to the neck.

And he will spread his wings

Over the full width of your land, Immanuel.

9Do harm, you various peoples,

And come to harm.

So listen, all you distant parts of the earth,

Gird yourselves,

And come to harm;

Gird yourselves,

And come to harm.

10Take counsel,

But it will be frustrated.

Speak a word,

But it will not stand,

For God is with us.”

11For this is what the Lord said to me, as a shot in the arm, and he warned me against walking in the way of this people and said,

12“You shall not say, ‘A conspiracy’,

To everything where the people say, ‘A conspiracy.’

And do not fear their fearsomeness,

And do not be afraid.

13Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself,

For he is to be your fearfulness,

And he is to be your trepidation.

14And he will become a sanctuary,

But a stumbling block and a rock of offence

To the two houses of Israel,

And a trap and a snare

To the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

15And many will stumble at them,

And they will fall and be broken,

And be ensnared and be caught.

16Bind up the testimony;

Seal the law among those who learn from me.”

17And I will wait for the Lord,

Who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob,

And I will confide in him.

18Here am I,

And the children whom the Lord has given me,

As signs and as miracles in Israel

From the Lord of hosts,

Who dwells in Mount Zion.

19“Now when they say to you, ‘Seek the necromancers and the wizards, who whisper and who mutter’, say, ‘Should not a people seek their God? Does one really turn to the dead for the benefit of the living?’ 20If they do not speak in accordance with the law and the testimony – so these words – it is because they do not have a glimmer of reason. 21And one will pass through the land suffering hardship, and hungry, and it will come to pass when he is hungry that he will become angry and curse his king and his God, and he will turn to things above, 22and he will look to the earth, and he will find adversity, and darkness and oppressive gloom, and repulsive murkiness.

Reference(s) in Chapter 8: v.12 ↔ 1 Peter 3:14 ● v.13 ↔ 1 Peter 3:15 ● v.14 ↔ Romans 9:33, 1 Peter 2:8 ● v.15 ↔ Matthew 24:10 ● v.18 ↔ Hebrews 2:13.

Isaiah Chapter 9 

1For it will not be faint, as regards the land's straitness, as on the first occasion when he brought the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali into contempt, and later made it more grievous, on the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles.

2The people who walked in darkness

Have seen a great light,

And on those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death

A light has shone.

3You have multiplied the nation,

You have increased its joy;

They rejoice before you

As they do with joy at harvest time,

Or as when they delight

As they share the spoil.

4For you have broken their burdensome yoke

And their shoulder bar

– The rod which was used to drive them on –

As on the day of Midian.

5For every boot treading in the tumult

And shirt rolled in blood

Will be fit for burning,

As fuel for fire.

6For a child is to be born for us,

A son is to be given to us,

And he will shoulder government,

And he will be called Wonderful, Counsellor,

Mighty God, Father of Perpetuity,

Prince of Peace.

7There will be no end to the great extent of government,

Or to peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

In setting it up and in perpetuating it in justice and in righteousness,

From that time and age-abidingly.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

8The Lord* sent a word through Jacob,

And it alighted on Israel.

9And the entire people will know

– Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria –

Those who in the arrogance

And haughtiness of their heart said,

10“The bricks have fallen,

But we will build with hewn stone;

The sycamores have been cut down,

But we will replace them with cedars.”

11But the Lord will strengthen the adversarial forces of Rezin against the people,

And he will incite their enemies –

12Aramaea from the east

And the Philistines from the west –

And they will consume Israel with a voracious appetite.

Yet for all this, his anger will not recede,

And his hand will still be stretched out.

13But the people are not returning

To him who is striking them,

And they have not sought the Lord of hosts.

14And the Lord will cut off from Israel

Head and tail,

Palm-branch and bulrush,

In one day.

15The elder and dignitary

Is who the head is,

And the prophet who teaches lies

Is who the tail is.

16And those guiding this people

Have led it astray,

And those guided by them

Have been swallowed up.

17This is why the Lord* will not rejoice over their young men

And will not have compassion on their orphans and their widows,

For they are all profane and wrongdoing,

And every mouth speaks foolishness.

Despite all this, his anger will not recede,

And his hand will still be stretched out.

18For wickedness burns like fire;

It consumes briars and thorns,

And it kindles fire in the thickets of the forest,

And they will swell up

Like the billowing of smoke.

19In the wrath of the Lord of hosts,

The land will be burned,

And the people will be like fuel for the fire.

A man will not spare his brother.

20And he will divide a portion on the right hand side,

Yet be hungry,

And eat on the left hand side.

But they will not be satisfied.

Each will eat the flesh of his own arm.

21Manasseh will eat Ephraim,

And Ephraim Manasseh.

Together they will be against Judah.

Despite all this, his anger will not recede,

And his hand will still be stretched out.

Reference(s) in Chapter 9: v.1 ↔ Matthew 4:15 ● v.2 ↔ Matthew 4:16 ● v.6 ↔ Luke 2:11.

Isaiah Chapter 10 

1Woe to those who issue vain decrees,

And the state secretaries who draw up iniquitous edicts,

2In denying the needy a legal process,

In robbing the poor among my people of justice,

With widows being their spoil,

And who plunder orphans.

3What will you do on the day of punishment,

And in the destruction which will come from far away?

To whom will you flee for help,

And where will you leave your honour?

4How will one not collapse in imprisonment,

Or what if they fall to join those killed?

Despite all this, his anger will not recede,

And his hand will still be stretched out.

5O Assyria, the rod of my anger,

The stick in whose hand is my indignation!

6I will send against them a profane nation,

And I will command them to go against the people with whom I am angry,

To take spoil and to seize plunder,

And to make them a trodden down phenomenon

Like the mire of the streets.

7However, they will not be conscious of this purpose,

And their heart will not so reason,

For it will just be in their heart

To destroy and cut off

Not a few nations.

8For he will say,

“Are not my officials a collection of kings?

9Is Calno not like Carchemish?

Or is Hamath not like Arpad?

Or is Samaria not like Damascus?

10When my hand finds idolatrous kingdoms,

And their carved images,

Surpassing those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

11Will I not do to Jerusalem and its images

What I did to Samaria and its idols?”

12And it will come to pass, when the Lord* has carried out all his work in Mount Zion and Jerusalem, that I will inflict punishment for the result of the high-mindedness of the king of Assyria and for the glorying of his haughty eyes. 13For he said,

“I acted in the strength of my hand,

And in my own wisdom,

For I am astute,

And I remove national borders,

And I plunder their lucre,

And I overthrow populations,

Like a mighty man.

14And my hand found the riches of various peoples like a nest.

And as one collects eggs that are abandoned,

So I collected the whole earth,

And there was no-one that fluttered a wing

Or opened his mouth and whispered.”

15Will the axe vaunt itself over him who hews with it?

Or will the saw make itself greater than him who handles it?

Likewise, can a rod lift the very ones who raise it?

Similarly, can a stick raise him who is not wood?

16This is why my Lord the Lord of hosts

Will send leanness into his fat places,

And instead of his glory,

There will be burning, as a fire burns.

17And the light of Israel will become fire,

And its holy one a flame,

And it will blaze and consume

Its briars and its thorns

In one day.

18And he will lay the glory of his forest and his orchard waste,

Both spiritually and physically,

And it will become like the exhausted state

Of one wasting away.

19And the remainder of the trees of his forest will be few in number,

And a boy will be able to set them down in writing.

20And it will come to pass on that day

That the remainder of Israel

And the escaped remnant of the house of Jacob

Will no longer rely on the one who struck them,

And they will rely on the Lord

– The holy one of Israel –

In truth.

21The remainder will return

– The remainder of Jacob –

To the mighty God.

22Even if your people Israel

Are like the sand of the sea,

A remainder of them will return,

And the conclusion determined

Will overflow with righteousness.

23For my Lord the Lord of hosts

Will bring about the conclusion

And what has been determined

In the precincts of the whole land.

24Therefore my Lord the Lord of hosts says this:

“My people who live in Zion,

Do not be afraid of Assyria.

They will strike you with a rod,

And lift their stick up against you,

In the way Egypt did,

25But in a very short time,

The indignation will be concluded,

As will my anger,

At the time of their destruction.”

26And the Lord of hosts will stir up a scourge over them,

Like the attack in Midian at the rock of Oreb.

And as his rod was on the sea,

So he will raise it,

In the same way as in Egypt.

27And it will come to pass on that day

That his burden will be removed from your shoulder,

And his yoke from your neck.

And the yoke will be destroyed in front of the anointing oil.

28He has come to Aiath,

He has crossed over to Migron;

He has deposited his equipment in Michmas.

29They have crossed the pass;

They have taken up quarters in Geba.

Ramah is trembling;

Gibeah of Saul has fled.

30Shout out, O daughter of Gallim,

Listen, O Laish,

O poor Anathoth.

31Madmenah has moved away;

The inhabitants of Gebim have secured their effects.

32On the very day when he stands in Nob,

He will shake his fist

At the mountain of the daughter of Zion

– The hill of Jerusalem.

33Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts,

Will cut off a bough with terror,

And those of high stature will be cut down,

And the haughty will be humbled.

34And he will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron,

And Lebanon will be felled by a mighty one.

Reference(s) in Chapter 10: v.22 ↔ Romans 9:27, Romans 9:28 ● v.23 ↔ Romans 9:28.

Isaiah Chapter 11 

1And a shoot will come out of the stem of Jesse,

And a branch from his roots will become fruitful.

2And the spirit of the Lord will rest on him

– The spirit of wisdom and understanding,

The spirit of counsel and valour,

The spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.

3He will delight in him

Through his fear of the Lord,

And he will not judge by appearance to the eyes,

Nor will he arbitrate by what his ears hear,

4But he will judge the poor righteously,

And he will arbitrate for the meek of the land equitably,

And he will strike the land with the rod of his mouth,

And he will kill the wicked by the breath of his lips.

5And righteousness will be the girdle around his waist,

And faithfulness the girdle around his loins.

6And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,

And the leopard will lie down with the goat,

And the calf and the young lion and the fatted calf will be together,

And a small boy will lead them.

7And the cow and the bear will graze,

And their young will lie down together,

And the lion will eat straw like the ox.

8And a baby will play at a vipers' den,

And an infant will put his hand on an adder's hole.

9They will not do harm

And they will not cause damage

Anywhere in my holy mountain,

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord,

As the waters cover the sea.

10And it will come to pass on that day

That the Gentiles will seek the root of Jesse,

Which will stand as a sign to the nations.

And rest in him will be glorious.

11And it will come to pass on that day

That the Lord* will extend his hand a second time

To acquire the remainder of his people, who remain,

From Assyria and from Egypt,

And from Pathros and from Ethiopia,

And from Elam and from Shinar,

And from Hamath and from the coastlands of the sea.

12And he will raise a sign to the Gentiles,

And he will gather those driven out of Israel,

And he will collect up those of Judah who are dispersed,

From the four corners of the earth.

13And Ephraim's envy will fade away,

And the adversaries of Judah will be cut off.

Ephraim will not envy Judah,

And Judah will not be hostile to Ephraim.

14They will attack the Philistines on the slopes to the west;

Together they will spoil the inhabitants of the east.

Edom and Moab will be for them to lay their hands on,

And the Ammonites will be in subjection to them.

15And the Lord will lay the gulf of the Egyptian sea waste,

And he will lift his hand against the river with the ardour of his breath,

And he will strike it into seven streams,

And he will enable them to cross wearing shoes.

16And there will be a highway for the rest of his people who remain,

To come from Assyria,

As there was for Israel

When they came up from the land of Egypt.

Reference(s) in Chapter 11: v.1 ↔ John 7:42, Matthew 2:23 ● v.10 ↔ Matthew 12:21, Romans 15:12, John 7:42, Revelation 5:5, Revelation 22:16.

Isaiah Chapter 12 

1And on that day you will say,

“I will praise you, O Lord.

Although you were angry with me,

Your anger has receded,

And you have comforted me.

2Behold, O God of my salvation,

I will trust and not be afraid,

For the Lord, the Lord

Is my strength and my song of praise,

And he has become my salvation.”

3And you will draw water with joy,

From the springs of this salvation.

4And on that day, you will say,

“Praise the Lord,

Call on his name,

Make his deeds known among the nations;

Bring to mind that his name is exalted.

5Sing praises to the Lord,

For he has acted illustriously.

Let this be known over all the earth.

6Shout out and sing for joy,

O inhabitant of Zion,

For great among you

Is the holy one of Israel.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 12: v.3 ↔ John 7:38.

Isaiah Chapter 13 

1The burden of Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

2Set up a banner on a conspicuous mountain,

Raise a voice to them,

Lift up a hand,

So that they may come to the gates of the willing.

3I have commanded my sanctified ones;

I have also summoned my warriors

In service of my anger,

Who exult in my exaltation.

4The sound of a crowd in the mountains,

The image of a numerous people,

The tumultuous sound of kingdoms of Gentiles who have gathered

– The Lord of hosts is mobilizing an army for war.

5They are coming from a distant land,

From the end of the horizon

– The Lord and instruments of his indignation –

To lay the whole land waste.

6Howl, for the day of the Lord is near.

It will come as devastation from the Almighty.

7For that reason, all hands will become limp,

And every human heart will melt.

8And they will be terrified;

Writhings and pains will seize them;

They will writhe like a woman giving birth.

Every man will be astonished at his neighbour;

Their faces will be ablaze in appearance.

9Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,

Cruel in wrath and furious anger,

To make the land a desolation,

And he will obliterate its sinners from it.

10For the stars of heaven and their constellations

Will not shine their light;

The sun will become dark as it rises,

And the moon will not beam its radiance.

11And I will inflict punishment on the world for its evil,

And on the wicked for their iniquity,

And I will put an end to the pride of the insolent,

And I will humble the haughtiness of the fierce.

12I will make a man more precious than pure gold,

And a human being more precious than fine gold from Ophir.

13For this reason I will shake the heavens,

And the earth will be wrenched from its place,

In the wrath of the Lord of hosts,

And on the day of his furious anger.

14And it will be like a chased gazelle,

And like a sheep with no-one to gather it.

Every man will turn to his own people,

And each one will flee to his own country.

15Everyone who is found

Will be thrust through,

And everyone who has withdrawn

Will fall by the sword.

16And their children will be dashed before their eyes,

And their houses will be plundered,

And their women will be raped.

17I am about to stir Media up against them,

Medians who do not care for silver,

And who do not delight in gold.

18And bows will strike boys to the ground,

And they will not have mercy on the fruit of the womb

– Their eyes will not spare sons.

19And Babylon, the splendour of the kingdoms,

The proud grandeur of the Chaldeans,

Will be as God's overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah.

20It will never be inhabited,

And it will not be dwelt in from generation to generation,

Nor will the Arabian pitch a tent there,

Nor will shepherds tend their sheep there.

21But desert creatures will rest there,

And their houses will be full of howling animals.

And ostriches will dwell there,

And demons will dance there.

22And jackals will howl in its desolate places,

And wild dogs in the luxurious palaces.

And its time is near to coming,

And its days will not be prolonged.

Reference(s) in Chapter 13: v.6 ↔ Revelation 1:10 ● v.9 ↔ Revelation 1:10 ● v.10 ↔ Matthew 24:29, Mark 13:24, Mark 13:25 ● v.21 ↔ Revelation 18:2.

Isaiah Chapter 14 

1When the Lord has mercy on Jacob, and he chooses Israel again, and he puts them in their land, the foreigner will join them, and they will be associated with the house of Jacob. 2And various nations will take them and bring them to their place, then the house of Israel will possess them on the Lord's land, and they will be menservants and maidservants, and the house of Israel will take their captors captive, and they will subdue those who oppressed them. 3And it will come to pass on the day when the Lord gives you rest from your grief and from your disquiet, and from the hard labour which was imposed on you, 4that you will quote this parable about the king of Babylon and say,

“How the oppressor has come to a stop!

How the golden city has come to a standstill!

5The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked

And the sceptre of rulers.

6He strikes nations in wrath

With unremitting beating;

He subdues peoples in anger,

In a relentless pursuit.

7All the earth is at rest and is quiet;

They break out into jubilation.

8Even the fir trees rejoice for you,

And the cedars of Lebanon,

Saying, ‘Since you have been brought down low,

The lumberjack has not come up against us.’

9The grave below stands in awe on account of you;

At the approach of your coming,

It arouses the Rephaim because of you

– All the he-goats of the earth.

It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.

10They will all break silence and say to you,

‘Have you also become weak like us?

Have you come to resemble us?’

11Your pride has been brought down to the grave

With the sound of your lutes.

Under you the worms have embedded themselves,

And maggots cover you.

12How you have fallen from heaven, Lucifer,

Son of the dawn!

You have been struck down to the earth,

You who overthrew nations.

13And you have said in your heart,

‘I will ascend to heaven;

Above the stars of God,

I will set up my throne,

And I will sit at the mount of the assembly

In the remote parts of the north.

14I will ascend on the heights of a cloud;

I will be like the Most High.’

15But you will be brought down to the grave,

To the remote parts of the pit.

16Those who see you will gaze at you,

And contemplate and say,

Is this the man who held the earth in thrall

Who shook kingdoms?

17Who made the world like a desert

And demolished its cities,

Who did not release his captive population,

For them to go home?’

18All the kings of the nations

– All of them –

Lie in state,

Each one in his royal house,

19But you have been cast down

Instead of having your tomb,

Like a repugnant branch of a tree,

Being clothed like those killed,

Like those struck through with the sword,

Who descend to the stones of the pit,

Like a carcase trodden under foot.

20You will not be united with them in burial,

Because you devastated your land,

And you killed your people.

The seed of those who do evil

Will never be spoken well of.

21Prepare slaughter for his sons,

For the iniquity of their fathers.

They shall not rise or inherit the land,

Or fill the surface of the world with cities.”

22“And I will rise against them,

Says the Lord of hosts,

And I will cut off Babylon's fame

And remnant and posterity and progeny,

Says the Lord.

23And I will make it a habitat of the porcupine,

And pools of water,

And I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,

Says the Lord of hosts.”

24The Lord of hosts has sworn and said,

“It will certainly come to pass just as I intended.

And as I have purposed it,

So it will be established,

25Namely that I will break the Assyrian in my land,

And I will trample on him on my mountains,

And his yoke will be removed from them,

And his burden will be removed from his shoulder.

26This is the course of action decided on

In relation to the whole world,

And this is the hand which is stretched out

Over all the nations.

27For the Lord of hosts has decided,

And who can frustrate it?

And his hand is stretched out,

And who can push it back?”

28In the year of the death of King Ahaz, there was this burden:

29Do not rejoice, Philistia – the whole of you –

On the basis that the rod which struck you has broken,

Because from a serpent's stock comes an adder,

And its fruit is a flying fiery serpent.

30And the very poorest will be nourished,

And the needy will lie down in safety,

But I will bring death to your root with a famine,

And it will kill your remnant.

31Howl, O gate!

Cry out, O city!

Philistia – the whole of you – has melted down,

For smoke has come from the north,

And there is not a solitary person at his festivals.

32And what will the messengers of the Gentiles report back?

That the Lord has established Zion.

And the poor of his people will put their trust in it.

Isaiah Chapter 15 

1The burden of Moab.

For in a night

Ar-Moab will be laid waste

And reduced to silence,

For in a night

Kir-Moab will be laid waste

And reduced to silence.

2The royal house and Dibon have gone up

To the idolatrous raised sites to weep.

Moab will wail over Nebo and over Medeba.

On all their heads will be baldness,

And every beard will be removed.

3In its outlying areas,

They will gird themselves with sackcloth,

And on its roofs and in its streets

All will wail.

Tears will run down with weeping.

4And Heshbon will cry out,

As will Elealeh.

Their voice will be heard as far as Jahaz,

Which is why the armed men of Moab will shout out.

His inner being will alarm him.

5My heart will cry out for Moab,

Its fugitives will flee to Zoar

– A heifer three years old.

For he will climb the ascent of Luhith with weeping,

For they will raise a cry of destruction

On the road to Horonaim.

6For the waters of Nimrim will become desolations,

For the pastures will dry up.

Grass will shrivel;

There will be no greenery.

7This is why they will carry the wealth which they gained,

And their store,

To the brook of the willows.

8For the cry has gone around the border of Moab;

Its wailing has reached Eglaim,

And its lamentation has come to Beer-Elim.

9For the waters of Dimon will be full of blood,

For I will appoint additional things concerning Dimon:

The lion for the escapees of Moab

And the remainder of the territory.

Isaiah Chapter 16 

1Send a tribute-lamb to the ruler of the land,

From Sela to the desert,

To the mountain of the daughter of Zion.

2And it will come to pass

That the daughters of Moab will be like a wandering bird,

From a rejected nest

At the Arnon fords.

3Obtain advice,

Execute justice,

Cast your shadow like the night at noon,

Hide those driven out;

Do not betray the wanderer.

4Let those of mine who have been driven out

Dwell with you.

Moab, be a shelter from the plunderer for them.

For the oppressor will come to nothing;

Plundering will come to an end,

And they who tread down

Will be obliterated from the land.

5And a throne will be established in kindness,

And he will sit on it

In truth in David's tent,

Judging and seeking justice,

And being quick with righteousness.

6And we have heard of the pride of Moab

He is very proud –

With his haughtiness and his pride and his presumptuousness.

His lies are groundless.

7This is why Moab will wail.

Each one will wail for all Moab;

You will lament the foundations of Kir-Hareseth,

Seeing how much they have been battered.

8For the cornfields of Heshbon languish,

As does the vine of Sibmah.

The Gentile rulers have struck its tendrils;

They have reached Jazer;

Those struck wander in the desert.

Its shoots have been forsaken;

Those forsaken have crossed the sea.

9That is why I will tearfully weep

For Jazer and the vine of Sibmah.

I will saturate you with my tears,

Heshbon and Elealeh,

For a war cry has fallen against your summer fruit

And against your harvest.

10And joy and rejoicing will be taken away from the orchard,

And in the vineyards there will be neither shouting for joy nor jubilation.

The treader will not tread wine in the wine vats;

I have put a stop to shouting.

11That is why my inward parts are humming for Moab,

Like a harp,

And my inside

For Kir-Heres.

12And it will come to pass

That it will be seen

That Moab is weary on the idolatrous raised site,

And it will go to its sanctuary to pray,

But it will not gain strength.

13This is the word which the Lord spoke to Moab at that time. 14But the Lord has spoken now and said, “In three years according to the contractual years of a hired worker, the glory of Moab will be made light of, despite all its vast multitude. And the remnant will be few – minute – and by no means great.”

Isaiah Chapter 17 

1The burden of Damascus.

“Behold, Damascus will be deprived of its existence as a city,

And it will become a heap of ruins.

2The cities of Aroer will be abandoned;

They will be for flocks,

Which will lie down,

And there will be no-one to cause fear.

3Fortifications will cease to exist in Ephraim,

As will the kingdom in Damascus and the rest of Aramaea.

They will be like the glory of the sons of Israel,

Says the Lord of hosts.

4And it will come to pass on that day

That the glory of Jacob will be brought low,

And his complexion will become leaner,

5And it will come to pass,

When the reaper gathers the corn,

And his arm reaps the ears of corn,

That he will be like a gleaner of ears of corn

In the Valley of the Rephaim.

6But there will remain gleanings in it,

And at the beating of the olive tree

There will fall two or three fruits on the topmost bough,

And four or five on its fruit-bearing branches,

Says the Lord God of Israel.

7On that day a man will behold his maker,

And his eyes will see the holy one of Israel.

8And he will not behold the altars which are the work of his hands,

And he will not look at what his fingers have made –

Neither the phallic parks

Nor the sun-images.

9On that day his fortified cities

Will be like the wilderness of a copse or a thicket,

Which they have abandoned because of the sons of Israel,

And they will become a desolation.

10For you have forgotten the God of your salvation,

And you have not remembered the rock of your stronghold,

Which is why you will plant pleasant plants,

But you will graft foreign branches on it.

11On the day you plant it,

You cause it to grow,

And on the morning you sow it,

You make it thrive,

But the harvest will be a worthless heap

On a day of sickness and grievous pain.

12Woe to the multitude of many nations,

Who are in a tumult like the turbulence of the seas,

And the uproar of peoples

– Like the roaring sound

When mighty waters roar.

13The peoples roar

Like the roaring sound when mighty waters roar,

But he will rebuke them and they will flee far away,

And they will be chased like chaff of the mountains before the wind,

And like swirling debris in a whirlwind.

14At evening time there will be terror,

And before the morning they will not be there.

This is the part of those who spoil us,

And the fate of those who plunder us.”

Isaiah Chapter 18 

1“Woe to the land of rustling wings,

Which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,

2Which sends ambassadors by sea

In papyrus vessels over the water,

To say, ‘Go, you swift messengers,

To a people under strain

And plucked bald,

To a people fearsome ever since when they first existed

– A nation of strong rule but trodden down,

Whose land the rivers have devastated.’

3All you inhabitants of the world

And dwellers of the earth:

At the raising of an ensign on the mountains,

Observe it,

And at the sounding of the ramshorn,

Listen.

4For this is what the Lord has said to me:

‘I will be quiet,

And I will look at my abode,

Like a serene heat in daylight,

And like a cloud of dew

In the heat of the harvest.’

5For before the harvest when the blossom has come to an end,

And unripe grapes become mature from the flower,

He will cut the branches with pruning shears

And cut and remove the shoots.

6They will be left together

To the birds of prey of the mountains

And the wild animals.

And the birds of prey will prey on them in the summer,

While all the wild animals will be the predators in the winter.

7At that time a gift will be brought to the Lord of hosts

By a people under strain

And plucked bald,

And from a people fearsome ever since when they first existed,

A nation of strong rule but trodden down,

Whose land the rivers have devastated –

Brought to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts:

Mount Zion.”

Isaiah Chapter 19 

1The burden of Egypt.

“Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud,

And is coming to Egypt.

Then the idols of Egypt will reel at his presence,

And Egypt's heart will melt inside it.

2And I will incite Egypt against Egypt,

And a man will fight his brother,

And a man his neighbour,

And a city a city,

And a kingdom a kingdom.

3And the spirit of Egypt will drain away inside them,

And I will overthrow their counsel,

And they will seek the idols and the necromancers,

And the soothsayers and the wizards.

4And I will deliver Egypt up into the hand of a harsh master,

And a fierce king will rule over them,

Says the Lord,

The Lord of hosts.

5And the waters of the sea will dry up,

And the river will become parched and arid.

6And the rivers will stink,

And the canals for fortifications will run low and will dry up;

The reed and the sedge will wither.

7The pastures by the river

And in the river estuary,

And every crop dependent on the river

Will dry up and be driven about,

And it will be gone.

8And the fishermen will sigh and mourn;

All who cast a hook into the river,

And those who stretch a net over the water

Will languish.

9And the workers in combed flax will be at a loss,

As will the weavers of white linen.

10And its foundations will be broken in pieces

– All who earn wages from lakes

Harbouring aquatic life.

11What fools the officials of Zoan are

– The wise men who give Pharaoh dim-witted advice!

How can you say to Pharaoh,

‘I am a son of the wise;

I am a son of the eastern kings’?

12Where are they?

Where are your wise men?

And may they tell you, and may they discern

What the Lord of hosts has decreed

Concerning Egypt.

13The officials of Zoan have become foolish;

The officials of Noph have been deceived.

They – the elite of its tribes –

Have led Egypt astray.

14The Lord has infused a spirit of misdirection in its precincts,

And they have led Egypt astray in all its dealings,

As a drunk strays off in his vomit.

15And Egypt will not have any work,

Which the head or tail,

Palm-branch or bulrush

Might do.

16On that day, Egypt will be like women, and it will tremble and be fearful of the Lord of hosts raising his hand which he raises over them. 17And the land of Judah will be an object of dread to Egypt. Everyone who mentions it will fear for himself, because of the decision of the Lord of hosts which he has taken concerning it. 18On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan, and who swear to the Lord of hosts. One will be called the City of Destruction. 19On that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the middle of the land of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at its border. 20And it will be as a sign and a testimony to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt, for they will cry out to the Lord because of oppressors, and he will send them a saviour who will be great and who will save them. 21And the Lord will be known to Egypt, and Egypt will know the Lord on that day, and they will make sacrifices and meal-offerings, and they will make vows to the Lord and fulfil them. 22And the Lord will strike Egypt – strike and heal – and they will return to the Lord, and he will accede to their entreaty and heal them. 23On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come to Egypt, and Egypt to Assyria, and Egypt will serve with Assyria. 24On that day, Israel will be a joint third with Egypt and Assyria, as a blessing in the middle of the land, 25because the Lord of hosts will bless it and say, ‘Blessed is my people Egypt, and the work of my hands Assyria, and my inheritance Israel.’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 19: v.2 ↔ Matthew 24:7, Mark 13:8, Luke 21:10.

Isaiah Chapter 20 

1In the year when Tartan came to Ashdod, when Sargon king of Assyria sent him, he fought against Ashdod and captured it. 2At that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz and said, “Go and unbind the sackcloth around your waist, and remove your shoes from your feet.” And he did so and went around naked and barefoot. 3And the Lord said, “Just as my servant Isaiah is walking around naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent concerning Egypt and Ethiopia, 4so the king of Assyria will lead the captives of Egypt and the deportees of Ethiopia – children and the elderly – naked and barefoot and with exposed buttocks, to Egypt's shame. 5And they will fear and be ashamed of Ethiopia, the object of their expectation, and of Egypt the object of their glorying. 6And the inhabitant of this coastland will say on that day, ‘Just look at the object of our expectation to whom we fled for help, to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And how will we escape?’ ”

Isaiah Chapter 21 

1The burden of the Desert of the Sea.

Like the passing of whirlwinds in the south,

It is coming from the desert

– From a fearsome country.

2A harsh vision has been shown to me:

The traitor betraying, and the plunderer plundering.

Go up, Elam! Besiege, Media!

I have put a stop to all sighing.

3This is why my waist is in pain:

Writhings have seized me,

Like the writhings of a woman giving birth.

I am bent with pain at hearing it;

I am terrified at seeing it.

4My heart is distraught.

Something horrible has terrified me;

It has made my pleasant night

My time of trepidation.

5Prepare the table,

Let the watch keep watch,

Eat and drink,

Arise, you commanders;

Anoint the shield.

6For this is what the Lord* says to me:

“Go and appoint a watchman

Who will report what he sees.”

7And he saw a chariot fleet

– Horsemen in pairs,

A chariot fleet with donkeys,

A chariot fleet with camels –

And he listened attentively,

Very attentively.

8And he called out, “A lion.

O Lord*,

I stand continually on the watchtower by day,

And I am stationed at my guard post every night.

9And here is what is coming:

A manned chariot fleet and horsemen in pairs.”

And he answered and said,

Babylon has fallen; it has fallen.

And he has torn all the carved images of its gods

Down to the ground.”

10O threshed people of mine,

And my product of the threshing floor,

I have reported to you

What I have heard from the Lord of hosts

– The God of Israel.

11The burden of Idumea.

He is calling out to me from Seir,

“Watchman, what is there to report from the night?

Watchman, what is there to report from the night?”

12The watchman said,

“The morning is coming,

And also the night.

If you will inquire,

Do inquire.

Return and come.”

13The burden in Arabia.

You will lodge in the forest in Arabia,

You Dedanite travelling companies.

14The inhabitants of the land of Tema

Brought water to him who was thirsty;

They met the fugitive

With food for him.

15For they flee from swords,

From the drawn sword

And from the drawn bow,

And from the violence of war.

16For this is what the Lord* said to me:

“In another year

According to the contractual years of a hired worker,

All the glory of Kedar

Will come to an end.

17And the number of archers remaining

– The warriors from among the sons of Kedar –

Will become few,

For the Lord God of Israel has spoken.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 21: v.9 ↔ Revelation 14:8, Revelation 18:2.

Isaiah Chapter 22 

1The burden of the Valley of Vision.

What is the matter with you, then?

For you have all gone up to the roofs.

2You bustling city,

Full of noise,

Joyful town,

Your casualties are not casualties of the sword,

And are not dead from war.

3All your officers have fled together;

They have been brought into bondage by the bow.

All those present have been brought into bondage together;

They have fled far away.

4This is why I said,

“Look away from me;

I will weep bitterly.

Do not hasten to comfort me

About the devastation of the daughter of my people.”

5For it is a day of tumult and treading down and confusion of the Lord

– The Lord of hosts –

In the Valley of Vision,

Of undermining walls,

And crying out to the mountain.

6And Elam has borne the quiver,

With a manned chariot fleet and horsemen,

And Kir has bared the shield.

7And it came to pass that your choice valleys were full of chariots,

And the horsemen drew themselves up with vigour at the gate,

8And they removed Judah's covering,

And you saw on that day

The weaponry of the house of the Forest.

9And you have seen how numerous the breaches in the City of David are,

And you have collected the water of the lower pool.

10And you have counted the houses in Jerusalem,

And you have pulled down houses

To fortify the wall.

11And you made a reservoir between the two walls

For the water of the old pool,

But you have not had respect to its maker

Or had regard for him who formed it long ago.

12And on that day,

My Lord the Lord of hosts proclaimed

Weeping and mourning and baldness

And girding up with sackcloth.

13But what he saw was

Rejoicing and merrymaking,

Killing the ox and slaughtering the sheep,

Eating meat and drinking wine, saying,

Eat and drink,

For tomorrow we die.

14And this was revealed in my ears

By the Lord of hosts:

“This iniquity of yours will certainly not be expiated

Until you die,

Says the Lord,

The Lord of hosts.”

15This is what my Lord the Lord of hosts says:

“Depart and go to this steward,

To Shebna, who is in charge of the house,

16And say, ‘What business do you have here?

And just who are you here,

That you should have hewn yourself a tomb here,

Like someone hewing his tomb high up,

Carving out an abode for himself in the rock?

17Look, the Lord is about to hurl you away with a mighty fling,

And to completely envelop you.

18He will wrap a wrapping right around you

And throw you like a ball into a very wide country,

And there you will die,

And there the chariots representing your glory

Will be to the shame of the house of your master.

19And I will thrust you from your station,

And he will pull you down from your high standing.

20And it will come to pass on that day

That I will call for my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah.

21And I will clothe him with your gown,

And I will strengthen him with your girdle,

And I will put your dominion in his hand,

And he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem

And to the house of Judah.

22And I will put the key to the house of David on his shoulder,

And he will open and no-one will shut,

And he will shut, and no-one will open.

23And I will secure him like a peg in a secure place,

And he will become the occupier of the glorious throne

Of the house of his father.

24And they will bestow on him

All the honour of his father's house,

The offspring and the offshoots

– All vessels of small capacity,

From vessels of the bowl kind

To all vessels of the jar kind.’

25On that day, says the Lord of hosts,

The peg which was secured in a faithful place

Will be removed, and it will be cut down,

And it will fall,

And the burden on it will be withdrawn,

For the Lord has spoken.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 22: v.13 ↔ 1 Corinthians 15:32 ● v.22 ↔ Revelation 3:7.

Isaiah Chapter 23 

1The burden of Tyre.

Wail, O ships of Tarshish,

For it has been plundered,

Not leaving a house or a way in.

This was revealed to them

From the land of Chittim.

2Be silent, you inhabitants of the coastland,

You whom the merchants of Sidon,

Who cross the sea,

Have stocked up,

3Bringing over the high seas

Seed from Shihor.

The harvest from the river

Is Tyre's source of income,

So that it became the emporium of the nations.

4Sidon, be ashamed,

For the sea

– The stronghold that the sea is –

Has said, “I have not been in the pains of childbirth,

Nor have I given birth,

Nor have I raised young lads,

Nor have I brought chaste maidens up.”

5As at the report of Egypt,

So shall they writhe

At the report of Tyre.

6Cross over to Tarshish and wail,

You inhabitants of the coastland.

7Was this your joy,

Whose origin dates from ancient times?

Its feet will bring it

Somewhere far away to dwell.

8Who decided this against Tyre

Tyre who confers crowns,

Whose merchants are princes,

Whose traders are the dignitaries of the land?

9The Lord of hosts decided it,

To defame the pride in all the splendour;

To bring all the dignitaries of the land into contempt.

10Cross your country like a river,

O daughter of Tarshish;

There is no longer any girding yourself up.

11He stretched out his hand over the sea;

He shocked kingdoms.

The Lord has given commandment against Canaan

To destroy its strongholds.

12And he said,

“You will no longer exult,

You oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon.

Arise and cross over to Chittim,

But you will not be at rest there either.”

13Look at the land of the Chaldeans:

This people did not exist previously.

Assyria founded it for the inhabitants of the desert.

The attackers erected their watchtowers,

They demolished its palaces,

And he made it ruins.

14Wail, you ships of Tarshish,

For your stronghold has been laid waste.

15And it will come to pass on that day that Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, according to the days of one king, then after seventy years Tyre will very much have a prostitute's song to sing.

16Take the harp,

Go around the city,

You forgotten prostitute.

Play music well,

Do much singing,

In order that you may be remembered.

17And after seventy years, it will come to pass that the Lord will visit Tyre, and it will return to its earnings from prostitution, and it will engage in prostitution with all the kingdoms of the world over the face of the earth. 18But its profit and its earnings from prostitution will be holy to the Lord, and they will not be treasured up or hoarded away, for its profit will be for those who live before the Lord, so as to eat to satiety, and to have good quality clothing.

Isaiah Chapter 24 

1Behold, the Lord is about to depopulate the land

And empty it,

And he will overturn the face of it

And scatter its inhabitants.

2And it will come to pass that

As the people at large are,

So the priest will be;

As the manservant is,

So his master will be;

As the maidservant is,

So her mistress will be;

As the buyer is,

So the seller will be;

As the lender is,

So the borrower will be;

As the creditor is,

So his debtor will be.

3The land will certainly be depopulated,

And it will certainly be plundered,

For the Lord has spoken these words.

4The land will mourn and fade,

The world will languish and fade;

The haughty among the people of the land will languish.

5And the land has been defiled by its inhabitants,

For they have transgressed the laws.

They have disregarded the statute;

They have violated the age-abiding covenant,

6Which is why a curse has devoured the land,

And those who inhabit it bear the guilt.

It is why the inhabitants of the land are fuming,

And very few men remain.

7The new wine is mourning,

The vine is languishing;

All those of joyful heart

Are now sighing.

8The rejoicing of drums has ceased,

The tumult of those exulting has stopped;

The rejoicing of the harp has ceased.

9They shall not drink wine with singing;

The liquor will become bitter

To those who drink it.

10The town of desolation has been broken up;

Every house is shut up,

Preventing entering.

11There is a cry for wine in the streets;

All joy has drawn to a close,

And the rejoicing in the land has passed away.

12What remains in the city is desolation,

And the gate has been pounded to ruins.

13For so it will be on the earth among the nations,

As when the olive tree has been beaten,

Like the gleanings when the grape harvest has finished.

14They will raise their voices;

They will be jubilant.

They will shout for joy from across the sea

Because of the majesty of the Lord.

15For this reason, glorify the Lord with lights

– The name of the Lord God of Israel –

In the coastlands of the sea.

16From the extremities of the earth we have heard singing

To the illustriousness of the righteous one,

But I said,

“Woe is me, woe is me, alas for me,

Traitors have betrayed me,

And the traitors have committed a betrayal.”

17Fear, and a pitfall, and a snare

Are looming over you,

You inhabitants of the earth.

18And it will come to pass

That he who flees at a fearful sound

Will fall into the pit,

And he who comes up out of the pit

Will be caught in the snare,

For the floodgates on high will open,

And the foundations of the earth will shake.

19The earth will be utterly broken into pieces,

The earth will be thoroughly torn apart;

The earth will totter perilously.

20The earth will stagger precariously like a drunkard,

And it will sway like a shack,

And its transgression will weigh heavily on it,

And it will fall

And not rise again.

21And it will come to pass on that day

That the Lord will visit the higher powers

In a high place,

And the kings of the earth

On the earth.

22And they will be gathered up,

Like the herding of prisoners into the pit,

And they will be shut up in confinement,

Then after many days they will be visited.

23And the moon will blush,

And the sun will be at a loss,

When the Lord of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,

With glory in the presence of his appointed elders.

Isaiah Chapter 25 

1O Lord, you are my God.

I will exalt you;

I will praise your name,

For you have acted wonderfully,

With counsel from the distant past,

In sure faithfulness.

2For you turn a city into a heap of rubble,

And a fortified town into ruins,

And a foreign citadel into what is not a city,

Which will never be rebuilt.

3This is why a fierce people will glorify you,

And a violent Gentile town will fear you.

4For you are a refuge for the weak,

A refuge for the poor when he is in distress,

A shelter from a downpour,

Shade from heat,

For the onslaught of the violent

Is like a downpour against a wall.

5You will bring down the bustle of foreigners,

Which is like heat on parched land.

As heat is shielded by a cloud,

So the singing of the violent

Will be dispirited.

6And the Lord of hosts will hold for all nations,

At this mountain,

A rich feast, a feast of settled wine,

Of rich marrowy meat

And of racked wine.

7And on this mountain,

He will remove the veil

Which shrouds all the nations,

And the covering

Which is spread over all the Gentiles.

8He will swallow up death for ever,

And my Lord the Lord

Will wipe away the tears from every face,

And he will remove the reproach on his people

From the whole world,

For the Lord has spoken.

9And on that day, people will say,

“Behold this God of ours;

We waited for him, and he has saved us.

This is the Lord for whom we waited.

Let us rejoice and delight in his salvation.”

10For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain,

And Moab will be trodden down under him,

As straw is trodden down

In Madmenah.

11And he will spread out his arms in their midst,

As a swimmer spreads his arms to swim,

And he will bring their haughtiness down

Together with the proceeds of the fraudulence of their hands.

12And as for the fortification

– The high fort of your walls –

He will bring it down;

He will demolish it

And raze it to the ground as dust.

Reference(s) in Chapter 25: v.8 ↔ 1 Corinthians 15:54, Revelation 7:17, Revelation 21:4.

Isaiah Chapter 26 

1On that day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

We have a strong city;

He will provide salvation

Like walls and fortifications.

2Open the gates,

And let a righteous nation enter,

One which keeps to what is faithful.

3You will keep him in deep peace

Whose thoughts are to rely on you,

For it is in you that he trusts.

4Trust in the Lord in all perpetuity,

For the rock of the ages

Is found in the Lord, the Lord.

5For he brings down those who dwell in a high place

In a town at high elevation.

He will raze it,

He will raze it to the ground;

He will bring it to the dust.

6A foot – the feet of the poor –

Will trample on it,

As will the steps of the needy.

7The way of the righteous is straight;

You make the path of the righteous

Straight and level.

8Indeed, O Lord, we have waited for you

In the way of your judgments.

The longing of our inner being

Is for your name

And for remembrance of you.

9My inner being longs for you at night,

My spirit also inside me seeks you at dawn.

For when your judgments are given on the earth,

The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

10Although the wicked man may be shown favour,

He does not learn righteousness.

In an upright land, he acts iniquitously,

And he will not see the majesty of the Lord.

11O Lord, your hand is high;

They do not see it,

But they will see the zeal of the people

And be ashamed.

Indeed, fire will consume your adversaries.

12O Lord, you arrange peace for us,

For you are even the one at work in all our deeds for us.

13O Lord our God,

Various masters other than you have had dominion over us,

But yours is the only name that we make mention of.

14They are dead,

They shall not live,

The Rephaim shall not rise,

Seeing how you have visited them and destroyed them

And have obliterated all memory of them.

15You have enlarged the nation, O Lord;

You have increased the nation.

You are glorified;

You have extended all the boundaries of the land.

16In distress they appealed to you, O Lord;

They poured out whispering

When they were receiving your discipline.

17As a pregnant woman who is about to give birth,

Who writhes and shouts in her birth pangs,

So were we before you, O Lord.

18We have conceived,

We have been through birth pangs,

But it is as if we have given birth to wind,

Not to salvation which we were to bring to the earth,

Nor did any inhabitants of the earth come out of the womb.

19Your dead, and my dead body,

Will live and rise.

Awake, and sing for joy,

You who lie in the dust,

For your dew is resplendent dew,

But the earth will bring down the Rephaim.

20Go, my people,

Enter your rooms,

Close your doors after you;

Hide for a very little while

Until the indignation has passed.

21For behold, the Lord is about to come out of his place

To requite the iniquity of the inhabitants of the land.

And the earth will reveal its blood,

And it will no longer cover up

Those killed which it holds.

Isaiah Chapter 27 

1On that day the Lord will requite

With his firm and large and strong sword

Leviathan the fugitive serpent,

And Leviathan the crooked serpent,

And he will kill the monster in the sea.

2On that day,

Sing to her of a delightful vineyard.

3I am the Lord who guards it;

I water it from time to time.

So that no-one encroaches on it,

I guard it night and day.

4I am not furious;

Who would assign me to briars and thorns in war?

I would march against them;

I would set them on fire

In one go.

5Or who would seize my stronghold?

Let him make peace with me;

Let it be peace that he makes with me.

6When they come,

Jacob will strike root,

Israel will flower and flourish,

And the face of the world will be full of fruit.

7Has he attacked him

Like the attack of the one attacking him?

Or has he been killed

In a way like the killing of those killed by him?

8In moderation, when you sent them away,

You disputed with them.

He expelled them by means of his harsh wind,

On the day of the east wind.

9So by this means,

Jacob's iniquity will be atoned for,

And this is all the fruit of removing his sin,

When he makes all the stones of the altar

Like chalk stones which are dashed to pieces.

The phallic parks and the sun-images

Shall not stand.

10For a fortified city will be forlorn;

A dwelling place will be forsaken

And abandoned like the desert.

There the calf will graze,

And there it will lie down,

And eat from its branches.

11When its harvest is dried up,

They will be broken.

Women will come to set it on fire,

For it is not a people of understanding,

Which is why their maker

Will not show them compassion,

And he who formed them

Will not show them mercy.

12And it will come to pass on that day

That the Lord will thresh you out,

From the rising of the river

To the Brook of Egypt,

And you will be gleaned up one by one,

You sons of Israel.

13And it will come to pass on that day

That the great ramshorn will be sounded,

And those who were about to perish in the land of Assyria will come,

As will those driven out in the land of Egypt,

And they will worship the Lord

In the holy mountain in Jerusalem.

Reference(s) in Chapter 27: v.9 ↔ Romans 11:27.

Isaiah Chapter 28 

1Woe to the crown of pride,

To the drunkards of Ephraim,

Whose magnificent splendour

Is a fading flower

Which is in the best fertile valley

You who are impaired by wine.

2Behold, the Lord* has what is strong and powerful,

Such as a deluge of hail

– A destructive storm –

Such as a deluge of torrential water,

Causing flooding,

Which he sends down to earth with his hand.

3The crown of pride,

The drunkards of Ephraim,

Will be trodden under foot.

4And the magnificent splendour,

Which is in the best fertile valley,

Will be a fading flower,

Like its early fruit before the summer,

Which, when the observer sees it,

He swallows down

While it is still in his hand.

5On that day the Lord of hosts

Will be a crown of splendour

And a diadem of magnificence

To the remainder of his people,

6And a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment,

And a spirit of valour to them

Who repulse the assault on the gate.

7So these too have erred because of wine

And have gone astray because of liquor.

Priest and prophet have erred because of liquor;

They have been swallowed up by the wine.

They have gone astray because of the liquor,

They have erred in the vision;

They have floundered in the administration of justice.

8For all the tables are full of vomit and excrement

Without a clean space.

9To whom will he impart knowledge?

And to whom will he disclose information?

To those who have been weaned from milk,

And who have grown out of breastfeeding.

10For it is commandment upon commandment,

Commandment upon commandment,

Rule upon rule,

Rule upon rule;

A little here, a little there.

11For he will speak to this people

In jabbering foreign speech,

And in a different language

12To this people to whom he said,

“This is the rest;

Give the weary rest”,

And, “This is the tranquillity.”

But they were unwilling to hear.

13And the word of the Lord to them was

Commandment upon commandment,

Commandment upon commandment,

Rule upon rule,

Rule upon rule,

A little here, a little there,

So that they might proceed.

But they staggered backwards

And were crippled

And ensnared and caught.

14So then, hear the word of the Lord,

You scornful men,

You rulers of this people

Who are in Jerusalem.

15For you have said,

“We have made a covenant with death,

And we have made a contract with the grave,

That when the overwhelming scourge passes through,

It will not come on us,

For we have made the lie our refuge,

And we have hidden in falsehood.”

16This is why my Lord the Lord says,

“Behold, I am about to lay as a foundation

A stone in Zion,

A stone for testing,

A cornerstone, precious as a well-founded foundation,

And he who believes in it will not blunder.

17And I will establish justice according to a straight line,

And righteousness according to a plummet.

And hail will sweep away the covering of the lie,

And water will flush secrecy out.

18And your covenant with death will be abolished,

And your contract with the grave will not stand.

When the overwhelming scourge passes through,

You will be an object for it to tread down.

19Every time when it passes through

It will take you,

For morning by morning it will pass through,

By day and by night.

And it will be a shocking thing

Just to contemplate hearing about.

20For the bed will be too short

To stretch oneself in,

And the blanket too narrow,

To wrap oneself up in.

21For the Lord will arise as at Mount Perazim;

He will be stirred up as in the Valley of Gibeon,

To carry out his business

– His peculiar business –

And to accomplish his work

– His strange work.”

22So now, don't behave like mockers,

So that your fetters are not tightened,

For I have heard of a conclusion

From the Lord

– The Lord of hosts –

Which has been determined over all the earth.

23Listen and hear my voice;

Attend and hear what I have to say.

24Does the ploughman plough all day

In order to sow?

Does he open up and harrow his ground?

25Does he not,

When he has levelled its surface,

Scatter black caraway

And strew cumin?

And put wheat in a row,

And is barley not marked off,

And is spelt not sown

In its allocated area?

26And there is one who instructs him in justice:

His God teaches him.

27For black caraway is not threshed with a threshing board,

Nor is a wagon wheel turned on cumin,

For black caraway is beaten with a stick,

And cumin with a rod.

28Is flour ground fine?

For he will not thresh away at it for ever,

Nor will he drive the wheel of his wagon,

Nor will his horsemen grind it fine.

29This too originates

From the Lord of hosts.

He has made a wonderful decision;

He has shown magnificent sound wisdom.

Reference(s) in Chapter 28: v.11 ↔ 1 Corinthians 14:21 ● v.12 ↔ 1 Corinthians 14:21 ● v.16 ↔ Romans 9:33, Romans 10:11, 1 Peter 2:6.

Isaiah Chapter 29 

1Woe to Ariel, to Ariel,

The town where David encamped.

Let the years mount up,

Let the festivals come round,

2But I will distress Ariel,

And there will be sighing and sorrow,

And it will be to me

A veritable lion of God.

3And I will encamp against you in a circle,

And I will besiege you with a garrison,

And I will raise siege works against you.

4And you will be low,

And you will speak from the ground,

And being weighed down,

Your speech will be from the dust,

And your voice will be like that of a necromancer,

Coming out of the ground,

And your articulation will be whispering from the dust.

5And there will be a horde of people foreign to you,

Like fine dust,

And a horde of violent men,

Like chaff passing by,

And it will happen all of a sudden.

6You will be visited by the Lord of hosts

With thunder and with an earthquake and a loud noise,

A whirlwind and a storm,

And a flame of devouring fire,

7And a horde from all the nations which are at war with Ariel.

And all those attacking it and its citadel,

And those who distress it

Will be like a bad dream

– A vision in the night.

8And it will come to pass

That just as when a hungry man dreams that he is eating,

But when he wakes up,

His belly is empty,

And as when a thirsty man dreams that he is drinking,

But when he wakes up,

He finds that he is weary,

And his being craves water,

So the horde of all the nations waging war against Mount Zion will be.

9Rest and be astonished;

Indulge yourself and be dazzled:

They are drunk, but not with wine;

They stagger, but not with strong liquor.

10For the Lord has poured a spirit of deep sleep over you,

And he has closed your eyes.

He has covered over the prophets,

And your leaders, the seers.

11And the vision of all this will be to you like the words of a sealed book which they give to a literate man, saying, “Please read this”, but he says, “I am not able to, for it is sealed.” 12Or like a book which is given to someone who does not know how to read, while they say, “Do read this”, and he says, “I do not know how to read.” 13And the Lord* said,

“Since this people approaches with their mouth,

And with their lips they honour me,

But they have put their heart far from me,

And their fear of me is a commandment of men

Which has been taught them,

14Watch out for me doing more wonders with this people

– Doing wondrous wonders –

As the wisdom of their wise men comes to nothing,

And the intelligence of their intellectuals

Goes into hiding.”

15Woe to those who lay deep designs

Away from the Lord,

So hiding their purpose,

And whose works are in darkness,

And who say, “Who can see us?”

And, “Who knows us?”

16Such is your perverseness.

Will the potter be considered as clay?

For will the product say of its maker,

“He didn't make me”?

Or will the artefact say of its fashioner,

He doesn't have any understanding”?

17Is it not in a very little while

That Lebanon will be restored as well-cultivated ground,

And that the well-cultivated ground

Will be considered a forest?

18And on that day,

The deaf will hear the words of the book,

And the eyes of the blind,

Which were in obscurity and darkness,

Will see.

19And the meek will increase their joy in the Lord,

And the poor among men

Will exult in the holy one of Israel.

20For the violent one will come to nothing,

And the mocker will come to an end,

And all those who lie in wait iniquitously

Will be cut off

21– Those who make a man sin with a word,

And ensnare one who reproves at the gate,

And lead a righteous man astray with confusion.

22This is why the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says this to the house of Jacob:

It is not now that Jacob will be ashamed,

And it is not now that his face will turn pale,

23But when he sees his children,

The work of my hands.

In his company,

They will sanctify my name,

And they will sanctify the holy one of Jacob,

And they will fear the God of Israel.

24And those who were erring in spirit

Will have understanding,

And those who were rebellious

Will learn lessons.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 29: v.10 ↔ Romans 11:8 ● v.13 ↔ Matthew 15:8, Matthew 15:9, Mark 7:6, Mark 7:7 ● v.14 ↔ 1 Corinthians 1:19 ● v.16 ↔ Romans 9:20.

Isaiah Chapter 30 

1“Woe to the recalcitrant sons,

Says the Lord,

Who take counsel, but not from me,

And pour out a libation,

But not with my spirit,

So as to add sin upon sin,

2Who are setting out to go down to Egypt,

But they did not ask for my oracle,

Having decided to be strong in the stronghold of Pharaoh,

And to put trust in the shadow of Egypt.

3But Pharaoh's stronghold

Will be something you will be ashamed of,

And your trust in the shadow of Egypt

Will be to your disgrace.

4For his officers were in Zoan,

And his envoys arrived in Hanes.

5Everyone became ashamed because of a people

Who did not benefit them.

They were neither a help nor a benefit,

But rather a matter of shame

And ignominy as well.”

6The burden of the animals of the south.

In a distressed and troubled land,

Among them being the great lion and the old lion,

The viper and the fiery flying serpent,

They will transport their wealth on the shoulder of ass-colts,

And their treasure on the humps of camels,

To a people who will not benefit them.

7And Egypt will help

In a vacuous and empty way,

Which is why I have called it,

“Rahab sits still.”

8So now, go and write it on a tablet, with them present,

And inscribe it in a book,

So that it is there for the last day,

And in age-abiding perpetuity.

9For it is a rebellious people,

Dishonest sons,

Sons who are unwilling

To heed the law of the Lord,

10Who say to the seers,

“Don't see”,

And to those who see visions,

“Don't see righteous visions for us.

Speak flatteries to us,

See delusory visions,

11Depart from the way,

Turn off from the path;

Remove the holy one of Israel

From our presence.”

12That is why this is what the holy one of Israel says:

“Since you have rejected these words

And trusted in oppression and deviousness

And relied on it,

13This iniquity will be ascribed to you,

Like a breach about to fall,

Bulging out in a high wall,

Whose collapse comes all of a sudden.

14And he will break it,

Like the breaking of a shattered potter's jar.

He will not show mercy,

And in his act of shattering,

Not a shard will be found

Which will be any use for taking fire from a burning mass,

Or drawing water from a cistern.”

15For this is what my Lord the Lord, the holy one of Israel, says:

“You will be saved with a return and rest.

Your valour will be with quietness and confidence.

But you were unwilling,

16And you said,

‘No, but rather we will flee on horseback.’

That is why you will flee.

And you said,

‘We will ride on swift horses.’

That is why those who pursue you will be swift.

17One thousand will flee at the rebuke of one;

At the rebuke of five, you will flee,

Until you remain like a mast on the summit of a mountain,

Or like an ensign on a hill.”

18And this is why the Lord will wait:

So as to be gracious to you.

And this is why he will arise to have compassion on you:

For the Lord is a God of justice.

Blessed are all those who wait for him.

19For the people will dwell in Zion in Jerusalem,

And you will certainly not weep.

He will be very gracious at the sound of your crying out;

When he hears it,

He will answer you.

20And the Lord* will give you bread of adversity,

And water of oppression,

But your teachers will no longer be kept at a distance,

And your eyes will see your teachers.

21And your ears will hear words behind you,

Saying, “This is the way;

Walk in it”,

Whenever you go off to the right

Or go off to the left.

22And you will defile the silver overlay of your idols,

And the costume of your golden cast image.

You will dispose of them like the discharge of a menstruating woman.

“Away with you”,

You will say to it.

23And he will give rain for your seed

Which you sow on the ground,

And as for food

– The produce of the land –

It will be rich and fat.

Your cattle will graze on that day

On broad pasture land.

24And the oxen and the donkeys which till the ground

Will eat wholesome fodder

Which has been winnowed with a winnowing fan

Or a winnowing shovel.

25And there will be on every high mountain,

And on every lofty hill,

Streams – brooks of water –

On the day of great slaughter,

When towers fall.

26And the light of the moon

Will be like the light of the sun,

And the light of the sun will be seven times stronger,

Like seven days' light,

On the day when the Lord binds up

The fracture of his people,

And heals

The bruise of their blow.

27Behold, the name of the Lord is coming from afar;

His anger is burning,

And the burden is heavy.

His lips are full of indignation,

And his tongue is like a consuming fire.

28And his breath is like an overflowing stream,

Whose level comes up to the neck,

To sift the nations with a sieve to separate the worthless,

And a bridle in the jaws of the peoples,

Causing them to go astray.

29You will have a song

As on the night of sanctifying a festival,

And joy in the heart,

As when a person goes with a pipe

To come to the mount of the Lord

– To the rock of Israel.

30And the Lord will have his majestic voice heard,

And he will show how his arm comes down

In raging anger

And in the flame of a consuming fire

In a violent flood and a downpour

And hailstones.

31For at the Lord's voice,

Assyria will slump;

He will strike them with a rod.

32And every passage of the rod as decreed,

Which the Lord will lay on them,

Will be with drums and with harps,

And he will fight against them

In tumultuous wars.

33For Topheth was set up in the former time;

It was even prepared for the king.

He has made it deep;

He has made it wide.

It is a pyre of fire and much wood;

The breath of the Lord,

Like a stream of sulphur,

Burns in it.

Isaiah Chapter 31 

1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help.

They rely on horses,

And they trust in chariots,

For there are many;

And in horsemen,

For they are very numerous.

But they do not look to the holy one of Israel,

And they do not seek the Lord.

2However, he is wise,

And he will bring harm,

And he will not revoke his words,

And he will rise against the house of the evildoers,

And against the accomplices of workers of iniquity.

3For the Egyptians are men and not God,

And their horses are flesh and not spirit,

And the Lord will stretch out his hand,

And he who helps will stumble,

And he who is helped will fall,

And all of them will come to an end together.

4For this is what the Lord says to me:

“As when the lion or the young lion

Growls over his prey,

When a large group of shepherds are called out against it,

And it is not terrified by their voices,

And it is not deterred by their sound,

So the Lord of hosts will descend

To fight for Mount Zion

And for its hill.

5Like birds flying,

So the Lord of hosts will defend Jerusalem.

He will defend and deliver

And act as in the Passover,

And rescue.

6Return to him,

From whom you have made a deep departure,

You sons of Israel.

7For on that day

A man will reject his silver idols,

And his golden idols,

Which your sinful hands have made for yourselves.

8And Assyria will fall by the sword,

But not that of a man.

And a sword,

But not that of a human,

Will consume them.

And they will take flight from the sword,

And their young men will become tribute-bearing.

9And their rock of refuge will vanish for fear,

And their officials will be terrified at the banner”,

Says the Lord,

Who has a fire in Zion

And a furnace in Jerusalem.

Isaiah Chapter 32 

1Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,

And men will rule as officials for justice.

2And a man will be like a shelter from the wind,

And a refuge from a downpour;

Like springs of water in a dry region,

Like the shadow of a massive rock

In a weary land.

3And the eyes of those who see

Will not look away,

And the ears of those who hear

Will be attentive.

4And the heart of the hasty

Will understand the importance of having knowledge,

And the tongue of the stammerers

Will be fluent in speaking clearly.

5The fool will no longer be called noble,

And the miser will not be said to be generous.

6For the fool will speak folly,

And his heart will occupy itself with vanity

In perpetrating profanity,

In speaking error to the Lord,

In draining the energy of the hungry,

And causing the drink of the thirsty

To be lacking.

7And the methods of the miser are wicked.

He decides on schemings

To take advantage of the poor

With deceitful talk,

Whereas when the needy man speaks,

It is for justice.

8And the generous man decides on generosity,

And by generosity he will stand.

9You women who are at ease,

Arise and hear my voice;

You confident daughters,

Listen to my discourse.

10For many days annually,

You will be agitated,

You confident women,

For the grape harvest will fail

– The ingathering will not come.

11Tremble, you women at ease,

Be awestruck, you confident women;

Strip off and be naked,

Then gird up your waist.

12Babes lament for the breasts;

Parents for the delightful fields

– For the fruitful vine.

13On the land of my people

The thistle and the briar will come up,

For they will be over all joyous households

In the delightful town.

14For the castle will be abandoned,

The liveliness of the city will disappear;

The raised ground and the watchtower will become dens age-abidingly

– The joy of wild asses,

And pasture for flocks –

15Until a spirit is poured out on us from above,

And the desert becomes a well-cultivated plain,

And the well-cultivated plain

Is considered a forest.

16And justice will prevail

In the desert,

And righteousness will be prevalent

In the well-cultivated plain.

17And the accomplishment of righteousness

Will be peace,

And the work of rectitude

Will be quietness and security age-abidingly.

18And my people will dwell

In a peaceful abode,

And in secure dwelling places,

And in quiet resting places.

19And when hail comes down in the forest,

The city will lie low in the lowland.

20Blessed are you who sow

Wherever there is water,

And who drive the ox and the donkey.

Isaiah Chapter 33 

1Woe to the plunderer,

You who were not plundered,

And to the traitor,

Him whom no-one betrayed.

When you stop plundering,

You will be plundered,

When you finish betraying,

You will be betrayed.

2O Lord, be gracious to us;

We have put our hope in you.

Be their strong arm in the mornings,

And also our salvation

In a time of adversity.

3At the sound of a multitude,

The various peoples will flee;

At your exaltation,

The nations will be scattered.

4And your plunder will be gathered

Like a swarm of consuming locusts;

They will be greedy for it,

Like the greed of desert locusts.

5The Lord is exalted,

For he inhabits the heights;

He will fill Zion

With justice and righteousness.

6And the abundance of acts of salvation, wisdom and knowledge

Will be the mainstay of your times,

And fear of the Lord

Will be his treasure.

7Behold, their heroes will cry out in the open;

The messengers of peace will weep bitterly.

8The highways will be devastated;

The wayfarer will cease to be found.

He will break the covenant,

He will show contempt for the cities;

He will not consider man.

9The earth mourns and is languishing,

And Lebanon is ashamed and is withering.

Sharon has become like an arid tract,

And Bashan and Carmel

Have cast off their foliage.

10“Now I will arise”,

The Lord will say,

“Now I will be exalted;

Now I will be extolled.

11You will conceive stubble;

You will give birth to chaff.

Your own fiery breath will consume you.

12And nations will be like the burning of lime;

They will be set on fire,

Like thorn plants that have been cut down.

13Hear, you who are far away,

What I have done,

And know, you who are nearby, my might.”

14The sinners in Zion will be afraid;

Trembling will seize the profane.

Who among us can withstand a consuming fire?

Who among us can withstand

Age-abiding burning?

15As for him who walks righteously

And speaks uprightly,

Rejecting unjust gain

From fraudulent practices,

Dismissing with a wave of his hands

Any offer of a bribe,

Shutting his ear

So as not to hear plots of bloodshed,

And closing his eyes

So as not to see plans for evil,

16He will dwell high up;

His high fort is a citadel of rock.

His food is provided for;

His water supply is reliable.

17Your eyes will see the king in his magnificence;

They will see a far-stretching land.

18Your heart will be taken up with dread.

Where is the scribe?

Where is the weigher?

Where is he who counts the towers?

19You will not see a fierce people,

Nor a people of unintelligible speech,

Jabbering in a tongue

Not understood.

20Behold Zion,

Town of our festival times.

Your eyes will see Jerusalem,

A dwelling place at ease,

A tent which does not move around,

Whose pegs do not for ever journey,

And none of whose guylines are detached.

21For the mighty Lord will be there,

As our place of rivers

– Watercourses – very wide ones.

No galley will go into it,

And no mighty ship will pass through it.

22For the Lord is our judge,

The Lord is our legislator,

The Lord is our king;

He will save us.

23Your rigging has been loosened,

They have not strengthened the base of their mast;

They have not unfurled a sail.

Then the booty of much spoil is divided;

The lame grab the plunder.

24And the inhabitant will not say,

“I am ill.”

The people who live in it

Are forgiven their iniquity.

Isaiah Chapter 34 

1Approach, you nations, to hear,

And listen, you peoples.

Let the earth and its fulness hear

– The world and all its offspring.

2For the Lord is angry with all the nations,

And is wrathful over all their armies.

He will obliterate them;

He will deliver them to slaughter.

3And their casualties will be dumped,

And from their corpses their stench will come,

And mountains will melt

From their blood.

4And all the array of heaven will dissolve,

And the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll,

And all their array will fall away,

Like the falling off of foliage from a vine,

Or like a fig falling from a fig tree.

5For my sword will be satiated in the heavens,

And behold, it will descend on Edom

And on a people I have condemned in judgment.

6The Lord's sword is full of blood;

It is besmeared with fat

From the blood of fatted lambs and he-goats

And with the fat from the kidneys of rams,

For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah,

And great slaughter in the land of Edom.

7And the buffaloes will be brought down with them,

And oxen with strong bulls,

And their land will be saturated with blood,

And their dust will be made greasy with fat.

8For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance

– The year of retribution –

For the controversy over Zion.

9And its streams will be turned into pitch,

And its dust into sulphur,

And its land will become burning pitch.

10Night and day it will not be extinguished;

Its smoke will rise up age-abidingly.

From generation to generation it will be desolate;

In all perpetuity

No-one will pass through it.

11And the pelican and the hedgehog will inherit it,

And the owl and the crow will inhabit it,

And it is delineated as desolate,

And it is marked off as forlorn.

12As for their nobles,

There will be nothing there

Which they can proclaim as a kingdom,

And all its officials

Will be no more.

13And thorns will come up in its palaces,

And nettles and thistles in its fortifications,

And it will be an abode of jackals,

And pasture for ostriches.

14And the desert animals will meet the jackals,

And the goat will call to its fellow.

Indeed the screech-owl will settle quietly there

And will find itself a resting place.

15The eagle-owl will make its nest there

And lay its eggs and hatch them

And brood over them in its shadow.

Vultures will also gather there

– The female and her mate.

16Seek in the book of the Lord,

And read.

Not one of these females will be left behind.

No female will lack its mate,

For it is my mouth which has commanded it,

And it is his spirit which will gather them.

17And he has cast their lot,

And his hand has allocated them an area marked off by a measuring line.

They will inherit it age-abidingly;

From generation to generation

They will dwell in it.

Reference(s) in Chapter 34: v.4 ↔ Matthew 24:29, Mark 13:25, Hebrews 1:12, Revelation 6:13-14 ● v.10 ↔ Revelation 14:11, Revelation 19:3 ● v.11 ↔ Revelation 18:2.

Isaiah Chapter 35 

1The desert and the dry place will take delight in them,

And the arid tract will rejoice

And blossom like a lily.

2It will blossom beautifully and rejoice;

It will rejoice and exult all the more.

The glory of Lebanon will be given to it

– The splendour of Carmel and Sharon.

They will see the glory of the Lord

– The splendour of our God.

3Strengthen weak hands,

And embolden faltering knees.

4Say to those of a panic-stricken heart,

“Be strong and do not fear.

Behold, your God will come with vengeance

With God's retribution.

He will come and save you.”

5Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,

And opened will be the ears of the deaf.

6Then the lame will leap like the deer,

And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy,

At a time when water will be laid open in the desert,

As will streams in the arid tracts.

7And the parched ground will become a lake,

And the thirsty land springs of water.

In the jackals' den where they lie down

Will be pasture with reeds and papyrus.

8And there will be a highway and a road there,

And it will be called the Holy Road.

No-one unclean will pass over it,

And it will be for him who walks in the way,

And the impious will not stray onto it.

9There will not be any lions there,

And rapacious animals will not come up to it,

Nor be found there,

But the redeemed will walk on it.

10And the Lord's redeemed will return

And come to Zion in jubilation,

With age-abiding joy on their heads.

They will obtain happiness and joy,

Whereas sorrow and sighing will flee.

Reference(s) in Chapter 35: v.3 ↔ Hebrews 12:12 ● v.5 ↔ Matthew 15:31, Luke 4:18; Matthew 11:5 ● v.6 ↔ Matthew 11:5, Matthew 15:31.

Isaiah Chapter 36 

1And it came to pass in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah that Sennacherib king of Assyria went up against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them. 2And the king of Assyria sent the chief butler from Lachish to Jerusalem, to King Hezekiah, with a sizeable army, and they stood at the conduit at the upper pool, which is at the aqueduct to the washer's site. 3And Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, who was in charge of the house, came out to him, as did Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the state secretary. 4And the chief butler said to them, “Kindly say to Hezekiah, ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: «What is this object of trust in which you trust? 5I quote you – but it is vain talk – ‹I have counsel and wherewithal for war.› Now in whom have you trusted? For you have rebelled against me. 6Look, you have put trust in this buckled reed staff – in Egypt – and if a man leans on it, it slips into his hand and pierces it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 7And if you say to me, ‹We trust in the Lord our God›, is that not he whose raised sites and whose altars Hezekiah removed, when he said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‹It is before this altar that you will worship›?» ’ 8So now, please, enter into a contract with my lord the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses if you are able to provide yourself with riders on them. 9And how can you decline the offer of a governor among the least of my lord's servants, and entrust yourself to Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 10Now did I come up without the Lord against this land, to bring it to ruin? The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land and bring it to ruin.’ ” 11Then Eliakim and Shebna and Joah said to the chief butler, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it, and do not speak to us in Judaean, it being intelligible to the people who are on the wall.” 12Then the chief butler said, “Is it to your master and to you that my lord has sent me to speak these words? Is it not to the people sitting on the wall, that they will have to eat their excrement and drink their urine with you?” 13Then the chief butler stood up and called out in a loud voice in Judaean and said, “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. 14This is what the king says: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. 15And do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord, saying, «The Lord will certainly deliver us, and this city will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.» ’ 16Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: ‘Make things a blessing in partnership with me, and come out to me, then let each man eat from his vine, and each man from his fig tree, and let each man drink water from his cistern, 17until I come and take you to a land like your own land – a land of corn and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. 18And don't let Hezekiah entice you, saying, «The Lord will deliver us.» Have the gods of the nations delivered anyone's land from the grip of the king of Assyria? 19Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? And have they, then, delivered Samaria from my grip? 20Who are there among all the gods of these countries who have delivered their country from my grip? So will the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my grip?’ ” 21And they fell silent, and they did not answer him a word, for the king's commandment was, “Do not answer him.” 22Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the state secretary, went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they told him the chief butler's words.

Isaiah Chapter 37 

1And it came to pass, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes and covered himself in sackcloth, and he went to the house of the Lord. 2And he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests – having covered themselves in sackcloth – to Isaiah, the son of Amoz, the prophet. 3And they said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘This day is a day of anguish and chastening and indignity, for the sons have arrived at the stage of breaking out of the womb, but there isn't the strength to give birth. 4Perhaps the Lord your God will have heard the words of the chief butler, whom the king of Assyria, his master, sent to defy the living God, and he will condemn the words which the Lord your God has heard, so you will take up a prayer for the remnant which is found.’ ” 5And when King Hezekiah's servants came to Isaiah, 6Isaiah said to them, “This is what you will say to your master: ‘This is what the Lord says: «Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, because the servants of the king of Assyria have vilified me. 7I am about to put in him a certain spirit, and he will hear a rumour, and he will return to his country, and I will bring him down by the sword in his own country.» ’ ” 8Then the chief butler returned and found the king of Assyria at war with Libnah, for he had heard that he had moved from Lachish. 9And he heard about Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, when informants said, “He has gone out to wage war with you.” And when he heard about it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah to say, 10“This is what you will say to Hezekiah king of Judah. Say, ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you when he says, «Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.» 11Look, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, in obliterating them. So will you be delivered? 12Have the gods of the nations delivered them – nations which my fathers brought to ruin: Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar? 13Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad or the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena or Ivvah?’ ” 14And Hezekiah took the communiqué from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord, and Hezekiah spread it before the Lord. 15And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord and said, 16“O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, you who dwell between the cherubim, you alone are the God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made heaven and the earth. 17Incline, O Lord, your ear and hear; open, O Lord, your eyes and see, and hear all the words of Sennacherib who sent a messenger to defy the living God. 18Indeed, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid all the nations and their land waste, 19and they have put their gods in a fire – although they are not gods, but the product of man's hands, wood and stone – and they have destroyed them. 20So now, O Lord our God, save us from his grip, so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you are the Lord, and only you.” 21Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent word to Hezekiah as follows: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Because you have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria’, 22these are the words which the Lord spoke concerning him,

‘The virgin daughter of Zion despises you,

Derides you;

The daughter of Jerusalem

Shakes her head at you.

23Whom have you defied and vilified,

And against whom have you raised your voice?

Well, you have lifted your eyes haughtily

Against the holy one of Israel.

24Through your servants you have defied the Lord*

And said, «By the numerical weight of my chariot fleet

I have ascended to the heights of mountains

In the remote parts of Lebanon.

And I will cut down the tallest of its cedars

And the choice of its cypresses,

And I will come to its ultimate height

In its Carmel forest.

25I have dug wells and drunk water,

And by my expeditions

I have caused all the channels to places under siege

To dry up.»

26Have you not heard from long ago

That I made this?

– That in ancient days I formed it?

I have brought it about now,

And it was so that you should reduce fortified cities

To desolate heaps of stones.

27And their inhabitants were powerless,

They were afraid and were put to shame;

They were wild vegetation and grassy verdure

– Wild grass on rooftops,

And blight on standing corn.

28Now I have known your way of life,

And your coming and going,

And your rage against me.

29Because your rage against me and your wantonness

Have come up to my ears,

I will put my hook in your nose,

And my bridle in your lips,

And I will turn you back to the road

By which you came.’

30‘And this will be a sign to you:

This year you will eat the produce of spilt grain,

And in the second year the produce of self-sown grain,

But in the third year,

Sow and reap and plant vineyards

And eat their fruit.

31And the remnant of the house of Judah which remains

Will again strike root downward

And yield fruit upward.

32For the remainder will go out from Jerusalem,

As will the remnant from Mount Zion.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts

Will perform this.’

33Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria:

‘He shall not come to this city,

And he shall not shoot an arrow there,

And he shall not advance on it with a shield,

And he shall not raise an earthwork against it.

34He will return by the road on which he came,

And he shall not come to this city,

Says the Lord.

35And I will defend this city,

So as to save it,

For my own sake,

And for the sake of David my servant.’ ”

36And the angel of the Lord went out and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrians' camp, and when the people arose in the morning, they saw that they were all dead – corpses. 37So Sennacherib king of Assyria moved off and departed, and he returned and stayed in Nineveh. 38And it came to pass, while he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sarezer his sons struck him down with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

Isaiah Chapter 38 

1In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill, and Isaiah the son of Amoz, the prophet, came to him and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Give your last orders to your household, for you are going to die, and you will not live.’ ” 2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3and he said, “I implore you, O Lord, do remember how I have walked before you in truth, and with a sincere heart, and how I have done what is right in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept with great weeping. 4And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah as follows: 5“Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord God of David your father says: «I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. I am about to add fifteen years to your days. 6I will deliver you and this city from the grip of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city. 7And this is your sign from the Lord, for the Lord will perform this pronouncement which he spoke: 8I am about to make the shadow of the sundial go back, the shadow which was cast by Ahaz's sundial in the sun – ten degrees backwards.» ’ ” And the sun went back ten degrees on the sundial by which it was cast. 9The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah when he was ill and recovered from his sickness: 10“I said,

‘In the quiet period of my life,

I was to go to the gates of the grave;

I was to be left without the rest of my years.’

11I said, ‘I shall not see the Lord,

The Lord in the land of the living.

I shall no longer see a man

Among the inhabitants of the transitory world.

12My span of life has been torn away,

And it has been carried away from me

Like a shepherd's tent.

I have severed off my life;

Like a weaver cutting yarn,

He will cut me off.

From day to night

You were to bring me to an end.

13I waited expectantly until the morning.

As a lion tears apart,

So he would break all my bones,

And from day to night I waited

For you to make an end of me.

14Like a swallow or a crane,

So I chirped;

I cooed like a dove.

My eyes are weak with looking upward.

O Lord*, I am oppressed;

Become my security.

15What shall I say,

In that he has spoken to me,

And he has acted?

I will proceed softly for all my years

On account of inward grief.

16O Lord*, by these things men live,

And in all of them is my spiritual life,

And you are restoring me to health

And reviving me.

17But it was for peace

That I had great bitterness,

But you were pleased to deliver my being

From the pit of destruction,

For you have cast all my sins behind your back.

18For the grave does not praise you,

Nor does death laud you.

Those who go down to the pit

Do not await your truth.

19It is the living, the living who praise you,

As I do today.

A father will make your truth known

To his sons.

20The Lord was there to save me,

And we will play my music on string instruments,

All the days of our life,

At the house of the Lord.’ ”

21And Isaiah said, “Let them take a cake of pressed figs and rub it on the inflammation, and he will recover.” 22Then Hezekiah said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?”

Isaiah Chapter 39 

1At that time Merodach-Baladan the son of Baladan, the king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, having heard that he had become ill and had recovered. 2And Hezekiah was pleased with them, and he showed them the spice house, the silver and the gold, and the fragrances, and the good quality oil, and all his armoury, and everything that was present in his treasuries. There was nothing which Hezekiah did not show them in his house and in all his realm. 3Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say, and where have they come to you from?” And Hezekiah said, “They have come to me from a distant land, from Babylon.” 4And he said, “What did they see in your house?” And Hezekiah said, “They saw everything in my house. There is nothing which I didn't show them in my treasuries.” 5Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of hosts. 6‘Behold, the days are coming when everything in your house, and which your fathers have treasured up, up to this day, will be carried away to Babylon. Nothing will remain, says the Lord. 7And they will take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget, and they will be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ ” 8Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord, which you have spoken, is right.” And he said, “For there will be peace and truth in my days.”

Isaiah Chapter 40 

1“Take comfort, take comfort, my people”,

Says your God.

2“Speak kindly to Jerusalem,

And proclaim to her

That her warfare has been concluded,

That her iniquity has been propitiated;

That she has received double at the hand of the Lord

For all her sins.”

3A voice calling in the desert,

“Clear the way of the Lord;

Make a straight highway in the arid land

For our God.

4Every valley will be raised,

And every mountain and hill will be lowered,

And what is steep will become level,

And the rugged places a low plain.

5And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

And all flesh will see it together,

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

6A voice said,

“Make a proclamation.”

And he said,

“What shall I proclaim?”

“All flesh is grass,

And all its grace

Is like a wild flower.

7The grass dries up,

And the flower fades,

For the spirit of the Lord blows on it.

Truly,

The people are grass.

8The grass dries up,

And the flower fades,

But the word of our God

Will stand age-abidingly.”

9Get up onto a high mountain,

Zion, announcer of good news.

Raise your voice strongly,

Jerusalem, announcer of good news.

Raise it; do not fear.

Say to the cities of Judah,

“Behold your God.”

10Behold, my Lord the Lord

Will come with strength,

And his arm will rule for him.

Behold, his reward is with him,

And his recompense is before him.

11He will tend his flock like a shepherd

And gather lambs in his arm,

And he will carry them in his bosom

And lead dairy cattle along.

12Who has measured the waters in the palm of his hand

Or sized up the heavens by the span?

Or calculated the volume of the dust of the earth

With a third-ephah container

Or weighed in a balance the mountains,

And the hills in scales?

13Who has assessed the spirit of the Lord,

And what man has imparted knowledge to him

With his counsel?

14With whom does he confer who can instruct him

And teach him in the way of justice,

And teach him knowledge

And indicate to him the way of understanding?

15Look, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,

And they are counted as dust in the balance.

Look, he can lift up the coastlands

Like fine powder.

16Even Lebanon isn't enough to burn,

And its animals aren't enough as a burnt offering.

17All the nations are like nothing before him;

They are considered less than nothing and desolation by him.

18So to whom will you liken God,

And with what comparison

Will you draw a parallel with him?

19The artisan casts an idol,

And refines gold and overlays it,

And refines silver for chains.

20As for the heave-offering of the impoverished,

He selects some wood which will not rot,

And finds himself a skilled artisan

To prepare an idol

Which will not be shaken.

21Have you not known,

Have you not heard,

Has it not been told you from the beginning?

Have you not understood

The foundations of the earth?

22It is he who sits above the earth's sphere,

Whose inhabitants are like grasshoppers;

It is he who stretches out the heavens like fine cloth,

And spans them like a tent to dwell in,

23Who reduces princes to nothing,

And makes the judges of the world desolate.

24They certainly won't be planted,

They simply won't be sown;

Their main stem just will not strike root.

Also a wind will blow on them

And they will dry up,

And a storm will carry them away

Like chaff.

25“So to whom will you liken me,

So that I will be comparable?”

Says the holy one.

26“Raise your eyes and look.

Who created these things?

He who produced the array of them by number

– He calls them all by name –

By great strength and mighty power;

Not one is missing.

27Jacob, why do you say,

And Israel, why do you declare,

‘My way is hidden from the Lord,

And my just deserts

Will be overlooked by my God?’

28Have you not known,

Or have you not heard,

That the age-abiding God

– The Lord,

The creator of the ends of the earth –

Does not become exhausted

And does not become weary,

And that there is no fathoming

Of his understanding?

29He gives the exhausted strength,

And he increases the vigour

Of those who have no energy.

30But youths will become exhausted and weary,

And young men will surely stumble.

31But those who confide in the Lord

Will revive in strength;

They will soar in flight like eagles.

They will run

And not grow weary,

They will proceed

And not become exhausted.

Reference(s) in Chapter 40: v.3 ↔ Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:2, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4, John 1:23 ● v.4 ↔ Luke 3:5 ● v.5 ↔ Luke 3:6 ● v.6 ↔ 1 Peter 1:24 ● v.7 ↔ 1 Peter 1:24 ● v.8 ↔ 1 Peter 1:24, 1 Peter 1:25 ● v.13 ↔ Romans 11:34, 1 Corinthians 2:16.

Isaiah Chapter 41 

1Be silent towards me, you coastlands,

And may the nations revive their strength.

Let them approach at that time,

And let them speak;

Let us draw near together

For judgment.

2Whom did he raise up from the east?

He called him to righteousness in his footsteps;

He set nations before him,

And he had him subdue kings.

He made them like the dust with his sword

– Like chaff driven about with his bow.

3He pursued them;

He came through in safety

Along a way which he had not taken on foot.

4Who has performed it and accomplished it,

Calling generations from the beginning?

I, the Lord,

The first and with the last;

I am he.

5The coastlands have seen it,

And they feared.

The ends of the earth trembled;

They approached and came.

6They helped each other,

And each said to his brother,

‘Take courage.’

7And the artisan encouraged the refiner,

And he who hammers thin encouraged him who strikes on the anvil,

As he said, ‘It is right for soldering.’

And he fastened it with rivets

Which would not come loose.

8But you, Israel, are my servant,

And Jacob, you whom I chose,

Are the seed of my friend Abraham,

9And I took you from the ends of the earth,

And I called you from its remote parts.

And I said to you,

‘You are my servant;

I have chosen you,

And I have not rejected you.

10Do not fear, for I am with you.

Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

And I will help you,

And I will support you

With my righteous right hand.’

11Behold, they will be put to shame,

And they will be disgraced.

All who were furious with you will be as nothing,

And the men who contended with you will perish.

12You will seek them,

But you will not find them.

The men who strove with you

Will be as nothing,

And the men who fought you

Will be as a void.

13For I am the Lord your God,

Who will hold your right hand,

Who says to you,

‘Do not fear;

I will help you.’

14‘Do not fear, Jacob,

Worm that you are

You men of Israel –

I will help you’,

Says the Lord your redeemer

– The holy one of Israel.

15Behold, I have made you into a threshing board,

Sharp and new,

With many cutting edges.

You will thresh mountains

And grind them small,

And you will make hills like chaff.

16You will winnow them,

And the wind will carry them away,

And a storm will scatter them.

And you will rejoice in the Lord;

You will boast in the holy one of Israel.

17The poor and the needy seek water,

But there isn't any.

Their tongue has dried up from thirst.

I, the Lord, will answer them;

The God of Israel will not desert them.

18I will open up rivers on high ground,

And springs in the middle of valleys.

I will make the desert a pool of water,

And arid land a fountain of water.

19I will put in the desert

Cedar and acacia,

And myrtle and oil-yielding trees.

I will place in the arid regions

Cypress, elm and box trees together,

20In order that they may see,

And know, and take note,

And act wisely together,

For the hand of the Lord has done this,

And the holy one of Israel has brought it about.

21Advance your arguments,

Says the Lord;

Bring forward your strong reasoning,

Says the king of Jacob.

22Let them produce it

And tell us what things are going to take place,

And what the first things were.

Tell us, and we will pay attention,

So that we may know their end result,

Or make known to us

Things to come.

23Tell us the things

Which are going to happen in the future,

So that we may know,

For you are gods,

And also do good or do evil,

So we can be overawed

And fear together.

24Look, you are less than nothing,

And your practices are less than vacuous.

And he who chooses you

Is an abomination.

25I have raised one up from the north,

And he shall come.

From the rising of the sun,

He will proclaim my name,

And he will cut through administrators like loam,

And as a potter treads clay.

26Who has told it in advance,

So that we may know?

And beforehand,

So that we may say,

Quite right’?”

There just isn't anyone who tells it,

There just isn't anyone who proclaims it;

How much less is there

Anyone hearing your proclamations!

27First, I will say to Zion,

‘Look, here they are’,

Then I will give to Jerusalem

Someone who brings good news.

28And I looked,

But there was no-one,

And I sought among them,

But there was no counsellor.

Nor when I questioned them

Were there any who could answer.

29Behold, they are all vanity,

Their works are without substance;

Their cast images

Are wind and wreckage.

Reference(s) in Chapter 41: v.4 ↔ Revelation 1:8, Revelation 1:17, Revelation 2:8, Revelation 21:6, Revelation 22:13;, Revelation 1:11 ● v.8 ↔ Matthew 12:18, James 2:23 ● v.23 ↔ John 10:34.

Isaiah Chapter 42 

1Behold my servant whom I will sustain

– My chosen one in whom my being delights.

I have cast my spirit over him;

He will bring justice

To the Gentiles.

2He will not shout, and he will not act high-handedly,

Nor make his voice heard in the street.

3He will not break a buckled reed,

And he will not extinguish a smouldering wick.

He will bring justice

In accordance with truth.

4He will not grow faint,

And he will not buckle

Before he has set up justice on the earth,

And the coastlands will await his law.”

5This is what God, the Lord

Who created the heavens and stretched them out,

Who pitched the earth and what it brings forth,

Who gives breath to the people upon it,

And spirit to those who walk on it – says:

6“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness,

And I will hold your hand,

And I will guard you,

And I will make you into a covenant people

A light of the Gentiles –

7To open blind eyes,

To take prisoners out of confinement

And those who dwell in darkness out of their prison.

8I am the Lord;

That is my name,

And I will not give my honour to another,

Nor my praiseworthiness to idols.

9As for the former things,

You see that they have come about,

And as for the new things,

I declare them.

Before they arise,

I will proclaim them to you.

10Sing a new song to the Lord

– His praiseworthiness from the end of the earth –

You who go down to the sea and its fulness,

You coastlands

And you who live in them.

11Let the desert and its cities raise their voices,

And the courtyards which Kedar inhabits.

Let the inhabitants of the rock be jubilant,

Let them shout from the peak of the mountains,

12Let them give glory to the Lord,

And let them proclaim his praiseworthiness

In the coastlands.

13The Lord will come out as a warrior,

He will arouse zeal as a man of war;

He will cry out and shout

And overcome his enemies.

14I have been silent for a long time;

I have been quiet and restrained myself.

But I will scream like a woman giving birth;

I will puff and pant at the same time.

15I will lay mountains and hills waste,

And I will dry up all their herbaceous vegetation.

I will make rivers into coastlands,

And I will dry up lakes.

16And I will enable the blind to walk along a way they haven't known,

And I will enable them to tread paths they have not been familiar with.

I will make the darkness in front of them light

And the impracticable ways level.

These are the words;

I will carry them out

And not renounce them.

17As for those who trust in an idol,

Who say to cast imagery,

‘You are our gods’,

They have drawn back;

They will be put to great shame.

18You deaf ones, hear!

You blind ones,

Look up so as to see!

19Who is blind, but my servant?

Or deaf, like my messenger whom I sent?

Who is blind like the one who has been preserved?

Or blind, like the servant of the Lord?

20For you have seen many things,

But you do not take note of them;

You have pricked up the ears

But no-one takes heed.”

21The Lord takes delight for the sake of his own righteousness;

He magnifies the law

And gives it honour.

22But it is a people plundered and preyed on,

By those ensnaring them all in pits,

While they hide in confinement.

They have been a target of plunder,

With no-one delivering them

– A prey, with no-one saying,

“Give it back.”

23Who among you will attend to this?

Who will listen and heed it afterwards?

24Who made Jacob a target of spoil

And delivered Israel to the plunderers?

Was it not the Lord,

Against whom we have sinned?

For they did not want to walk in his ways,

And they did not heed his law.

25And he poured out fury – his wrath – over him,

And the force of war,

And it set him on fire round about,

But he did not discern anything,

And it burned him,

But he did not lay it to heart.

Reference(s) in Chapter 42: v.1 ↔ Matthew 12:18 ● v.2 ↔ Matthew 12:19 ● v.3 ↔ Matthew 12:20 ● v.6 ↔ Luke 2:32.

Isaiah Chapter 43 

1And now, this is what the Lord,

Your creator, O Jacob,

And your fashioner, O Israel,

Says:

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.

I have called you by your name;

You are mine.

2When you cross over water,

I will be with you,

And when you traverse rivers,

They will not overwhelm you.

When you go through fire,

You will not be scorched,

And not a flame will burn you.

3For I am the Lord your God,

The holy one of Israel,

Your saviour.

I have given Egypt as a ransom for you,

And Ethiopia and Seba on behalf of you,

4Because you are precious in my eyes;

You are honoured, and I love you,

And I will give a man for you,

And nations for your existence.

5Do not fear, for I am with you.

I will bring your seed from the east,

And I will gather you from the west.

6I will say to the north,

‘Give them up’,

And to the south,

‘Do not shut them in.’

Bring my sons from afar,

And my daughters from the end of the earth.

7I created everyone who is called by my name,

And it is for my glory.

I fashioned him;

Indeed, I made him.

8Bring out the blind people

Who nevertheless have eyes,

And the deaf

Who nevertheless have ears.

9All the Gentiles will be gathered together,

And the nations will be assembled.

Who among them can recount this

And proclaim to us the former things?

Let them produce their witnesses

And be justified.

Or let them hear, and let them say,

It is the truth.’

10You are my witnesses,

Says the Lord,

And my servant whom I have chosen,

So that you may know and believe me,

And understand that I am he.

Before me no God was fashioned

Nor will there be after me.

11I, I am the Lord,

And there is no saviour besides me.

12I have declared it,

And I have saved,

And I have proclaimed it,

While among you there is nothing extraneous,

And you are my witnesses,

Says the Lord,

And I am God.

13Indeed, since the existence of a day,

I am he,

And there is no-one who delivers from my hand.

I act,

And who can avert it?”

14This is what the Lord, your redeemer,

The holy one of Israel, says:

“For your sake I have sent a force to Babylon,

And I have brought down all the fugitives,

And the Chaldeans are in outcry in their ships.

15I am the Lord your holy one,

The creator of Israel,

Your king.”

16This is what the Lord

– Who makes a passage in the sea,

And a route in raging water,

17Who brings out chariot and horse,

An army and a force – says:

“They will lie down together,

They will not get up,

They will be extinguished;

They will be snuffed out like a wick.

18Do not remember the former things,

And do not consider ancient matters.

19I am about to make something new

– It will spring up now.

Do you not know it?

Indeed, I will build a road in the desert

And establish rivers in the wasteland.

20The wildlife will glorify me

– The jackals and the ostriches –

Because I will have given them water in the desert

And rivers in the wasteland,

To give drink to my chosen people

21– A people whom I fashioned for myself,

Who will relate my praiseworthiness.

22And it is not that you called me,

O Jacob,

For you have grown weary of me,

O Israel.

23You have not brought me the sheep

For your burnt offerings,

And you have not honoured me with your sacrifices.

I have not overburdened you with the meal-offering,

And I have not wearied you with incense.

24You have not bought me sweet cane with money,

And you have not satiated me with the fat of your sacrifices,

But you have overburdened me with your sins

And wearied me with your iniquities.

25I, I am he

Who wipes out your trespasses

For my own sake,

And I will not remember your sins.

26Bring me to remembrance;

Let us appeal to law together.

Put your case

So that you may be justified.

27Your first father sinned,

And your mediators have transgressed against me.

28So I have profaned the holy officiators,

And I have consigned Jacob to condemnation,

And Israel to reproaches.

Reference(s) in Chapter 43: v.19 ↔ Revelation 21:5.

Isaiah Chapter 44 

1But now, hear, O Jacob my servant,

And Israel, whom I have chosen.

2This is what the Lord

– Your maker and your fashioner from the womb,

Who will help you – says:

Do not fear, Jacob, my servant,

And Jeshurun

Whom I have chosen.

3For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,

And precipitation on dry land.

I will pour my spirit on your seed,

And my blessing on your descendants,

4And they will sprout up among the vegetation

Like willows by streams of water.

5One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’,

And another will call out in the name of Jacob,

While another will write by hand,

‘Of the Lord’,

And he will designate himself

By the name Israel.”

6This is what the Lord

– The king of Israel,

And his kinsman redeemer,

The Lord of hosts – says:

“I am the first

And I am the last,

And besides me there is no God.

7And who, being like me,

Has been able to proclaim and describe it,

And arrange it for me,

Since I appointed an age-abiding people?

And let them describe to them

The things to come

And those which will arrive.

8Do not fear and do not be afraid.

Have I not informed you previously

And described it,

While you are my witnesses?

Is there a God besides me?

Indeed there is no rock;

I do not know of any.

9As for the fashioners of an idol,

They are all a cause of ruin,

And their sought-after objects

Are of no benefit.

And they are their own witnesses

– They do not see, and they do not know.

So they will be ashamed.

10Who is it who forms a god

Or casts an idol

– Which is to no avail?

11You will see that all his colleagues will be put to shame

– Those who are artisans from among men.

Let them all assemble,

Let them take a stand,

But they will fear

And all be put to shame together.

12The blacksmith with a chisel,

As he works at burning coal,

Fashions it with a hammer,

And works at it with his strong arm,

Even if he is hungry

And has no strength

And has not drunk water

And has become weary.

13The woodcarver applies a straight edge,

And delineates it with a stylus,

And processes the wood with a plane,

And marks it out with a pair of compasses,

And makes it in the shape of a man,

In the elegance of a human,

To stand in a house.

14He chops down some cedars for himself

And takes some holm-oak and oak

And encourages himself with the trees of the forest,

And he plants mountain ash,

And the rain makes them grow.

15And the wood becomes something for a man to burn,

And he takes some of the logs and warms himself,

And he also fires up an oven and bakes bread,

Yet he also fashions a god

And worships it;

He makes it into an idol

And prostrates himself to it.

16He burns half of it in a fire,

He eats meat cooked on half of it,

And roasts a joint,

And has his fill,

And also warms himself and says,

‘Ah, I have become warm;

I have provided myself with a fire.’

17Then he turns the rest of it into a god

– Into his idol –

And prostrates himself to it

And worships it

And prays to it and says,

‘Save me,

For you are my god.’

18They do not know,

And they do not understand,

For he has covered over their eyes

So that they do not see,

And their hearts

So that they do not perceive.

19And no-one lays it to heart,

And there is no knowledge and no understanding,

Whereby they would say,

‘I have burned part in a fire,

And I have also used some for baking bread on its hot embers;

I have roasted meat and eaten it,

So shall I make the rest an abomination,

And prostrate myself to a wooden product?’

20He feeds on ash;

A deluded heart has misguided him,

And he cannot save his life,

And he cannot say,

Isn't there something false

In my right hand?’

21Remember these things, O Jacob,

And Israel, that you are my servant.

I fashioned you;

You are my servant.

Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.

22I have wiped out your transgressions

Like a thick cloud,

And your sins

Like a raincloud.

Come back to me,

For I have redeemed you.

23Be jubilant, O heavens,

For the Lord has taken action.

Shout out, you lower parts of the earth;

Break out into jubilation, you mountains,

You forest and all the trees within,

For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,

And glorifies himself in Israel.

24This is what the Lord

– Your redeemer and your fashioner from the womb –

Says:

I am the Lord,

Who is the maker of everything,

Who stretches out the heavens on my own,

Who pitched the earth – who did so with me? –

25Who obstructs false signs,

And who puts magicians to shame,

Who refutes the wise,

And who shows the fallacy of their knowledge,

26Who brings to pass the word of his servant

And fulfils the counsel committed to his messengers,

Who says to Jerusalem,

‘You will be inhabited’,

And to the cities of Judah,

‘You will be rebuilt’,

For I will restore her desolate places,

27I who say to the deep,

‘Become dry’,

And I dry your rivers up,

28I who say to Cyrus,

‘My shepherd.’

And he will fulfil all my desire

And say to Jerusalem,

‘You will be rebuilt’,

And to the temple,

‘You will be founded.’

Reference(s) in Chapter 44: v.6 ↔ Revelation 1:8, Revelation 1:17, Revelation 2:8, Revelation 21:6, Revelation 22:13;, Revelation 1:11.

Isaiah Chapter 45 

1This is what the Lord says to his anointed one,

To Cyrus whose right hand I have taken hold of,

To subdue nations before him,

As I slacken the loins of kings,

And to open double doors in front of him,

And to see to it that gates will not be closed:

2‘I will walk before you,

And I will straighten twisting places;

I will shatter copper doors,

And I will break iron bolts in pieces.

3And I will give you dark treasures,

And valuables hidden in secret places,

In order that you may know that I am the Lord

Who is calling you by your name,

And that I am the God of Israel.

4It is for the sake of my servant Jacob,

And Israel my chosen one,

That I have called you by your name.

I have given you a title,

But you have not known me.

5I am the Lord,

And there is no other;

There is no God apart from me.

I gird you up,

But you haven't known me.

6This is so that they may know,

From the rising of the sun to the west,

That there is no-one apart from me.

I am the Lord,

And there is no other.

7I form light and create darkness,

I make peace and create harm;

I am the Lord

Who does all these things.

8Distil dew, O heavens above,

And let the skies drip down righteousness.

Let the earth open,

And let them be fruitful with salvation,

And let righteousness spring up together with them.

I am the Lord;

I created it.

9Woe to him who quarrels with the one who fashioned him,

In the way a potsherd quarrels with the potsherds of the ground.

Shall the clay say to its fashioner,

«What are you making?»?

Or shall your work say,

«He has no hands»?

10Woe to him who says to his father,

«What have you begotten?»

Or to a woman,

«What have you given birth to?» ’ ”

11This is what the Lord,

The holy one of Israel,

And their maker, says:

“Ask me about things to come;

Command me concerning my sons,

And about the work of my hands.

12I made the earth,

And I created man on it;

It was my hands which stretched out the heavens,

And it was me who set out all their array.

13I have raised him up in righteousness,

And I will direct all his ways.

He will rebuild my city

And let my captives go,

Without them paying a price or bribe,

Says the Lord of hosts.”

14This is what the Lord says:

“The hard-earned wealth of Egypt

And the merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabaeans

– Men of tall stature –

Will cross over to you and will be yours.

They will walk behind you

And cross over in fetters,

And they will prostrate themselves to you

And implore you, and say,

God is definitely among you,

And there is no-one other than God.’ ”

15Truly, you are a God who hides himself,

O God of Israel,

The saviour.

16The fashioners of images will all be put to shame;

They will walk in ignominy together.

17But Israel will be saved by the Lord,

With an age-abiding salvation.

You will not be ashamed,

Nor will you suffer ignominy

Throughout the ages of all time.

18For this is what the Lord says,

The creator of the heavens,

Who is God,

The fashioner of the earth

And the maker of it,

Who prepared it

– He did not create it desolate;

He formed it to be inhabited – :

“I am the Lord,

And there is no other.

19I have not spoken in secret,

In a dark place of the earth;

I have not said to the seed of Jacob,

‘Seek me in a desolate place.’

I, the Lord, speak righteousness,

Stating things which are sound.

20Gather and come, approach together,

You Gentile escapees.

Those who set up their wooden idols

Do not know,

And they pray to a god

Who cannot save.

21Report and bring them near;

Let them even consult together.

Who has announced this in advance

– Reported it ever since ancient times?

Is it not I, the Lord?

And there is no other God apart from me,

A just God and a saviour.

There is none besides me.

22Turn to me and be saved,

All you ends of the earth,

For I am God,

And there is no other.

23I have sworn by myself

– The utterance has gone out of my mouth righteously

And will not be revoked –

For every knee will bow to me,

And every tongue will swear.

24A person will say,

‘Surely in the Lord

I have righteous things and strength.’

To him he will come,

But all who are angry with him

Will be put to shame.

25It is by the action of the Lord

That all the seed of Israel

Will be justified and will glory.

Reference(s) in Chapter 45: v.5 ↔ Mark 12:32 ● v.9 ↔ Romans 9:20 ● v.23 ↔ Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10, Philippians 2:11.

Isaiah Chapter 46 

1Bel has collapsed, Nebo is buckling;

They were their idols,

Modelled on wild animals and cattle,

Things you carried as burdens

– A wearisome load.

2They have buckled and collapsed together;

They could not save the carried load,

And they themselves have gone into captivity.

3Hear me, house of Jacob,

And all the remainder of the house of Israel,

Who have been sustained from the time of the belly,

Who have been nurtured since the womb.

4Up to your old age,

I am he,

And I will support you up to advanced years.

I act and I nurture,

And I support and deliver.

5To whom will you compare me

And make me equal?

Or liken me,

So that we may be similar?

6They shake out gold from a bag

And weigh silver by the beam of a balance.

They hire a metalworker,

And he makes it into a god.

Then they prostrate themselves,

And indeed they worship.

7They lift it up;

They carry it on the shoulder

And put it down in its place,

And it stands there.

It does not move away from its place.

Moreover, if one cries out to it,

It does not answer.

It cannot save a person from his distress.

8Remember this

And show yourselves men;

Lay this, you transgressors,

To heart again.

9Remember the former things of old,

For I am God,

And there is no other.

I am God,

And there is no-one like me,

10Who tells from the start the final state,

And from old time things which have not been done,

Who says,

‘My counsel will stand firm,

And I will carry out all of my will.’

11I call a bird of prey from the east

– The man on whom I have decided –

From a distant country.

I have spoken,

And I will bring it to pass;

I have designed it,

And I will also carry it out.

12Listen to me,

You stout-hearted men,

Who are far from righteousness.

13I have brought my righteousness near;

It is not far away,

And my salvation will not be long coming.

And I have appointed salvation in Zion for Israel my splendour.

Isaiah Chapter 47 

1Come down and sit on the dust,

You virgin daughter of Babylon;

Sit on the ground where there is no chair,

You daughter of the Chaldeans,

For you will no longer have them calling you

Tender and delicate.

2Take the millstones and grind flour,

Uncover your veil,

Lift the train of your robe,

Uncover the calf of your leg;

Cross the rivers.

3Let your nakedness be revealed;

Let also your ignominy be seen.

I will take revenge;

I will not regard a man with favour.

4As for our redeemer,

His name is the Lord of hosts

– The holy one of Israel.

5Sit in silence and go into darkness,

You daughter of the Chaldeans,

For you will no longer have them calling you

The Lady of Kingdoms.

6I have been angry with my people;

I have profaned my inheritance

And delivered them into your hand.

You did not show them mercy;

You made your yoke on an old man

Very heavy.

7And you have said,

‘I will be the lady age-abidingly.’

But during all this time you have not laid these things to heart,

Nor have you called her final state to mind.

8And now, hear this, you delicate one,

Who sits in security,

Who says in her heart,

‘I am the one,

And there is no-one besides me.

I shall not sit as a widow,

And I shall not know bereavement of children.’

9But these two things will come over you,

In a moment, on one day,

Bereavement of children, and widowhood.

In their entirety they will come over you,

For the abundance of your sorceries,

For the great profusion of your incantations.

10And you trusted in your wickedness;

You said, ‘There is no-one who can see me.’

It is your wisdom and your knowledge which have turned you away,

And you say in your heart,

‘I am the one,

And there is no-one besides me.’

11And evil will come over you,

And you will not know its origin,

And calamity will befall you,

Which you will not be able to avert,

And destruction will come over you suddenly,

When you are unaware.

12Stand firm in your incantations, then,

And in the profusion of your sorceries,

With which you have exhausted yourself from your youth.

Maybe you can benefit;

Maybe you will instil fear.

13You weary yourself with the large number of your consultations.

So let the astrologers who foresee by the stars

And make things known by new moons

Stand up and save you

From what will come over you.

14Look, they are like stubble;

Fire will burn them up.

They cannot save themselves

From the reach of the flame.

It will not be burning coals to warm oneself,

Or a fire to sit around.

15This is what will become

Of what you have wearied yourself with.

Those merchants of yours from your youth

Have each gone astray in his own direction.

You do not have a saviour.

Reference(s) in Chapter 47: v.8 ↔ Revelation 18:7.

Isaiah Chapter 48 

1Hear this, house of Jacob,

Who are called by the name of Israel,

And who came out of the waters of Judah,

Who swear by the name of the Lord,

And who make mention of the God of Israel,

But not in truth

And not in righteousness.

2For they are called a people from the holy city,

Who trust in the God of Israel

– The Lord of hosts is his name.

3I have foretold the first things,

And they proceeded from my mouth,

And I proclaimed them.

Then suddenly I perform them,

And they come to pass,

4Because I know that you are stubborn,

And that your neck has an iron sinew,

And that you have a brazen forehead.

5And I have told you beforehand

– Before it came about,

I proclaimed it to you –

So that you cannot say,

‘My idol performed those things’,

Or, ‘My carved image and my cast figure commanded them.’

6You have heard, ‘Look at all this.’

And will you not announce it?

I have proclaimed to you new things, recently,

And secret things

Which you have not known.

7They are being created now

– And not in the past,

Before the day,

Before you had heard –

So that you cannot say,

‘Look, I knew these things.’

8You neither heard it nor knew it,

Nor has your ear been open since then,

For I knew that you would take to dealing treacherously.

So you have been called

A transgressor from the womb.

9For the sake of my name I will defer my anger,

And for my praiseworthiness I will restrain myself from you,

So as not to cut you off.

10Behold, I have refined you,

But not for money;

I have chosen you

In the furnace of affliction.

11It is for my sake, it is for my sake,

That I will act,

For how could that be profaned?

And I shall not give my glory to another.

12Hear me, Jacob,

And Israel, my called out people:

I am he.

I am the first;

I am also the last.

13Indeed, my hand founded the earth,

And my right hand spread the heavens out.

I call out to them,

And they take up position together.

14Gather together, all of you, and hear.

Who among them has told of these things?

The Lord loved him;

He will do his will in Babylon,

With his arm among the Chaldeans.

15I, I have spoken,

And I have called him too;

I have brought him onto the scene,

And he will make his way prosperous.

16Come close to me and hear this:

From the start I have not spoken in secret.

From the start of time

There I have been.”

And now my Lord the Lord has sent me,

With his spirit.

17This is what the Lord, your redeemer,

The holy one of Israel, says:

“I am the Lord your God,

Your teacher in how to be benefited,

Your guide in the way you should go.

18If only you had heeded my commandments!

Then your peace would have been like a river,

And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

19And your seed would have been like sand,

And the offspring of your loins like fine gravel.

Their name will not be cut off,

And they will not be destroyed before me.

20Go out of Babylon;

Flee from the Chaldeans with a jubilant voice.

Announce this, proclaim this,

Utter it as far as the end of the earth.

Say, ‘The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob.’

21They did not thirst

When he led them in desolate places;

He made water gush from a rock for them

When he split the rock

And the water flowed.

22There is no peace,

Says the Lord,

For the wicked.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 48: v.12 ↔ Revelation 22:13 ● v.20 ↔ Revelation 18:4.

Isaiah Chapter 49 

1“Hear me, you coastlands,

And listen, you distant peoples.

The Lord has called me from the womb;

From my mother's belly

He had made mention of my name.

2And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword;

He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand,

He has made me as a perfected arrow,

And he has hidden me in his quiver.

3And he said to me,

‘You are my servant

– Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’

4But I said,

‘I have toiled in vain,

I have expended my energy on a wasteful thing,

And a futile matter,

Yet my vindication is with the Lord,

And my recompense

Is with my God.’

5And now, says the Lord,

Who formed me from the womb

To be his servant,

To bring Jacob back to him,

So that Israel shall be gathered to him,

I will be glorified in the eyes of the Lord,

And my God will be my strength.

6And he said,

‘Is it a trivial matter to be my servant,

To establish the tribes of Jacob,

And to restore those preserved of Israel?

And I will make you a light of the Gentiles

To be my salvation

As far as the end of the earth.’ ”

7This is what the Lord,

Israel's redeemer,

Their holy one, says:

“Kings will see and arise,

And princes,

And these will prostrate themselves

To him who was considered despicable,

To a nation regarded as an abomination,

To one subservient to rulers,

This being for the sake of the Lord,

Who is faithful

– The holy one of Israel –

Who has chosen you.”

8This is what the Lord says:

“At an acceptable time, I answered you,

And on the day of salvation, I helped you,

And I will preserve you and make you a covenant people,

To establish the earth,

By giving desolate places an inheritance,

9As you say to prisoners,

‘Come out’;

To those in darkness,

‘Come into the open.’

They will feed along the ways,

And their pasture will be in all high places.

10They will not hunger, and they will not thirst,

And neither a dry heat wave nor the sun will harm them,

For as he has mercy on them,

He will guide them,

And he will lead them to springs of water.

11And I will turn all my mountains into a road,

And my highways will be raised up.

12Behold, these things will come from far away,

And you will see some coming from the north,

And from the west,

And some from the land of China.”

13Be jubilant, O heavens,

And rejoice, O earth.

And break out into jubilation, O mountains,

For the Lord has comforted his people,

And has mercy on his needy.

14Yet Zion said,

“The Lord has deserted me,

And the Lord* has forgotten me.”

15Can a woman forget her breastfeeding child,

So as not to have compassion on her son from her own womb?

Even if these women were to forget,

Yet I will not forget you.

16Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;

Your walls are always before me.

17Your sons have been hasty,

But those who demolished you and laid you waste

Will depart from you.

18Lift up your eyes round about, and see:

All of them have gathered and come to you.

As I live, says the Lord,

You will surely clothe yourself with them all like an ornament,

And bind them onto yourself,

Adorning yourself like a bride.

19For your wastelands and your desolate places,

And your devastated land

Are such that now you are too hard pressed for anyone to inhabit you,

But those who are swallowing you up

Will be removed.

20Your sons who have been bereaved of children

Will yet have a word to say in your ear,

‘The place is too hostile to me.’

‘Come near to me,

So that I can live there.’

21Then you will say in your heart,

‘Who bore me these,

As I have been bereaved and am barren,

Captive and deported?

So who brought these up?

Look, I have remained on my own.

As for these,

Where are they from?’ ”

22This is what my Lord the Lord says:

“Behold I will raise my hand to the Gentiles,

And I will raise my banner to the nations,

And they will bring your sons in their bosom,

And your daughters will be carried on their shoulders.

23And kings will be your foster fathers,

And their princesses will be your nurses.

They will prostrate themselves to you with the face to the ground,

And they will lick the dust of your feet,

And you will know that I am the Lord,

And that those who await me

Will not be put to shame.”

24Can spoil be taken from a warrior?

Or can a righteous captive be delivered?

25But this is what the Lord says:

“Even the warrior's captive will be taken back,

And the spoil of the fierce will be recovered.

And I will contend with him who contends with you,

And I will save your sons.

26And I will feed those who dispossess you with their own flesh,

And they will become drunk with their own blood,

As with new wine,

And all flesh will know

That I am the Lord,

Your saviour and your redeemer

– The mighty one of Jacob.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 49: v.2 ↔ Revelation 1:16, Revelation 2:16, Revelation 19:15 ● v.6 ↔ Luke 2:32, Acts 13:47 ● v.8 ↔ 2 Corinthians 6:2 ● v.10 ↔ Revelation 7:16, Revelation 7:17 ● v.13 ↔ Revelation 12:12.

Isaiah Chapter 50 

1This is what the Lord says:

“Where is the bill of divorce of your mother,

Whom I have sent away?

Or who of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you?

Look, it is for your iniquities that you were sold,

And for your transgressions

That your mother was sent away.

2Why is it that when I came,

There was not a single man?

That when I called,

There was no-one who answered?

Am I really incapable of redeeming?

Or do I not have the power to save?

Look, at my rebuke I dry up the sea;

I make rivers a desert,

And their fish stink for lack of water

And die of thirst.

3I can clothe the heavens in obscurity

And make sackcloth their covering.”

4“My Lord the Lord has given me a learned tongue,

To know how to help the weary with a word.

He awakens me from morning to morning;

He awakens my ear

To hear like the learned.

5My Lord the Lord has opened my ear,

And I have not rebelled;

I have not slid back.

6I have given my back to those who beat it,

And my cheeks to those who pluck the beard;

I have not hidden my face from ignominious treatment

And spittle.

7And my Lord the Lord will help me,

Which is why I will not be held in contempt,

And why I have been resolute like flint,

And I know that I shall not be ashamed.

8My justifier is near;

Who will contend with me?

Let us stand together.

Who is my prosecutor?

Let him approach me.

9Behold, my Lord the Lord will help me.

Who is it who can condemn me?

You will see that they will all become worn out like a garment;

A moth will consume them.

10Who among you fears the Lord,

In obeying his servant,

Who walks in darkness and has no light?

Let him trust in the name of the Lord

And rely on his God.

11Behold, all of you who kindle a fire,

Who arm yourselves with fiery darts,

Go into the glow of your fire,

And into the fiery darts you have ignited.

This came from my hand to you;

You will lie down in sorrow.”

Isaiah Chapter 51 

1“Listen to me,

You who pursue justice,

You who seek the Lord.

Look at the rock from which you have been hewn,

And at the hollow of the pit from which you have been quarried.

2Look at Abraham your father,

And Sarah who gave birth to you,

For I called him as the only one,

And I will bless him and multiply him.

3For the Lord will comfort Zion;

He will comfort all her desolate places,

And he will make her desert like Eden,

And her arid tract like the Lord's garden.

Rejoicing and happiness will be found in her,

And thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

4Listen to me, my people,

And hear me, my nation,

For the law will go out from me,

And I will make my judicature rest

As a light for the nations.

5My justice is near,

My salvation has gone out,

And my arms will judge nations.

The coastlands will put their hope in me,

And confide in my arm.

6Lift up your eyes to the heavens,

And look at the earth below,

For the heavens will pass away like smoke,

And the earth will wear out like a garment,

And its inhabitants will die in a similar way,

But my salvation will be age-abiding,

And my justice will not be thwarted.

7Listen to me, you who know righteousness

You who are a people with my law in your heart –

Do not fear the reproach of man,

And do not be dismayed at their vilifications.

8For the moth will consume them like a garment,

And the larva will consume them like wool,

But my justice will be age-abiding,

As will my salvation

From generation to generation.

9Wake up, wake up,

Put on strength,

O arm of the Lord.

Wake up as in former days,

In generations of past ages.

Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces

Who wounded the land of crocodile?

10Was it not you who dried up the sea

– The water of the mighty deep –

Who made the depths of the sea

A way for those ransomed to cross over?

11And the Lord's redeemed will return

And come to Zion in jubilation,

With age-abiding joy on their heads.

They will obtain happiness and joy,

Whereas sorrow and sighing will flee.

12I, I myself am the one who comforts you.

Who are you to be afraid of mortal man,

Or of a son of Adam

Who will be laid under the grass?

13But you are forgetting the Lord your maker,

Who stretched out the heavens,

And who laid the foundations of the earth,

And you have been afraid continually,

All day long,

Of the fury of the oppressor,

Of one as he prepares to bring ruination.

But where is the fury of the oppressor?

14The exile hastens to be released

And not to die in the pit,

And not to have lack of food.

15But I am the Lord your God,

Who stirs up the sea

So that its waves roar

– The Lord of hosts is his name.

16And I will put my words in your mouth;

I will cover you with the shadow of my hand

So as to plant the heavens

And to found the earth,

And to say to Zion,

‘You are my people.’

17Rouse yourself, rouse yourself, arise, Jerusalem,

You who have drunk from the hand of the Lord

The cup of his fury.

You have drunk;

You have wrung out the goblet

– The cup of reeling.

18There is no-one from all the sons she has borne

Leading her,

And there is no-one out of all the sons she has brought up

Holding her hand.

19There are two things which call out to you:

Who will console you?

Regarding the devastation, the ruination, the hunger and the sword,

Who says, ‘I will comfort you’?

20Your sons have fainted;

They lie at the head of all the streets,

Like an oryx in a trap.

They are full of the Lord's fury

– A rebuke from your God.

21So then, do hear this,

You afflicted one

– Drunk,

But not from wine.”

22This is what your Lord the Lord and your God,

Who will contend for his people, says:

“Look, I have taken from your hand the cup of reeling,

The goblet – the cup of my fury.

You will not drink it any more.

23And I will put it in the hand

Of those who afflict you,

Who have said to you personally,

‘Bow down so that we may pass.’

And you positioned your back like the ground,

And like the street for passers-by to walk on.”

Isaiah Chapter 52 

1Wake up, wake up,

Put on your strength, O Zion;

Put on your splendid clothes, O Jerusalem,

You holy city,

For the uncircumcised and the unclean

Will no longer come into you.

2Shake the dust off yourself,

Arise and sit, O Jerusalem;

Loose yourself from the bonds around your neck,

O captive daughter of Zion.

3For this is what the Lord says:

“You were sold for nothing,

And you will be redeemed

Without money.”

4For this is what my Lord the Lord says:

“In time past,

My people went down to Egypt

To live there,

And Assyria oppressed them for no reason,

5And now who do I have here?

Says the Lord,

For my people were taken undeservedly.

Those ruling them make them howl,

Says the Lord,

And my name is continuously despised

All day long.

6This is why my people will know my name;

This is why they will know on that day

That I am he who speaks and says,

‘Here I am.’ ”

7How becoming on the mountains

Are the feet of him who brings good news,

Who proclaims peace,

Who brings good news of well-being,

Who proclaims salvation,

Who says to Zion,

“Your God reigns.”

8There is the voice of your watchmen.

They raise their voice;

They are jubilant together,

For they will see face to face

When the Lord returns to Zion.

9Break out into singing,

Be jubilant together,

You desolate areas of Jerusalem,

For the Lord has comforted his people;

He has redeemed Jerusalem.

10The Lord has made his holy arm bare

In the sight of all the nations,

And all the ends of the earth will see

The salvation of our God.

11Depart, depart,

Get out of there;

Do not touch any unclean thing.

Go away from her,

Be purified,

You who carry the Lord's equipment.

12For you will not go out in haste,

And you will not go in flight,

For the Lord will go before you,

And the God of Israel will gather you up at the rear.

13Behold, my servant will act prudently;

He will be exalted

And extolled,

And he will be very high.

14Just as many were astonished at you

– Such was the disfigurement of his appearance,

More than that of any man,

And of his looks,

More than that of any of the sons of Adam –

15So he will sprinkle many nations;

Kings will shut their mouths at him,

For they will see what was never told them,

And they will contemplate

What they had never heard before.

Reference(s) in Chapter 52: v.5 ↔ Romans 2:24 ● v.7 ↔ Romans 10:15 ● v.11 ↔ 2 Corinthians 6:17, Revelation 18:4 ● v.15 ↔ Romans 15:21.

Isaiah Chapter 53 

1Who has believed our account,

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2For he grew up before him like a shoot,

And like a root from arid ground.

He had no handsome form or splendour,

And when we saw him,

It was not a sight

That we should desire him.

3He was despised and repudiated by men

– A man of sorrows and acquainted with affliction –

While we were like a person hiding his face from him.

He was despised,

And we did not esteem him.

4Surely he has borne our ailments

And taken the weight of our sorrows,

But we considered him stricken

– Struck by God and afflicted.

5He was wounded for our transgressions;

He was bruised for our iniquities.

The punishment for our peace was on him,

And by his weals

Our healing came.

6We like sheep have all gone astray;

We have each turned our own way.

But the Lord has laid on him

The iniquity of us all.

7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

But he did not open his mouth.

He was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a ewe before its shearers is silent

He did not open his mouth.

8He was taken under compulsion and by sentencing,

And who can describe what his posterity is?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;

For the transgression of my people

He was struck down.

9And his grave was appointed with the wicked,

But with a rich man in his death,

Because he did no violence,

And there was no deceit in his mouth.

10Yet the Lord was pleased to bruise him,

And to ravage him.

When his life makes a guilt-offering,

He will see his seed,

He will prolong his days,

And the pleasure of the Lord

Will prosper in his hand.

11He will see the result of his inward toil;

He will be satisfied.

My righteous servant will justify many by his knowledge,

And he will bear their iniquities.

12That is why I will apportion him among the great,

And he will share spoil with the mighty,

Because he poured out his being to death,

And he was counted with the transgressors,

And he bore the sin of many,

And he pleaded for the transgressors.

Reference(s) in Chapter 53: v.1 ↔ John 12:38, Romans 10:16 ● v.4 ↔ Matthew 8:17, 1 Peter 2:24 ● v.5 ↔ 1 Peter 2:24 ● v.6 ↔ 1 Peter 2:25 ● v.7 ↔ Acts 8:32, 1 Peter 2:23 ● v.8 ↔ Acts 8:33 ● v.9 ↔ 1 Peter 2:22 ● v.12 ↔ Mark 15:28, Luke 22:37.

Isaiah Chapter 54 

1“Be jubilant, you who are barren

And have not given birth.

Break out into jubilation,

And shout for joy,

You who have not been through labour,

For the sons of her who was desolate will be more

Than the sons of her who is married,

Says the Lord.

2Make a wide open space in your tent,

And let the curtains of your abodes be stretched.

Do not hold back;

Lengthen your guylines

And strengthen your pegs.

3For you will spread out to the right and to the left,

And your seed will dispossess nations,

And they will make desolate places habitable.

4Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed,

And you will not suffer ignominy,

For you will not come into disrepute,

And you will forget the shame of your youth,

And you will no longer remember

The reproach of your widowhood.

5For your husband is your maker

– The Lord of hosts is his name –

And your redeemer is the holy one of Israel.

He will be called

The God of all the earth.

6For the Lord has called you

As a woman who has been deserted,

And who is grieved in spirit,

And as a youthful wife

– For you were rejected,

Says your God.

7For a short while I left you,

But I will gather you

With great tender affection.

8In a surge of wrath

I hid my face from you for a while,

But I will have compassion on you

With age-abiding kindness,

Says your redeemer,

The Lord.

9For this is like Noah's waters to me,

About which I swore

That Noah's waters would no longer pass over the earth.

Likewise, I have sworn

Not to be angry with you

Nor to rebuke you.

10For the mountains will retreat,

And the hills will totter,

But my kindness will not retreat from you,

And my covenant of peace will not totter,

Says the Lord,

Who has mercy on you.

11Poor, tossed about,

And not comforted as you are,

I am about to set your stones,

In dark surround,

And I will give you foundations of sapphires.

12And I will make your windows of rubies,

And your gates of garnet,

And all your border

Of attractive gemstones.

13And all your sons will be the Lord's disciples,

And the peace of your sons

Will be great.

14You will be established in righteousness;

You will certainly be far from oppression,

For you will not fear,

And you will be far from terror,

For it will not come near you.

15Behold, no-one at all will dwell with you

Unless it is authorized by my sign;

He who has dwelt with you

Would attack you.

16Behold, I created the craftsman,

Who puffs on the coal fire

And produces an instrument for his work.

And I created the ruiner

To lay waste.

17No weapon produced against you will be successful,

And you will condemn every tongue which confronts you in law.

This is the inheritance of the Lord's servants,

Whose righteousness comes from me”,

Says the Lord.

Reference(s) in Chapter 54: v.1 ↔ Galatians 4:27 ● v.13 ↔ John 6:45.

Isaiah Chapter 55 

1“Hey, everyone who is thirsty,

Come to the water,

Including him who has no money.

Come and buy something, and eat,

And come and buy wine and milk,

Without money and without a price.

2Why do you weigh out money

For what is not bread,

And your hard-earned wealth

For what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to me,

And eat what is good,

And let your being delight itself

In fatness.

3Incline your ears and come to me.

Listen, and let yourself live,

And I will make an age-abiding covenant for you

The faithful kindnesses of David.

4Behold, I have made him

A witness to the nations

– A leader and a commander

For the nations.

5Behold, you will call on a nation

Which you did not know,

And a nation which did not know you

Will run to you

For the sake of the Lord your God,

And for the holy one of Israel,

For he has adorned you.

6Seek the Lord

While he is to be found;

Call upon him

While he is near.

7Let the wicked abandon his way,

And the iniquitous man his designs,

And let him return to the Lord,

Who will show him mercy,

And to our God,

For he is very forward to forgive.

8For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

And your ways are not my ways,

Says the Lord.

9For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So my ways are higher than your ways,

And my thoughts than your thoughts.

10For as the rain and the snow fall from the heavens

And do not return there,

But saturate the land

And cause it to be fertile,

And give growth and yield seed for the sower,

And bread for him who eats,

11So my word which proceeds from my mouth is;

It will not return to me in vain,

But rather it will do what I have willed,

And it will be successful

Where I have sent it.

12For you will go out with joy,

And you will be led in peace;

The mountains and the hills will break out in jubilation before you,

And all the trees of the countryside

Will clap their hands.

13Instead of the thorn bush,

The cypress will come up;

Instead of the briar

The myrtle will come up,

And it will be for the Lord's fame,

As an age-abiding sign

Which will not be cut off.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 55: v.1 ↔ Revelation 21:6, Revelation 22:17; John 7:38 ● v.3 ↔ Acts 13:34 ● v.10 ↔ 2 Corinthians 9:10.

Isaiah Chapter 56 

1This is what the Lord says:

“Maintain justice and act righteously,

For my salvation is drawing near,

As is my righteousness

Which is to be revealed.

2Blessed is the man who does this,

And the son of Adam who holds on to it,

Who keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it

And keeps his hand away

From committing any evil.

3And do not let the foreigner

Who is joined to the Lord say,

‘The Lord will surely separate me from his people’,

And do not let the eunuch say,

‘Look, I am dry wood.’ ”

4For this is what the Lord says

To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,

And choose what I delight in,

And keep my covenant:

5“Now I will give them

A memorial and a name

In my house and within my walls,

Better than sons and daughters.

I will give him an age-abiding name

Which will not be cut off.

6And I will allow the foreigners

Who are joined to the Lord

In serving him

And in loving the name of the Lord

To be his servants

– Everyone who keeps the Sabbath

By not profaning it,

And all who keep my covenant.

7And I will bring them to my holy mountain,

And I will make them joyful in my house of prayer.

Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices

Will be a delight on my altar,

And my house will be called

A house of prayer for all the nations.”

8My Lord the Lord,

Who gathers those who were driven out of Israel, says,

“I will yet gather them there,

With those of his company

Who have been gathered.

9All you wild animals,

Come to eat

– All you wild animals of the forest.

10His watchmen are all blind;

They do not know anything.

They are all mute dogs;

They are not able to bark.

They are dreamers, lying down,

Who love to slumber.

11But the dogs have a ferocious appetite

– They do not know satiety –

And they are shepherds who do not know how to discern.

They have all turned their own way

– Each one to his own gain

From his own retreat.

12‘Come on’, they say,

‘For I will get wine,

And let us imbibe liquor,

And tomorrow will be like this,

Great and most excellent.’

Reference(s) in Chapter 56: v.7 ↔ Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17, Luke 19:46.

Isaiah Chapter 57 

1The righteous man is no more,

And there is no man who lays it to heart,

And kind men have been taken away,

With no-one understanding

That it is because of evil

That the righteous man has been taken away.

2He will enter into peace;

They will rest on their couches,

Each who walks in his uprightness.

3But as for you, draw near here,

You sons of the diviner by clouds,

And seed of the adulterer and the prostitute.

4Against whom do you make sport for yourselves?

Whom do you smirk at?

Whom do you poke the tongue at?

Are you not transgressive children

– A false seed?

5You who are inflamed by idols

Under every luxuriant tree,

Slaughtering children at the streams

Under the fissures in the rocks?

6Your lot is in the bare reaches of a stream;

They are what your fate is.

To them also you poured out a libation

And raised an offering.

Should I be comforted by these?

7You have made your bed

On a high and lofty mountain;

There too you went up

To offer sacrifice.

8And you have left your memorial

Behind the door and doorpost,

For you have uncovered yourself

To someone other than me,

And you have gone up,

And you have made your bed widely available,

And you have made yourself a covenant

With some of them.

You have loved their bed;

You have seen their male member.

9And you went to the king with oil,

And you took many fragrances,

And you sent your ambassadors far and wide,

And you brought people down to the grave.

10You exhaust yourself with your grand way.

You have not said,

It is desperate.’

You have found vitality in your reach,

Which is why you have not flagged.

11And about whom have you been anxious,

And whom do you fear?

For you are dealing dishonestly,

And you have not remembered me;

You have not laid it to your heart.

Have I not been silent ever since age-old time,

While you have not been fearing me?

12I can tell of your righteousness

And your works,

But they will not profit you.

13When you cry out,

Let your troops deliver you,

But the wind will carry them all away

– A puff of breath will take them away.

But he who trusts in me

Will inherit the land

And will come into possession

Of my holy mountain.

14And he will say,

‘Raise an embankment, raise an embankment,

Clear a way;

Remove any obstacle

From my people's road.’

15For this is what the one

Who is high and exalted,

Who lives permanently,

And whose name is holy,

Says:

I will dwell on high,

And holily,

And with the contrite and humble in spirit,

To revive the spirit of the lowly,

And to revitalize the heart

Of those ground down.

16For I will not contend age-abidingly,

And I will not be angry in perpetuity,

For a spirit could succumb before me,

As would living beings

Which I have made.

17I was angry at the iniquity of his unjust gain,

And I struck him.

I hide myself and I show anger,

But he walks rebelliously

In the way of his heart.

18I have seen his ways

But I will heal him and lead him,

And I will restore comfort to him

And to those of his company who mourn.

19I create the fruit of the lips:

Peace, peace to him who is far off

And to him who is near,

Says the Lord,

And I will heal him.

20But the wicked are like a raging sea,

For it cannot be calm,

And its waters cast up mud and mire.

21There is no peace”,

Says my God,

“For the wicked.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 57: v.19 ↔ Ephesians 2:17.

Isaiah Chapter 58 

1“Call out at the top of your voice,

Do not hold back,

Raise your voice like the ramshorn,

And tell my people their transgression,

And the house of Jacob their sins,

2So that they seek me daily,

And delight in knowledge of my ways,

Like a nation which acts righteously,

And does not forsake the justice of their God,

So that they ask for righteous judgments,

And delight in drawing near to God.

3‘Why have we fasted,

But you have not seen it?

We have afflicted ourselves,

But you have not been aware of it.’

It is because on the day when you fast,

You take pleasure,

And you act as an oppressor

In all the labour you impose.

4It is because you fast in contention and quarrel,

And with striking with a wicked fist.

You cannot fast as you do today

In order to make your voice heard on high.

5Do I approve of a fast like this?

A day when a man afflicts himself?

Is it to bend the head down like a bulrush,

And to spread sackcloth and ashes?

Is it for that that you call a fast

And a day of delight for the Lord?

6Is not this the fast that I approve of:

To loosen tight bonds of wickedness,

To unfasten the straps of the yoke,

And to send the oppressed away free,

And that you detach every yoke?

7Is it not to distribute your bread to the hungry,

And that you bring poor wanderers to a house?

– That when you see someone naked,

You clothe him,

And you do not ignore

Those of your own family?

8Then your light will break through like the dawn,

And your revitalization will spring up speedily,

And your righteousness will go before you,

And the glory of the Lord

Will gather you up.

9Then you will call out,

And the Lord will answer;

You will cry out,

And he will say,

‘Here I am.’

If you remove the yoke from your company

– Pointing the finger

And speaking vanity –

10And stir yourself for the hungry,

And satisfy an afflicted person,

Then your light will arise in the dark,

And what was your gloom

Will become like midday light.

11And the Lord will always lead you,

And he will satisfy your appetite in dry places

And make your joints pliant,

And you will become like a well-watered garden,

And like a fount of water

Whose water does not fail.

12And those to issue from you

Will rebuild the age-old desolate places;

You will re-establish the foundations of generation upon generation,

And you will be called

The Sealer of the Breach

– The Restorer of Paths to Inhabit.

13If you restrain yourself from trampling on the Sabbath,

From indulging your desires on my holy day,

And you call the Sabbath, Delight,

The Holy Occasion of the Lord,

And Honourable,

And you honour it

By not indulging your own ways,

By not finding your own entertainment

Or speaking your own words,

14Then you will be delighted with the Lord,

And I will make you ride on the high places of the land,

And I will feed you

With the inheritance of Jacob your father,

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 58: v.6 ↔ Luke 4:18 ● v.11 ↔ John 7:38.

Isaiah Chapter 59 

1Behold, the arm of the Lord

Is not too short to save,

Nor is his ear

Too dull to hear.

2For your iniquities were separating you

From your God,

And your sins made him hide his face from you

So as not to hear.

3For your hands are stained with blood,

And your fingers with iniquity.

Your lips have spoken lies,

And your tongue has uttered injustice.

4There is no-one giving verdicts in righteousness,

And no-one is judged faithfully,

As they trust in a vain thing,

And speak lies,

Engendering sorrow

And conceiving iniquity.

5They hatch the eggs of a viper,

And weave a spider's web.

He who eats their eggs will die,

And if one is cracked open,

A viper emerges.

6Their webs will not become a garment,

And they will not cover themselves with their deeds.

Their deeds are vain deeds,

And a violent act is on their hands.

7Their feet run to evil,

And they are quick to shed innocent blood.

Their thoughts are vain thoughts;

Oppression and wreckage

Are in their ways.

8They have not known the way of peace,

And there is no justice in their paths.

They have made a perverse course for themselves;

No-one who follows it

Will know peace.

9That is why justice is far from us,

And righteousness has not reached us.

We await light,

But what we get is darkness.

We await shining brightness,

But we walk in obscurity.

10We feel for a wall like the blind,

And we grope like one without eyes.

We have stumbled at midday as if it were darkness,

Well-nourished,

But like the dead.

11We all growl like bears,

And we coo and coo like doves;

We await justice,

But there is none;

We await salvation,

But it is far from us.

12For our transgressions against you are many,

And our sins testify against us,

For our transgressions are with us,

And we know our iniquities,

13In transgressing and acting deceitfully with the Lord,

And in sliding away from our God;

In speaking extortion and apostasy,

And in conceiving and devising false words

From the heart.

14And justice has been driven back,

And righteousness stands at a distance,

For truth has stumbled in the street,

And straightforwardness is unable to come.

15And truth has become lacking,

And he who departs from evil becomes a prey,

And the Lord has seen it,

And it is evil in his eyes,

For there is no justice.

16And he has seen that there is no man,

And he is astonished that there is no-one pleading the case.

But his arm has brought about salvation for him,

And it is his righteousness which has supported him.

17For he wore righteousness as armour,

And he had a helmet of salvation on his head,

And he wore garments of vengeance as his clothing,

And he wrapped himself in zeal as a coat.

18As it is with retribution,

So he will repay fury to his adversaries

– Retribution to his enemies.

He will repay retribution to the coastlands.

19And they will fear the name of the Lord in the west,

And his glory in the east.

When the adversary comes like a river,

The spirit of the Lord will put him to flight.

20“And the redeemer will come to Zion

And to those among Jacob

Who are to turn away from transgression,

Says the Lord.

21And as for me,

This is my covenant with them,

Says the Lord:

My spirit which is upon you,

And my words which I have put in your mouth

Will not depart from your mouth,

Or from the mouth of your seed,

Or from the mouth of your seed's seed,

Says the Lord,

From now and age-abidingly.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 59: v.7 ↔ Romans 3:15, Romans 3:16 ● v.8 ↔ Romans 3:17 ● v.17 ↔ Ephesians 6:17 ● v.20 ↔ Romans 11:26 ● v.21 ↔ Romans 11:27.

Isaiah Chapter 60 

1“Arise, shine,

For your light has come,

And the glory of the Lord has risen over you.

2For behold,

Darkness will cover the earth,

And thick clouds the various peoples,

But over you the Lord will rise,

And his glory will be seen upon you.

3And Gentiles will go to your light,

And kings to your bright rising.

4Lift up your eyes round about and see:

They have all gathered

And have come to you.

Your sons will come from afar,

And your daughters will be carried alongside.

5Then you will see and be bright,

And your heart will be moved and open wide,

For the mass of seafarers will turn to you,

And a host of Gentiles will come to you.

6A great herd of camels will cover you

– Young camels from Midian and Ephah.

All of those from Sheba will come;

They will bear gold and frankincense,

And they will proclaim praises of the Lord.

7All the small cattle of Kedar will be gathered to you;

The rams of Nebaioth will serve you.

They will go up in acceptance onto my altar,

And I will adorn my magnificent house.

8Who are these who fly like a cloud,

And are like doves flying to their dovecotes?

9For it is me whom the coastlands await,

With the ships of Tarshish in the forefront,

To bring your sons from far away,

And their silver and their gold with them,

For the name of the Lord your God,

And for the holy one of Israel,

For he will glorify you.

10And foreigners will build your walls,

And their kings will serve you,

For I struck you in my anger,

But I will have mercy on you in my goodwill.

11And your gates will always be open;

They will not be closed by day or night,

So as to allow a host of Gentiles to be brought to you,

With their kings being led.

12For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish,

And such nations will be utterly wasted.

13The glory of Lebanon will come to you

– The cypress, the elm and the box tree together –

To adorn the place of my sanctuary,

And I will glorify the place of my feet.

14And the sons of those who afflicted you

Will go to you in submission,

And all those who despised you

Will bow down at the soles of your feet,

And they will call you the City of the Lord,

Zion, the Holy Place of Israel.

15Instead of you being forsaken and hated,

With no-one passing through,

I will make you the magnificence of the age

– A joy for generation upon generation.

16And you will suck the milk of the Gentiles,

And you will suck the breast of kings,

And you will know that I am the Lord your saviour,

And your redeemer

– The mighty one of Jacob.

17Instead of copper I will bring gold,

And instead of iron, I will bring silver,

And instead of wood, copper,

And instead of stones, iron.

And I will appoint you peaceable oversight,

And your tax gatherers in righteousness.

18Violence will no longer be heard in your land,

Nor devastation or ruin within your borders,

And you will call your walls, Salvation,

And your gates, Praise.

19You will no longer have the sun for light by day,

And the moon will not illuminate you by shining,

But the Lord will be your age-abiding light,

And your God will be your majesty.

20Your sun will no longer set,

And your moon will not wane,

For the Lord will be your age-abiding light,

And the days of your mourning will have been fulfilled.

21And your people will all be righteous.

They will inherit the land age-abidingly,

As a shoot in my plantations

– The work of my hands for glorification.

22He who is small will become a thousand,

And he who is little, a mighty nation.

I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 60: v.1 ↔ Ephesians 5:14 ● v.2 ↔ Ephesians 5:14 ● v.3 ↔ Revelation 21:24 ● v.11 ↔ Revelation 21:25 ● v.19 ↔ Revelation 21:23, Revelation 22:5.

Isaiah Chapter 61 

1The spirit of my Lord the Lord is upon me,

Because the Lord has anointed me

To declare good news to the meek.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

To proclaim freedom to captives,

And release to prisoners,

2To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,

And the day of vengeance of our God,

To comfort all who mourn,

3To re-appoint the mourners of Zion,

To give them a turban instead of ashes,

Oil of gladness instead of mourning

– A mantle of praise instead of a melancholic spirit.

And they will be called oaks of righteousness

– The Lord's plantation for glorification.

4And they will rebuild the age-old desolate places,

And they will re-establish the first devastations

And renew the desolate cities

– The desolations which were of generation after generation.

5And strangers will stand in service

And tend your sheep,

And foreigners will be your farmers

And your vinedressers,

6Whereas you will be called priests of the Lord

– You will be spoken of as the servants of our God.

You will eat from the resources of the Gentiles,

And you will obtain their glory by way of exchange.

7Instead of your shame will be a double portion,

And instead of ignominy,

They will rejoice over their lot,

Which is why they will inherit double in their land,

And they will have age-abiding joy.

8For I, the Lord, love justice;

I hate robbery at the burnt offering.

But I will make their deeds truthful,

And I will make an age-abiding covenant for them.

9And their seed will be known among the Gentiles,

And their descendants among the various peoples.

All who see them will acknowledge them,

For they are the seed

Which the Lord has blessed.

10I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;

My being will be glad in my God,

For he will have clothed me in garments of salvation.

He will have wrapped me in a mantle of righteousness,

As a bridegroom decks himself out with a turban,

And the bride adorns herself with her ornaments.

11For as the earth produces its vegetation,

And as a garden gives growth to what is sown in it,

So my Lord the Lord

Will give growth to righteousness and praise

Before all the nations.

Reference(s) in Chapter 61: v.1 ↔ Luke 4:18, Matthew 11:5 ● v.2 ↔ Luke 4:19, Luke 21:22 ● v.6 ↔ Revelation 1:6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 20:6.

Isaiah Chapter 62 

1For the sake of Zion,

I will not be silent,

And for the sake of Jerusalem

I will not be quiet,

Until its righteousness goes forth

Like a brilliance,

And its salvation

Like a blazing torch.

2And the nations will see your righteousness,

And all kings your glory,

And you will be called by a new name

Which the mouth of the Lord will specify.

3And you will be a crown of splendour

In the Lord's hand,

And a royal turban

In the hand of your God.

4You will no longer be said to be forsaken,

And your land will no longer be said to be a desolation,

For you will be called Hephzi-Bah,

And your land, Beulah,

When the Lord delights in you,

And when your land is married.

5For as a young man marries a virgin,

So your sons will marry you,

And as is the joy of the bridegroom over his bride,

So your God will rejoice over you.

6I will appoint watchmen on your walls

All day and all night constantly,

O Jerusalem;

They will not be silent.

You who make mention of the Lord,

Do not keep silence.

7And do not present him with silence

Until he has established and appointed

Jerusalem a praise on the earth.

8The Lord has sworn by his right hand,

And by his strong arm,

“I will certainly not give your corn

As food to your enemies any more,

And foreigners certainly will not drink your new wine

Which you have toiled over.

9For those who gather it in

Will eat it,

And they will praise the Lord,

And those who collect it

Will drink it,

In my holy courtyards.”

10Pass through, pass through the gates;

Prepare a way for the people.

Raise up, raise up a highway,

Clear it of stones;

Raise a banner

For the sake of the various peoples.

11Behold, the Lord has made a proclamation

To the end of the earth:

“Say to the daughter of Zion,

‘Behold, your salvation is coming;

Behold, his reward is with him,

And his recompense for his work is before him.’ ”

12And they will call them

The holy people

– The Lord's redeemed.

And you will be called

Sought After

– A city not forsaken.

Isaiah Chapter 63 

1Who is this

Who has come from Edom,

In reddened clothes from Bozrah?

– He who is adorned in his attire?

He strides in his great might.

It is I who speak in righteousness,

Powerful to save.”

2Why are your clothes red,

And why are your garments

Like those of one who treads the wine press?

3I have trodden the wine press on my own,

And there was no man from the various peoples with me.

And I trod them in my anger,

And I trampled on them in my fury,

And their juice was spattered on my garments,

And I stained all my articles of clothing.

4For the day of vengeance is in my heart,

And the year of my redeemed has come.

5And I looked,

And there was no helper,

And I was astonished

That there was no-one supporting.

But my arm worked salvation for me,

And it was my fury

Which supported me.

6And I will trample various peoples in my anger,

And I will make them drunk in my fury,

And I will bring their juice down to the ground.”

7I will make mention of the Lord's kindnesses

– The Lord's praiseworthy acts –

According to everything that the Lord has recompensed us with,

And the great goodness towards the house of Israel

Which he recompensed them with,

According to his mercy

And according to his many kind deeds.

8For he said,

“Indeed, they are my people,

Sons who will not act falsely.”

And he became their saviour.

9In all their adversity

He suffered adversity,

And the angel of his presence saved them,

And in his love and in his compassion

He redeemed them

And took them up

And raised them up,

All the days of the age.

10But they rebelled

And grieved his holy spirit,

And he turned into their enemy,

And he fought against them.

11But he remembered the age-old days

– Moses and his people – and said,

“Where is he

Who brought them up out of the sea,

With the shepherds of his flock?

Where is he

Who put his holy spirit inside them?

12Where is he

Who led them by Moses' right hand,

By his magnificent arm,

Dividing water in front of them,

So making for himself an age-abiding name,

13As he led them through the depths,

Like a horse through the desert,

So that they should not flounder?”

14As cattle go down into the valley,

So the spirit of the Lord settled them down;

So you led your people

To make for yourself a magnificent name.

15Look from heaven,

And see from your holy magnificent dwelling place.

Where are your zeal and your mighty deeds?

Are your many sympathies

And your compassion towards me

Restrained?

16For you are our father,

For Abraham did not know us,

And Israel did not acknowledge us.

You, O Lord, are our father,

Our redeemer;

Your name is age-old.

17Why, O Lord,

Are you leading us astray from your paths,

And why are you hardening our heart from fearing you?

Return for the sake of your servants

– The tribes of your inheritance.

18For a while they took possession of your holy people

– Our adversaries who trod down your sanctuary.

19We have been from age-old time,

But you have not had rule over them.

They have not been called after your name.

Reference(s) in Chapter 63: v.1 ↔ Revelation 19:13 ● v.3 ↔ Revelation 14:20, Revelation 19:13, Revelation 19:15 ● v.4 ↔ Luke 21:22.

Isaiah Chapter 64 

1 If only you would split the heavens open

And come down,

And that mountains would be shaken at your presence.

2As fire burns brushwood,

And fire boils water,

So it will be

In making your name known to your adversaries

When the nations tremble at your presence,

3When you do fearful things

Which we do not expect,

Such as when you came down,

And when mountains were shaken at your presence.

4For they have never heard,

Nor have they given ear,

Nor has an eye seen,

O God, except you,

What he will do

For him who awaits him.

5You met with him who rejoices

And does righteousness;

They will remember you by your ways.

Look, you have been angry,

And we have sinned against them throughout the age,

But we will be saved.

6And we have all been like an unclean thing;

All our righteous deeds are like a menstruous cloth,

And we have all faded like a leaf,

And our iniquities have carried us away like the wind.

7And there is no-one calling on your name,

Arousing himself to take hold of you,

For you have hidden your face from us,

And you have caused us to melt

On account of our iniquities.

8And now, O Lord,

You are our father;

We are the clay,

And you are our potter,

And we are all the work of your hand.

9O Lord,

Do not be extremely angry,

And do not remember iniquity in perpetuity.

Behold, do look,

We are all your people.

10Your holy cities have become a desert;

Zion has become a desert,

Jerusalem – a desolation.

11Our holy and majestic house,

In which our fathers praised you,

Has become a burnt-out conflagration,

And all our delightful objects

Have become a desolation.

12Will you restrain yourself

Concerning these things,

O Lord?

Or will you be silent

And afflict us in the extreme?

Reference(s) in Chapter 64: v.4 ↔ 1 Corinthians 2:9.

Isaiah Chapter 65 

1“I have been consulted

By those who did not ask for me;

I have been found

By those who did not seek me.

I said, ‘Here I am, here I am

To a nation

Which was not called by my name.

2I have stretched out my hands all day long

To a recalcitrant people

Who walk in a way which is not good,

After their own thoughts

3– A people who provoke me to anger to my face

All the time,

Sacrificing in the gardens

And burning incense on the bricks,

4Who live in sepulchres

And dwell in secret spaces,

Who eat pork,

And whose pans contain soup made from abominable things,

5Who say, ‘Keep yourself to yourself;

Do not approach me,

For I am holier than you.’

These things are smoke in my nose

– A fire burning all day long.

6Behold, it is written before me;

I will not be silent,

But I will repay,

And I will repay

Into their bosom.

7As for your iniquities,

And the iniquities of your fathers together,

Says the Lord

Your fathers who burned incense on the mountains

And showed me contempt on the hills –

I will mete out their first undertaking

Into their bosom.”

8This is what the Lord says:

“As the new wine is found in the bunch of grapes,

And someone says,

‘Do not ruin it,

For there is a blessing in it’,

So I will do for the sake of my servants

So as not to bring all to ruin.

9And I will bring a seed out of Jacob,

And out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains,

And my chosen ones will inherit this,

And my servants will dwell there.

10And Sharon will be a pasture for sheep,

And the Valley of Achor a place for oxen to lie down

– For my people who have sought me.

11But you are forsakers of the Lord,

Who forget my holy mountain,

Who prepare a table for Gad,

And who fill the vial with spiced wine

For Meni,

12So I will destine you for the sword,

And you will all stoop for slaughter,

Because I called,

But you did not answer;

I spoke,

But you did not listen,

And you did what is evil in my sight,

And you chose what I dislike.”

13Therefore this is what my Lord the Lord says:

“Behold, my servants will eat,

But you will hunger;

Behold, my servants will drink,

But you will thirst;

Behold, my servants will rejoice,

But you will be ashamed.

14Behold, my servants will be jubilant from a cheerful heart,

But you will cry out from a painful heart,

And you will wail from a broken spirit.

15And you will leave your name

As a curse to my chosen ones,

And my Lord the Lord will put you to death,

And he will call his servants by another name,

16So that he who is blessed on earth

Will be blessed by the God of truth,

And he who swears on earth

Will swear by the God of truth,

Because the former adversities will be forgotten,

And because they will be hidden from my eyes.

17For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth,

And the former things will not be remembered,

And they will not arise in the heart.

18But rejoice and exult in all perpetuity

In what I am about to create,

For I am about to create Jerusalem

– A joy –

And her people will be a delight.

19And I will rejoice in Jerusalem

And exult in my people.

And the sound of weeping

And the sound of outcry

Will no longer be heard in it.

20There will no longer be from there

A child a few days old,

Or an old man

Whose days are not fulfilled.

For a child will die at one hundred years old,

And a sinner aged one hundred years will be accursed.

21And they will build houses

And live in them,

And they will plant vineyards

And eat their fruit.

22They will not build and another will live there;

They will not plant and another will eat,

For the days of my people

Will be like the days of a tree,

And my chosen ones

Will enjoy the work of their hands.

23They will not toil in vain,

And they will not give birth in prospect of terror,

For they will be a seed blessed by the Lord,

As will their offspring with them.

24And it will come to pass

That before they call out,

I will answer,

And while they are still speaking,

I will heed them.

25The wolf and the lamb will feed together,

And the lion like the ox will eat straw,

But as for the serpent,

His food will be dust.

They will not do harm,

And they will not cause damage

Anywhere in my holy mountain”,

Says the Lord.

Reference(s) in Chapter 65: v.1 ↔ Romans 10:20 ● v.2 ↔ Romans 10:21 ● v.17 ↔ 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1.

Isaiah Chapter 66 

1This is what the Lord says:

Heaven is my throne,

And the earth is my footstool.

What house is it which you will build me,

And what resting place of mine will you build?

2For my hand made all these things,

And all these things have come to pass,

Says the Lord,

But here are those whom I will watch over:

The poor, and the contrite,

And him who trembles at my word.

3But he who slaughters an ox as if he is striking a man,

He who sacrifices a lamb as if he is breaking a dog's neck,

He who makes a meal-offering as if it is the blood of a pig,

He who makes a memorial with incense as if he is blessing an idol

– These also have chosen their ways,

And their being has delighted in their abominations.

4I too will choose their depravity,

And I will bring their fears upon them,

Because I called,

But there was no-one who answered;

I spoke,

But they did not listen;

And they did what is wrong in my sight,

And they chose what I dislike.

5Hear the word of the Lord,

You who tremble at his word.

Your brothers who hate you,

And who thrust you out for my name's sake, said,

‘Let the Lord be glorified.’

When he appears, to your joy,

They will be ashamed.

6A sound of tumult from the city,

A sound from the temple,

The voice of the Lord

Giving retribution to his enemies

Will be heard.

7Before she was in labour,

She gave birth.

Before her throes of childbearing came upon her,

She was delivered of a male child.

8Who has heard of anything like this?

Who has seen things like these?

Can the earth be given birth to in one day?

Or can a nation be born in one moment?

For Zion has been in labour

And has given birth to her sons.

9Will I cause the breakthrough

But not the childbirth?

– Says the Lord.

Or shall I, who cause the childbirth,

Hold it back?

– Says your God.

10Be glad with Jerusalem,

And exult in her,

All you who love her.

Rejoice with her in joy,

All you who mourn over her,

11In order that you may suck and be satisfied

From her comforting breast,

And in order that you may imbibe

And delight yourself

In the abundance of her glory.”

12For this is what the Lord says:

“I am about to extend peace to her

Like a river,

And the glory of the Gentiles

Like an overflowing brook

For you to suck.

You will be carried alongside,

And you will be indulged in her lap.

13As a man whose mother comforts him,

So I will comfort you,

And you will be comforted

In Jerusalem.

14And when you see it,

Your heart will rejoice,

And your bones will thrive like grass,

And the hand of the Lord will be known among his servants,

But indignation among his enemies.

15For behold, the Lord will come with fire,

And his chariots will be like a whirlwind,

To satisfy his anger in fury,

And his rebuke in fiery flames.

16For the Lord will contend with all flesh

With fire and with his sword,

And those defeated by the Lord

Will be numerous.

17Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens,

Behind one thing in the middle,

And those who eat pork,

And the abomination, and the mouse,

Will come to an end together”,

Says the Lord.

18“And as for me,

And their deeds and their thoughts,

The time will come

To gather all the nations and the languages,

And they will come

And see my glory.

19And I will place a sign among them,

And I will send to the Gentiles those of them who escape,

To Tarshish, Pul and Lud,

To those who draw the bow,

To Tubal and Javan,

And to distant maritime countries

Who have not heard my fame,

And who have not seen my glory.

And they will tell of my glory among the Gentiles.

20And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations

With an offering to the Lord,

By horse and by chariot

And by covered wagon

And by mule and by dromedary,

To my holy mountain in Jerusalem,

Says the Lord,

When the sons of Israel bring the offering in clean equipment

To the house of the Lord.

21And I will take a portion from them

For the Levite priests”,

Says the Lord.

22“For as the new heavens and the new earth,

Which I will make,

Shall stand before me,

Says the Lord,

So your seed and your name will stand.

23And it will come to pass

That at every new moon and every Sabbath,

All flesh will come to worship before me”,

Says the Lord.

24“And they will go out

And see the carcases of the men who have transgressed against me,

For their worm will not die,

And their fire will not be extinguished,

And they will be an abhorrence

To all flesh.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 66: v.1 ↔ Matthew 5:34, Matthew 5:35, Acts 7:49 ● v.2 ↔ Acts 7:50 ● v.22 ↔ 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1 ● v.24 ↔ Mark 9:44, Mark 9:46, Mark 9:48.

Jeremiah  

Jeremiah Chapter 1 

1The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who are in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, the king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3And this came to pass in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, up to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, the king of Judah – up to the deportation of Jerusalem in the fifth month. 4And the word of the Lord came to me and said,

5“Before I formed you in the belly,

I knew you,

And before you came out of the womb,

I sanctified you.

I have appointed you

As a prophet to the nations.”

6Then I said,

“Oh, my Lord the Lord,

Look, I do not know how to speak,

For I am just a lad.”

7But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say,

‘I am just a lad’,

For you shall go everywhere I send you,

And you shall speak everything I command you.

8Do not fear their presence;

I am with you to deliver you”,

Says the Lord.

9Then the Lord stretched out his hand and touched my mouth, at which the Lord said to me,

“Look, I have put my words in your mouth.

10See, I have appointed you today

Over the nations and over the kingdoms,

To tear down and to demolish

And to destroy and to devastate,

To build and to plant.”

11Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a rod of almond tree wood.” 12And the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I will watch over my word, to carry it out.” 13And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, and he said, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, and its face is turned from the north.” 14And the Lord said to me,

“Evil will break out from the north

Over all the inhabitants of the land.

15For I am about to call

All the families of the kingdoms of the north,

Says the Lord,

And they will come,

And each king will direct his throne

To the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem,

And against all its walls round about,

And against all the cities of Judah.

16And I will pronounce my judgments on them,

Concerning all their evil,

In that they have forsaken me

And burned incense to other gods

And have worshipped the works of their hands.

17But you gird up your loins and arise,

And tell them everything that I command you.

Do not be afraid of them,

So that I do not cause you dismay in their presence.

18And as for my part,

Look, I have made you today

A fortified city and an iron column,

And copper walls, all over the land,

To the kings of Judah, to its officers, to its priests,

And to the people of the land.

19And they will fight against you,

But they will not prevail over you,

For I am with you,

Says the Lord,

To deliver you.”

Jeremiah Chapter 2 

1And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Go and proclaim in Jerusalem's ears and say, ‘This is what the Lord says:

«I remember your kindness in your youth,

Your love in your bridal state

The fact that you walked after me in the desert,

In an uncultivated land.

3Israel is holy to the Lord,

As are the firstfruits of its produce.

All who eat it will be guilty.

Evil will come upon them,

Says the Lord.» ’ ”

4Hear the word of the Lord,

O house of Jacob,

And all you families

Of the house of Israel.

5This is what the Lord says:

“What iniquity did your fathers find in me?

For they have distanced themselves from me

And have followed vanity

And have acted vainly.

6And they did not say,

‘Where is the Lord

Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt?

– Who led us in the desert,

In an arid and sunken land,

In a land of drought

And a shadow of death,

Through a land through which no man crosses

And where no man dwells.’

7And I brought you into a cultivable land,

To eat its fruit and its good produce,

But you came and defiled my land,

And you made my inheritance an abomination.

8The priests did not say,

‘Where is the Lord?’

Those who administered the law did not know me,

And the pastors have transgressed against me,

And the prophets have prophesied through Baal,

And they have walked after things

Which do not benefit anyone.

9That is why I will still contend with you,

Says the Lord,

And I will contend with your sons' sons.

10For pass through the coastlands of Chittim and see,

And send men to Kedar to observe well,

And see whether it is like this.

11Does a nation change its gods?

But they are not gods.

Yet my people have exchanged my honour

For what will not benefit anyone.

12O heavens, be astonished at this,

And shudder and be very astounded,

Says the Lord.

13For my people have committed two evil acts;

They have forsaken me

– The source of living water –

For hewing cisterns out for themselves,

Broken cisterns

Which will not hold the water.

14Is Israel a servant?

Or is he a homeborn slave?

Why has he become a target of spoil?

15Young lions roar at him;

They made their sound,

And they laid his land waste.

His cities were burned down,

Leaving no inhabitant.

16Also the sons of Noph and Tahpanhes

Have shaved your scalp.

17Are you not doing this to yourself

By your forsaking the Lord your God,

At the time when he is leading you on the way?

18So now, what do you have to do with Egypt's way,

With drinking the waters of Shihor?

And what do you have to do with Assyria's way,

With drinking the waters of the river?

19Your wickedness will discipline you,

And your acts of apostasy will reprove you,

So know and see that your forsaking the Lord your God

Is evil and bitter,

And there is no fear of me in you,

Says the Lord, the Lord of hosts.

20For I broke your yoke long ago,

And I detached your fetters,

But you said, ‘I will not serve you’,

For you wander around committing prostitution

On every high hill

And under every luxuriant tree.

21Yet I planted you as a choice vine,

All of it being a true seed,

But how you have turned against me,

You who turn aside to become a foreign vine.

22Even if you wash with soda ash,

And you apply much soap to yourself,

Your iniquity is a stain before me,

Says the Lord, the Lord.

23How can you say,

‘I am not defiled;

I have not gone after the Baalim’?

Look at your way in the valley,

And know what you have done.

You are a swift young she-camel,

Devious in her ways.

24A wild donkey is accustomed to the desert;

In her feeling of desire

She draws in breath.

As for her passion,

Who can turn it back?

None who seek her become weary;

In her mating season they find her.

25Keep your feet from being barefoot

And your throat from thirst.

But you said, ‘It is desperate.

No, for I love foreigners,

And I will go after them.’

26Like the shame of a thief when he is caught,

So will the house of Israel be ashamed

– They, their kings, their officials,

And their priests and their prophets,

27Who say to the wood,

‘You are my father’,

And to the stone,

‘You gave birth to me.’

For they have turned their back to me,

And not their face,

But in their time of trouble, they say,

‘Arise and save us.’

28Now where are your gods

Which you have made for yourself?

Let them arise

If they can save you in your time of trouble,

For your gods are as the number of your cities,

O Judah.

29Why do you contend with me?

You have all transgressed against me,

Says the Lord.

30I have struck your sons in vain;

They do not take discipline.

Your sword has devoured your prophets,

Like a rampaging lion.

31O generation,

See the word of the Lord.

Have I been a desert to Israel?

Or a land of great darkness?

Why do my people say,

‘We rove around;

We will not come to you any more’?

32Can a virgin forget her ornaments?

Or a bride her girdles?

But my people have forgotten me

For innumerable days.

33How well you go your way in seeking love!

That is why you have also taught bad women your ways.

34Also on your skirts is found

The blood of the lives of the innocent poor.

I did not find it by dint of an investigation,

For it is abundantly evident on all these skirts.

35But you say,

‘As I am innocent,

Surely his anger will recede from me.’

But I am about to contend with you about your saying,

‘I have not sinned.’

36How you exhaust yourself changing your way!

You will also be put to shame by Egypt,

As you were put to shame by Assyria.

37You will also come out of this

With your hands on your head.

For the Lord has rejected your trusted allies,

And you will not succeed with them.

Jeremiah Chapter 3 

1It is said,

‘If a man sends his wife away,

And she departs from him

And becomes another man's,

Can he return to her again?

Would that land not be badly defiled?’

But you have been promiscuous with many lovers.

Yet return to me,

Says the Lord.

2Lift up your eyes to the heights and see:

Where have you not had someone to lie with you?

You have sat for them by the roadside,

Like an Arabian in the desert,

And you have defiled the land

With your acts of prostitution

And with your wickedness.

3So the showers of rain were withheld,

And there was no latter rain,

And you have had the effrontery

Of a woman who is a prostitute;

You have refused to feel ashamed.

4Will you not from now on call out to me,

‘My father,

You are the family head of my youth.’

5Will he keep his anger age-abidingly?

Or will he retain it in perpetuity?

Look, you have spoken

And done evil things,

And you have won the day.”

6And the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what apostate Israel has done, going to every high hill and under every luxuriant tree, committing sexual immorality there? 7But after she had done all these things, I said, ‘Return to me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8And I saw it, then on all the grounds that apostate Israel had committed adultery, I sent her away and gave her bill of divorce to her, but treacherous Judah her sister did not fear, and she also went and committed sexual immorality. 9And it came to pass, because of the frivolity of her sexual immorality, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. 10And even despite all this, neither did her treacherous sister Judah return to me with all her heart, but falsely so, says the Lord.” 11And the Lord said to me, “Apostate Israel has justified herself more than treacherous Judah. 12Go and proclaim these things in the north, and say,

‘Return, apostate Israel,

Says the Lord.

I will not rage at you,

For I am kind,

Says the Lord;

I will not keep my anger age-abidingly.

13But admit your iniquity,

For you have transgressed against the Lord your God,

And you have gone in all directions to foreigners,

Under every luxuriant tree,

But you have not heeded my voice,

Says the Lord.

14Return, you rebellious sons, says the Lord, for I have married you, and I have taken hold of you – one from a city, and two from a family – and I will bring you to Zion. 15And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, and they will feed you with knowledge and insight. 16And it will come to pass, when you multiply and are fruitful on the earth in those days, says the Lord, that they will no longer say, «The ark of the covenant of the Lord.» It will no longer come to mind, nor will they mention it, nor will they go to see it, nor will it be made any more. 17At that time they will call Jerusalem the Throne of the Lord, and all the Gentiles will gather in it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem, and they will not walk after the evil obstinacy of their heart any more. 18In those days the house of Judah will go to the house of Israel, and they will come together out of the land of the north to the land which I have given to your fathers as an inheritance. 19But I said,

«How shall I place you among the sons,

And give you a pleasant land,

An inheritance which is the splendour of splendours of the nations?»

And I said,

«You will call me, ‹My father›,

And you will not turn back from following me.»

20Surely, as a wife is unfaithful to her husband,

So you have been unfaithful to me,

O house of Israel,

Says the Lord.

21A sound is heard on the heights,

Weeping and supplications of the sons of Israel,

For they have taken a crooked path;

They have forgotten the Lord their God.

22Return, you rebellious sons.

I will heal your apostatizings.’ ”

Here we are;

We have come to you,

For you are the Lord our God.

23Truly, salvation is in vain

From hills and many mountains;

Truly, the salvation of Israel

Is in the Lord our God.

24And shame has devoured

The hard work of our fathers from our youth

– Their sheep and their oxen,

Their sons and their daughters.

25Let us lie in our shame,

And let our ignominy cover us,

For we have sinned against the Lord our God

– We and our fathers

From our youth up to this day.

And we have not heeded

The voice of the Lord our God.

Jeremiah Chapter 4 

1“If you will return, O Israel,

Says the Lord,

Return to me,

And if you will remove your abominations from my presence,

And you will not be erratic,

2And you swear that the Lord lives,

In truth, in justice, in righteousness,

Then the nations will be blessed through him

And will boast in him.”

3For this is what the Lord says

To the men of Judah and to Jerusalem:

“Till yourselves some fallow land,

And do not sow in the thorns.

4Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,

And remove the foreskin of your heart,

You men of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem,

So that my fury does not go forth like fire,

And burn,

With no-one to quench it,

For the evil of your actions.

5Tell of it in Judah,

And announce it in Jerusalem,

And say, ‘Sound the ramshorn in the land.’

Proclaim it aloud and say,

‘Assemble and let us go to the fortified cities.

6Raise a standard in Zion,

Bring your household to safety;

Do not stand still.’

For I will bring evil from the north,

And great destruction.

7A lion came up from its thicket,

And the one who brings ruin in nations

Has set off and left his place

To make your land a desolation.

Your cities will be laid waste

Without an inhabitant.

8Because of this, gird yourselves with sackcloth,

Mourn and howl,

For the furious anger of the Lord

Has not receded from us.

9And it will come to pass on that day,

Says the Lord,

That the king will lose heart,

As will the officials,

And the priests will be astonished,

And the prophets will be astounded.”

10Then I said,

“Alas, my Lord the Lord,

You have truly really deceived this people and Jerusalem,

Saying, ‘You will have peace’,

But the sword has struck to the quick.”

11At that time, it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem,

There is a dry wind from the heights in the desert,

On its way to the daughter of my people,

Not for winnowing

And not for purifying.

12A full wind from these places will come for me,

And now I too will pronounce judgment on them.”

13Behold, he will come up as clouds,

And his chariots will be like a whirlwind.

His horses are swifter than eagles.

Woe is us,

For we are to be devastated.

14“Cleanse your heart from evil, Jerusalem,

So that you may be saved.

How long will your vain thoughts remain within you?

15For a voice is making an announcement from Dan

And proclaiming vanity from Mount Ephraim.

16Remind the nations,

Look, proclaim to Jerusalem,

Watchmen are coming from a distant land,

And they have raised their voices

Against the cities of Judah.

17They are against her like guards around a field,

Because she has rebelled against me,

Says the Lord.

18Your way and your deeds have done these things to you

– This wickedness of yours,

For it is bitter,

Because it strikes at your heart.”

19My anguish, my anguish;

I writhe at the sides of my heart.

My heart is agitated in me;

I cannot be quiet,

For my inner being has heard the sound of the ramshorn

– The sound of war.

20Destruction upon destruction is reported,

For all the land has been spoiled;

My tents were suddenly spoiled

– My encampment in a moment.

21How long will I see a standard?

How long will I hear the sound of a ramshorn?

22“For my people are fools;

They do not know me.

They are witless sons,

And they are not sensible.

They are wise in doing wrong,

But they do not know how to do what is right.”

23I have seen the land

And seen that it is desolate and deserted.

And concerning the heavens,

Their light is absent.

24I have seen the hills

And seen that they were trembling,

And that all the hills have shaken.

25I looked and saw that there was no man,

And that all the birds of the sky

Had flown away.

26I looked and saw the well-cultivated plain

Looking like the desert,

And that all its cities had been demolished

Because of the Lord

– Because of the fury of his anger.

27For this is what the Lord says:

“All the land will be a desolation,

But I will not bring it to a complete end.

28On account of this the land will mourn,

And the heavens above will be melancholic,

For I have spoken;

I have purposed it,

And I do not repent,

And I will not revoke it.

29At the sound of the horseman and the archer,

All the city will flee;

They will go to the thickets

And go up into the rocks.

The whole city will be abandoned,

And there will be no man inhabiting any of them.

30And when you have been devastated,

What will you do?

Even if you dress in scarlet,

If you adorn yourself with golden ornaments,

If you make your eyes stand out with eye shadow,

You will beautify yourself in vain.

Your lovers will reject you;

They will seek your life.

31For I have heard a sound

Like a woman giving birth

– Distress like one bearing her firstborn –

The sound of the daughter of Zion,

Gasping and spreading her hands,

Saying, ‘Oh woe is me,

For my being is weary

With those who kill.’

Jeremiah Chapter 5 

1Traverse the open places of Jerusalem,

And take a look and ascertain and find out

Whether you can find a man in her streets,

Whether there is anyone acting justly,

Seeking faithfulness,

And I will pardon the city.

2But if they say,

As the Lord lives’,

It will be

Because they are swearing falsely.”

3O Lord, are not your eyes for seeing faithfulness?

You have struck them without them feeling pain.

You have caused them to languish,

But they have refused to accept correction.

They have hardened themselves more than rock;

They have refused to return.

4So I said, “Certainly they are weak;

They have acted foolishly,

For they do not know the way of the Lord,

Or the justice of their God.

5I will betake myself to great men;

I will speak to them,

For they know the way of the Lord

– The justice of their God.

But they have altogether broken the yoke;

They have unshackled the bonds.

6That is why a lion from the forest will strike them,

And a wolf from the arid tracts will prey on them.

A leopard will lie in wait in their cities,

And everyone who goes out from them will be torn to pieces,

For their transgressions are many,

And their apostasies are immense.”

7“On what account should I pardon you?

Your sons have forsaken me

And have sworn by what are not gods.

And when I filled them with food,

They committed adultery

And converged on the house of a prostitute.

8They were like ruttish horses,

Wandering about lusting,

Each neighing after his neighbour's wife.

9Shall I not visit on account of these things?

Says the Lord,

And shall my being not be avenged

On a nation such as this?

10‘Go up onto her walls and demolish it,

But do not bring it to a complete end.

Remove its bulwarks

For they are not for the Lord.

11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah

Have treacherously betrayed me’,

Says the Lord.

12They have acted deceitfully with the Lord and said,

‘He is not concerned.

No harm will come over us,

And we will not see sword or famine.’

13And the prophets are becoming wind,

And the word is not present among them.

So it shall be done to them.”

14That is why this is what the Lord God of hosts says:

“Because you have said these words,

I am about to make my words in your mouth fire,

And this people wood,

And it will consume them.

15I am about to bring a people over you from afar,

O house of Israel,

Says the Lord.

It is a strong nation,

It is an age-old nation

– A nation whose tongue you do not know,

And you will not understand what they say.

16Their quiver is like an open grave;

They are all warriors.

17And they will eat your harvest and your bread,

They will eat your sons and your daughters,

They will eat your sheep and your oxen,

They will eat your vine and your fig tree;

They will emaciate your fortified cities

In which you trust, with the sword.

18But neither in those days,

Says the Lord,

Will I bring you to a complete end.

19And it will come to pass that you will say,

‘In return for what

Has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’

And you will say to them,

Just as you forsook me

And served foreign gods in your land,

So you will serve foreigners in a land not yours.’

20Report this in the house of Jacob,

And announce it in Judah,

And say,

21‘Now hear this, you foolish people,

And without a heart,

Who have eyes,

But will not see;

Who have ears,

But will not hear,

22Do you not fear me?

Says the Lord.

Do you not tremble at the presence of me

Who have set sand as a border to the sea

– An age-abiding statute –

So that it will not pass over it?

And although its waves are turbulent,

They do not prevail,

And although they rage,

They do not pass over it.

23But this people has a recalcitrant and rebellious heart.

They turn aside

And go their way.

24And they have not said in their heart,

«Let us now fear the Lord our God

Who gives rain

– Both early rain and latter rain in its time.

He keeps statutory weeks and harvest-time for us.»

25Your iniquities have caused these things to depart,

And your sins have held goodness back from you.

26For among my people wicked men are found;

They lie in wait like the crouching down

Of those who trap birds.

They set a trap;

They catch men.

27Like a cage full of birds,

So their houses are full of deceit,

Which is how they become important

And become rich.

28They become fat,

They have a shining complexion;

They have even transgressed in matters of the wicked one.

They do not execute justice

– Justice of the orphan –

And they become prosperous.

They do not do justice to the poor.

29Shall I not visit on account of these things?

Says the Lord,

And shall my being not be avenged

On a nation such as this?

30An astonishing and horrendous thing

Has taken place in the land.

31The prophets have prophesied falsely,

And the priests march hand in hand with them,

And my people love it like that.

So what will you do at its conclusion?’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 5: v.21 ↔ Mark 8:18.

Jeremiah Chapter 6 

1“Bring your household to safety,

You sons of Benjamin,

From the heart of Jerusalem.

And sound the ramshorn in Tekoa,

And light a signal fire in Beth-Haccerem,

For trouble is impending from the north,

And a great catastrophe.

2I have likened the daughter of Zion

To a fair and delicate woman.

3Shepherds will come to her with their flocks,

They will pitch their tents near her round about;

Each one will pasture in his place.”

4“Sanctify a war against her;

Arise, we will go up at midday.”

“Woe to us, for the day has advanced,

For the evening shadows are lengthening.”

5“Arise, and let us go up in the night,

And destroy her palaces.”

6For this is what the Lord of hosts says:

“Cut down wood,

And throw up a rampart against Jerusalem.

She is the city which will be visited.

There is nothing but oppression inside her.

7As a cistern keeps its water cool,

So she has kept her wickedness cool.

Violence and plundering are heard within her;

Before me are sickness and wounding continually.

8Be chastised, Jerusalem,

So that I myself do not become alienated from you,

So that I do not make you a desolation

– An uninhabited land.”

9This is what the Lord of hosts says:

“They will certainly glean out the remnant of Israel,

As with a vine.

Saying, ‘Draw your hand back to the baskets,

As a vine reaper does.’

10To whom can I speak and testify,

And they will hear?

Look, their ears are uncircumcised,

And they are unable to listen.

Look, the word of the Lord came to them as a reproach;

They did not delight in it.

11And I am full of the fury of the Lord;

I am weary of enduring it.

‘Heap it up

On a child out of doors,

And on a secret meeting of young men together’,

For even a man and wife will be taken

And an old man with him who is full of days.

12And their houses will be transferred to others

– Fields and wives together –

For I will stretch out my hand over the inhabitants of the land,

Says the Lord.

13For from the least of them to the greatest of them,

Every one of them defrauds for unjust gain,

And among both prophet and priest

Every one acts falsely.

14And they had an easy way

Of healing the demise of my people,

Saying, ‘Peace, peace’,

When there was no peace.

15Were they ashamed when they committed an abomination?

They were not ashamed at all,

Nor did they have a sense of ignominy,

Which is why they will be among those who fall.

At the time when I visit them,

They will stumble,

Says the Lord.”

16This is what the Lord says:

“Stand on the ways and see,

And ask for the age-old paths;

Ask which way is the right one,

And walk on it,

And find rest for yourselves.

But they said,

‘We will not walk there.’

17And I set up watchmen over you,

Who said,

‘Listen to the sound of the ramshorn’,

But they said,

‘We will not listen.’

18Therefore hear, O nations,

And know, O congregation,

What is to happen among them.

19Hear O earth,

I am about to bring trouble to this people

– The fruit of their thoughts –

For they have not listened to my words,

And as for my law,

They have rejected it.

20What is this to me that frankincense should come from Sheba?

And fine cinnamon from a distant country?

Your burnt offerings are not a delight,

And your sacrifices do not please me.”

21That is why this is what the Lord says:

“I am about to put stumbling blocks before this people,

And fathers and sons will stumble at them together;

A neighbour and his friend will perish.”

22This is what the Lord says:

“Look, a people is coming from the land of the north,

And a great nation will be awakened

From the remote parts of the earth.

23They will wield bow and spear;

They are cruel,

And they will not show mercy.

Their voice roars like the sea,

And they ride on horses.

They are mobilized as men ready for war against you,

O daughter of Zion.”

24We have heard of their fame,

Our hands have become limp,

And adversity has taken hold of us,

As has writhing like a woman giving birth.

25Do not go out into the field,

And do not walk on the road,

For the enemy has a sword,

And there is fear all round.

26O daughter of my people,

Gird yourself with sackcloth,

And roll in ashes.

Occupy yourself with mourning as for an only son

– With bitter lamentation –

For the destroyer will come upon us suddenly.

27“I have made you an assayer

And a fortification among my people,

So that you may know and examine their way.

28They are all inveterate rebels,

Who go about slandering.

They are copper and iron;

They are all ruinous people.

29There is burning with bellows;

In the fire, lead is consumed.

The refiner refines in vain,

And the wicked are not drawn off.

30They will be called rejected silver,

For the Lord has rejected them.”

Jeremiah Chapter 7 

1The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, to say, 2“Stand at the gate of the house of the Lord and proclaim there these words, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all of Judah who enter at these gates to worship the Lord. 3This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: «Mend your ways and your deeds, and I will install you in this place. 4Do not put your trust in lying words, which say, ‹These are the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.› 5For if you mend your ways and your deeds properly, if you conscientiously execute justice between a man and his neighbour, 6and do not oppress the foreigner, the orphan or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and do not go after other gods to your detriment, 7then I will install you in this place, in the land which I have given your fathers from age to age. 8Look, you are putting your trust in lying words, which are to no avail. 9Will you steal and murder and commit adultery and swear falsely and burn incense to Baal, and go after other gods which you have not known, 10and then come and stand in my presence in this house at which my name is called on, and say, ‹We have been delivered in order to commit all these abominations›? 11Has this house, at which my name is called on in your sight, become a den of thieves? Look, I for my part have seen it, says the Lord. 12For just go to my place which is in Shiloh, where I installed my name at first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. 13And now, on account of your doing all these deeds, says the Lord, I arose early to speak to you, but when I spoke, you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not respond. 14And I will do to the house at which my name is called on, which you trust in, and to the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. 15And I will banish you from my presence, as I banished all your brothers – all the seed of Ephraim.» ’ 16And as for you, do not pray for this people, and do not raise a cry for help or a prayer for them, and do not entreat me, for I will not hear you. 17Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the open areas of Jerusalem? 18The sons gather wood, and the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough to make sacrificial cakes for the queen of heaven, and they pour libations to other gods, so provoking me to anger. 19Is it me that they provoke to anger? says the Lord. Is it not themselves, with the consequence of them being shamefaced? 20That is why this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘My anger and my fury are about to be poured out on this place, on man and on the cattle, and on the wood of the countryside and on the fruit of the ground, and it will burn and not be extinguished.’ 21This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat meat. 22For I did not speak to your fathers and I did not command them when I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning matters of burnt offering and sacrifice, 23except that I commanded them this thing and said, «Heed my voice, and I will be God to you, and you will be a people to me, and walk in all the way which I command you, in order that it shall go well with you.» ’ 24But they did not take heed, and they did not incline their ears, and they walked in various devices and the obstinacy of their evil heart, and they became backward moving, and not forward moving, 25from the day when your fathers came out of the land of Egypt up to this day, yet I sent all my servants the prophets to them, rising early daily and sending them. 26But they did not listen to me, and they did not incline their ears, but they stiffened their necks, and they acted more wickedly than their fathers. 27And when you speak all these things to them, they do not listen to you, and when you call out to them, they do not answer you. 28Now you will say to them, ‘This is the nation which did not heed the voice of the Lord their God, and which did not accept correction. Faithfulness has been lost, and it has been cast away from their mouth. 29Shave off your long hair and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on your high places, for the Lord has rejected and abandoned the generation of his wrath. 30For the sons of Judah have done what is wrong in my sight, says the Lord. They have put their abominations in the house at which my name is called on, so as to defile it. 31And they have built the idolatrous raised sites to Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command and which did not enter my mind. 32Therefore behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when it will no longer be called Topheth and the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Killing, and they will bury people in Topheth until there is no room. 33And the corpses of this people will be food for the birds of the sky and the animals of the land, and there will be no-one to frighten them away. 34And in the cities of Judah and the open places of Jerusalem I will put a stop to the sound of rejoicing and the sound of happiness, the sound of a bridegroom and the sound of a bride, for the land will become a desolation.

Reference(s) in Chapter 7: v.11 ↔ Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17, Luke 19:46 ● v.34 ↔ Revelation 18:23.

Jeremiah Chapter 8 

1At that time, says the Lord, they will bring out the bones of the kings of Judah and the bones of their officials, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, from their graves. 2And they will spread them out to the sun and to the moon and to the whole host of the heavens which they loved and which they served, and after which they went, and which they inquired of, and which they worshipped. They will not be gathered, and they will not be buried, but they will be dung on the surface of the land. 3And death will be chosen rather than life, by all the remnant of this evil family who remain, in all the places which remain, to which I have driven them, says the Lord of hosts.’ 4And you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

«Will they fall,

And not arise?

Will one turn away from me,

And not turn back to me?

5Why is this people

– Apostate Jerusalem –

Constantly rebellious?

They have persisted in deceit;

They have refused to return.

6I listened and I heard,

But they did not speak honestly.

There is no man

Who has repented of his evil,

Who says,

‹What have I done?›

They have all turned away in their impetuousness,

Like a horse charging into battle.

7Even the stork in the sky

Knows its set times,

And the turtle-dove and swallow and the crane

Keep the time of their arrival,

But my people

Do not know the justice of the Lord.

8How can you say,

‹We are wise,

And the law of the Lord is with us?›

Truly, look, he made it in vain;

The scribes' pen is in vain.

9The wise men have been put to shame.

They are terrified,

And they have been caught.

Look, they have rejected the word of the Lord,

And what wisdom do they have?

10That is why I will give their wives to others,

And their fields to those who take possession of them,

Because from small to great,

They have all relentlessly made unjust gain;

Among both prophet and priest

They all deal falsely.

11And they had an easy way of healing the demise of my people,

Saying, ‹Peace, peace›,

When there was no peace.

12Were they ashamed when they committed an abomination?

They were not ashamed at all,

Nor did they have a sense of ignominy,

Which is why they will be among those who fall.

At the time of their visitation,

They will stumble,

Says the Lord.

13I will certainly make an end of them,

Says the Lord.

There are no grapes on the vine,

And no figs on the fig tree,

And the foliage is withering.

And what I have given them,

They transgress.» ’ ”

14Why are we sitting down?

Gather yourselves,

And let us go to the fortified cities

And be silent there,

For the Lord our God has silenced us,

And he has given us hemlock water to drink,

For we have sinned against the Lord.

15We waited for peace,

But there was nothing good

– For a time of healing,

But what came was terror.

16From Dan the snorting of his horses was heard.

At the sound of neighing of his mighty animals,

All the earth trembled.

And they came,

And they devoured the land and its fulness,

And the city and those living in it.

17“For I am about to send serpents and vipers against you,

Which cannot be charmed,

And they will bite you,

Says the Lord.”

18My cheerfulness has turned into sorrow;

My heart is faint within me.

19Just hear the sound of the crying out

Of the daughter of my people,

From a distant land.

Is the Lord not at Zion?

Or is her king not in her?

“Why have they provoked me to anger with their carved images

– With their foreign idols?”

20The harvest has passed away;

The summer has ended,

But we have not been saved.

21I am distressed at the distress

Of the daughter of my people.

I am dejected;

Astonishment has taken hold of me.

22Is there no balsam in Gilead?

Or is there no doctor there?

So why has the health of the daughter of my people not blossomed?

Jeremiah Chapter 9 

1If only I had a head full of water

– For my eye is a source of tears –

Then I would weep day and night

For the casualties of the daughter of my people.

2If only I had in the desert a traveller's lodging place

So that I could leave my people

And go away from them,

“For they are all adulterers

– An assembly of traitors.

3And they have spoken deceitfully;

Their bow is false,

And they have not become strong in the land

In a faithful way,

For they have gone from one bad thing to another,

And they have not known me,

Says the Lord.

4Let each man beware of his neighbour,

And do not trust any brother,

For every brother will defraud and defraud,

And every neighbour will go about slandering.

5And each man will deceive his neighbour,

And they will not speak the truth.

They have taught their tongue to speak lies;

They have exerted themselves in acting iniquitously.

6You are seated in the midst of deceit;

It is through deceit

That they refuse to know me,

Says the Lord.”

7That is why this is what the Lord of hosts says:

“I am about to refine them,

And I will test them,

For how else should I act

In view of the daughter of my people?

8Their tongue is a deadly arrow;

It speaks deceit.

With his mouth a man speaks peaceably with his neighbour,

But inwardly he plans his plot.

9Shall I not visit them on account of these things,

Says the Lord,

And shall my being not be avenged

On a nation such as this?

10I will bring forth weeping and lamentation for the hills,

And a dirge for the pastures in the desert,

For they have been burned,

So that no man passes through,

And no sound of cattle has been heard.

Both birds of the sky and cattle have migrated

And have gone away.

11And I will turn Jerusalem into heaps of stones

– An abode for jackals –

And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation

Without any inhabitant.

12Who is the wise man who understands this, and to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken, so that he may proclaim it? Why should the land perish, being burned up like a desert, with no-one passing through?” 13And the Lord said, “Because of them deserting my law, which I gave in their presence, but they did not heed my voice, and they did not walk in it, 14and they walked according to the obstinacy of their heart, and after the Baalim, which their fathers taught them 15– because of that – this is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I am about to feed wormwood to this people and to give them hemlock water to drink. 16And I will scatter them among nations which neither they nor their fathers knew, and I will send the sword after them until I have made an end of them.’ ” 17This is what the Lord of hosts, says:

“Take note

And call for the women who lament,

So that they come,

And send for women skilled in the art,

So that they come.

18And let them hasten to recite a lamentation on our account,

So that our eyes run with tears

And our eyelids flow with water.

19For the sound of lamentation is heard,

Coming from Zion,

‘How we have been plundered;

We have been very much put to shame,

For we have abandoned the land,

For our tent sites have been overthrown.’ ”

20But, you women,

Hear the word of the Lord,

And let your ears accept the word of his mouth,

And teach your daughters lamentation,

And let each teach her neighbour a dirge.

21For death has come through our windows;

It has entered our castles

To cut down the infant outside

And the youth in the streets.

22Say, “This is what the Lord says:

‘And a man's dead body will fall

Like dung on the surface of a field,

And like sheaves behind the reaper,

With no-one gathering them up.’

23This is what the Lord says:

‘Do not let the wise man boast of his wisdom,

And do not let the valiant warrior boast of his valiance,

And do not let the wealthy man boast of his wealth,

24But rather let the boaster boast in this:

Being instructed and knowing me,

For I, the Lord,

Act with kindness, justice and righteousness in the land,

For it is in these that I delight,

Says the Lord.

25Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will visit everyone who is circumcised but in uncircumcision 26– Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the sons of Ammon, and Moab, and all who have had their sidelocks cut, those who live in the desert – for all the Gentiles are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart.’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 9: v.24 ↔ 1 Corinthians 1:31, 2 Corinthians 10:17.

Jeremiah Chapter 10 

1Hear the word which the Lord has spoken to you, O house of Israel. 2“This is what the Lord says:

‘Do not learn the ways of the Gentiles,

And do not be afraid of signs in the sky,

For the Gentiles are afraid of them.

3For the customs of the various peoples are vain,

For it is a tree of the forest which a person cuts down,

And it becomes the work of the hands of a craftsman with a chisel.

4He beautifies it with silver and with gold,

And they strengthen it with nails and with hammers

So that it is not fragile.

5They are like a rigid post,

And they do not speak.

They need to be carried

Because they cannot walk.

Do not fear them,

For they cannot do harm,

And neither can they do any good.’ ”

6Seeing that there is no-one like you, O Lord,

You are great,

And your name is great in might.

7Who does not fear you,

O king of the nations?

For it is fitting for you,

In that among all the wise men of the nations

And in all their kingdoms,

There is no-one like you.

8They are at the same time vulgar and foolish;

For instruction in vain things,

They have a piece of wood.

9Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,

And gold from Uphaz.

The work of the craftsman and the hands of the refiner,

The blue and the purple material for their clothing

– They are all the work of skilled men.

10But the Lord God is truthful;

He is the living God

And the age-abiding king.

At his anger, the earth trembles;

The nations cannot endure his indignation.

11You shall say this to them: “The gods which did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from below these heavens.

12He is the maker of the earth by his power

– The preparer of the world by his wisdom –

Who stretched out the heavens

With his understanding.

13When he sounds his voice,

There is roaring of water in the sky,

And he makes vapours rise from the ends of the earth.

He produces lightning with the rain,

And he brings wind out of his storehouses.

14Every man has become deficient in knowledge;

Every metalsmith has become ashamed of the idol,

For his cast figure is a false thing,

And there is no spirit in them.

15They are vanity

– A work based on delusions.

At the time of their visitation,

They will perish.

16Such is not the portion of Jacob;

Rather, it is he who is the fashioner of everything,

And of Israel, the sceptre of his inheritance

– The Lord of hosts is his name.”

17Collect up your belongings

And take them away from the land,

You who dwell in the fortification.

18For this is what the Lord says:

“I am about to sling out the inhabitants of the land at this time,

And I will cause them distress

In order that they may encounter it.”

19Woe is me for my demise;

My wound is morbid,

And I have said,

“This really is a calamity

Which I shall bear.”

20My tent has been plundered,

And all my guylines have been detached.

My sons have gone away from me,

And they are not to be found,

And there is no-one pitching my tent any more

Or setting up my encampment.

21For the shepherds have become callous,

And they have not sought the Lord,

Which is why they have not acted prudently,

And all their flock has been scattered.

22You will find that a report of a rumour is coming,

And a great tumult from the land of the north,

To make the cities of Judah a desolation

– A dwelling place for jackals.

23I know, O Lord,

That it is not for man to determine his way;

It is not for man when walking

To direct his own steps.

24Discipline me, O Lord,

But with justice;

Not in your anger,

So that you do not diminish me.

25Pour out your wrath on the Gentiles

Who have not known you,

And on the families

Who have not called on your name,

For they have devoured Jacob

And devoured him more,

And they have made an end of him,

And they have devastated his abode.

Reference(s) in Chapter 10: v.7 ↔ Revelation 15:4.

Jeremiah Chapter 11 

1The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord and said, 2“Hear the words of this covenant, and speak them to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 3and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: «Cursed is the man who will not hear the words of this covenant, 4which I commanded your fathers on the day when I brought them out of the land of Egypt – from the iron furnace – when I said, ‹Heed my voice and do these things according to everything that I command you, and you will be a people to me, and I will be God to you, 5in order to fulfil the oath which I swore to your fathers, that I would give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as on this day.› » ’ ” And I answered and said, “Amen, O Lord.” 6And the Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the open areas of Jerusalem, and say, ‘Hear the words of this covenant, and do them. 7For I have been giving a solemn testimony to your fathers, both on the day when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, and up to this day, rising early and giving testimony, saying, «Heed my voice.» 8But they did not heed, and they did not incline their ears. And each went in the obstinacy of his evil heart, and I brought on them all the words of this covenant which I commanded them to do, but they did not do them.’ ” 9And the Lord said to me, “A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10They have returned to the former iniquities of their fathers who refused to hear my words, and they have walked after other gods, to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers. 11That is why this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to bring trouble on them, which they will not be able to get out of, and they will cry out to me, but I will not heed them. 12And the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will proceed to cry out to the gods to which they burn incense, but they will not save them in the slightest in the time of their trouble. 13«For the number of your gods was the number of your cities, O Judah. And to the tune of the number of open spaces of Jerusalem, you have set up altars to what is shameful – altars to burn incense to Baal.» 14So don't you pray for this people, and do not raise a cry for help or a prayer for them, for I will not hear them at the time when they cry out to me because of their trouble.

15What entitlement does my beloved have to be in my house,

With so many making the place a place of intrigue?

And they neglect the holy flesh of the sacrifices which are due to you.

When they neglect harming you, O Jerusalem,

Then you will rejoice.

16The Lord has called you a flourishing olive tree

– The beauty of a fine fruit.

At the sound of a great tumult,

He lit a fire in her,

And its branches were broken.

17And the Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced evil on you, on account of the evil of the house of Israel, and the house of Judah, which they undertook, so as to provoke me to anger, by burning incense to Baal.’ ” 18And the Lord made it known to me, and I came to know it. It was then that you showed me their works. 19But I am like a tame lamb led to the slaughter, and I did not know that they had devised plots against me and had said,

“Let us destroy the tree at its nourishment,

And let us cut him off from the land of the living,

So that his name is no longer remembered.”

20But, O Lord of hosts,

You who judge righteously,

You who test kidneys and heart,

I will see your vengeance on them,

For I have revealed my contention to you.

21That is why this is what the Lord says to the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, who say, “You shall not prophesy in the name of the Lord, so that you do not die by our hand.” 22That is why this is what the Lord of hosts says: “I am about to visit them. The young men will die by the sword; their sons and their daughters will die of hunger. 23And there will be no remainder of them, for I will bring harm on the men of Anathoth, in the year of their visitation.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 11: v.20 ↔ Revelation 2:23.

Jeremiah Chapter 12 

1You are righteous, O Lord,

When I take issue with you,

But I will contend a legal issue with you.

Why does the way of the wicked prosper?

All those who act treacherously are at ease.

2You planted them,

And they for their part have taken root;

They sprout up and also produce fruit.

You are near in their mouth

But far away in their inward feelings.

3But you, O Lord, know me;

You see me, and you test my heart's attitude to you.

Draw them off like sheep for the slaughter,

And devote them to the day of killing.

4How long will the land mourn,

And the herbaceous vegetation of the whole countryside dry up?

On account of the evil of those who inhabit it,

It is causing cattle and fowl to die out,

Because they said,

“He will not see our end result.”

5“If when you run with the foot soldiers,

They tire you out,

How can you compete with the horses?

And if you were confident only in a land at peace,

What will you do at the rising of the Jordan?

6For even your brothers,

And also those of your father's house,

Have betrayed you.

Even they called after you loudly;

Do not believe them

When they speak of good things to you.

7I have forsaken my house,

I have abandoned my inheritance;

I have delivered my dear love

Into the hand of her enemies.

8My inheritance has become like a lion in the forest.

It has decried me,

Which is why I have come to hate it.

9Is my inheritance a coloured bird of prey to me?

Is the bird of prey circling round about it?

Come and gather all the wild animals;

Bring them to eat.

10Many shepherds have ruined my vineyard,

They have trodden down what I have apportioned;

They have made my pleasant apportionment into a desert of desolation.”

11“He has made it a desolation;

A desolate land mourns to me.

The whole land has been made desolate,

For there is no-one who gives his mind to it.

12The despoilers have come to all the high places in the desert,

For the sword of the Lord has devoured

From one end of the land

To the other end of the land.

There is no peace for any flesh.

13They have sown wheat,

But they have reaped thorns;

They have exhausted themselves

But are not benefited by it.

So be put to shame by your produce,

Because of the furious anger of the Lord.”

14This is what the Lord says to all my evil neighbours who touch the inheritance which I have given as an inheritance to my people Israel: “I am about to pluck them out of their land, and I will pluck the house of Judah up from where they are. 15And it will come to pass, after I have plucked them up, that I will relent, and I will have compassion on them, and I will bring them back, each to his inheritance, and each to his land. 16And it will come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name – as the Lord lives – just as they used to teach my people to swear by Baal, then they will be built up among my people. 17But if they will not heed it, I will eradicate that people, eradicating and annihilating, says the Lord.”

Jeremiah Chapter 13 

1This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and get yourself a flax belt and put it around your waist, and do not put it in water.” 2So I got the belt according to the word of the Lord, and I put it around my waist. 3Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time and said, 4“Take the belt which you have got, which is around your waist, and get up and go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft in the rock.” 5So I went and I hid it in the Euphrates region, as the Lord had commanded me. 6And it came to pass after many days that the Lord said to me, “Get up and go to the Euphrates, and take from there the belt which I commanded you to hide there.” 7So I went to the Euphrates, and I dug up and took the belt out from the place where I had hidden it, and I saw that the belt was ruined; it was not fit for anything. 8Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 9“This is what the Lord says: ‘Similarly, I will ruin the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10This evil people which refuses to heed my words, who walk in the obstinacy of their heart and who walk after other gods, to serve them and to worship them, will be like this belt, which is not fit for anything. 11For as a belt clings to a man's waist, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to me, says the Lord, to be a people to me, and for fame and a reason for praise and for splendour, but they did not pay heed.’ 12Now you will say these words to them: ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: «Every skin-bottle will be filled with wine.» ’ And they will say to you, ‘Do we not know full well that every skin-bottle will be filled with wine?’ 13Then you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: «I am about to fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings in the line of David who have sat on his throne, and the priests and the prophets and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with intoxication. 14And I will dash them – a man against his brother, and fathers and sons together – says the Lord; I will not have compassion, and I will not spare, and I will not show mercy in bringing them to ruin.» ’ ”

15Hear and listen;

Do not be high-minded,

For the Lord has spoken.

16Give the Lord your God honour

Before he brings darkness,

And before your feet strike the mountains in the darkness,

And, when you await light,

He makes it a shadow of death,

And he turns it into sombre gloom.

17And if you do not heed it,

My inner being will weep in secret places

Because of your arrogance.

My eye will weep bitterly

And run with tears,

For the Lord's flock will have been taken captive.

18Say to the king and to the queen consort,

“Take a lower seat,

For your head-end has come down

– The crown of your splendour.

19The cities of the south will be shut,

And there will be no-one opening them up.

All of Judah will be exiled;

It will be completely exiled.

20Lift up your eyes

And see those coming from the north.

Where is the flock which was given to you?

– Your splendid sheep?

21What will you say when he visits you?

For you taught them,

And they will be over you as masters,

And they will become your head.

Will not birth pangs seize you,

As of a woman in labour?

22And if you say in your heart,

‘Why have these things happened to me?’

It is for your great iniquity

That the train of your skirt is uncovered,

And your heels are violated.

23Can an Ethiopian change his skin,

Or a leopard his spots?

If so then you too can do good,

You who are accustomed to doing evil.

24And I will scatter them

Like chaff passing by in a wind from the desert.

25This is your lot,

A portion from me to be meted out to you,

Says the Lord,

Because you have forgotten me,

And you have trusted in a lie.

26So I for my part

Will uncover the train of your skirt

Up to your face

So that your shame is seen.

27I have seen your adulteries and your neighings

And the depravity of your prostitution on hills in the countryside

– Your abominations.

Woe to you, Jerusalem!

Will you not become clean?

After how long, still?”

Jeremiah Chapter 14 

1This is the word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah concerning the droughts:

2“Judah is mourning,

And her gates are languishing

And lamenting for the land,

While Jerusalem's cry has gone up.

3And their nobles have sent their young children for water,

And they came to the cisterns,

But they did not find any water.

They returned with their vessels empty;

They were put to shame

And were made ignominious,

And they covered their heads.

4For the land is cracked,

For there has been no rain in the land.

The farmers have been put to shame;

They have covered their heads.

5For even the hind in the field has given birth

And abandoned the fawn,

For there was no grass.

6And wild donkeys stand on the heights

And draw breath like jackals.

Their eyes are wasted

Because there is no herbaceous vegetation.”

7Although our iniquities testify against us,

O Lord,

Act for the sake of your name,

For our apostasies are many;

We have sinned against you.

8O hope of Israel,

His saviour in a time of distress,

Why are you like a foreigner in the land,

And like a wayfarer who turns in

To lodge for the night?

9Why should you be like a startled man?

– Like a warrior unable to save?

But you are in our midst, O Lord,

And we are called after your name.

Do not abandon us!

10This is what the Lord says to this people:

“This is how they have loved to wander about:

They have not restrained their feet,

And the Lord has not had delight in them.

Now he will remember their iniquity

And visit their sins.”

11And the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for this people favourably. 12When they fast, I will not hear their cry, and when they offer a burnt offering and a meal-offering, I will not delight in them, for I will make an end of them with the sword and by famine, and by pestilence.” 13Then I said, “Alas, my Lord the Lord, what is happening is that the prophets are saying to them, ‘You will not see the sword, and you will not have a famine, for I will give you true peace in this place.’ ” 14Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, and I did not command them, and I did not speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision and divination – the vanity and deceit of their heart – 15which is why this is what the Lord says to the prophets who prophesy in my name when I did not send them, and who say, ‘There will be no sword or famine in this land’ – those prophets will come to an end by the sword and famine. 16And the people to whom they prophesy will be consigned to the outlying areas of Jerusalem on account of the famine and the sword. And there will be no-one to bury them – them, their wives, or their sons or their daughters. And I will pour their own evil on them. 17And you will say these words to them:

‘My eyes will run with tears night and day,

And they will not cease,

For the virgin daughter of my people

Has been broken up by a great disaster

– A very debilitating blow.

18If I go out into the field,

What I see is casualties of the sword,

And if I go into the city,

What I see is people suffering from famine,

For both prophet and priest travel around in a country

Which they do not care for.’ ”

19Have you really rejected Judah?

Or has your inner self loathed Zion?

Why have you struck us

To the extent that we are beyond healing?

We hoped for peace,

But there is nothing good,

And for a time of healing,

But what came was terror.

20We know, O Lord,

Our wickedness and the iniquity of our fathers,

For we have sinned against you.

21Do not despise us,

For the sake of your name.

Do not disdain your glorious throne.

Remember, and do not break,

Your covenant with us.

22Are there any among the idols of the Gentiles

Who cause rain?

Or do the heavens produce showers?

Is it not you who do,

O Lord our God?

And we put hope in you,

Because it is you

Who have made all these things.

Jeremiah Chapter 15 

1And the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my inclination would not be towards this people. Send them away from me and let them depart. 2And it will come to pass, if they say to you, ‘Where are we to depart to?’ that you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

«He who is destined for death,

To death;

And he who is destined for the sword,

To the sword;

And he who is destined for famine,

To famine;

And he who is destined for captivity,

To captivity.» ’

3And I will visit them in four ways, says the Lord, with the sword to kill, and with dogs to drag them away, and with birds of the sky and with wild animals to devour and ravage. 4And I will make them a target of terror to all the kingdoms of the world, on account of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.

5For who will have compassion on you, Jerusalem,

And who will console you,

And who will turn aside

To ask how you are?

6You have forsaken me,

Says the Lord,

You are going backwards,

And I will stretch my hand out over you,

And I will ravage you.

I am weary of showing compassion.

7And I will winnow them with a winnowing fan.

At the gates of the land,

I will bereave them of children;

I will cause my people to perish.

They have not turned back from their ways.

8Their widows are more numerous,

Let me tell you,

Than the sand of the seas.

I have brought to them

– Against the mother of a young man –

A plunderer at noon.

I have made fear and terrors descend on her suddenly.

9One who has given birth to seven is languishing;

She has breathed her last.

Her sun has set

While it is still day.

She has been put to shame

And has been put to the blush.

And I will deliver the rest of them to the sword before their enemies,

Says the Lord.”

10Woe is me, my mother,

Because you gave birth to me,

A man of contention and a man of dispute with the whole of the land.

I have not lent at interest,

Nor have others lent at interest to me.

Yet they all curse me.

11The Lord said,

“I will certainly set you free

For what is right;

I will certainly make the enemy plead with you

In a time of trouble

And in a time of distress.”

12“Does iron break iron,

From the north?

Or copper?

13I will make your wealth and your treasures spoil without a price,

And this for all your sins

And in all your territories.”

14“And I will cause your enemies to pass through a land

Which you are not acquainted with.”

“For a fire has been kindled in my anger;

It will burn against you.”

15You know, O Lord;

Remember me and visit me and avenge me

Of those who pursue me.

Do not take me in persistence of your anger;

Be aware that I have borne reproach for your sake.

16Your words were found,

And I absorbed them,

And your word was a joy to me

And gladness to my heart,

For I am called after your name,

O Lord God of hosts.

17I have not sat in the company of the merry-makers and exulted.

I have sat alone because of your hand,

For you have filled me with indignation.

18Why is my pain perpetual

And my wound incurable?

It refuses to heal.

Will it really be a delusion of mine

Like untrustworthy waters?

19That is why this is what the Lord says:

“If you return,

I will restore you,

And you will stand before me.

And if you utter honoured words

Rather than base ones,

You will be like my mouth

– They will return to you.

But do not you go back on them.

20And I will make you a reinforced wall of copper to this people,

And when men fight against you,

They will not prevail over you,

For I am with you to save you

And to deliver you,

Says the Lord.

21And I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked,

And I will redeem you from the grip of the violent.”

Jeremiah Chapter 16 

1And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“You shall not take a wife, and you shall not have sons or daughters in this place. 3For this is what the Lord says concerning the sons and concerning the daughters who are born in this place, and concerning their mothers who bore them, and concerning their fathers who begot them in this land: 4‘They will die disease-ridden deaths. They will not be mourned for, and they will not be buried. They will be dung on the surface of the ground, and they will be consumed by the sword and by famine, and their corpses will be food for the birds of the sky and for the animals of the land.’ 5For this is what the Lord says: ‘Do not go to the house of wailing, and do not go to lament, and do not bemoan them, for I have taken my peace away from this people – says the Lordboth kindness and mercy. 6And great and small in this land will die. They will not be buried and they will not be lamented, and no-one will make incisions on himself or be made bald for them. 7And bread will not be broken for them in mourning to comfort anyone for the dead, and they will not give them a cup of condolence to drink, for one's father or for one's mother. 8And you will not go to the banqueting house to sit with them to eat and to drink. 9For this is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: «I am about to put an end to this place before your eyes and in your days – the sound of joy and the sound of happiness and the sound of the bridegroom and the sound of the bride.» ’ 10And it will come to pass, when you tell this people all these things, that they will say to you, ‘Why did the Lord pronounce all this great trouble over us, and what is our iniquity, and what is our sin by which we have sinned against the Lord our God?’ 11And you will say to them, ‘Because your fathers forsook me, says the Lord, and they walked after other gods and served them and worshipped them, and they forsook me, and they did not keep my law. 12But you have acted worse than your fathers, and here you are each walking after the obstinacy of his evil heart, so as not to listen to me. 13So I will cast you out of this land, to a land which you have not known – neither you nor your fathers. And there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will not show you grace. 14Therefore behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when it will no longer be said, «As the Lord lives, who brought the sons of Israel up out of the land of Egypt», 15but rather, «As the Lord lives, who brought the sons of Israel up from the land of the north, and from all the lands into which he had driven them.» For I will bring them back to their land which I gave to their fathers. 16I am about to send many fishermen, says the Lord, and they will fish them, and after that I will send many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and from the clefts in the rocks. 17For my eyes are on all their ways – they are not hidden from me, and their iniquity is not concealed from my eyes. 18And I will first requite their iniquity and their sin double for their defiling of my land with the corpses of their abominations and their abhorrences which have filled my inheritance.’ ”

19The Lord is my strength and my stronghold,

And my refuge on a day of distress.

To you the Gentiles will come from the ends of the earth,

And they will say,

“Our fathers inherited nothing but lies

– Vanity –

And there was nothing profitable in them.”

20“Will a man make himself some gods?

But they are not gods.

21That is why I am about to reveal something to them.

This time, I will reveal to them

My hand and my might,

And they will know

That my name is the Lord.

Reference(s) in Chapter 16: v.9 ↔ Revelation 18:23.

Jeremiah Chapter 17 

1Judah's sin has been written with an iron stylus,

With a diamond point,

Engraved on the tablet of their heart,

And on the horns of your altars,

2While their sons remember their own altars,

And their phallic parks,

With luxuriant trees on the high hills.

3O mountain of mine in the countryside,

I will make your riches

– All your treasures –

Spoil.

Your idolatrous raised sites are in sin in all your territories.

4And you

– And this because of you –

Will be removed from your inheritance

Which I have given you,

And I will make you serve your enemies

In a land which you have not known,

For you have kindled a fire in my anger,

Which will burn age-abidingly.”

5This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man,

Who makes flesh his strong arm,

And whose heart departs from the Lord.

6And he will be most destitute

In an arid tract,

And he will not see it when prosperity comes,

And he will live in parched places in the desert,

In a salty land,

And not inhabited.

7Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

Whose reliance is the Lord.

8And he will be like a tree planted by water,

Which sends its roots into a river,

Which will not fear when heat comes,

Whose foliage will be luxuriant,

Which will not be concerned in a year of drought,

And which will not fail to produce fruit.

9The heart is more deceitful than anything,

And it is incurable

– Who can discern it?

10I, the Lord, search the heart

And examine the kidneys,

So as to give to a man according to his way,

And according to the fruit of his works.

11Like a partridge brooding over what it has not begotten,

So is he who gains wealth but not legitimately.

At half of his days it leaves him,

And in his later life he becomes a fool.”

12The place of our sanctuary is a glorious throne;

It has been an exalted place from the beginning.

13The hope of Israel is the Lord;

All who desert you will be put to shame.

And those who depart from me

Will be written on the ground,

Because they have deserted the source of living water

– The Lord.”

14Heal me, O Lord,

So that I am healed.

Save me

So that I am saved,

For you are my focus of praise.

15See how they say to me,

“Where is the word of the Lord?

Let it come, then.”

16But I have not hastened away

From being a shepherd in following you,

Nor have I longed for the sorrowful day.

You know the utterance of my lips

Which was in your presence.

17Do not be a terror to me;

You are my refuge on the evil day.

18Let those who pursue me be put to shame,

But do not let me be put to shame.

Let them fear,

But do not let me fear.

Bring on them the evil day,

And break them in pieces,

With double breaking force.

19This is what the Lord said to me, “Go and stand at the gate of the sons of the people, by which the kings of Judah enter, and by which they exit, and at all the gates of Jerusalem. 20And you will say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all you inhabitants of Jerusalem who enter by these gates. 21This is what the Lord says: «Watch out for your lives, and do not carry a burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring anything through the gates of Jerusalem. 22And you shall not take a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, and you shall not do any work, and you shall sanctify the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.» ’ ” 23But they did not hear, and they did not incline their ears, but they stiffened their necks so as not to hear, and so as not to accept discipline. 24“But if you will make a point of heeding me, says the Lord, by not bringing a burden in through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, and by sanctifying the Sabbath day, by not doing any work on it, 25then there will enter by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots, and on horses – they and their princes, men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem – and this city will be inhabited age-abidingly. 26And they will come from the cities of Judah and from the neighbouring areas of Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin and from the lowland, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing a burnt offering and a sacrifice, and a meal-offering, and frankincense, and bringing a thank-offering to the house of the Lord. 27But if you will not heed me concerning sanctifying the Sabbath day, and not carrying a burden, or coming in through the gates of Jerusalem laden on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire at its gates, and it will consume the palaces of Jerusalem, and it will not be extinguished.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 17: v.9 ↔ James 4:5 ● v.10 ↔ Romans 2:6, Romans 8:27, Revelation 2:23, Revelation 18:6, Revelation 20:12, Revelation 20:13, Revelation 22:12.

Jeremiah Chapter 18 

1The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord and said, 2“Get up and go down to the potter's house, and I will inform you of my words there.” 3So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making artisanry at the turntable. 4But the article which he was making from clay became spoiled in the hand of the potter, and he started again, and he made it into another article, as was the right thing to do in the eyes of the potter. 5Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 6“Am I not able to do with you as this potter has done, O house of Israel? says the Lord. Look, as the clay is in the hand of the potter, so you are in my hand, O house of Israel. 7Now for one moment I will speak about a nation and about a kingdom, about plucking up and tearing down and destroying. 8But if that nation turns away from its evil which I have spoken about concerning it, then I will repent of the evil which I had intended to do to it. 9And for another moment I will speak about a nation and about a kingdom, about building and planting. 10But if it does evil in my eyes, by not heeding my voice, then I will repent of the good which I had said that I would do to it. 11So now, kindly speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: «I am about to craft evil on you, and to devise a design against you. Do turn away – each from his own evil way – and make your ways and your deeds good.» ’ ” 12But they said, “It is desperate, for we will walk after our own thoughts, and we will each act according to the obstinacy of his evil heart.” 13That is why this is what the Lord says:

“Just ask among the nations

Who has heard such things.

The virgin of Israel has done

A very horrible thing.

14Does the snow of Lebanon

Desert the rock in the plain?

Or will the flowing foreign cold water

Be withdrawn?

15But my people have forgotten me;

They burn incense in vain.

And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways.

They have forsaken the age-old paths

By walking in the tracks of a road not raised up,

16So making their land a desolation

– An age-long object of jeering.

Everyone who passes over it is astonished

And shakes his head.

17Like an east wind,

I will scatter them before the enemy.

I will show them the back of the neck

And not the face

On the day of their downfall.”

18Then they said, “Come and let us devise designs against Jeremiah, for a pronouncement from a priest will not fail, nor counsel from a wise man, nor a word from a prophet. Come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not heed any of his words.”

19O Lord, heed me,

And hear the voice

Of those who take issue with me.

20Will evil be recompensed for good?

For they have dug a lethal pit for me.

Remember me standing before you

To speak a good thing concerning them,

To turn your fury away from them.

21Therefore deliver their sons to famine,

And give them over to the blade of the sword,

And let their wives be bereaved of children

And be widows,

And let their men be put to death,

And let their young men be struck by the sword in battle.

22Let their shout be heard from their houses

When you suddenly bring a troop on them,

For they have dug a pit to trap me,

And they have hidden snares for my feet.

23But you, O Lord,

Know all their deadly plans against me.

Do not pardon their iniquity,

And do not blot out their sin from your presence,

And let them be made to stumble before you.

At the time of your anger,

Deal with them.

Jeremiah Chapter 19 

1This is what the Lord says: “Go and get a potter's earthenware pitcher, and some of the elders of the people, and some of the elders of the priests, 2and go out to the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is at the entrance of the Pottery Gate, and proclaim there the words which I will speak to you. 3And you will say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: «I am about to bring trouble to this place, and the ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 4For they have forsaken me and alienated this place, and they have burned incense in it to other gods whom they did not know, neither they, nor their fathers, nor the kings of Judah, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent. 5And they have built the idolatrous raised sites of Baal, to burn their sons in fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command and I did not speak of, and which did not arise in my heart. 6Therefore be aware that the days are coming, says the Lord, when this place will no longer be called Topheth, and the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Killing. 7And I will deprive Judah and Jerusalem of counsel in this place, and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hand of those who seek their lives, and I will make their corpses food for the birds of the sky and the animals of the land. 8And I will make this city a desolation and an object of jeering; everyone who passes over it will be astonished and will hiss at all its wrecked places. 9And I will feed them with the flesh of their sons and with the flesh of their daughters, and a man will eat the flesh of his neighbour, in a siege and in distress with which their enemies and those who seek their lives will oppress them.» ’ 10And you will break the pitcher in the sight of the men who are walking with you. 11And you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of hosts says: «Likewise, I will break this people and this city, as a man breaks a potter's article which cannot be mended again, and they will bury people in Topheth for lack of room to bury them elsewhere. 12That is what I will do to this place, says the Lord, and to its inhabitants, to make this city like Topheth. 13And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be unclean, like the place of Topheth, because of all the households which burned incense on their roofs to the whole array of the heavens, and which poured libations to other gods.» ’ ” 14Then Jeremiah came back from Topheth where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the courtyard of the house of the Lord and said to all the people, 15“This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I am about to bring to this city and on all the land's cities all the evil which I spoke against it, for they have stiffened their necks, so as not to hear my words.’ ”

Jeremiah Chapter 20 

1And Pashhur the son of Immer the priest, who was a leading superintendent in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. 2And Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the prison which is at the Upper Gate of Benjamin, which is at the house of the Lord. 3And it came to pass on the next day that Pashhur brought Jeremiah out of the prison, and Jeremiah said to him, “The Lord does not call you Pashhur, but Magor-Missabib. 4For this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to deliver you to fear – you and all your friends – and they will fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes will see it. And I will deliver the whole of Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will deport them to Babylon and strike them with the sword. 5And I will deliver all the wealth of this city, and all its hard-earned substance, and all its precious articles, and I will deliver all the treasures of the kings of Judah, into the hand of their enemies, and they will plunder them, and they will take them and bring them to Babylon. 6And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house, will go into captivity, and you will go to Babylon, and it is there that you will die, and it is there that you will be buried – you and all your friends to whom you prophesied falsely.’ ”

7O Lord, you have induced me into this,

And I have been induced into it.

You are stronger than I,

And you have prevailed.

I have become a laughing stock

All day long.

Everyone mocks me.

8For whenever I speak, I shout.

I cry out,

“Violence and oppression!”

For the word of the Lord

Was reproach and derision for me

All day long.

9And I said,

“I will not mention him,

And I will not speak in his name any more.”

But it was in my heart like burning fire,

Shut up in my bones,

And I became weary enduring it,

And I was not able to do so.

10For I have heard the slander of many;

There is fear all round.

“Report it, and we will report him”, they say.

Every man I have been well-disposed towards,

Who would stand by me,

Says, “Perhaps he will be enticed,

And we will get the better of him,

And take our revenge on him.”

11But the Lord is with me as a mighty warrior,

Which is why those who pursue me will stumble

And will not prevail.

They will be very ashamed,

Because they have not acted prudently.

They will have age-abiding ignominy

Which will not be forgotten.

12But the Lord of hosts tests the righteous

And sees the kidneys and the heart.

I will see your vengeance on them,

For I have disclosed my contention to you.

13Sing to the Lord;

Praise the Lord,

For he has delivered the livelihood of the poor

From the grip of evildoers.

14Cursed be the day on which I was born

– The day when my mother bore me.

Let it not be blessed.

15Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father

And said, “A son, a male, has been born to you”,

Making him rejoice greatly.

16And let that man be like the cities which the Lord has overturned

And did not show compassion on,

And let him hear an outcry in the morning

And shouting at noon time,

17Because he did not kill me in the womb,

So that my mother would be my grave,

And her womb would be age-abidingly pregnant.

18Why is it that I came out of the womb

To see toil and sorrow,

And that my days should end in shame?

Reference(s) in Chapter 20: v.12 ↔ Romans 8:27, Revelation 2:23.

Jeremiah Chapter 21 

1The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent him Pashhur the son of Malchijah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, who said, 2“Inquire of the Lord concerning us, for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon is fighting against us. It may be that the Lord will deal with us according to all his wonders, and he will raise the siege from us.” 3But Jeremiah said to them, “This is what you will say to Zedekiah: 4‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: «I am about to overturn the weapons of war which are in your hand, with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall, and I will gather them into this city. 5And I myself will fight you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, and with anger, and with fury, and with great wrath. 6And I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They will die in a great plague. 7And after that, says the Lord, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants, and the people, and those remaining in this city after the plague, after the sword, and after the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those seeking their life, and he will strike them with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them, and he will not pity, and he will not show compassion.» ’ 8And you will say to this people, ‘This is what the Lord says: «I am about to place before you the way of life and the way of death. 9He who remains in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by the plague, but he who goes out and falls into the hands of the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and his life will be his spoil. 10For I have set my face against this city with a view to its detriment and not to its benefit, says the Lord. It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.» ’ 11And as for the house of the king of Judah, hear the word of the Lord. 12‘O house of David, this is what the Lord says:

«Administer justice in the morning,

And deliver him who has been plundered from the oppressor,

So that my fury does not go forth like fire

And burn with no-one to extinguish it,

Because of the evil of their deeds.

13I am here against you,

You who inhabit the valley

And the rock of the plain,

Says the Lord

Against you who say,

‹Who can descend on us,

And who will come to our dwelling places?›

14But I will visit you according to the fruit of your deeds,

Says the Lord,

And I will light a fire in her forest,

And it will consume all her surrounding area.» ’ ”

Jeremiah Chapter 22 

1This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak these words there, 2and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David, you and your servants and your people who come through these gates. 3This is what the Lord says: «Administer justice and righteousness, and deliver him who has been plundered from the hand of the oppressor, and do not drive out or do violence to the foreigner, orphan, or widow. And do not shed innocent blood in this place. 4For if you diligently do this thing, then kings will enter through the gates of this house, sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, each and his servants, and his people. 5But if you do not heed these things, I have sworn by myself, says the Lord, that this house will become a ruin.» 6For this is what the Lord says to the house of the king of Judah:

«You are Gilead to me

– The summit of Lebanon –

But I will certainly make you a desert

– Cities which are not inhabited.

7And I will consecrate destroyers against you

– Each one and his weapons –

And they will cut your choice cedars down

And consign them to the fire.

8Many nations will pass by this city, and they will say to one another, ‹Why has the Lord done this to this great city?› 9And they will say, ‹Because they forsook the covenant of the Lord their God, and they worshipped other gods and served them.›

10Do not weep for him who is dead,

And do not bemoan him;

Weep profusely rather

For him who goes away,

For he will not return again

Or see his native land.»

11For this is what the Lord says to Shallum the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, who was reigning in place of Josiah his father, who went out of this place: «He will not return there any more. 12For the place to which they deport him is where he will die, and he will no longer see this country.

13Woe to him who builds his house on an unrighteous basis,

And his upper rooms in an unjust way,

With his neighbour working for nothing,

And not giving him his wages,

14Who says,

‹I will build myself a vast house,

And spacious upper rooms.›

And he cuts himself out windows,

And it is panelled with cedar,

And it is painted with red ochre.

15Will you reign

Because you are zealous about cedar?

Did your father not eat and drink

And administer justice and righteousness,

And then things went well with him?

16He defended the interest of the poor and the needy,

Then it went well with him.

Is this not knowing me?

Says the Lord.

17For your eyes and your heart

Are set on nothing but personal profit

And on shedding the blood of the innocent

And on oppression and on inflicting ill-treatment.»

18That is why this is what the Lord says concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah:

«They shall not mourn for him, saying,

‹Alas, my brother›,

And, ‹Alas, sister.›

They shall not mourn for him saying,

‹Alas, lord›,

Or, ‹Alas for his illustriousness.›

19He will be buried with the burial of a donkey,

Which they drag and cast down

Beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

20Go up to Lebanon and cry out,

And raise your voice in Bashan,

And cry out from Abarim,

For all your lovers have been routed.

21I spoke to you in your time at ease,

But you said, ‹I will not hear.›

This has been your way since your youth,

For you have not heeded my voice.

22The wind will consume all your shepherds,

And your lovers will go into captivity,

For then you will be put to shame,

And you will suffer ignominy

Because of all your wickedness.

23You who live in Lebanon,

Who have had your nest built in the cedars,

How pitiable you are

When the pangs come upon you

– The throes as of a woman giving birth.

24As I live, says the Lord, even if Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, were a signet on my right hand, I would still pluck you off it. 25And I will deliver you into the hand of those who seek your life, and into the hand of those whose presence you fear, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26And I will cast you out, and your mother who gave birth to you, to another land where you were not born, and you will die there. 27And to a land where they will set their heart on returning, but they will not return to it.

28Is this man Coniah not a despicable smashed piece of earthenware?

Or a vessel which has nothing attractive about it?

Why have he and his seed been cast out

And ejected into a land

Which they have not known?»

29O earth, earth, earth,

Hear the word of the Lord.

30This is what the Lord says:

«Record this man as childless

– A man who will not prosper in his days –

For none of his seed will prosper,

Neither as a man sitting on the throne of David,

Nor a ruler in Judah any more.» ’ ”

Jeremiah Chapter 23 

1“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my flock, says the Lord.” 2That is why this is what the Lord God of Israel says against the shepherds who shepherd my people: “You have scattered my sheep and driven them out, and you have not taken care of them. I am about to appoint over you the evil of your deeds, says the Lord. 3And I will gather the remainder of my sheep from all the countries into which I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. 4And I will set up shepherds over them, and they will shepherd them. And they will no longer fear, and they will not be afraid, and they will not be missing, says the Lord.

5Behold, the days are coming,

Says the Lord,

When I will raise a righteous branch to David,

And he will reign as king,

And he will act wisely

And administer justice and righteousness in the land.

6In his days Judah will be saved,

And Israel will dwell securely,

And this is his name by which he will be called:

The Lord our Righteousness.

7Therefore behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when they will no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought the sons of Israel up out of the land of Egypt’, 8but rather, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up and who brought in the seed of the house of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands into which I had driven them, and they will dwell on their own land.’ ”

9As for the prophets, my heart inside me is broken;

All my bones tremble.

I am like a drunkard

And like a man whom wine has overcome,

Because of the Lord

And because of his holy words.

10For the land is full of adulterers,

For on account of a curse,

The land is mourning.

The places of pasturage in the desert have dried up.

And their oppression is evil,

And their boldness is out of place.

11“For both prophet and priest have become profaned.

Even in my house I have found their evil,

Says the Lord,

12Which is why their way will be like slippery places for them in pitch dark.

They will be pushed down

And will fall in it.

For I will bring trouble on them

– The year of their visitation –

Says the Lord.

13And among the prophets of Samaria,

I have seen superstition.

They have prophesied by Baal;

They have misled my people Israel.

14And among the prophets of Jerusalem,

I have seen a horrible thing.

They commit adultery and walk in falsehood,

And they strengthen the hands of those who do wrong,

So that no-one turns away from his evil.

They are all like Sodom,

And its inhabitants are like Gomorrah to me.

15That is why this is what the Lord of hosts says against the prophets:

‘I am about to feed them with wormwood

And to give them hemlock water to drink,

For profanity from the prophets of Jerusalem

Has pervaded the whole of the land.’ ”

16This is what the Lord of hosts says:

“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you.

They are causing you to act vainly;

They speak the vision of their own heart,

Not from the mouth of the Lord.

17They gravely say to those who despise me,

‘The Lord has said,

«You will have peace.» ’

And to everyone who walks in the obstinacy of his heart, they say,

‘No harm will come over you.’ ”

18For who has stood in consultation with the Lord

And seen and heard his word?

Who has listened to his word

And heard it?

19Behold the Lord's storm.

Fury has gone out,

And a storm is breaking out;

It will rage on the head of the wicked.

20The Lord's anger will not relent

Until he has carried out and until he has set up

The purposes of his heart.

In the last days

You will consider it assiduously.

21“I did not send these prophets,

But they ran.

I did not speak to them,

But they prophesied.

22But if they had stood in consultation with me,

Then they would have proclaimed my words to my people

And turned them away from their evil way

And from the wickedness of their deeds.

23Am I a God who is nearby,

Says the Lord,

And not a God who is far away?

24If a man hides in secret places,

Will I not see him?

Says the Lord.

Do I not fill the heavens

And the earth?

Says the Lord.”

25“I have heard what the prophets have said, who prophesied falsely in my name and said, ‘I have had a dream, I have had a dream.’ 26How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy falsely, and of the prophets of the deceit of their heart? 27– who think to cause my people to forget my name, by their dreams which each relates to his neighbour, just as their fathers forgot my name in favour of Baal.

28Let the prophet who has a dream

Relate the dream,

And let him who has my word

Relate my word faithfully.

What has straw

Got to do with the grain?

Says the Lord.

29Is my word not therefore like fire?

Says the Lord,

And like a hammer

Which can shatter rock?

30That is why I am quite against the prophets, says the Lord, who steal my words, each one from his neighbour. 31I am quite against the prophets, says the Lord, who wrest their tongue and declare, ‘He says.’ 32I am quite against those who prophesy false dreams, says the Lord, and who relate them and mislead my people with their lies and their pretension, when I did not send them and did not command them, and they have not benefited this people at all, says the Lord. 33And if this people, or the prophet, or a priest, should ask you, ‘What is the oracle of the Lord’, then you will say to them, ‘What oracle? That I will forsake you’, says the Lord.” 34“And as for the prophet and the priest and the people who say, ‘The oracle of the Lord’, I will visit that man and his household. 35This is what you will be saying one to another, and a man to his brother: ‘What has the Lord answered?’ and, ‘What has the Lord said?’ 36And you will no longer call the oracle of the Lord to mind, for the oracle will be each man's own word, for you have overturned the words of the living God – the Lord of hosts our God. 37This is what you will say to the prophet: ‘What has the Lord answered you?’, and, ‘What has the Lord said?’ 38And if you folk say, ‘The oracle of the Lord’, then this is what the Lord will say: ‘Because of you saying these words: «The oracle of the Lord», when I had word sent to you and had said, «You shall not say, ‹The oracle of the Lord› », 39because of that, look, I will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you and the city which I gave you and your fathers, leaving you out of my presence. 40And I will set over you an age-abiding reproach, and age-abiding ignominy, which will not be forgotten.’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 23: v.5 ↔ John 7:42.

Jeremiah Chapter 24 

1The Lord showed me a vision, and there were two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the Lord after Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had deported Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, and the officers of Judah and the craftsmen and the blacksmiths, from Jerusalem, and he had brought them to Babylon. 2One basket was of very good figs, like early figs, but the other basket was of very bad figs, which could not be eaten because of their putridity. 3And the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “Figs. The good figs are very good, and the bad ones are very bad, and they cannot be eaten because of their putridity.” 4And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 5“This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘As these good figs are, so I will take ownership of the deportation of Judah, whom I will have sent out from this place to the land of the Chaldeans, for their own good. 6And I will direct my eye to them for their own good, and I will bring them back to this land, and I will build them up, and not break them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up. 7And I will give them a heart to know me, for I am the Lord, and they will be a people to me, and I will be God to them, when they return to me with all their heart. 8And as the bad figs are, which could not be eaten because of their putridity, contrariwise this is what the Lord says: «So I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, and his officers and the remainder of Jerusalem, and those who remain in this land, and those who are living in the land of Egypt, 9and I will make them a target of terror to their detriment, in all the kingdoms of the earth, as a reproach and a byword, and an object of taunting and of cursing, in all the places to which I will drive them. 10And I will send against them the sword, famine, and a plague, until they are consumed off the land which I gave to them and to their fathers.» ’ ”

Jeremiah Chapter 25 

1The word which came to Jeremiah concerning the whole people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah – that is the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon – 2which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, when he said, 3“From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, the king of Judah, up to this day, this twenty-third year, the word of the Lord has been coming to me, and I have spoken to you, rising early to speak, but you have not listened. 4And the Lord sent all his servants the prophets to you, rising early and sending them, but you did not listen, and you did not incline your ears to hear, 5while they said, ‘Do turn back, each one from his evil way, and from the evil of your deeds, and live on the land which the Lord gave to you and to your fathers, from age to age. 6And do not walk after other gods, to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke me to anger with the work of your hands, so that I do not bring trouble on you. 7You did not listen to me, says the Lord, so provoking me to anger with the work of your hands, to your detriment.’ ” 8Therefore this is what the Lord of hosts says: “Since you did not heed my words, 9I am about to send orders and take all the families of the north, says the Lord, and to send orders to Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants, and against all these peoples round about. And I will destroy them and make them a desolation and an object of jeering and age-abiding wastelands. 10And I will remove from them the sound of joy and the sound of happiness, and the sound of a bridegroom and the sound of a bride, and the sound of millstones and the light of a lamp. 11And the whole of this land will be a ruin and a devastation, and those nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. 12And it will come to pass, when seventy years have been fulfilled, that I will visit the king of Babylon and that nation, says the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and I will make it age-abiding desolations. 13And I will bring on that land all my words which I spoke against it – everything written in this book which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. 14For also many nations and great kings will themselves impose servitude on them, and I will requite them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands.” 15For this is what the Lord God of Israel says to me: “Take this wine cup of fury from my hand, and give it to drink to all the nations to which I send you. 16And they will drink it and reel from it, and they will be driven mad because of the sword which I am about to send among them.” 17Then I took the cup from the hand of the Lord, and I made all the nations to which the Lord had sent me drink it – 18Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, and its kings and its officials, in making them a ruin, a desolation, an object of jeering and a curse, as it is on this day, 19and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants and his officials, and all his people, 20and the whole mixed population, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Gaza and Ekron, and the remainder of Ashdod, 21Edom and Moab and the sons of Ammon, 22and all the kings of Tyre, and all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastland which is facing the sea, 23and Dedan and Tema and Buz, and all who have had their sidelocks cut, 24and all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mixed population who live in the desert, 25and all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media, 26and all the kings of the north, those near and those far away, one beside another, and all the kingdoms of the earth which are on the face of the land. And the king of Babylon will drink it after them. 27“And you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: «Drink and become intoxicated and vomit, and fall and do not get up, because of the sword which I am about to send among you.» ’ 28And it will come to pass, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand, to drink it, that you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of hosts says: «You will certainly drink it. 29For in this city in which my name is called, I am about to start bringing harm. And will you by any means be held guiltless? You will not be held guiltless, for I am calling for a sword against all the inhabitants of the land, says the Lord of hosts.» ’ 30And you will prophesy all these words to them, and you will say to them,

‘The Lord will roar from the heights,

And from his holy dwelling place he will vociferate.

He will roar loudly about his fold;

He will utter a shout like those who tread grapes,

To all the inhabitants of the land.

31A tumult is coming

As far as the end of the earth,

For the Lord has a dispute with the nations.

He will contend with all flesh.

As for the wicked,

He will consign them to the sword,

Says the Lord.’ ”

32This is what the Lord of hosts says:

“Behold, trouble is spreading from nation to nation,

And a great storm will be stirred up

From the uttermost parts of the earth,

33And there will be the Lord's fallen on that day,

From one end of the earth

To the other end of the earth.

They will not be lamented,

And they will not be gathered in,

And they will not be buried.

They will become dung on the face of the land.

34Howl, you shepherds, and cry out.

Roll in the dust, you dignitaries of the flock,

For your days of slaughtering have been fulfilled,

As have your migratings of the flock,

And you will fall like a precious article.

35And flight will cease to be available to the shepherds,

As will escape to the dignitaries of the flock.

36There will be the sound of the outcry of the shepherds

And the howling of the dignitaries of the flock,

For the Lord will lay their feeding ground waste.

37And the peaceful pastures will be cut off

On account of the furious anger of the Lord.

38He will abandon them as a young lion does its den,

For their land will become a desolation,

Because of the fury of the oppressor,

And because of his furious anger.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 25: v.10 ↔ Revelation 18:22 ● v.15 ↔ Revelation 16:19.

Jeremiah Chapter 26 

1At the start of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, this word came from the Lord as follows: 2“This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand in the courtyard of the house of the Lord and speak against all the cities of Judah which come to worship in the house of the Lord, and speak all the words which I have commanded you to speak to them. Do not withhold a word. 3Perhaps they will listen and will turn back, each from his evil way, and I will renounce the evil which I am considering to do to them because of the wickedness of their deeds. 4And you will say to them, «This is what the Lord says: ‹If you do not heed me, that you are to walk in my law which I have set before you, 5to heed the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you, rising early and sending them, but you don't listen, 6then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.› » ’ ” 7And the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. 8And it came to pass, when Jeremiah had finished speaking everything that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him and said, “You will certainly die. 9Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be brought to ruin without leaving an inhabitant?’ ” And all the people were assembled against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord. 10And when the officials of Judah heard these words, they went up from the king's house to the house of the Lord, and they sat at the entrance of the New Gate of the house of the Lord. 11And the priests and the prophets spoke to the officials and to all the people and said, “We pronounce a death penalty on this man, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.” 12Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people and said, “The Lord has sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all these words which you have heard. 13So now, mend your ways and correct your deeds and heed the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will renounce the harm which he has spoken against you. 14And as for me, here I am in your hands. Do to me what is right and proper in your eyes. 15But be well aware that if you put me to death, then you will be putting innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on its inhabitants, because the Lord has truly sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.” 16Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets, “This man is not deserving of a death penalty, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.” 17And men from the elders of the land stood up and spoke to the whole convocation of the people and said, 18“Micah the Morashtite used to prophesy in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and he spoke to all the people of Judah and said, ‘This is what the Lord of hosts says:

«Zion will be ploughed like a field,

And Jerusalem will become heaps of stones,

And the mountain of the house

Will become the heights of a forest.» ’

19Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all of Judah go ahead and put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and entreat the Lord so that the Lord renounced the harm which he had spoken against them? Now we are committing a great evil against ourselves. 20And there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord: Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-Jearim, and he prophesied against this city and against this land similarly to all the words of Jeremiah. 21But when King Jehoiakim and all his warriors and all the officials heard his words, the king looked for a way to put him to death. But when Uriah heard about it, he was afraid, and he fled and went to Egypt. 22Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor, and men with him, to Egypt. 23And they brought Uriah out of Egypt, and they brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who struck him with the sword and cast his corpse into the graves of the ordinary people.” 24And the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he was not delivered into the hand of the people for them to put him to death.

Jeremiah Chapter 27 

1At the start of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, as follows 2– this is what the Lord said to me – : “Make yourself fetters and yoke beams, and put them on your neck. 3And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the sons of Ammon, and to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the agency of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4And command them to say to their masters, ‘This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says.’ This is what you shall say to your masters: 5‘I made the earth, man, and the fauna which are on the surface of the earth, by my great power and my outstretched arm, and I have given the land to him who is upright in my sight. 6And now I have delivered all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, my servant, and I have also given the wildlife to him, so as to serve him. 7And all the nations will serve him, and his son, and his grandson, until the time of his own country comes – even his – when many nations will impose servitude on him, including great kings. 8And it will come to pass for any nation or kingdom which will not serve him – Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon – and for anyone who will not put his neck into the king of Babylon's yoke, that I will visit that nation with the sword and with famine and with a plague, says the Lord, until I have annihilated them by his hand. 9So don't you listen to your prophets or to your diviners or to your dreams, or to your fortune-tellers from clouds, or your magicians, who speak to you and say, «You will not serve the king of Babylon.» 10For they prophesy a lie to you, so as to remove you from your land, so that I should drive you out, and you should perish. 11But as for any nation which brings its neck into the king of Babylon's yoke and serves him, I will let it remain on its land, says the Lord, and they will till it and remain on it.’ ” 12And I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words and said, “Bring your necks to the king of Babylon's yoke, and serve him and his people, and live. 13Why should you and your people die by the sword, by famine and by a plague, as the Lord has pronounced against any people which will not serve the king of Babylon? 14And do not listen to the words of the prophets, who speak to you and say, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon’, for they are prophesying a lie to you. 15‘For I did not send them, says the Lord, and they are prophesying in my name falsely, so that I will drive you out, and you will perish – you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.’ ” 16And I spoke to the priests and to the whole of this people and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to you, saying, «Look, the articles of the house of the Lord will soon be quickly brought back from Babylon», for they are prophesying a lie to you. 17Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a desolation?’ 18And if they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, let them then entreat the Lord of hosts that the remaining articles in the house of the Lord and in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem, should not go to Babylon. 19For this is what the Lord of hosts says concerning the columns and concerning the artificial sea and concerning the plinths and concerning the rest of the equipment which remains in this city, 20which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he deported Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem 21– indeed this is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says concerning the equipment which remains in the house of the Lord and in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem – : 22‘They will be brought to Babylon, and there they will be until the day when I visit them, says the Lord, and I bring them up and bring them back to this place.’ ”

Jeremiah Chapter 28 

1And it came to pass in that year, at the start of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, who is from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord in the sight of the priests and all the people and said, 2“This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, has spoken. He said, ‘I have broken the king of Babylon's yoke. 3In another two years' time I will bring back to this place all the equipment of the house of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took from this place and took to Babylon. 4And I will bring Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, and all the deportees of Judah who went to Babylon, back to this place, says the Lord, for I will break the king of Babylon's yoke.’ ” 5Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the sight of the priests and in the sight of all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord, 6and Jeremiah the prophet said, “Indeed the Lord will do this – the Lord will fulfil your words which you prophesied – by bringing back the equipment of the house of the Lord and all the deportees from Babylon to this place. 7But do hear this pronouncement which I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8As for the prophets who were before me and before you from ancient times, they prophesied to many countries and against great kingdoms, of war and of trouble and of plagues. 9Regarding any prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of the prophet comes about, then the prophet can be acknowledged, in that the Lord truly sent him.” 10Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke beam off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it. 11And Hananiah spoke in the sight of all the people and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In this way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all nations in another two years' time.’ ” And Jeremiah the prophet went his way. 12Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke beam off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, and it said, 13“Go and speak to Hananiah and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: «You have broken yoke beams of wood, but you will make yoke beams of iron instead of them. 14For this is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‹I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him, and I have also given him the wild animals.› » ’ ” 15Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen now, Hananiah. The Lord did not send you, and you have persuaded this people to trust a lie, 16which is why this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to cast you off the face of the earth. This year you will die, for you have spoken deviously concerning the Lord.’ ” 17And Hananiah the prophet died in that year in the seventh month.

Jeremiah Chapter 29 

1And these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the deportees, and to the priests and to the prophets and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had deported from Jerusalem to Babylon, 2after the departure of Jeconiah the king, and the queen consort and the eunuchs, and the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen and the blacksmiths from Jerusalem, 3sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And it said, 4“This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the deportees whom I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5‘Build houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens, and eat their fruit. 6Take wives and beget sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to men, and let them bear sons and daughters, and increase there, and do not decrease. 7And strive for the welfare of the city to which I have deported you, and pray for it to the Lord. For in its welfare will be your welfare.’ 8For this is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst or your diviners deceive you, and do not heed your dreams which you have. 9For they prophesy in my name falsely to you. I did not send them, says the Lord.’ 10For this is what the Lord says: ‘It is according to Babylon's fulfilment of seventy years that I will visit you and establish my good word with you, to bring you back to this place. 11For I know the thoughts which I have concerning you, says the Lord, thoughts of welfare and not of trouble, to give you posterity and hope. 12And you will call on me, and you will go and pray to me, and I will hear you, 13and you will look for me and find me, for you will seek me with all your heart. 14And I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will reverse your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places to which I drove you out, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I deported you. 15For you have said, «The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon.» ’ 16For this is what the Lord says to the king who sits on the throne of David, and to all the people who live in this city, your brothers who did not go out with you in the deportation 17– this is what the Lord of hosts says – : ‘I am about to send on them the sword, famine and a plague, and I will make them like blighted figs which cannot be eaten because of their putridity. 18And I will pursue them with the sword and with famine and with a plague, and I will make them a target of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse and a desolation, and a laughing stock and an object of contempt among all the nations where I drove them out, 19because they did not heed my words, says the Lord, who sent my servants to them – the prophets – rising early and sending them, but you did not heed them, says the Lord. 20So hear the word of the Lord, you people, all you deportees whom I sent from Jerusalem to Babylon. 21This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy falsely to you in my name: «I am about to deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he will strike them down in your sight. 22And a curse formula will be taken from their example by all the deportees of Judah who are in Babylon, when they say, ‹May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted on a fire› » ’, 23because they committed impiety in Israel, and they committed adultery with the wives of their neighbours, and they spoke a false pronouncement in my name, which I did not command them. And I know, and I am a witness, says the Lord. 24And you shall speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite and say, 25‘This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel has spoken. He has said, «I will be making an announcement because you have sent letters in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, 26‹The Lord has appointed you a priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, so that you should be superintendents in the house of the Lord, looking out for everyone behaving like a madman or a man acting like a prophet, so that you put him in prison and in fetters. 27Accordingly now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah the Anathothite, who was acting like a prophet to you? 28For this is how he sent word to us in Babylon, saying, "It will be long. Build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their fruit." › » ’ ” 29And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. 30Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah and said, 31“Send word to all the deportees and say, ‘This is what the Lord says to Shemaiah the Nehelamite: «Since Shemaiah has prophesied to you when I did not send him, and he has caused you to trust in a lie, 32this is what the Lord says: ‹I am about to visit Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his seed. He will not have a man left dwelling among this people, and he will not see the good which I will be doing for my people, says the Lord, for he has spoken deviously against the Lord.› » ’ ”

Jeremiah Chapter 30 

1The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord and said, 2“This is what the Lord God of Israel has spoken. He says, ‘Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book. 3For behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will reverse the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, says the Lord, and I will bring them back to the land which I gave to their fathers, and they will inherit it.’ ” 4And these are the words which the Lord spoke to Israel and to Judah, 5for this is what the Lord says:

“We have heard the sound of trembling,

Fear, and absence of peace.

6Just ask and see

– Does a male give birth?

Why do I see every man with his hands on his waist,

Like a woman giving birth,

And every face turned pallid?

7Alas, for great is that day,

With nothing like it,

And it is a time of distress for Jacob,

But he will be saved from it.

8And it will come to pass on that day,

Says the Lord of hosts,

That I will break his yoke off your neck,

And I will undo your fetters,

And foreigners will no longer impose servitude on him.

9And they will serve the Lord their God,

And David their king,

Whom I will raise up to them.

10But don't you fear, Jacob my servant,

Says the Lord,

And do not be afraid, Israel,

For I am about to save you from a distance,

And your seed from the land of their captivity,

And Jacob will return,

And he will be quiet and undisturbed,

With no-one causing fear.

11For I am with you,

Says the Lord,

To save you,

For I will make an end of all the nations

To which I have scattered you,

But I will not make an end of you,

But I will discipline you judicially,

And I will certainly not acquit you.

12For this is what the Lord says:

‘Your demise is incurable;

Your blow is grievous.

13There is no-one pleading your case,

For you to be bandaged up.

You do not have medicines for recovery.

14All your lovers have forgotten you;

They do not seek you.

For I have struck you with an enemy's blow

– A cruel chastisement –

For the great extent of your iniquity,

And for how your sins have become immense.

15Why do you cry out about your demise?

Your grievous situation is incurable.

It is because of the great extent of your iniquity

Because your sins have become immense –

That I have done these things to you.

16On this account all those who devour you

Will themselves be devoured,

And as for all your adversaries,

They will all go into captivity,

And those who plunder you

Will become an object of plundering,

And I will make all who spoil you

An object of spoil.

17For I will bring restoration to you,

And I will heal your wounds,

Says the Lord,

For they called you Cast Out,

And they said, «This is Zion;

She has no-one seeking her.» ’ ”

18This is what the Lord says:

“I am about to reverse the captivity of the tents of Jacob,

And I will have mercy on his dwelling places,

And a city will be built on its heap of ruins,

And a citadel will stand

Where it has that right.

19And from them,

Thanksgiving and the sound of people rejoicing will go out,

And I will increase them,

And they will not be few,

And I will glorify them,

And they will not be belittled.

20And his sons will be as in former time,

And his congregation will be established before me,

And I will visit all who oppress him.

21And his illustrious one will come from his own self,

And his ruler will issue from his inward parts,

And I will have him come near,

And he will approach me.

For who is this

Who has pledged his heart to approach me?

Says the Lord.

22And you will be a people to me,

And I will be God to you.

23And behold, the Lord's storm

– Fury – will go out;

A sweeping storm.

It will whirl on the head of the wicked.

24The fury of the Lord's anger will not relent

Until he has carried out and established

The purposes of his heart.

In the last days, you will contemplate it.

Reference(s) in Chapter 30: v.22 ↔ 2 Corinthians 6:16.

Jeremiah Chapter 31 

1At that time, says the Lord, I will be God to all the families of Israel, and they will be a people to me.” 2This is what the Lord says:

“The people who escaped the sword

Have found grace in the desert,

Through me taking steps to give them rest

– Israel, that is.”

3Long ago, the Lord appeared to me and said,

“With age-abiding love I have loved you,

Which is why I have drawn you close in kindness.

4I will build you up again,

And you will be built up,

O virgin of Israel;

You will again adorn yourself with your timbrels,

And go out into the dance of those who rejoice.

5You will again plant vineyards

In the mountains of Samaria.

The planters will plant them

And gather the vintage.

6For there is a day

When watchmen will proclaim on Mount Ephraim,

‘Arise and let us go up to Zion,

To the Lord our God.’ ”

7For this is what the Lord says:

“Shout for joy to Jacob,

And burst out in exultation at the head of the nations.

Proclaim and praise and say,

‘O Lord save your people,

The remnant of Israel.’

8I am about to bring them from the land of the north,

And I will gather them from the remotest parts of the earth.

Among them will be the blind and the lame,

The pregnant and her who is giving birth together.

A great convocation will return here.

9They will come with weeping,

And I will lead them with their supplications;

I will conduct them to brooks of water

By a straight way on which they will not stumble,

For I will be a father to Israel,

And Ephraim is my firstborn.

10Hear the word of the Lord, you nations,

And announce it among the coastlands far away,

And say,

‘He who scattered Israel

Will gather him,

And he will keep him,

As a shepherd does his flock.’

11For the Lord has ransomed Jacob

And redeemed him from a hand stronger than he was.

12So they will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion,

And they will flock to the goodness of the Lord,

To grain and to new wine and to fresh oil,

And to young flock animals and oxen.

And their spiritual condition will be like a well-watered garden,

And they will no longer languish.

13Then the virgin will rejoice with a dance,

As will both young men and old together,

And I will change their mourning into joy,

And I will show them compassion,

And I will make them happy,

Released from their grief.

14And I will saturate the sentiments of the priests with fat,

And my people will be satiated with my goodness,

Says the Lord.”

15This is what the Lord says:

“A sound is heard in Ramah

– Lamentation and very bitter weeping –

Rachel grieving for her sons.

She refuses to be comforted for her sons,

For they are no more.”

16This is what the Lord says:

“Restrain your voice from weeping,

And your eyes from tears,

For there is recompense in what is performed for you,

Says the Lord,

And they will return from the land of the enemy.

17And there is hope for your posterity,

Says the Lord,

And the sons will return to their territory.

18I have of course heard how Ephraim is becoming agitated,

Saying, ‘He has chastised me,

And I was chastised like an untrained calf.

Bring me back so that I go back,

For you are the Lord my God.

19For after my return, I was comforted,

And after it was made known to me,

I struck my thigh.

I was ashamed and also suffered ignominy,

For I bore the reproach of my youth.’

20Is Ephraim a dear son to me?

Or a most delightful child?

For whenever I speak concerning him,

I intensely remember him still,

Which is why my mind is disquieted for him.

I will certainly show him mercy,

Says the Lord.

21Erect your waymarks,

Set up your signposts;

Set your heart on the highway

– The road on which you have walked.

Return, O virgin of Israel;

Return to these cities of yours.

22How long will you keep being elusive,

O rebellious daughter?

For the Lord has created a new thing in the land:

A woman will court a man.”

23This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: “People will yet say these words in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I reverse their captivity:

‘May the Lord bless you,

O dwelling place of righteousness,

And mountain of holiness.’

24And farmers will live there – in Judah and all its cities together – and they will move around among the flock.

25For I have refreshed the weary person,

And I have restored every grieving individual.”

26At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep had been sweet to me. 27“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of cattle. 28And it will come to pass, that just as I watched over them to pluck up and to tear down and to demolish and to destroy and to do harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord. 29In those days they will no longer say,

‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,

And the sons' teeth are on edge.’

30For rather, each man will die for his iniquity; every person who eats sour grapes will have his own teeth set on edge. 31Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day when I held them by their hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt – my covenant which they broke, although I had been a husband to them – says the Lord. 33For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: ‘I will put my law in their inner parts, and I will write it on their heart, and I will be God to them, and they will be a people to me. 34And no longer will each teach his neighbour, and each his brother, saying, «Know the Lord», for they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord, for I will pardon their iniquity, and I will no longer remember their sins.’ ”

35This is what the Lord says:

The Lord, who gives the sun for light by day,

And the statutes of the moon and stars for light by night,

Stirring up the sea

So that its waves rage

– The Lord of hosts is his name – says,

36‘If these statutes depart from me,

Says the Lord,

Then the seed of Israel will also cease to be a nation before me,

For all days to come.’ ”

37This is what the Lord says:

“If heaven above can be measured,

And the foundations of the earth below can be searched out,

Then I too will reject all the seed of Israel,

For everything they have done,

Says the Lord.

38Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when the city will be built for the Lord, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39And the measuring line will yet go out opposite it at Gareb Hill and go round to Goath. 40And all the valley, with the corpses and the ashes, and all the fields up to the Kidron Brook, up to the corner of the Horse Gate to the east, will be holy to the Lord. It will not be plucked up, and it will never be pulled down again.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 31: v.1 ↔ 2 Corinthians 6:16 ● v.9 ↔ Revelation 7:17 ● v.15 ↔ Matthew 2:18 ● v.31 ↔ Hebrews 8:8 ● v.32 ↔ Hebrews 8:9 ● v.33 ↔ John 6:45, Hebrews 8:10, Hebrews 10:16, 1 John 2:20 ● v.34 ↔ John 6:45, Hebrews 8:11, Hebrews 8:12, Hebrews 10:17, 1 John 2:10, 1 John 2:27.

Jeremiah Chapter 32 

1The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah – that is the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. 2It was then that the forces of the king of Babylon were besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the prison which belonged to the king of Judah's house, 3because Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying, “Why do you prophesy, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says: «I am about to deliver this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it. 4And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape from the hand of the Chaldeans, but he will certainly be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will speak face to face, and they will see each other's eyes. 5And he will lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and that is where he will be until I visit him, says the Lord. If you fight the Chaldeans, you will not succeed» ’?” 6Then Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me and said, 7‘Look, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle is coming to you to say, «Buy my field, which is in Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it.» ’ ” 8And Hanamel my uncle's son came to me, according to the word of the Lord, to the prison courtyard, and he said to me, “Please buy my field which is in Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin, for you have the right of inheritance, and you have the right of redemption. Buy it for yourself.” And I knew that it was the word of the Lord. 9So I bought the field from Hanamel, my uncle's son, who was in Anathoth, and I weighed the money out to him – seventeen shekels was the weight of silver. 10And I signed the deeds and put my seal on them, and I had witnesses witness it, and I weighed out the silver in a balance. 11And I took the deeds of the purchase, those which were sealed according to the regulation and the statutes, and those which were public, 12and I gave the purchase deeds to Baruch, the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanamel my cousin and in the sight of the witnesses who wrote in the purchase deed, in the sight of all the Jews who sat in the prison courtyard. 13And I gave instruction to Baruch in their sight and said, 14“This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Take these deeds – the deeds of this purchase and what is sealed, and this public document, and put them in an earthenware container so that they will keep for many days.’ 15For this is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Houses and fields and vineyards will yet be acquired in this land.’ ” 16Then I prayed to the Lord, after I had given the purchase deeds to Baruch the son of Neriah, and I said, 17“Alas, my Lord the Lord, look, you made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for you, 18as you show kindness to thousands, and you requite the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their sons after them. The great mighty God – the Lord of hosts is his name. 19You are great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are alert to all the ways of the sons of Adam, to render to a man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his works, 20you who have been performing signs and wonders in the land of Egypt up to this day, both in Israel and among mankind, and you make yourself a name as it is on this day. 21And you brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt, with signs and with miracles and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great awe. 22And you gave them this land which you promised their fathers that you would give it to them – a land flowing with milk and honey. 23And they came, and they inherited it, but they did not heed your voice, and they did not walk in your laws; they did not do everything which you commanded them to do, and you caused all this trouble to happen to them. 24Look, ramparts have come up to the city, to capture it, and the city is being delivered into the hand of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it, as it contends in the face of the sword and famine and disease. And what you said has come about. And look, you see it. 25And you have said to me, my Lord the Lord, ‘Buy yourself the field for silver, and have witnesses witness it’, and the city has been delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans.” 26And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah and said, 27“Behold, I am the Lord God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for me? 28So this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to deliver this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he will capture it. 29And the Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will come, and they will set this city on fire, and they will burn it, including the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to Baal, and where they have poured libations to other gods, so as to provoke me to anger. 30For the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah would do nothing but what is wrong in my sight from their youth on, for the sons of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, says the Lord. 31For this city has been to me a cause of my anger and my fury, from the day when they built it, up to this day – a cause for me to remove it from my sight, 32because of all the evil of the sons of Israel, and the sons of Judah, who have acted to provoke me to anger – they, their kings, their officials, their priests and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and those living in Jerusalem. 33And they turned their back to me, and not the face, although I taught them, rising early and teaching, but they did not listen, to receive correction. 34And they put their abominations in the house at which my name is called on, so as to profane it. 35And they built the idolatrous raised sites to Baal, which are in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to make their sons and their daughters pass through fire to Molech, which I did not command them and which did not arise in my heart – to commit this abomination, so as to cause Judah to sin. 36And now, therefore, this is what the Lord God of Israel says to this city which you are saying will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword and famine and disease: 37«I am going to gather them out of all the countries to which I have driven them out in my anger and in my fury and in great wrath, and I will bring them back to this place, and I will settle them in security. 38And they will be my people, and I will be their God. 39And I will give them one heart and one way, to fear me all the time for their welfare and for that of their sons after them. 40And I will make an age-abiding covenant for them, whereby I will not turn away from being behind them, for me to do good to them, and I will put fear of me in their heart, so that they do not depart from me. 41And I will rejoice over them in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land firmly with all my heart and with all my soul.» 42For this is what the Lord says: «Just as I brought all this great trouble on this people, so I am going to bring all this good on them, which I am declaring to them. 43And a field will be bought in this land, of which you say, ‹It is a desolation, without man or beast; it has been delivered into the hand of the Chaldeans.› 44They will buy fields for silver, and write in the deeds and seal it, and have witnesses witness it, in the land of Benjamin and in the surrounding areas of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah and in the cities in the mountain range, and in the cities of the lowlands, and in the cities of the south, for I will reverse their captivity, says the Lord.» ’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 32: v.19 ↔ Romans 2:6, Revelation 2:23, Revelation 18:6, Revelation 20:12, Revelation 20:13, Revelation 22:12 ● v.25 ↔ Matthew 27:9 ● v.38 ↔ 2 Corinthians 6:16 ● v.44 ↔ Matthew 27:9.

Jeremiah Chapter 33 

1And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time while he was still confined in the prison courtyard, and it said, 2“This is what the Lord, the maker of it, the Lord, the fashioner of it to prepare it – the Lord is his name – says: 3‘Call out to me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great things and recondite matters which you did not know. 4For this is what the Lord God of Israel says concerning the houses of this city and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah which have been demolished, concerning the ramparts and concerning the sword: 5«They have been brought to combat the Chaldeans, but it will be to fill them with the corpses of men whom I will strike down in my anger and in my fury, and those because of whom I have hidden my face from this city, on account of all their wickedness. 6I am going to bring the city restoration and healing, and I will heal them, and I will reveal an abundance of welfare and truth to them, 7and I will reverse the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel, and I will build them up as in the beginning. 8And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity with which they have sinned against me, and I will pardon all their iniquities with which they have sinned against me, and with which they have transgressed against me. 9And it will be to me a name of rejoicing, a cause for praise, and a show of splendour to all the nations of the earth who will hear of all the good which I will be doing to them, and they will fear and stand in awe at all the good and at all the welfare which I will be doing to it.» 10This is what the Lord says: «There will yet be heard in this place of which you say, ‹It is desolate without leaving a man and without leaving a beast, in the cities of Judah and in the outlying areas of Jerusalem which have been devastated without leaving a man and without leaving an inhabitant and without leaving a beast›, 11the sound of rejoicing and the sound of happiness, the sound of the bridegroom and the sound of the bride, the sound of those who say,

‹Praise the Lord of hosts,

For the Lord is good,

For his kindness is age-abiding›,

who bring a thank-offering to the house of the Lord, for I will reverse the captivity of the land to as it was at the beginning, says the Lord12This is what the Lord of hosts says: «There will yet be in this desolate place without man or beast, and in all its cities, a pasture for shepherds, to allow the sheep to recline. 13In the cities in the mountains, in the cities in the lowlands, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the surrounding areas of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the sheep will yet pass through at the hands of the one who counts them, says the Lord.

14Behold, the days are coming,

Says the Lord,

When I will establish the good thing

Which I have spoken to the house of Israel

And to the house of Judah.

15In those days and at that time,

I will cause a righteous branch to spring up to David,

And he will execute justice and righteousness in the land.

16In those days Judah will be saved,

And Jerusalem will dwell securely,

And this is what one will call it:

The Lord our Righteousness.»

17For this is what the Lord says: «Not a man will be cut off from David to sit on the throne of the house of Israel. 18And not a man will be cut off before me of the Levite priests to make the burnt offering and to burn the meal-offering and to offer sacrifices all the time.» ’ ” 19And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah and said, 20“This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant of the day and my covenant of the night, so that there are not day and night in their time, 21then my covenant with David my servant can be broken, so that he does not have a son reigning on his throne, and my covenant with the priestly Levites my officiators. 22As the host of the heavens cannot be counted, and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so will I increase the seed of David my servant and the Levites who officiate for me.’ ” 23And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, 24“Have you not seen what this people has spoken, when they said, ‘There are two families which the Lord chose, but he has rejected them’? And they have considered my people too contemptible to be a nation in their sight any longer. 25This is what the Lord says: ‘If I have not set up my covenant of day and night – not the statutes of heaven and earth – 26then I will also reject the seed of Jacob and David my servant, not taking his seed as rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will reverse their captivity, and I will have compassion on them.’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 33: v.15 ↔ John 7:42.

Jeremiah Chapter 34 

1The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord when Nebuchadrezzar was king of Babylon, and all his forces and all the kingdoms of the land under the rule of his hand and all the various peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and against all its cities. It said, 2“This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and say to him, «This is what the Lord says: ‹I am about to deliver this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire. 3And you will not escape from his grip, for you will certainly be seized and delivered into his hand, and your eyes will see the king of Babylon, and he will speak to you face to face, and you will go to Babylon. 4But hear the word of the Lord, Zedekiah, king of Judah.› This is what the Lord says to you: ‹You will not die by the sword. 5You will die in peace and according to the aromatic burning for your fathers – the former kings who were before you. That is how they will burn for you, and they will mourn for you saying, "Alas, lord." For I have spoken the word, says the Lord.› » ’ ” 6So Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words in Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah, 7while the king of Babylon's forces were fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah which remained – against Lachish and against Azekah, for they remained among the cities of Judah, being fortified cities. 8This is the word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them, 9that every man should set his manservant and his maidservant free – the Hebrew man and the Hebrew woman – so as not to impose servitude on them, on any Jew, his brother, 10a covenant which all the officials heard, as well as all the people who had entered into the covenant for each man to set his manservant free, and each his maidservant, so that they would not impose servitude on them any more. And they heeded it and set them free. 11But after that they went back on it, and they made the menservants and the maidservants, whom they had set free, return, and forcibly made them menservants and maidservants again. 12Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, from the Lord, saying, 13“This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I made a covenant with your fathers on the day when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from a house of slaves, when I said, 14«After seven years every man will release his Hebrew brother who was sold to you, and who has served you for six years, and you will let him go away from you free.» But your fathers did not heed me and did not incline their ears. 15Then you returned today, and you did what is right in my sight, by each man proclaiming liberty to his neighbour, and you made a covenant in my presence in the house at which my name is called on. 16Then you turned away and profaned my name, and each man brought his manservant and his maidservant back, whom you had set free for their comfort, and you forced them to be your menservants and maidservants. 17Therefore this is what the Lord says: «You have not heeded me requiring you to proclaim liberty, each man to his brother and each man to his neighbour. I am about to proclaim liberty to you, says the Lord, to the sword, to pestilence and to famine, and I will deliver you to what will be horrific – to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18And I will deliver the men who transgressed my covenant – who did not fulfil the words of the covenant which they made in my presence, at the calf which they cut in two, and at which they passed between its parts 19– the officials of Judah and the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs and the priests and all the people of the land who passed through between the parts of the calf – 20and I will deliver them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life. And their corpses will be food for the birds of the sky and the animals of the land. 21And I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their lives and into the hand of the forces of the king of Babylon, which are departing from you. 22I am about to give command, says the Lord, and I will bring them back to this city, and they will fight against it and capture it and burn it with fire, and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without leaving an inhabitant.» ’ ”

Jeremiah Chapter 35 

1The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, saying, 2“Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak to them and bring them to the house of the Lord, to one of the reception rooms, and give them wine to drink.” 3Then I took Jaazaniah, the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites, 4and I brought them to the house of the Lord, to the reception room of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, to the room which was to the side of the office of the officials, which was above the office of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the doorkeeper. 5And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, “Drink some wine.” 6But they said, “We will not drink any wine, because Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us and said, ‘You shall not drink wine, neither you, nor your sons, ever. 7And you will not build a house, and you will not sow seed, and you will not plant a vineyard, and you will not have one, for you will live in tents all your days, in order that you may live for many days on the face of the land where you take up residence.’ 8And we have obeyed Jehonadab the son of Rechab our father in everything he commanded us, not to drink wine for all our days – us, our wives, our sons and our daughters – 9and not to build houses for us to live in, and that we should not have vineyard or field or sown crops. 10And we have dwelt in tents, and we have obeyed, and we have done everything that Jonadab our father commanded us. 11And it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up to the land, that we said, ‘Come, let us go to Jerusalem, away from the forces of the Chaldeans and away from the forces of Aramaea.’ So we lived in Jerusalem.” 12Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, 13“This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Go and say to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, «Will you not take correction and listen to my words, says the Lord? 14The words of Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, have been fulfilled, which he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, and they have not drunk it up to this day, for they obeyed the commandment of their father. But I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, but you have not obeyed me. 15And I sent you all my servants, the prophets, rising early and sending them, to say, ‹Turn back, please, each man from his evil way, and see to it that your deeds are good, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and dwell on the land which I have given you and your fathers.› But you have not inclined your ears, and you have not heeded me. 16For the sons of Jehonadab the son of Rechab fulfilled their father's commandment which he commanded them, but this people has not obeyed me, 17which is why this is what the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‹I am about to bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the trouble which I spoke to them, because I spoke to them, but they did not heed it, and I called to them, but they did not answer.› » ’ ” 18And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jehonadab your father, and you have kept all his commandments, and you have done everything that he commanded you, 19because of that, this is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: «There will not be a man cut off from Jonadab the son of Rechab to stand before me at any time.» ’ ”

Jeremiah Chapter 36 

1Now it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, that this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2“Get yourself a book scroll and write in it all the words which I have spoken to you concerning Israel and concerning Judah, and concerning all the nations, from the day when I spoke to you, in the days of Josiah up to this day. 3Perhaps the house of Judah will pay heed to all the trouble which I am considering to do to them, in order that they turn back, each from his evil way, so that I pardon their iniquity and their sin.” 4At this Jeremiah called for Baruch the son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote in the book scroll from Jeremiah's dictation all the words of the Lord which he had spoken to him. 5And Jeremiah commanded Baruch and said, “I am under arrest; I cannot go to the house of the Lord. 6So you go, and read from the scroll which you have written from my dictation; read the words of the Lord in the hearing of the people in the house of the Lord, on a day of fasting, and also read them in the hearing of all of Judah who come from their cities. 7Perhaps their supplication will fall before the Lord, and they will turn back, each man from his evil way, for great is the anger and fury which the Lord has pronounced on this people.” 8And Baruch the son of Neriah did everything that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him – to read the words of the Lord from the book in the house of the Lord. 9And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, in the ninth month, that all the people in Jerusalem, and all the people who had come from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem, proclaimed a fast before the Lord. 10And Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah, in the house of the Lord, in the office of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the house of the Lord, in the hearing of all the people. 11And when Micaiah, the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the book, 12he went down to the king's house, to the scribe's office, and he found all the officials sitting there – Elishama the scribe and Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the officials. 13And Micaiah told them all the words which he had heard when Baruch read from the book in the hearing of the people. 14And all the officials sent Jehudi, the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch to say, “Take in your hand the scroll from which you read in the hearing of the people, and come here with it.” So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them. 15And they said to him, “Please sit down and read it in our hearing.” So Baruch read it in their hearing. 16And it came to pass, when they heard all the words, that each was afraid, staring at his neighbour, and they said to Baruch, “We will certainly tell the king all these words.” 17And they inquired of Baruch and said, “Please tell us how it was that you came to write all these words at his dictation.” 18And Baruch said to them, “He dictated all these words to me, while I wrote them in the book in ink.” 19Then the officials said to Baruch, “Go and hide yourself, you and Jeremiah, and let no man know where you are.” 20And they went to the king in the courtyard, but they deposited the scroll in the office of Elishama the scribe, and they related all the words in the king's hearing. 21Then the king sent Jehudi to fetch the scroll, and he fetched it from the office of Elishama the scribe, and Jehudi read it in the king's hearing and in the hearing of all the officials who were standing around the king. 22Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, and the fire in the hearth in front of him was burning. 23And it came to pass, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it up with the scribe's penknife, and he threw it into the fire which was in the hearth, until the whole scroll was consumed in the fire which was in the hearth. 24And they were not afraid, and they did not tear their clothes – neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words. 25But Elnathan, and Delaiah and Gemariah as well appealed to the king not to burn the scroll, but he did not heed them. 26And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the Lord had hidden them. 27And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah after the king had burnt the scroll and the words which Baruch had written at Jeremiah's dictation, and it said, 28Act again, get yourself another scroll and write on it all the former words which were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burnt. 29And you will say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord says: «You burnt this scroll and said, ‹Why have you written on it, saying, "The king of Babylon will certainly come and bring this land to ruin, and he will remove man and beast from it"?› » 30Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: «He will not have anyone sitting on the throne of David, and his corpse will be thrown to the heat by day, and to the icy cold by night. 31And I will visit him and his seed, and his servants, for their iniquity, and I will bring on them and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem and on the men of Judah all the trouble which I spoke to them but which they would not hear.» ’ ” 32So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the son of Neriah, the scribe, and he wrote on it at Jeremiah's dictation all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burnt in the fire. And there were added to them many more words like those.

Jeremiah Chapter 37 

1And King Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had made king in the land of Judah. 2But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land heeded the words of the Lord which he spoke through the intermediacy of Jeremiah the prophet. 3And King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to Jeremiah the prophet to say, “Please pray to the Lord our God for us.” 4Meanwhile Jeremiah was going in and out among the people, for they had not put him in prison. 5And Pharaoh's forces came out from Egypt, and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they raised the siege on Jerusalem. 6Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 7“This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘This is what you will say to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me: «Look, Pharaoh's forces which came out as help for you will return to their land, Egypt, 8and the Chaldeans will come back, and they will fight against this city, and they will capture it and burn it with fire. 9This is what the Lord says: ‹Do not deceive yourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will certainly go away from us", for they will not go. 10For even if you were to strike down all the forces of the Chaldeans who are fighting you, and there remained among them men thrusted through, each one in his tent would arise and burn this city with fire.› » ’ ” 11And it came to pass, when the Chaldeans raised the siege on Jerusalem, because of Pharaoh's forces, 12that Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to have land apportioned to him there among the people. 13And it came to pass, when he was at Benjamin's Gate, that an officer of the guard was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, and he seized Jeremiah the prophet and said, “You are a defector to the Chaldeans.” 14And Jeremiah said, “That is false. I am not a defector to the Chaldeans.” But Irijah did not take any notice of him, and he seized Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15And the officials were angry with Jeremiah, and they beat him and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for they had made that the prison. 16So Jeremiah went into the dungeon, and into the vaults. And Jeremiah remained there for many days. 17Then King Zedekiah sent for him and took him out, and the king questioned him in his house in secret and asked, “Is there any word from the Lord?” And Jeremiah said, “There is.” And he said, “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” 18Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “In what way have I sinned against you, or against your servants, or against this people, that you should have put me in prison? 19And where are your prophets who prophesied to you and said, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land’? 20So now, my lord the king, please listen; do let my appeal be welcomed, and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, so that I do not die there.” 21But King Zedekiah gave command that they consign Jeremiah to the prison enclosure and give him a round loaf of bread per day from the bakers' street until all the bread in the city was used up. So Jeremiah remained in the prison enclosure.

Jeremiah Chapter 38 

1Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words which Jeremiah spoke to all the people, when he said, 2“This is what the Lord says: ‘He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. But he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live, and his life will be his spoil, and he will live.’ 3This is what the Lord says: ‘This city will certainly be delivered into the hand of the forces of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.’ ” 4At this the officials said to the king, “Do have this man put to death, for in this way he is weakening the resolve of the warriors who remain in this city, and the resolve of all the people by speaking such words to them, for this man does not seek the welfare of this people, but their detriment.” 5Then King Zedekiah said, “Look, he is in your hands, for the king will not impose anything on you.” 6And they took Jeremiah, and they threw him into the pit of Malchijah the king's son, which is in the prison courtyard, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now there wasn't water in the pit, but mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud. 7Then when Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the pit, while the king was sitting at Benjamin's Gate, 8Ebed-Melech went out of the king's house and spoke to the king and said, 9“My lord the king, these men have done wrong with everything they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, in that they have thrown him into the pit, and he will die where he is because of the famine, for there is no bread in the city any more.” 10Then the king commanded Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian and said, “Take under your authority from here thirty men, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the pit before he dies.” 11So Ebed-Melech took the men under his authority and went to the king's house, to a cellar under the treasury, and he took from there worn-out threadbare clothes and worn-out decayed garments, and he let them down by ropes into the pit to Jeremiah. 12And Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Please put these worn-out threadbare and decayed clothes under your armpits, under the ropes.” And Jeremiah did so. 13And they pulled Jeremiah up by the cords and lifted him out of the pit. And Jeremiah remained in the prison courtyard. 14Then King Zedekiah sent men and had Jeremiah the prophet come to him, at the third entrance to the house of the Lord, and the king said to Jeremiah, “I am about to ask you something. Do not conceal anything from me.” 15And Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I tell you, will you not make a point of putting me to death? And if I advise you, you won't heed me.” 16At this, King Zedekiah swore in secret to Jeremiah and said, “As the Lord lives, who gave this life, I certainly will not put you to death or deliver you into the hand of these men who seek your life.” 17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you single-mindedly go out to the officials of the king of Babylon, then you yourself will live, and this city will not be burned by fire, and you and your household will live. 18But if you do not go out to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they will burn it with fire, and you will not escape from their hands.’ ” 19Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am uneasy about the Jews who have defected to the Chaldeans – that they will deliver me into their hands, and that they will maltreat me.” 20And Jeremiah said, “They will not deliver you. Please listen to the voice of the Lord which I am speaking to you, for things to go well with you, and so that you yourself will live. 21But if you refuse to go out, this is the scenario which the Lord has shown me, 22as follows: all the women who remained in the king of Judah's house were brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and there the women were, saying,

‘The men who were well-disposed to you

Misled you and won you over,

And your feet have sunk in the mire.

They have slidden back.’

23And the men were bringing out all your wives and your sons to the Chaldeans. So you will not escape from their hands, for you will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and you will, in effect, burn this city with fire.” 24Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no man know about these words, and you will not die. 25But if the officials hear that I have spoken with you, or they come to you and say to you, ‘Please tell us what you have said to the king. Do not withhold anything from us, and we will not put you to death, and tell us what the king has said to you’, 26then you will say to them, ‘I made supplication before the king that he should not send me back to Jonathan's house to die there.’ ” 27And all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, and he told them all these words which the king had commanded him, and they desisted from him, for the matter was not adverted to. 28And Jeremiah remained in the enclosure of the prison until the day when Jerusalem was captured, and he was there when Jerusalem was captured.

Jeremiah Chapter 39 

1In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came with all his forces to Jerusalem, and they besieged it. 2In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the city was breached. 3And all the king of Babylon's officials came and sat at the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sarezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sar-Sechim the chief eunuch, Nergal-Sarezer the chief magus and all the rest of the king of Babylon's officials. 4And it came to pass, when Zedekiah king of Judah and all the warriors saw them, that they fled and departed from the city by night, by the way through the king's garden at the gate between the pair of walls, and he went out by the way of the arid tract. 5But the forces of the Chaldeans pursued them, and they caught up with Zedekiah in the arid tracts of Jericho, and they captured him, and they brought him up to Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon in Riblah, in the land of Hamath, and he pronounced judgment on him. 6And the king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah's sons in Riblah before his eyes, and the king of Babylon slaughtered all the nobles of Judah. 7And he blinded Zedekiah's eyes, and he bound him in fetters, to bring him to Babylon. 8And the Chaldeans burnt the king's house and the houses of the people with fire, and they pulled down the walls of Jerusalem. 9And Nebuzaradan the chief guard deported the rest of the people who remained in the city, and the defectors who had defected to him, and the rest of the people who remained, to Babylon. 10But Nebuzaradan the chief guard let the poor among the people, who had nothing, remain in the land of Judah, and he gave them vineyards and fields on that day. 11And Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave commandment concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan the chief guard, which said, 12“Take him and look after him, and do not do him any harm, but rather deal with him according to how he speaks to you.” 13And Nebuzaradan the chief guard, and Nebushazban the chief eunuch, and Nergal-Sarezer the chief magus and all the dignitaries of the king of Babylon sent orders, 14and they sent men, and they took Jeremiah from the prison courtyard, and they assigned him to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, for him to bring him out and to take him home. And he dwelt among the people. 15Now the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah when he was imprisoned in the prison courtyard, saying, 16“Go and speak to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian and say, ‘This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: «I am about to bring my words to fulfilment on this city, to its detriment and not to its benefit, and they will take place in front of you on that day. 17But I will deliver you on that day, says the Lord, and you will not be delivered into the hands of the people of whom you are afraid, 18for I will certainly have you escape, and you will not fall by the sword, and your own life will be your spoil, for you have trusted me, says the Lord.» ’ ”

Jeremiah Chapter 40 

1The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the chief guard had released him from Ramah, having taken him when he was bound in fetters among the whole company of deportees from Jerusalem and Judah who were being deported to Babylon. 2And the chief guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God pronounced this trouble on this place. 3And the Lord has brought it about, and he has done as he said, because you have sinned against the Lord and not obeyed him. So this thing has come on you. 4And now, look, I have unbound you today from the fetters on your hands. If it is right in your sight to come with me to Babylon, come and I will look after you, but if it is wrong in your sight to come with me to Babylon, then decline the offer. Look, all the land is before you. Go to wherever it is right and proper in your sight to go.” 5And while he still had not gone back, the chief guard said, “Or go back to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed in the cities of Judah, and remain with him among the people, or go to wherever it is right in your sight to go.” And the chief guard gave him provisions and a gift and released him. 6Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam in Mizpah, and he stayed with him among the people who remained in the land. 7And when all the officers of the forces who were in the open country and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam in the land, and that he had appointed him over men and women and children and some of the poor of the land, from those who were not deported to Babylon, 8they went to Gedaliah in Mizpah, as did Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of the Maachathite – they and their men. 9And Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore to them and to their men, and he said, “Do not be afraid of serving the Chaldeans. Stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and things will go well for you. 10And as for me, you see that I am living in Mizpah, to stand in service before the Chaldeans who will come to us. And as for you, gather the wine harvest and the summer fruits and the olive oil, and put it in your containers, and dwell in your cities which you have laid hold of.” 11And all the Jews who were in Moab and among the sons of Ammon and in Edom, and who were in all the countries, also heard that the king of Babylon had allowed there to be a remnant in Judah, and that he had appointed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, over them. 12And when all the Jews from all the places where they had been driven returned, they came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah in Mizpah, and they gathered the wine harvest and the summer fruits – a very large quantity. 13And Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the officers of the forces who were in the open country, came to Gedaliah in Mizpah. 14And they said to him, “Are you at all aware that Baalis the king of the sons of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to dispatch you?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them. 15Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in secret in Mizpah and said, “Do let me go and strike Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no-one will know about it. Why should he dispatch you, and all Judah who have been gathered to you be scattered, and the remnant of Judah perish?” 16But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “Do not do this thing, for you are speaking an untruth concerning Ishmael.”

Jeremiah Chapter 41 

1But it came to pass in the seventh month that Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of royal seed, came, with the king's dignitaries and another ten men accompanying him, to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam in Mizpah, and they ate a meal there together in Mizpah. 2And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men who were with him arose, and they struck Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, and he killed him whom the king of Babylon had appointed in the land. 3And Ishmael struck down all the Jews who were with him, with Gedaliah in Mizpah, and also the Chaldeans who were present there – the warriors. 4And it came to pass on the second day of the killing of Gedaliah, while no-one knew about it, 5that eighty men came, men from Shechem, from Shiloh and from Samaria, with their beards shaven off and their clothes torn, and having made incisions on themselves, and with a meal-offering and incense in their hands, to bring to the house of the Lord. 6And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping continuously as he went, and it came to pass, when he met them, that he said to them, “Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.” 7Then it came to pass, when they had come inside the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah – he and the men who were with him – slaughtered them and put them in the pit. 8But ten men were present among them who said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us, for we have hidden treasures in the field – wheat and barley and oil and honey.” And he did not do it, and he did not kill them among their brothers. 9And the pit into which Ishmael threw all the corpses of the men whom he had struck down with Gedaliah is the one which King Asa had made when confronting Baasha king of Israel. And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with those killed. 10Then Ishmael took captive all the remainder of the people who were in Mizpah – the king's daughters and all the people who remained in Mizpah – over whom Nebuzaradan the chief guard had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah took them captive and set off to cross over to the sons of Ammon. 11And when Johanan the son of Kareah and all the officers of the forces which were with him heard all the evil which Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done, 12they took all the men and went to fight against Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and they found him at the water-rich area which is in Gibeon. 13And it came to pass when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah and all the officers of the forces who were with him, they rejoiced, 14and all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned round and returned and went to Johanan the son of Kareah. 15And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped with eight men from the encounter confronting Johanan, and he went to the sons of Ammon. 16And Johanan the son of Kareah and all the officers of the forces which were with him, with all the remainder of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah from Mizpah after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, took men, warriors and women and children, and eunuchs, whom he had recovered from Gibeon, 17and they set off, and they stayed in the lodging place of Chimham, which is beside Bethlehem, on their way to go to Egypt, 18because of the Chaldeans, because they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed in the land.

Jeremiah Chapter 42 

1Then all the officers of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people both small and great, approached, 2and they said to Jeremiah the prophet, “May our plea be admitted before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us, for all this remnant, for we are left with few, from being many, as your eyes see us. 3And may the Lord your God tell us the way by which we should go and the things which we should do.” 4And Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. I am about to pray to the Lord your God according to your words, and it will come to pass that I will tell you every word which the Lord answers you. I will not withhold anything from you.” 5Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness among us. We will certainly do everything that the Lord your God sends word of to you concerning us. 6Whether it is good or bad news, we will obey the Lord our God to whom we send you, in order that it may go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God.” 7And it came to pass after ten days that the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, 8and he summoned Johanan the son of Kareah and all the officers of the forces which were with him, and all the people both small and great, 9and he said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel, to whom you sent me, to present your plea before him, says: 10‘If you are resolved to live in this land, I will build you up, and I will not pull you down, and I will plant you, and I will not pluck you up, for I will have a change of heart concerning the harm which I have done to you. 11Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whose presence you are fearful. Do not fear him, says the Lord, for I am with you to save you and to deliver you from his hand. 12And I will show you compassion, so that he is compassionate towards you, and he brings you back to your land. 13But if you say, «We will not live in this land», so not obeying the Lord your God, 14saying, «No, instead we will go to the land of Egypt, where we will not see war, and we will not hear the sound of the ramshorn, and we will not have a famine of bread, and it is there that we will live», 15then hear now the word of the Lord, you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: «If you are determinedly resolved to go to Egypt, and you go to take up residence there, 16then the sword will come, which you fear. It will catch up with you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine which you are concerned about will cling to you there in Egypt, and there you will die. 17And all the people who resolved to go to Egypt to take up residence there will be the ones who die by the sword and by famine and by a plague, and they will have no-one either escaped or delivered from the harm which I will bring on them. 18For this is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‹When my anger and my fury are poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so will my fury be poured out on you, if you go to Egypt, and you will be an object of cursing and astonishment and vilification and reproach, and you will no longer see this place.› » ’ 19The Lord has spoken to you, you remnant of Judah. Do not go to Egypt. Know with certainty that I have testified against you today. 20For you have erred in your sentiments, for you sent me to the Lord your God saying, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us, and whatever the Lord our God says, tell us, and we will do it.’ 21And I have told you today, but you did not obey the Lord your God, nor anything with which he sent me to you. 22So now, know with certainty that you will die by the sword and by a famine and by a plague in the place where you wish to go to take up residence.”

Jeremiah Chapter 43 

1And it came to pass, when Jeremiah, whom the Lord their God had sent to them, had finished speaking to all the people all the words of the Lord their God – all these words – 2that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the impertinent men spoke and said to Jeremiah, “You are speaking lies. The Lord our God did not send you to say, ‘You shall not go to Egypt to take up residence there.’ 3For Baruch the son of Neriah is inciting you against us, in order to deliver us into the hands of the Chaldeans, for them to kill us and to deport us to Babylon.” 4And neither Johanan the son of Kareah nor any of the officers of the forces, nor any of the people obeyed the Lord, that they should remain in the land of Judah. 5And Johanan the son of Kareah and all the officers of the forces took all the remainder of Judah which had returned to live in the land of Judah from all the nations into which they had been driven 6– the men and the women and the children and the king's daughters and every person whom Nebuzaradan the chief guard had let remain with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and with Jeremiah the prophet, and with Baruch the son of Neriah – 7and they went to the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the Lord, and they came to Tahpanhes. 8And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes and said, 9“Take some large stones in your hand and conceal them in the mortar in the mastaba which is at the entrance to Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of some Jewish men, 10and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: «I am about to send a spiritual force, and I will take Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, my servant, and I will put his throne above these stones, which I have hidden, and he will stretch his royal canopy out over them. 11And he will come, and he will attack the land of Egypt. He who is destined for death will go to death, and he who is destined for captivity will go into captivity, and he who is destined for the sword will go to the sword. 12And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt, and he will burn them and take them captive, and he will clothe himself with the spoils of the land of Egypt, as a shepherd clothes himself in his garment, and he will depart from there in peace. 13And he will break down the images in Beth-Shemesh, which is in the land of Egypt, and he will burn the houses of the gods of Egypt with fire.» ’ ”

Jeremiah Chapter 44 

1This is the word which came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who were living in the land of Egypt, who lived in Migdol and in Tahpanhes and in Noph and in the land of Pathros. And it said, 2“This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘You see all the harm which I have brought on Jerusalem and on all the cities of Judah, and there they are, a desolation on this day, and there is no inhabitant in them, 3because of their evil which they have done, so as to provoke me to anger, by going to burn incense, and by serving other gods whom they had not known, neither they, nor you, nor your fathers. 4Yet I sent to them all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, to say, «Please do not do this abominable thing, which I hate.» 5But they did not listen, and they did not incline their ears, by turning away from their evil – by not burning incense to other gods. 6So my fury with my anger was poured out, and it burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, which became a ruin and a desolation, as on this day. 7So now, this is what the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, says: «Why are you committing a great evil against yourselves, by going and cutting off from Judah man and woman, child and infant, not leaving yourselves a remnant, 8so as to provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, by burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you went to take up residence, cutting yourselves off, and so becoming an object of cursing and reproach among all the nations of the earth? 9Have you forgotten the evil deeds of your fathers, and the evil deeds of the kings of Judah, and the evil deeds of their wives, and your own evil deeds, and the evil deeds of your wives which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10They have not been contrite up to this day, and they have not shown fear, and they have not walked in my law, nor in my statutes which I set before you and before your fathers. 11That is why this is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‹I am about to take a firm stand against you, to your detriment, and to cut the whole of Judah off. 12And I will take the residue of Judah who took a firm stand to go to the land of Egypt, to take up residence there. And all of them in the land of Egypt will come to an end. They will fall by the sword and by famine. They will come to an end, both small and great. They will die by the sword and by famine, and they will be an object of cursing and of astonishment and of vilification and of reproach. 13And I will visit those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I visited Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine and with a plague. 14And there will be no-one either escaped or surviving from the residue of Judah who go to take up residence there in the land of Egypt, and to return to the land of Judah which they have set their heart on to return to, and to dwell there, for they will not return, except for escapees.› » ’ ” 15Then all the men who knew that their wives burned incense to other gods, and all the women who stood in a large convocation, and all the people who inhabited the land of Egypt in Pathros, answered Jeremiah and said, 16As for the words which you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we are not going to heed you. 17For we insist on doing everything that left our mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out libations to her, as we and our fathers, our kings and our officials did in the cities of Judah and on the streets of Jerusalem. And we had plenty of food, and we were prosperous, and we did not see trouble. 18But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven, and pouring libations out to her, we have had a shortage of everything, and we have been perishing by the sword and by famine. 19And when we were burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring libations out to her, was it without our men that we made for her sacrificial cakes to worship her, and that we poured out libations to her?” 20Then Jeremiah spoke to all the people, against the men and against the women and against all the people who had given him that answer, and he said, 21“Has the Lord not remembered the burning of incense which you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem – you and your fathers, your kings and your officials, and the people of the land – and has it not come to his mind? 22And the Lord can no longer endure the evil of your deeds – the abominations which you have committed – so your land has become a ruin and a desolation and an object of cursing, without an inhabitant, as it is this day, 23because you burned incense and because you sinned against the Lord, and you did not obey the Lord, and you did not walk in his law or in his statutes or in his testimonies, which is why this trouble has befallen you, as it is this day.” 24Then Jeremiah said to all the people including all the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt. 25This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘You and your wives have spoken vociferously, and you have confirmed it for your part, saying, «We will certainly fulfil our vows which we have made, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and to pour out libations to her.» You will certainly carry out your vows, and your vows you will certainly perform. 26Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who are living in the land of Egypt. Behold, I have sworn by my great name, says the Lord, that my name will certainly not be called on in the mouth of any man of Judah, saying, «As my Lord the Lord lives», in all the land of Egypt. 27I am about to watch over them to their detriment and not to their benefit, and every man of Judah who is in the land of Egypt will come to an end by the sword and by famine until they have been annihilated. 28But some who escape the sword will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah – a few men – and the whole residue of Judah who went to the land of Egypt to take up residence there will know whose word will be established, mine or theirs. 29And this is a sign to you, says the Lord, that I am going to visit you in this place, so that you will know that my words concerning you to your detriment will certainly be established. 30This is what the Lord says: «I am about to deliver Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I delivered Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon – his enemy, and one who sought his life.» ’ ”

Jeremiah Chapter 45 

1The words which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book at Jeremiah's dictation in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, and he said, 2“This is what the Lord God of Israel says to you, Baruch: 3‘You have said, «Oh woe is me, for the Lord has added grief to my sorrow. I have toiled in my sighing, and I have not found rest.» ’ 4This is what you will say to him: ‘This is what the Lord says: «Behold, what I have built, I will demolish, and what I have planted, I will pluck up, so doing to all that land. 5Now will you ask for great things for yourself? Do not ask for them, for I am about to bring harm on all flesh, says the Lord, but I will give you your life as spoil in all the places you go to.» ’ ”

Jeremiah Chapter 46 

1The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations, 2about Egypt, concerning the forces of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which were at the River Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon attacked in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah.

3“Take up the buckler and the shield,

And give battle.

4Harness the horses,

And mount them, you horsemen,

And take your stand in helmets.

Polish the spears;

Put the coat of mail on.

5Why have I seen them in a state of fear,

In retreat,

With their warriors routed,

And fleeing hastily,

Not turning round,

With fear all around?

Says the Lord.

6Don't let the light foot soldiers flee,

And don't let the warrior take flight;

They will falter and fall in the north

By the side of the River Euphrates.

7Who is this who is arising like the Nile,

Whose water rages as with fast-flowing rivers?

8Egypt is rising like the Nile,

Whose water rages as with fast-flowing rivers,

And it has said,

‘I will rise up and cover the land.

I will destroy the city

And the inhabitants in it.’

9Rise up, you horses,

And move madly, you chariots,

And let the warriors set out

– Ethiopians and Libyans

Who wield the shield,

And the Lydians

Who wield and draw the bow.

10For that day is for the Lord

– The Lord of hosts –

A day of vengeance,

For him to be avenged on his adversaries.

And the sword will consume and be satiated

And be bathed in their blood,

For the Lord – the Lord of hosts – will have a sacrifice

In the northern land at the River Euphrates.

11O virgin daughter of Egypt,

Go up to Gilead

And fetch balsam resin.

You have increased your medications in vain,

And you shall not make a recovery.

12The nations have heard of your shame,

And your outcry has filled the earth,

For warrior has stumbled against warrior,

And the two of them have fallen together.”

13The word which the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, on the occasion of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon coming to attack the land of Egypt.

14“Announce it in Egypt,

And proclaim it in Migdol,

And proclaim it in Noph and in Tahpanhes.

Say, ‘Take your stand and prepare yourself,

For the sword will consume around you.’

15Why have your mighty men been swept away?

They did not stand firm,

For the Lord repulsed them.

16He made many stumble;

Indeed, one fell on another,

So that they said,

‘Get up and let us return to our people,

And to our native land,

Because of the ravaging sword.’

17They called out there,

‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is in a tumult;

He has let the set time pass by.’

18As I live, says the king

– The Lord of hosts is his name –

As Tabor is among the mountains,

And Carmel is by the sea,

He will come.

19Make yourself articles for your deportation,

O resident daughter of Egypt,

For Noph will become a desolation,

And it will be burned without leaving an inhabitant.

20Egypt is a very beautiful calf,

But destruction will come from the north

– It will come.

21Her hired soldiers in her precincts

Are also like fatted calves,

For they too have turned back

And fled together and did not stand,

For the day of their downfall has come over them

– The time of their visitation.

22Her voice will give utterance like a serpent,

For they will advance with an army,

And they will come against her with axes,

Like hewers of wood.

23They will cut her forest down,

Says the Lord,

Although it cannot be searched out,

For they are more numerous than locusts

– Countless they are.

24The daughter of Egypt will be ashamed;

She will be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.”

25The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says, “I am about to visit Amon of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, and its gods, and its kings – both Pharaoh and those who put their trust in him. 26And I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their lives, both into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of his servants. And after that it will be inhabited as in former days, says the Lord.

27But don't you fear, Jacob my servant,

And do not be afraid, Israel,

For I am about to save you from a distance,

And your seed from the land of their captivity,

And Jacob will return,

And he will be quiet and undisturbed,

With no-one causing fear.

28Don't you fear, my servant Jacob,

Says the Lord,

For I am with you,

For I will make an end of all the nations

To which I have driven you,

But I will not make an end of you,

But I will discipline you judicially

And I will certainly not acquit you.”

Jeremiah Chapter 47 

1The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh attacked Gaza.

2“This is what the Lord says:

‘Behold water rising up from the north,

Which will become an overflowing torrent,

And which will inundate the land and its fulness,

And the city and those inhabiting it.

And the men will shout out,

And every inhabitant of the land will howl.

3At the sound of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses,

At the rattling of his chariot fleet

– The clatter of its wheels –

The fathers will not turn their attention to their sons,

From their lack of strength,

4Because of the day which is coming,

To plunder all the Philistines,

To cut off every remnant

Who assists Tyre and Sidon,

For the Lord will plunder the Philistines,

And the remnant of the island of Caphtor.

5Baldness has come on Gaza;

Ashkelon is reduced to silence,

As is the rest of their valley.

How long will you make incisions on yourself?

6Alas!

O sword of the Lord,

How long will you not be at rest?

Be put back in your sheath;

Rest and be quiet.

7How can you be at rest?

Because the Lord has commanded it in Ashkelon

And at the sea coast

– He has appointed it there.’ ”

Jeremiah Chapter 48 

1To Moab, this is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says:

“Woe to Nebo,

For it has been devastated.

Kiriathaim has been put to shame,

And it has been captured.

Misgab has been put to shame,

And it is in disarray.

2There is no more praising of Moab.

In Heshbon they have plotted harm against it, saying,

‘Come, let us cut it off from being a nation.’

City of Madmen, you will also be reduced to silence;

The sword will come after you.

3There is a sound of shouting from Horonaim,

Of violence and large scale wreckage.

4Moab has collapsed;

Her young ones have uttered a shout.

5For in the ascent of Luhith,

Weeping upon weeping will arise.

For at the descent of Horonaim,

The distressing shout of destruction was heard.

6Take flight,

Save your life,

And be like a leafless tree in the desert.

7For since your trust is in your works and your treasures,

You too will be captured,

And Chemosh will go into exile

– Its priests and its officials together.

8The plunderer will go to every city,

And no city will escape,

And the valley will be lost,

And the plain will be laid waste,

According to what the Lord says.

9Give Moab plumage,

For it urgently needs to take flight,

And its cities will be a desolation,

Without any inhabitant left in them.

10Cursed is he who does the Lord's work remissly,

And cursed is he who withholds his sword from blood.

11Moab has been at ease since its youth,

And it has been resting on its lees

And has not been emptied from jar to jar

And has not gone into exile,

Which is why its original taste remains,

And its smell is unchanged.

12Therefore behold, the days are coming,

Says the Lord,

When I will send tilters who will tilt it

And empty its jars

And burst their wineskins.

13And Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh,

As the house of Israel was ashamed of Beth-El,

Their object of confidence.

14How can you say,

‘We are valiant men

And warriors ready for war’?

15Moab has been plundered,

And its cities have gone up in flames,

And the elite of its youths have gone down to face slaughter,

Says the king

– The Lord of hosts is his name.

16The downfall of Moab is close to coming,

And its demise is hastening fast.

17Bewail it,

All who are around it,

And all who know its name.

Say, ‘How the strong sceptre has been broken

– The magnificent staff.’

18Come down from glory,

And dwell in thirst,

You daughter who dwells in Dibon,

For the despoiler of Moab has come up against you

And will sack your fortresses.

19Stand on the road and keep watch,

You inhabitant of Aroer.

Ask a fugitive and one who has escaped,

And say, ‘What has happened?’

20Moab has been put to shame,

For it is in disarray;

Wail and cry out

And report in Arnon

That Moab has been despoiled.

21And judgment has come on the level country,

On Holon, and on Jahzah,

And on Mephaath,

22And on Dibon, and on Nebo,

And on Beth-Diblathaim,

23And on Kiriathaim, and on Beth-Gamul,

And on Beth-Meon,

24And on Kerioth, and on Bozrah,

And on all the cities of the land of Moab

– Those far off

And those nearby.

25The horn of Moab has been cut off,

And its arm has been broken,

Says the Lord.

26Make it drunk,

For it has exalted itself against the Lord.

But Moab will wallow in its own vomit,

And it too will become a laughing stock.

27And was not Israel a laughing stock to you?

Was it found among thieves?

For every time you speak against it,

You convulse with laughter.

28Leave the cities and dwell in the rock,

You inhabitants of Moab,

And be like a dove;

It builds its nest at the sides of the mouth of a pit.

29We have heard of the pride of Moab

He is very proud –

His arrogance and his pride and his haughtiness,

And the exaltation of his heart.

30I know,

Says the Lord,

His presumptuousness,

But he is dishonest;

His lies deal dishonestly.

31Which is why I will wail for Moab,

And for all Moab I will cry out,

And for the men of Kir-Heres he will lament.

32O vine of Sibmah,

I will weep for you

With more than the weeping of Jazer.

Your shoots have crossed the sea;

They have reached the sea of Jazer.

The plunderer has attacked your summer harvest and your grape harvest.

33And joy and rejoicing have been taken away

From the cultivated land and from the land of Moab.

And I have put a stop to wine from the wine vats;

They will not tread wine with shouting

– The shouting will be different shouting.

34Because of the crying out in Heshbon to Elealeh,

And to Jahaz,

They have raised their voice,

And from Zoar to Horonaim

– A heifer three years old –

For the waters of Nimrim will also become desolations.

35And I will put a stop,

Says the Lord,

To anyone in Moab going up to an idolatrous raised site,

And burning incense to his gods.

36This is why my heart is humming for Moab

Like pipe music for a dirge,

And my heart is humming for the men of Kir-Heres

Like pipe music:

Because the wealth which they had accumulated

Has gone to waste.

37For every head will be bald,

And every beard removed.

On all hands will be incisions,

And around the waist,

Sackcloth.

38On all the roofs of Moab and in its streets

There will be mourning all around,

For I will have broken Moab

Like an article in which there is no satisfaction,

Says the Lord.

39‘How it is in disarray’,

They will howl,

‘How Moab has turned its back in shame.’

And Moab will be a laughing stock

And a cause of trepidation

To all those around it.

40For this is what the Lord says:

‘Look, he will swoop like an eagle

And spread his wings over Moab.

41Kerioth will be captured,

And the strongholds will be taken,

And the hearts of the warriors of Moab on that day

Will be like the heart of a woman in labour pains.

42And Moab will be cut off from being a people,

For it has exalted itself against the Lord.

43Fear and a pitfall and a snare

Are looming over you,

You inhabitants of Moab,

Says the Lord.

44And the fugitive from the fear

Will fall into the pit,

And he who comes up out of the pit

Will be caught in the snare,

For I will bring on it

– On Moab –

The year of their visitation,

Says the Lord.

45Those who flee from the invading force

Will stand in the shadow of Heshbon,

But a fire will come out of Heshbon,

And a flame from the midst of Sihon,

And it will consume the sideboards of Moab

And the crown of the head of the tumultuous warriors.

46Woe to you, Moab.

The people of Chemosh have been ruined,

For your sons have been taken into captivity

And your daughters into deportation.

47But I will reverse the captivity of Moab

In the latter days,

Says the Lord.’ ”

That was the judgment on Moab.

Jeremiah Chapter 49 

1To the sons of Ammon, this is what the Lord says:

“Does Israel not have sons?

Does it not have an heir?

Why has their king dispossessed Gad,

So that his people live in his cities?

2Behold, that is why the days are coming,

Says the Lord,

When I will cause a battle-cry to be heard in Rabbah of the sons of Ammon,

And it will become a desolate heap of ruins,

And its satellite villages will be burned with fire,

And Israel will inherit those who dispossessed it,

Says the Lord.

3Howl, Heshbon,

For Ai has been sacked.

Cry out, you satellite villages of Rabbah.

Bind on sackcloth, mourn;

Run to and fro in the fenced places,

For their king will go into exile,

Together with his priests and his officials.

4Why do you boast of the valleys,

O flowing valley of yours?

– O rebellious daughter,

Who trust in your treasures,

Thinking, ‘Who can come against me?’

5I am about to bring fear on you,

Says the Lord

– The Lord of hosts –

Of all those around you.

And you will be driven out,

Each at his advance,

And there will be no-one gathering up him who flees.

6But afterwards I will reverse the captivity of the sons of Ammon,

Says the Lord.”

7To Edom, this is what the Lord of hosts says:

Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?

Has counsel deserted those who should have understanding?

Has their wisdom been spilt?

8Flee, turn;

Make where you live deep down,

You inhabitants of Dedan,

For I will bring the downfall of Esau on it

When I visit it.

9If those who pick grapes come to you,

They will not leave anything to glean.

If thieves come in the night,

They will plunder as much as they want.

10For I have laid Esau bare;

I have revealed his secret places,

And he cannot hide.

His seed has been despoiled,

As have his brothers and his neighbours,

And he is not to be found.

11Leave your orphans;

I will sustain them,

And your widows will trust in me.

12For this is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, those whose judgment was not to drink the cup have certainly drunk it, so will you be the one who is completely absolved? You will not be absolved, but you will certainly drink it. 13For I have sworn by myself, says the Lord, that Bozrah will be a desolation, an object of reproach, a desert and an object of cursing. And all its cities will become age-abiding desert places.’ ”

14I have heard a report from the Lord,

And an envoy sent among the nations,

Saying, “Assemble and come against it,

And rise up for war.

15For look,

I will make you small among the nations

– Despised among men.

16Your monstrous idol has deceived you

By the presumption of your heart,

You who dwell in the fissures of the rock

You who hold the summit of the hill.

Even if you make your nest as high as an eagle,

I will bring you down from there,

Says the Lord.

17And Edom will become a desolation.

Everyone who passes through it

Will be astonished

And will jeer at all its wrecked places,

18As at the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and its neighbours,

Says the Lord.

Not a man will dwell there,

And not a son of Adam will reside in it.

19Behold, he will come up like a lion

From the splendour of the Jordan

To the residence of the strong one,

For I will act all of a sudden

And make it run from the place.

And who is chosen

So that I may appoint him over it?

For who is like me,

And who can arraign me?

And who is this shepherd

Who will stand before me?

20So hear the counsel of the Lord

With which he gave counsel concerning Edom,

And his purposes which he has conceived

Regarding the inhabitants of Teman.

Men will certainly drag away the young of the sheep;

He will certainly devastate their dwelling places,

To their cost.

21At the sound of their fall,

The earth will shake.

As for the outcry,

The sound of it will be heard at the Red Sea.

22Look, he will rise like an eagle

And swoop and spread his wings over Bozrah,

And the hearts of the warriors of Edom on that day

Will be like the heart of a woman in labour pains.”

23To Damascus:

“Hamath has been put to shame,

As has Arpad,

For they have heard a calamitous report.

They are melting away.

In the sea there is anxiety;

It cannot be at rest.

24Damascus has become feeble;

It has taken to flight,

And trembling has seized it.

Distress and pains have seized it,

As a woman in childbirth.

25How the praised city is unrestored

– My joyful town!

26That is why its young men will fall in its streets,

And all the warriors will be cut down,

On that day,

Says the Lord of hosts.

27And I will light a fire at the wall of Damascus,

And it will consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad.”

28To Kedar and to the kingdoms of Hazor which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon attacked. This is what the Lord says:

“Arise, go up to Kedar,

And plunder the easterners.

29Let them take their tents and their sheep;

Let them transport their curtains and all their equipment and their camels,

So that they shout to them,

There is terror all around.’

30Flee, take flight urgently;

Live in a deep place,

You inhabitants of Hazor,

Says the Lord,

For Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has decided on a course of action against you,

And he has devised a stratagem opposing you.

31Arise, go up to a nation at ease

And dwelling in confidence,

Says the Lord,

Without doors and not having a bolt.

They each dwell in a solitary way.

32And their camels will be a spoil,

And the large quantity of their cattle will be plunder,

And I will scatter them to every wind

– Those who have had their sidelocks cut –

And I will bring about their downfall

From every side of it,

Says the Lord.

33And Hazor will become a den of jackals

– An age-abiding desolation.

No man will live there,

And no son of Adam will reside in it.”

34The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, at the start of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, which said,

35“This is what the Lord of hosts says:

‘I am about to break Elam's bow

– The principal source of their strength.

36And I will bring the four winds

From the four ends of the skies on Elam,

And I will scatter them by all these winds,

And there will be no nation

Where those driven out of Elam do not go.

37And I will terrify Elam

When they face their enemies

And when they face those who seek their life.

And I will bring trouble on them

– The fury of my wrath –

Says the Lord,

And I will send the sword after them

Until I have finished them off.

38And I will place my throne in Elam,

And I will eradicate the king and officials from there,

Says the Lord.

39But it will come to pass in the latter days

That I will reverse the captivity of Elam,

Says the Lord.’ ”

Jeremiah Chapter 50 

1The word which the Lord spoke concerning Babylon – concerning the land of the Chaldeans – through the intermediacy of Jeremiah the prophet.

2“Tell it to the nations,

And proclaim it,

And raise a banner.

Proclaim it;

Do not conceal it.

Say, ‘Babylon has been captured,

Bel has been put to shame;

Merodach has been thrown into disarray.

Its images have been put to shame;

Its idols have been thrown into disarray.

3For a nation from the north has come up against it;

It will make its land a desolation,

And there will not be anyone inhabiting it.

Both man and beast will flee and depart.’

4In those days, and at that time,

Says the Lord,

The sons of Israel and the sons of Judah

Will come together.

They will go about weeping profusely,

And they will seek the Lord their God.

5They will ask for Zion

– That destination is their goal –

And say, ‘Come, and let us be joined to the Lord

In an age-abiding covenant

Which will not be forgotten.’

6My people were sheep going astray,

For their shepherds caused them to stray.

The mountains have turned them aside,

They have gone from mountain to hill;

They have forgotten their resting place.

7All who find them will devour them,

And their adversaries will say,

‘We will not incur guilt,

Because they have sinned against the Lord

– The home of righteousness,

The hope of their fathers,

The Lord.’

8Flee from Babylon

And from the Chaldeans.

Depart

And be like goats in the company of sheep.

9For I am about to arouse and bring up against Babylon

A contingent of great nations from the land of the north,

And they will draw up against it,

And from there it will be captured.

Its arrows will be like a warrior causing bereavement,

Who does not return empty-handed.

10And Chaldea will be a spoil,

And all who despoil it will be satisfied,

Says the Lord.

11For you were glad,

For you exulted,

You plunderers of my inheritance,

For you feasted yourselves like a threshing calf,

And you bellowed like strong bulls.

12Your mother will be put to great shame;

She who gave birth to you will be put to the blush.

Behold, the final state of the nations

Will be desert, parched ground,

And an arid land.

13Because of the Lord's wrath,

It will not be inhabited,

But all of it will become a desolation.

Everyone who passes by Babylon will be astonished

And will jeer at all its wrecked places.

14Draw up against Babylon around it,

All you who draw the bow.

Shoot at it;

Do not spare an arrow,

For it has sinned against the Lord.

15Shout at it all around.

It has surrendered,

Its foundations have fallen;

Its walls have been demolished,

For it is the Lord's vengeance.

Take vengeance on it;

Do to it as it has done.

16Cut off the sower from Babylon

And him who wields the sickle in the harvest season.

At the presence of the oppressing sword,

Let each man turn to his people,

And let each man flee to his own country.

17Israel is a scattered flock of sheep;

Lions have driven them out.

First the king of Assyria consumed them,

And just recently Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has broken their bones,

18Which is why this is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says:

‘I am about to visit the king of Babylon and his land,

As I visited the king of Assyria.

19And I will bring Israel back to their home,

And they will feed on Carmel and Bashan,

And their appetite will be satisfied

On Mount Ephraim and in Gilead.

20In those days and at that time,

Says the Lord,

Israel's iniquity will be sought,

But it will not be there,

And Judah's sins,

But they will not be found,

For I will pardon those

Whom I leave remaining.

21Go up against it

– Against the land of Merathaim

And against the inhabitants of Pekod.

Make them desolate and obliterate them,

Says the Lord,

And do everything I command you.

22There is the sound of war in the land,

And of extensive destruction.

23How the hammer of the whole earth is cut off and broken!

How Babylon has become an object of astonishment

Among the nations!

24I set a trap for you,

And you were duly caught, Babylon,

And you were not aware of it.

You were found and duly caught,

For you contended with the Lord.

25The Lord opened his storehouse

And brought out instruments of his indignation,

For this is the work of the Lord

– The Lord of hosts –

In the land of the Chaldeans.

26Go to it from the furthest point,

Open its granaries;

Cast it up into heaps,

And obliterate it.

Don't let it have any remnant.

27Dispatch all its bulls;

Let them go to the slaughter.

Woe to them,

For their day has come

– The time of their visitation.

28There will be the sound of those who flee,

And those who escape from the land of Babylon,

To report in Zion

The vengeance of the Lord our God

– The avenging of his temple.

29Call up the archers to go to Babylon

– All who draw the bow.

Encamp against it all around;

Do not let it have anyone who escapes.

Requite it according to its own course of action;

Do to it according to everything which it did,

For it has acted defiantly against the Lord

– Against the holy one of Israel –

30Which is why its youths will fall in its streets,

And all its warriors will be cut down on that day,

Says the Lord.

31I will soon be against you, Defiance,

Says the Lord, the Lord of hosts,

For your day is coming

– The time when I will visit you.

32And Defiance will stumble and fall;

It will have no-one to raise it up.

And I will light a fire in its cities,

Which will consume all its surrounding areas.’

33This is what the Lord of hosts says:

‘The sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been oppressed together,

And all those who took them captive

Have held on to them;

They have refused to let them go.

34Their redeemer is strong;

The Lord of hosts is his name.

He will certainly defend their cause

So as to bring calm to the land

And to bring disquiet

To the inhabitants of Babylon.

35The sword against the Chaldeans!

Says the Lord,

And against the inhabitants of Babylon,

And against its officials,

And against its wise men.

36The sword against those who falsify,

And they will be seen to have been foolish.

The sword against its valiant men,

And they will be terrified.

37The sword against his horses,

And against his chariot fleet,

And against all the mixed foreigners who are in it,

So that they become women.

The sword against its treasuries,

So that they are plundered.

38A drought on its waters,

So that they dry up,

For it is a land of carved images,

And so that they are driven mad by their monstrosities.

39So the desert creatures will live

With the animals of the coastlands,

And ostriches will live in it.

And it will never be inhabited any more,

And it will not be dwelt in from generation to generation.

40As in God's overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and its neighbours,

Says the Lord,

No man will live there,

And no son of Adam will reside there.

41Behold, a people is coming from the north,

And a great nation and many kings.

They will be stirred up

From the remote parts of the earth.

42They will wield bow and spear.

They are cruel,

And they will not show compassion.

The sound of them is as when the sea rages,

And they ride on horses.

Each will be drawn up as a man of war against you,

O daughter of Babylon.

43The king of Babylon has heard the report about them,

And his hands have become limp.

Anguish has seized him,

As has pain

As of a woman giving birth.

44Behold, he will come up like a lion

From the splendour of the Jordan

To the residence of the strong one,

For I will act all of a sudden

And make them run away from the place.

And who is chosen

So that I may appoint him over it?

For who is like me,

And who can arraign me?

And who is this shepherd

Who will stand before me?

45So hear the counsel of the Lord

With which he gave counsel concerning Babylon,

And his purposes which he has conceived

Regarding the land of the Chaldeans.

Men will certainly drag away the young of the sheep,

And he will certainly devastate their dwelling place

To their cost.

46At the sound when Babylon is captured,

The earth will shake,

And an outcry will be heard among the nations.’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 50: v.39 ↔ Revelation 18:2.

Jeremiah Chapter 51 

1This is what the Lord says:

“I am about to stir up a destructive wind against Babylon

And against the inhabitants of the Chaldees.

2And I will send foreigners to Babylon,

Who will winnow it and empty its land,

For they will be against it all around on the baneful day,

3 Against the archer who draws his bow,

And against him who exalts himself in his coat of mail.

And do not spare its young men;

Obliterate all of its army.

4And casualties will fall in the land of the Chaldeans

With men pierced through in its streets.

5For Israel has not been widowed,

Nor Judah, from their God

– From the Lord of hosts –

Although their land is full of guilt

Against the holy one of Israel.

6Flee from Babylon,

And let each save his life.

Do not be cut down in its iniquity,

For it is the time of the Lord's vengeance,

When he requites it with retribution.

7Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord's hand

A cup which made the whole earth drunk.

Nations drank its wine,

Which is why the nations are acting in a mad way.

8Babylon will fall suddenly,

And it will collapse.

Wail for it,

Fetch balsam for its wounds;

Maybe it can be healed.

9We applied healing to Babylon,

But it did not become healed.

Leave it and let each of us go to his own country,

For its case in law has reached the heavens,

And it has been raised to the skies.

10The Lord has vindicated us.

Come, let us report in Zion

What the Lord our God has done.

11Polish the arrows;

Take up the shields.

The Lord has stirred up the spirit of the kings of Media,

For his purpose is against Babylon,

To bring ruin on it,

For it is the Lord's vengeance

– The avenging of his temple.

12Raise a standard at Babylon's walls,

Make the watch strong,

Set up guards,

Prepare ambushes,

For the Lord has both purposed and will do

What he has declared

To the inhabitants of Babylon.

13You dwell by much water,

You are rich in treasures,

But your end has come

– The just deserts of your plundering.

14The Lord of hosts has sworn by himself and said,

‘I will certainly fill you with men, like devouring locusts,

And they will raise a shout against you.’

15He is the maker of the earth by his power

– The preparer of the world by his wisdom –

Who stretched out the heavens with his understanding.

16When he sounds his voice,

There is roaring of water in the sky,

And he makes vapours rise from the end of the earth.

He produces lightning with the rain,

And he brings wind out of his storehouses.

17Every man has become deficient in knowledge;

Every metalsmith has become ashamed of the idol,

For his cast figure is a false thing,

And there is no spirit in them.

18They are vanity

– A work based on delusions.

At the time of their visitation,

They will perish.

19Such is not the portion of Jacob;

Rather, it is he who is the fashioner of everything,

And of the sceptre of his inheritance

– The Lord of hosts is his name.

20You are my hammer

– Instruments of war –

And I will crush nations with you,

And I will bring ruin on kingdoms with you.

21And I will crush a horse and its rider with you,

And I will crush a chariot and its rider with you,

22And I will crush man and woman with you,

And I will crush old and young with you,

And I will crush the young man and the virgin girl with you,

23And I will crush shepherd and his flock with you,

And I will crush farmer and his yoke of oxen with you,

And I will crush governors and administrators with you.

24And I will requite Babylon

And all the inhabitants of the Chaldees

For all the harm they have done to Zion before your eyes,

Says the Lord.

25I am here against you,

You mountain which bring ruin,

Says the Lord,

You who bring ruin on the whole earth,

And I have stretched out my hand against you,

And I will roll you down from the rocks,

And I will make you a blazing mountain.

26And they will not take from you stone for a cornerstone,

Or stone for foundations,

For you will be an age-abiding desolate area,

Says the Lord.

27Raise a standard in the land,

Sound the ramshorn among the nations,

Consecrate nations against it;

Summon against it the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz.

Appoint a general against it;

Bring up horses like the bristly devouring locust.

28Consecrate nations against it

– The kings of Media,

Their governors and all their administrators,

And the whole land under its rule.

29And the land will shake and tremble,

For the purposes of the Lord will be established against Babylon

So as to make the land of Babylon a desolation

Without an inhabitant.

30The warriors of Babylon have stopped fighting;

They have remained in the fortresses.

Their valour has ebbed away,

They have become women,

Its homes have been burned;

Its bolts have been broken.

31One runner is running towards another,

And one messenger towards another,

To tell the king of Babylon

That his city has been captured

From end to end.

32And the fords have been captured,

And the reedy places have been burned with fire,

And the combatants have become terrified.

33For this is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says:

‘The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor

At the time for it to be trodden.

In a little while,

The time of harvesting it will come.’ ”

34“Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon has devoured me,

He has routed me,

He has presented me as an empty vessel,

He has swallowed me as a crocodile does,

He has filled his belly with my delightful things;

He has driven me out.

35The violence I have suffered

And that of my kin

Be on Babylon”,

The inhabitant of Zion will say.

“And may my blood be on the inhabitants of the Chaldees”,

Jerusalem will say.

36Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“I am about to plead your case,

And I will take your revenge,

And I will dry up its sea,

And I will cause failure of its water-source.

37And Babylon will become heaps of stones,

A den of jackals,

A desolation and a laughing stock,

Without an inhabitant.

38They will roar together like lion cubs;

They will growl like the whelp of lionesses.

39When they are in a state of arousal,

I will lay on a banquet for them,

And I will make them drunk

So that they exult

And sleep an age-abiding sleep

And do not wake up,

Says the Lord.

40I will bring them down

Like fatted lambs to the slaughter,

Like rams with he-goats.

41How Babylon has been captured!

And how the object of praise of the whole earth has been seized!

How Babylon has become an object of astonishment among the nations.

42The sea came up to Babylon;

It was covered by the vast quantity of its waves.

43Its towns became a desolation

– A land of drought and aridity.

A land in whose towns no man can live,

And through which no son of Adam will pass.

44And I will visit Bel in Babylon,

And I will eject from his mouth what he has swallowed,

And the nations will no longer stream to him.

Indeed, Babylon's wall will fall.

45Come out of it, my people,

And let each man save himself

From the furious anger of the Lord.

46And so that your heart does not become faint,

And you become afraid at the report heard in the land,

When a report comes in one year,

And after it a report in the next year,

And there is violence in the land

– With ruler against ruler –

47Behold, the days are coming

When I will visit the carved images of Babylon,

And all its land will be put to shame,

And all its casualties will fall within its precincts.

48And heaven and earth and all who are in them will be jubilant about Babylon,

For the plunderers will come against it from the north,

Says the Lord.

49Babylon was both the cause of Israel's casualties falling,

And it was because of Babylon

That the casualties of the whole earth fell.

50You who have escaped the sword,

Go away; do not stand still.

Remember the Lord when you are far away,

And let Jerusalem come to mind.

51We were ashamed when we heard the reproach;

Ignominy covered our faces,

For foreigners had arrived at the sanctuaries of the house of the Lord.

52That is why, behold, the days are coming,

Says the Lord,

When I will visit its idols,

And throughout all its land

The wounded will groan.

53Even if Babylon rises to the skies,

Or if it fortifies itself to the height of its strength,

Plunderers will go to it

At my instigation,

Says the Lord.

54Hear a sound of an outcry from Babylon,

And of widescale destruction from the land of the Chaldeans.

55For the Lord is ravaging Babylon,

And he has silenced its loud voice,

As their waves rage like mighty waters,

As their tumultuous sound rings out.

56For the plunderer has come against it

– Against Babylon –

And its warriors will be captured,

And their bows will each be broken in pieces,

For the Lord is a God of retributions;

He will certainly requite them.

57And I will make its officers and its wise men,

And its governors and its administrators and its warriors,

Drunk,

And they will sleep an age-abiding sleep,

And they will not wake up,

Says the king

– The Lord of hosts is his name.”

58This is what the Lord of hosts says:

“The wide walls of Babylon will certainly be demolished,

And its tall gates will be burned with fire,

And various peoples will toil quite in vain,

And nations will become weary,

With so much fire.”

59The words with which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah, the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah king of Judah to Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign, when Seraiah was the officer for security, 60for Jeremiah wrote in a book all the trouble which would come over Babylon – all those things which have been written concerning Babylon. 61And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “When you arrive in Babylon, then look and read all these words. 62And say, ‘Lord, you have spoken against this place, that you will cut it off so that it has no inhabitant, neither man nor beast, for it will be an age-abiding desolation.’ 63And it will come to pass, when you have finished reading this book, that you will bind a stone to it, and you will cast it into the Euphrates. 64And you will say, ‘This is how Babylon will sink and will not rise, because of the trouble which I am bringing on it, and they will become weary.’ ” Those were the words of Jeremiah.

Reference(s) in Chapter 51: v.6 ↔ Revelation 18:4 ● v.8 ↔ Revelation 14:8, Revelation 18:2 ● v.61 ↔ Revelation 18:21 ● v.62 ↔ Revelation 18:21 ● v.63 ↔ Revelation 18:21 ● v.64 ↔ Revelation 18:21.

Jeremiah Chapter 52 

1Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he started to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years. And the name of his mother was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah. 2And he did what was wrong in the sight of the Lord, like everything that Jehoiakim did. 3For it was on account of the wrath of the Lord that this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had banished them from his presence. Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon – he himself and all his army – came against Jerusalem, and they encamped against it, and they built a wall of circumvallation around it. 5And the city came under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 6In the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the famine in the city became severe, and there was no bread for the people of the land. 7And the city was breached, and all the warriors fled and departed from the city at night, through the gate between the two walls which were alongside the king's garden, while the Chaldeans were alongside the city around it. And the warriors went by the road through the arid tract. 8Then the Chaldean army pursued the king, and they caught up with Zedekiah in the arid tracts of Jericho, and all his army dispersed themselves away from him. 9And they caught the king, and they brought him up to the king of Babylon in Riblah in the land of Hamath, and sentence was passed on him. 10And the king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah's sons in his sight, and he also slaughtered all the officials of Judah in Riblah. 11He also blinded Zedekiah's eyes, and he bound him in fetters, and the king of Babylon brought him to Babylon, and he kept him in prison until the day of his death. 12And in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that is the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the chief guard came, who stood before the king of Babylon in Jerusalem, 13and he burnt the house of the Lord and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and he burnt every high-ranking person's house with fire. 14And the whole army of the Chaldeans, who were under the chief guard, demolished all the walls of Jerusalem surrounding it. 15And Nebuzaradan the chief guard deported some of the poor among the people, and the rest of the people who remained in the city, and the defectors who had defected to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the population. 16But Nebuzaradan the chief guard left some of the poor of the land to be vine-growers and ploughmen. 17And the Chaldeans broke up the copper columns of the house of the Lord, and the plinths, and the copper artificial sea which was in the house of the Lord, and they carried all the copper taken from them to Babylon. 18And they took the pans and the shovels and the snuffers and the sprinkling basins and the ladles and all the copper equipment with which they served. 19And the chief guard took the dishes and the firepans and the sprinkling basins and the pans and the lampstands and the ladles and the vials, which were of solid gold and which were of solid silver. 20As for the two columns, the one artificial sea, and the twelve copper oxen which were beneath its bottom, which King Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, the copper of all this equipment was of inestimable weight. 21And regarding the columns, eighteen cubits was the height of each column, and a cord of twelve cubits went round it, and its thickness was four fingers, and it was hollow. 22And the capital on it was of copper, and the height of the first capital was five cubits, and the trellis and the pomegranates on the capital around it were all of copper, and the second column had the same features and pomegranates. 23And the pomegranates were ninety-six in number on the exposed sides. The total number of pomegranates on the trellis was one hundred around it. 24And the chief guard took Seraiah the head priest, and Zephaniah the second most senior priest, and the three doorkeepers, 25and from the city he took one eunuch who was in charge of the warriors, and seven men from those who attended to the king, who were present in the city, and the scribe who was a commander of the army, who mobilized the people of the land, and sixty men from the people of the land who were present inside the city, 26and Nebuzaradan the chief guard took them and led them to the king of Babylon in Riblah. 27Then the king of Babylon struck them down and killed them in Riblah in the land of Hamath. And Judah was deported from its land. 28This is the number of people whom Nebuchadrezzar deported. In the seventh year, three thousand and twenty-three Jews; 29in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar, eight hundred and thirty-two people from Jerusalem. 30In the twenty-third year of Nebuchadrezzar, Nebuzaradan the chief guard deported seven hundred and forty-five Jewish persons. And the total number of people was four thousand and six hundred. 31And it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the deportation of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, that Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the year when he started to reign, gave Jehoiachin king of Judah his liberty, and he brought him out of the prison. 32And he spoke welcome words to him, and he appointed his throne above the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 33And he changed his prison clothes, and he ate food regularly in his presence all the days of his life. 34And as for his meals, a regular meal was given to him by the king of Babylon as a day-to-day matter until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

Ezekiel  

Ezekiel Chapter 1 

1Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, when I was among the deportees at the River Chebar, that the heavens opened, and I saw visions from God. 2On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of the deportation of King Jehoiachin, 3the word of the Lord explicitly came to Ezekiel the son of Buzi, the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans, at the River Chebar, and the hand of the Lord came on him there. 4And I looked, and what I saw was a stormy wind coming from the north – a large cloud and a self-perpetuating fire which had a glare around it, and in the middle of it was a kind of amber, in the middle of the fire. 5And in the middle of it was an apparition of four beings, and their appearance was like this: they had a similarity to a man, 6but each had four faces, and they each had four wings. 7And their legs were straight, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of calf's foot, and they glittered like the gleam of untarnished copper. 8And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides, and the four of them had faces and wings. 9Their wings were joined one to another, and they did not turn round as they moved. Each one moved straight forwards. 10And the appearance of their faces was the face of a man, and the four of them had the face of a lion on the right, and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left, and the four of them had the face of an eagle. 11Both their faces and their wings pointed upwards. Each had two wings joined to each other, and two wings covering their bodies. 12And each moved straight forwards. They went wherever the spirit was about to go. They did not turn round as they moved. 13And as for a characterization of the beings, their appearance was like burning fiery coals; it was like the appearance of torches, moving about between the beings, and the fire had a glow, and lightning came out of the fire. 14And the beings ran back and forth, in the likeness of lightning. 15And I looked at the beings, and what I saw was a wheel on the ground, next to the beings which had four faces. 16The appearance of the wheels and their nature was like the sparkling of a Tarshish gem, and the four of them had the same appearance. And their form and fashion was as a wheel inside a wheel is. 17When they moved, they went in the direction of their four sides; they did not turn round as they moved. 18And they had high wheel rims, and they were fearsome, and their rims were full of eyes around them – for all four of them. 19As the beings moved, the wheels moved alongside them, and as the beings were lifted above the ground, the wheels were lifted too. 20They went wherever the spirit would be going – to where the spirit was to go. And the wheels were lifted up in concert with them, for the spirit of the being was in the wheels. 21When they moved, these moved, and when they stopped, these stopped, and when they were lifted above the ground, the wheels were lifted up in concert with them, for the spirit of the being was in the wheels. 22And the appearance of what was above the heads of the beings was an expanse, like the sparkle of an awesome sheet of ice, spread out over their heads high up. 23And under the expanse were their straight wings, facing each other. Each being had two covering their bodies on one side, and each had two covering on the other side. 24And I heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of much running water, like the sound of the Almighty, as they moved – a tumultuous noise like the sound of a military encampment. When they stood still, they let their wings down. 25And there was a sound above the expanse which was over their heads. When they stood still, they let their wings down. 26And above the expanse which was over their heads was something with the appearance of a sapphire gemstone, as an apparition of a throne, and on the apparition of the throne was an apparition with the appearance of a man on it high up. 27And I saw the lustre of amber, like the appearance of fire inside it all around, from the appearance of his waist and upwards. And as for the appearance of his waist and downwards, I saw something with the appearance of fire which had a glow all around. 28As is the appearance of a rainbow, which is present in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the glow all around. It was the appearance of the manifestation of the glory of the Lord, and when I saw it, I fell face down and heard a voice speaking.

Ezekiel Chapter 2 

1And he said to me, “Son of Adam, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2And the spirit came into me as he spoke to me, and it stood me up on my feet, and I heard him who was speaking to me. 3And he said to me, “Son of Adam, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to the nations which are rebelling, which have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have been transgressing against me, up to this very day. 4And their sons are brazen-faced and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you will say to them, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says.’ 5And whether they heed it, or whether they decline to – for they are a rebellious house – they will know that a prophet was among them. 6And you, son of Adam, do not fear them, and do not fear their words, even though you will be among briars and thorns, and you will be living among scorpions. Do not be afraid of their words, and do not fear them, although they are a rebellious house. 7And you will speak my words to them, whether they heed them or whether they decline to, for they are rebellious. 8But you, son of Adam, hear what I am speaking to you. Do not be rebellious like the rebellious house. Open your mouth and consume what I give you.” 9And I looked, and what I saw was a hand stretched out towards me, and there was a book-scroll in it. 10And he spread it out in front of me, and it was written on, on the inside and on the back. And lamentations and grieving and mourning were written on it.

Reference(s) in Chapter 2: v.9 ↔ Revelation 5:1 ● v.10 ↔ Revelation 5:1.

Ezekiel Chapter 3 

1And he said to me, “Son of Adam, eat what you find; eat this scroll, then go and speak to the house of Israel.” 2So I opened my mouth, and he fed me that scroll. 3Then he said to me, “Son of Adam, feed your stomach and fill your bowels with this scroll which I am giving you.” So I ate it, and it was like honey in my mouth because of its sweetness. 4And he said to me, “Son of Adam, depart; go to the house of Israel, and speak to them with my words. 5For you are not being sent to a people of an unintelligible language or of a difficult tongue, but to the house of Israel 6– not to many nations of an unintelligible language or a difficult tongue whose words you would not understand. But it is certain that if I had sent you to them, they would have heeded you. 7But the house of Israel will not be willing to heed you, for they are not willing to heed me, for the whole house of Israel is impudent and obstinate. 8Look, I have made you firm in resolve against their resolve, and you strong in determination against their determination. 9As diamond is harder than flint, so I have made your determination. Do not be afraid of them and do not fear them, although they are a rebellious house.” 10And he said to me, “Son of Adam, take to your heart all the words which I speak to you, and hear with your ears. 11And depart and go to the deportees, to the sons of your people, and speak to them, and say to them, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says’, whether they heed it, or whether they decline to do so.” 12Then the spirit took me up, and I heard the sound of a loud rushing noise behind me, saying, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord in its own place.” 13And I heard the sound of the wings of the beings touching each other, and the sound of the wheels in concert with them, and a loud rushing sound. 14And the spirit lifted me up and took me along, and I went feeling bitter in my exasperation, but the strong hand of the Lord was on me. 15And I went to the deportees in Tel-Abib, who lived at the River Chebar, and I sat where they sat for seven days in astonishment among them. 16And it came to pass after seven days that the word of the Lord came to me and said, 17“Son of Adam, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel, and you will hear the word from my mouth, and you will give them warning on my behalf. 18When I say to the wicked man, ‘You will certainly die’, but when you haven't warned him, and you haven't spoken so as to warn the wicked man to turn from his wicked way, so as to preserve his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will require his blood from your hand. 19But if you do warn the wicked man, yet he does not turn away from his wickedness and from his evil way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved your life. 20And if a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. If you have not warned him, he will die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he did will not be remembered, and I will require his blood at your hand. 21But if you do warn the righteous that the righteous must not sin, and he does not sin, he will certainly live, because he was warned, and you will have saved your life.” 22And the hand of the Lord was on me there, and he said to me, “Arise, go out to the valley, and I will speak with you there.” 23So I arose and went out to the valley, and what I saw was the glory of the Lord standing there, like the glory which I saw at the River Chebar, and I fell face down. 24Then the spirit entered me and stood me up on my feet and spoke with me and said to me, “Go and shut yourself up inside your house. 25And you, son of Adam, be aware that they will put you in bonds and bind you with them so that you will not be able to go out among those people. 26And I will make your tongue stick to your palate, and you will become mute, and they will not have anyone to convict them, for they are a rebellious house. 27Then when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you will say to them, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Let him who hears, hear, and let him who declines to, decline» ’, for they are a rebellious house.

Reference(s) in Chapter 3: v.1 ↔ Revelation 10:9 ● v.3 ↔ Revelation 10:9.

Ezekiel Chapter 4 

1But you, son of Adam, get yourself a tile, and place it in front of you, and engrave on it a city – Jerusalem. 2And lay a siege to it, and build a wall of circumvallation against it, and throw up a rampart against it, and put encampments against it, and place battering rams against it all round. 3And get yourself an iron baking dish, and place it as an iron wall between yourself and the city, and be resolute against it, and it will come under siege, and you will besiege it. It is a sign to the house of Israel. 4And lie on your left hand side, and put the iniquity of the house of Israel on it. You will bear their iniquity according to the number of days you lie on it. 5And I will impose on you the years of their iniquity according to the number of days – three hundred and ninety days. So you will bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6And you will complete these days. Then you will lie a second time, on your right hand side, and you will bear the iniquity of the house of Judah for forty days. A day for a year, a day for a year is what I have appointed you. 7So be resolute with the siege of Jerusalem, and have your arm exposed when you prophesy against it. 8And look, I will put bonds on you, and you will not turn over from side to side until you have completed the days of your siege. 9And get yourself some wheat and barley and beans and lentils and millet and spelt, and put them in a receptacle, and make them into bread for yourself, according to the number of days for which you will be lying on your side. You will eat it for three hundred and ninety days. 10And your portion which you will eat will be twenty shekels in weight per day. From time to time you shall eat it. 11And you will drink water by measure – a sixth of a hin. From time to time you will drink. 12And you will eat barley cake, and you will bake it in their sight using stools of human excrement.” 13Then the Lord said, “That is how the sons of Israel will eat their unclean bread among the nations to which I will drive them.” 14Then I said, “Alas, my Lord the Lord, look, I myself have not been defiled, and I have not eaten a corpse or anything preyed on from my youth up to now, and no abominable flesh has come to my mouth.” 15Then he said to me, “Look, I will allow you ox dung instead of human stools, and you will make your bread over that.” 16And he said to me, “Son of Adam, I am about to break the supply of bread in Jerusalem, and they will eat bread in weighed out amounts, and with anxiety, and they will drink water in measured amounts and in bewilderment, 17because they will lack bread and water, and they will be astonished at one another, and they will waste away in their iniquity.

Ezekiel Chapter 5 

1And you, son of Adam, get yourself a sharp sword; get yourself a barber's razor, and pass it over your head and over your chin, and get yourself some scales for weighing, and divide the hair. 2Burn one third in a fire in the middle of the city when the days of the siege have been completed, and take one third and strike with the sword around it, and scatter one third in the wind, for I will draw out a sword after them. 3Then take a small number of them, and bind them to the hems of your cloak. 4And take some more of them, and cast them into the fire, and burn them in the fire. A fire will come out from this to the whole house of Israel.” 5This is what my Lord the Lord says: “This is Jerusalem. I have placed it in the middle of the nations and the countries around it. 6But it has turned against my justice for wickedness worse than that of the nations, and it has changed my statutes for what is worse than those of the countries which are around it, for they have rejected my judicial pronouncements, and as for my statutes, they have not walked in them.” 7That is why this is what my Lord the Lord says: “Since you are raging more than the nations which are around you, and you do not walk in my statutes, and you do not carry out my judicial pronouncements, and you have not carried out the judicial pronouncements of the nations which are around you” 8– so says my Lord the Lord – “I, indeed I, am against you, and I will carry out judgments in your midst, in the eyes of the nations. 9And I will do with you what I have never done, and what I will not do the like of again, on account of all your abominations. 10That is why fathers will eat their sons in your midst, and sons will eat their fathers, and I will carry out judgments in you, and I will scatter all your remnant to every wind. 11That is why, as I live” – says my Lord the Lord – “it is most certainly because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your abhorrent things, and with all your abominations, that I for my part will bring about a dearth, and my eye will not pity, nor will I spare. 12One third of you will die in the plague, and they will come to an end in the famine in your midst, and one third will fall by the sword all around you, and I will scatter one third to every wind, and I will draw out the sword after them. 13And my anger will be expended, and I will bring my fury down on them, and I will be consoled, and they will know that I, the Lord, have spoken in my zeal when I expend my fury on them. 14And I will make you a ruin and an object of reproach among the nations which are around you, in the eyes of every one passing through. 15And it will become an object of reproach and revilement, of admonition and astonishment to the nations which are around you, when I execute justice against you in anger and in fury and in furious castigation. I, the Lord, have spoken. 16When I send the baneful arrows of famine against them, which will bring ruin, which I will send to bring ruin on you, I will increase the famine on you, and I will break the supply of your bread. 17So I will send a famine over you, and wild animals, and they will bereave you. And pestilence and bloodshed will pass through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

Ezekiel Chapter 6 

1And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, direct yourself towards the mountains of Israel, and prophesy to them, 3and say, ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of my Lord the Lord. This is what my Lord the Lord says to the mountains and to the hills, to the torrents and to the valleys: «I am about to bring the sword against you, and I will destroy your idolatrous raised sites. 4And your altars will be devastated, and your sun-images will be broken down, and I will cause your casualties to fall in the presence of your idols. 5And I will place the corpses of the sons of Israel in front of their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars. 6In all your inhabited regions, the cities will be devastated, and the idolatrous raised sites will be made desolate, so that your altars are devastated and are laid waste, and your idols are broken and put an end to, and your sun-images are broken apart, and your works are obliterated. 7And he who is a casualty will fall in your midst, and you will know that I am the Lord. 8But I will leave some remaining so that you have some who escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered in the various countries. 9And those of your company who escape will remember me among the nations where they have been taken prisoner, because I have been afflicted with their licentious heart, which has departed from me, and with their eyes lusting after their idols. And they will abhor themselves for the evil which they have done with all their abominations. 10And they will know that I, the Lord, have not spoken in vain that I would do this harm to them.» ’ 11This is what my Lord the Lord says: ‘Strike with your hand and stamp with your foot, and say, «Alas for all the evil abominations, O house of Israel, for the people will fall by the sword and in the famine and by the pestilence. 12He who is far off will die in the pestilence, and he who is nearby will fall by the sword, and he who remains and survives those will die in the famine. So I will expend my fury on them. 13And you will know that I am the Lord when their casualties are among their idols around their altars, on every high hill and on all the summits of the mountains and under every luxuriant tree and under every bushy terebinth, in the place where they presented a sweet fragrance to all their idols. 14And I will stretch my hand out against them, and I will make the land a desolation, indeed more desolate than the Desert of Diblath, throughout all their inhabited regions, and they will know that I am the Lord.» ’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 7 

1Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Now as for you, son of Adam, this is what the Lord, the Lord, says:

‘The ground of Israel is at an end.

The end is coming over the four corners of the land.

3Now the end has come over you,

And I will send my anger against you,

And I will judge you according to your ways,

And I will lay on you all your abominations.

4My eye will not have pity on you,

And I will not show compassion,

But I will lay your ways on you,

And your abominations will be in your midst,

And you will know

That I am the Lord.’

5This is what the Lord, the Lord, says:

‘A calamity – one calamity –

Behold,

It is coming.

6An end is coming,

The end is coming;

It is looming over you.

Behold,

It is coming.

7The turning point has come to you,

You inhabitant of the land.

The time has come,

The day is near;

There is tumult,

And not joyous shouting,

In the mountains.

8Now I will shortly pour out my fury over you,

And I will expend my anger against you,

And I will judge you according to your ways,

And I will lay on you all your abominations.

9My eye will not have pity,

And I will not show compassion.

As your ways are,

So I will lay them on you,

And your abominations will be in your midst,

And you will know that it is I, the Lord,

Who am doing the striking.

10Behold the day;

Behold, it is coming.

The turning point has arisen.

The sceptre has flourished;

The insolence has blossomed.

11Violence has arisen as a rod for wickedness,

Not from them or from their own population,

And not from a single one of them.

And there will be no lamentation for them.

12The time has come;

The day has arrived.

Don't let the buyer rejoice,

And don't let the seller mourn,

For there is fury over all its population.

13For the seller will not return to what is sold

As long as they still live,

For the vision is about the whole of its population,

Which will not return,

And no-one will establish himself in his life

By his iniquity.

14They have blown the trumpet,

And they have prepared everything,

But there is no-one going to battle,

For over the whole of its population is my fury.

15There is the sword outside

And pestilence and famine inside.

He who is in the field will die by the sword,

And as for him who is in the city,

Famine and pestilence will consume him.

16But there will be some of them who escape,

And they will be on the mountains like the doves of the valleys,

All cooing,

Each for his own iniquity.

17All hands will become feeble,

And all knees will melt like water.

18And they will gird themselves with sackcloth,

And terror will cover them,

And there will be shame on every face,

And baldness on all their heads.

19They will discard their silver in the streets,

And their gold will become menstrual uncleanness.

Their silver and their gold will not be able to save them

On the day of the Lord's wrath.

They do not satisfy their desires,

And they do not fulfil their yearnings,

For it has become a stumbling block

Resulting from their iniquity.

20And as for his ornamental splendour,

He set it in his pre-eminent place,

But they made their abominable and obscene images in it,

Which is why I have made it

A menstrually unclean thing to them.

21And I will deliver it into the hand of foreigners as spoil

And to the wicked of the earth as plunder,

And they will defile it.

22And I will turn my face away from them,

And my hidden treasure will be defiled

When raiders come to it

And defile it.

23Make a chain,

For the land is full of judicial cases of bloodshed,

And the city is full of violence.

24And I will bring wicked men from the Gentiles,

Who will inherit their houses.

And I will put a stop to the arrogance of the powerful,

And their sanctifiers will pass on the inheritance.

25Wreckage is coming,

And they will seek peace,

But there won't be any.

26Calamity upon calamity will come,

And there will be rumour upon rumour,

And they will seek a vision from a prophet,

But the priest will be devoid of the law,

And the elders will be devoid of counsel.

27The king will mourn,

And the prince will wear clothes displaying desolation,

And the hands of the people of the land will be made to tremble.

I will do to them

According to their way,

And I will judge them

With their own judgments,

And they will know

That I am the Lord.’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 8 

1Then it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting in front of me, that the hand of my Lord the Lord fell on me there. 2And I looked, and what I saw was an apparition like fire in appearance, and from its waist downwards it was like fire in appearance, and from its waist upwards it was of a brightness like the gleam of amber in appearance. 3And it stretched out the form of a hand, and it took me by a lock of the hair of my head, and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heavens, and it brought me to Jerusalem in the visions of God, to the entrance of the inner gate which faces north, where there is the site of the figure of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy. 4And behold, there was there the glory of the God of Israel, like the vision which I saw in the valley. 5And he said to me, “Son of Adam, please lift up your eyes towards the north.” So I lifted up my eyes towards the north, and what I saw in the north at the Altar Gate was this figure of jealousy at the entrance. 6And he said to me, “Son of Adam, do you see what they are making – gross abominations which the house of Israel is making here, nothing like what should be my sanctuary? But look once again at the gross abominations.” 7And he brought me to the entrance of the courtyard, and I looked, and what I saw was a hole in the wall. 8And he said to me, “Son of Adam, please hack through the wall.” So I hacked through the wall, and what I saw was a door. 9Then he said to me, “Come and see the evil abominations which they are making here.” 10So I went and looked, and what I saw was every species of reptile and animal – an abomination. And all the idols of the house of Israel were engraved on a wall all around. 11And there were seventy men from the elders of the house of Israel standing before them, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them, and each had his censer in his hand, and a profuse cloud of incense-smoke was rising. 12And he said to me, “Have you seen, son of Adam, what the elders of the house of Israel do in darkness – each in his galleries with showpieces? For they say, ‘The Lord does not see us; the Lord has left the earth.’ ” 13Then he said to me, “Look once again at the gross abominations which they are perpetrating.” 14Then he brought me to the entrance of the gate of the house of the Lord, which is on the north side, and what I saw there was women sitting and bewailing Tammuz. 15And he said to me, “Have you seen it, son of Adam? Look once again and see abominations which are more gross than those.” 16Then he brought me to the inner court of the house of the Lord, and what I saw at the door to the temple of the Lord between the portico and the altar was about twenty-five men with their behinds pointing towards the temple of the Lord, and their faces to the east, and they were prostrating themselves eastwards, to the sun. 17And he said to me, “Have you seen, son of Adam? Is it a light thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they are perpetrating here? For they have filled the land with violence, and they have again provoked me to anger, and there they are stretching out a phallic branch to my nose. 18So I for my part will act in fury. My eye will not have pity, and I will not show compassion, and although they may cry out in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”

Ezekiel Chapter 9 

1Then he exclaimed in my ears in a loud voice and said, “Draw up the city's body of officers, with each man having his weapon of destruction in his hand.” 2And it so happened that six men were coming from the direction of the Upper Gate, which faces northwards, each with his weapon for bludgeoning in his hand, and one man among them dressed in fine linen, with a scribe's inkhorn at his waist, and they came and stood alongside the copper altar. 3And the glory of the God of Israel was removed from the cherub on which it was, to the threshold of the house. And he called out to the man who was dressed in fine linen, who had a scribe's inkhorn at his waist, 4and the Lord said to him, “Pass through the middle of the city – through the middle of Jerusalem – and put a mark on the foreheads of those men who are sighing and groaning about all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.” 5And to those officers he said in my hearing, “Pass through the city after him, and strike. Do not let your eye have pity, and do not show compassion. 6You shall kill, giving no quarter, the old, the young man and the virgin, and children and women, but do not approach any person who has the mark on him, and start from my sanctuary.” So they started with the elders who were in front of the house. 7And he said to them, “Defile the house and fill the courts with those killed. Out you go.” So they went out and struck in the city. 8And it came to pass, as they were striking, that I was left, and I fell face down, and I cried out, and I said, “Alas, my Lord the Lord, are you destroying the whole remainder of Israel, as you pour out your fury over Jerusalem?” 9And he said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land has been filled with bloodshed, and the city is full of wresting of justice, for they have said, ‘The Lord has left the earth’, and, ‘The Lord is not looking.’ 10So for my part, my eye will not have pity, and I will not show compassion. I will put their way on their head.” 11And then the man dressed in fine linen, who had the inkhorn at his waist, reported back and said, “I have done what you commanded.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 9: v.4 ↔ Revelation 7:3, Revelation 9:4.

Ezekiel Chapter 10 

1And I looked, and what I saw on the expanse which was over the heads of the cherubim was a kind of sapphire gemstone, with the appearance of a figure of a throne, appearing above them. 2And he spoke to the man dressed in fine linen, and he said, “Come between the wheels, under the cherub, and fill your fist with fiery burning coals from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” And he came in my sight. 3Now the cherubim were standing on the right hand side of the house as the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court. 4And the glory of the Lord was lifted up from the cherub, and it was placed on the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the glow of the glory of the Lord. 5And the sound of the cherubim's wings was heard as far as the outer court, like the sound of God Almighty when he speaks. 6Then it came to pass, when he had commanded the man who was dressed in fine linen, saying, “Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubim”, that he went and stood beside the wheel. 7Then the cherub stretched out his hand between the cherubim into the fire which was between the cherubim and lifted some up and put it in the fists of the one dressed in fine linen, which he took and went out. 8And the shape of a man's hand appeared to the cherubim under their wings. 9And I looked, and what I saw was four wheels alongside the cherubim. One wheel was alongside one cherub, and one wheel was alongside another cherub, and the appearance of the wheels was like the gleam of a Tarshish gemstone. 10And as for their appearances, the four of them had one profile, as a wheel within a wheel. 11When they moved, they went in the direction of their four sides. They did not turn as they moved, but whatever the direction was in which their head was pointing, they followed it. They did not turn when they moved. 12And their whole body and their backs and their hands and their wings and the wheels were full of eyes all around, the four of them having their wheels. 13Their wheels were called, as I heard it, the roller. 14And each one had four faces. One face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third was the face of a lion, and the fourth was the face of an eagle. 15Then the cherubim were lifted up. That was the being which I saw at the River Chebar. 16And as the cherubim moved, the wheels moved alongside them. And when the cherubim lifted their wings to raise themselves above the ground, the wheels did not turn, even though they were alongside them. 17When they stopped, these stopped, and when they were lifted, these were lifted with them, for the spirit of the being was in them. 18Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the house and remained over the cherubim. 19Then the cherubim raised their wings and lifted themselves up from the earth in my sight as they departed, and the wheels were in concert with them, and each stood at the entrance of the Eastern Gate of the house of the Lord, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them coming from above. 20This was the being which I saw under the God of Israel at the River Chebar, and I knew that they were the cherubim. 21Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings, and there was a likeness of the hands of a man under their wings. 22And as for the form of their faces, they were the faces which I saw at the River Chebar, in appearance and identity. Each one moved straight forward.

Ezekiel Chapter 11 

1Then the spirit lifted me up and brought me to the Eastern Gate of the house of the Lord, which faces eastwards, and what I saw at the entrance of the gate was twenty-five men, and among them I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, public officials. 2And he said to me, “Son of Adam, these are the men who are devising subterfuge, and who are planning evil schemes in this city, 3who say, ‘Do not build houses in the near future. It is the pot, and we are the meat.’ 4So prophesy against them; prophesy, son of Adam.” 5Then the spirit of the Lord fell on me, and he said to me, “Say, ‘This is what the Lord says: «You have spoken in this way, O house of Israel, and I know what arises in your mind. 6You are responsible for many casualties in this city, and you have filled the outlying areas with casualties. 7That is why this is what my Lord the Lord says: ‹It is your casualties, whom you have put in the middle of it, who are the meat, and this is the pot, but I will take you out of it. 8You fear the sword, and it is the sword that I will bring on you, says the Lord, the Lord. 9And I will take you out of it and deliver you into the hand of foreigners, and I will execute judgments among you. 10You will fall by the sword; I will judge you at the border of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord. 11It will not be a pot to you, although you are meat in it. I will judge you at the border of Israel. 12And you will know that I am the Lord in whose statutes you have not walked, whose judgments you have not administered, but you have acted according to the judgments of the nations which are around you.› » ’ ” 13And it came to pass, as I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. And I fell face down, and I cried out in a loud voice, and I said, “Alas, my Lord the Lord, you are making an end of the remnant of Israel.” 14Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 15“Son of Adam, there are your brothers, your brothers, men who are of your wider family, and the whole house of Israel in its entirety, to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Distance yourselves from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a possession.’ 16So say, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Although I have removed them to the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the various countries, I have nevertheless been a sanctuary to a certain extent in the countries to which they have gone.» ’ 17So say, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «I will both gather you from the various peoples and collect you from the various countries in which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. 18And they will come there, and they will remove all its obscenities and all its abominations from it. 19And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit in your inner parts, and I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh, and I will give them a heart of flesh, 20in order for them to walk in my statutes, and to keep my judicial ways, and to carry them out. And they will be my people, and I will be their God. 21But to those whose heart is set on their obscenities, and whose heart walks after their abominations, I will place their way on their head, says the Lord, the Lord.» ’ ” 22Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels in concert with them, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them coming from above. 23And the glory of the Lord went up from the middle of the city, and it stood over the mountain which is to the east of the city. 24Then the spirit lifted me up and brought me to Chaldea, to the deportees, in a vision by the spirit of God, then the vision which I had seen went up away from me. 25And I described to the deportees all the things of the Lord which he had shown me.

Ezekiel Chapter 12 

1Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, you are living among a rebellious house – those who have eyes to see but do not see, and who have ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house. 3But you, son of Adam, make yourself articles for your deportation, and deport yourself by day in their sight, and deport yourself from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will see, although they are a rebellious house. 4And you will bring out your articles – articles for your deportation – by day in their sight, then you will come out in the evening in their sight, like people being deported. 5In their sight, hack your way through the wall and bring your articles out through it. 6Carry them on your shoulder in their sight. Bring them out after sunset. Cover your face, and do not look at the land, for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.” 7So I did so, as I had been commanded. I brought out my articles – namely articles for my deportation – by day, and in the evening I hacked my way through the wall by hand, and after sunset I brought them out on my shoulder, and I carried them in their sight. 8Then the word of the Lord came to me in the morning and said, 9“Son of Adam, did the house of Israel, the rebellious house, say to you, ‘What are you doing?’? 10Say to them, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «This oracle is about the prince in Jerusalem and the whole house of Israel among whom they are.» ’ 11Say, ‘I am your sign. As I have done, so shall it be done to them in deportation. They will go into captivity. 12And the prince who is among them will carry his articles on his shoulder, after sunset, and he will go out. They will hack through the wall to bring their articles out through it. He will hide his face, because he will not see what is before his eyes – the land.’ 13And I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my netting, and I will bring him to Babylon – the land of the Chaldeans – but he will not see it, and he will die there. 14And I will scatter all who are around him – his support and all his governmental departments – to every wind, and I will draw out the sword after them. 15And they will know that I am the Lord when I disperse them among the Gentiles, when I scatter them in the various countries. 16But I will leave over a small number of their men, remaining from the sword and from famine and from disease, in order that they may describe all their abominations among the Gentiles where they go, and they will know that I am the Lord.” 17Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 18“Son of Adam, you will eat your bread with trembling, and you will drink your water with trepidation and with anxiety. 19And you shall say to the people of the land, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and concerning the land of Israel: «They will eat their bread with anxiety, and they will drink their water with bewilderment, because its land will be stripped of its fulness, owing to the violence of all the inhabitants in it. 20For the inhabited cities will become waste, and the land will become a desolation, and you will know that I am the Lord.» ’ ” 21Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 22“Son of Adam, what does this saying of yours concerning the land of Israel mean, which says, ‘The days are taking their time, and every vision has failed’? 23Well say to them, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «I will put a stop to this saying, and they will not quote it any more in Israel» ’, but say rather to them, ‘The days are approaching with the reality of every vision.’ 24For there will no longer be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. 25For I am the Lord. I will speak the word which I will speak, and it will be carried out. It will not be delayed any longer, for in your days, you rebellious house, I will speak the word, and I will carry it out, says the Lord, the Lord.” 26And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 27“Son of Adam, be aware that the house of Israel are saying, ‘The vision which he was seeing is for many days in the future, and he is prophesying for remote times.’ 28So say to them, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «None of my words will be delayed any longer. The word which I speak will be carried out, says the Lord, the Lord.» ’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 12: v.2 ↔ Romans 11:8.

Ezekiel Chapter 13 

1And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, prophesy to the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own heart, ‘Hear the word of the Lord. 3This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Woe to impious prophets, who walk after their own spirit and according to things which they have not seen. 4It is like foxes in wastelands that your prophets are, O Israel. 5You have not gone up to the breaches, nor have you made a fence around the house of Israel so as to stand in battle on the day of the Lord. 6They have seen visions of what is false, and of deceitful divination, those who say, ‹The Lord says›, when the Lord did not send them, but men expect a matter to be fulfilled. 7Have you not seen a false vision and spoken deceitful divination and been saying, ‹The Lord says›, when I have not spoken?» 8Therefore this is what my Lord the Lord says: «Since you have spoken falsely and have seen visions deceitfully, I for my part am against you, says the Lord, the Lord. 9And my hand will be against the prophets who see false visions, and those who divine deceitfully. They will not be in the secret council of my people, and they will not be written in the record of the house of Israel, and they will not enter the territory of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord, the Lord, 10for the very reason that they have caused my people to stray, by saying, ‹Peace›, when there is no peace, and when someone builds a partition-strength wall, you see them plastering it with lime. 11Say to those who plaster it with lime that it will fall. There will be overwhelming rain, and gigantic hailstones will fall, and a stormy wind will tear it apart. 12And look, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, ‹Where is the plaster with which you plastered it?› » 13Therefore this is what my Lord the Lord says: «So I will tear it apart with a stormy wind in my fury, and there will be overwhelming rain in my anger, and gigantic hailstones in fury for its destruction. 14And I will demolish the wall which you have plastered with lime, and I will raze it to the ground, and its foundation will be exposed, and the city will fall, and you will come to an end inside it, and you will know that I am the Lord. 15And I will expend my fury on the wall, and on those who have plastered it with lime, and I will say to you, ‹The wall no longer exists, nor do those who plastered it – 16the prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem, and those who had a vision of peace for it, but there was no peace, says the Lord, the Lord.› » ’ 17And you, son of Adam, take a firm stand with the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their own hearts, and prophesy against them, 18and say, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Woe to those who sew coverings on all the joints of my hands, and who make screens over the heads of every tall figure so as to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the people of my nation, and preserve yourselves alive? 19And you have profaned me in relation to my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting people to death who should not die, and preserving people alive who should not live, by your lying to my people who hear the lying, 20which is why this is what my Lord the Lord says: ‹I am here against your coverings where you ensnare the people rabidly, and I will tear them off your arms, and I will let the people go – people whom you hunt rabidly. 21And I will tear off your screens, and I will deliver my people from your hands, and they will no longer be in your hands as a prey, and you will know that I am the Lord, 22because with lying you have caused the heart of the righteous man to despond, but I have not caused him grief. And you have strengthened the hands of the wicked man, so that he does not return from his evil way and preserve his life. 23Therefore you will no longer see false visions, nor will you perform divinations, for I will deliver my people from your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.› » ’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 13: v.5 ↔ Revelation 1:10.

Ezekiel Chapter 14 

1Then some men from the elders of Israel came to me and sat in front of me. 2And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 3“Son of Adam, those men have set up their idols in their hearts, and they have put the stumbling block of their iniquity right in front of themselves. Should I be open to consultation at all by them? 4So speak to them and say to them, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «When any man of the house of Israel sets up his idols in his heart, and he places the stumbling block of his iniquity right in front of himself, and he comes to the prophet, I, the Lord, will be induced to answer him about it in response to the multitude of his idols, 5so that I catch the house of Israel by their own heart with which they have all alienated themselves from me with their idols.» ’ 6Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Turn away and restore yourselves from your idols, and turn your attention away from all your abominations. 7For every man of the house of Israel and foreigner who resides in Israel has alienated himself from me and has set up his idols in his heart, and he has placed the stumbling block of his iniquity right in front of himself, and when he comes to the prophet to inquire from him of me, I, the Lord, will be induced to answer him by myself. 8And I will take issue with that man, and I will make him a sign and a subject of sayings, and I will cut him off from my people, and you will know that I am the Lord. 9And if a prophet is deceived when he utters words, I, the Lord, will deceive that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him, and I will obliterate him from my people Israel. 10And they will bear the penalty for their iniquity. As the penalty for the iniquity is for the one who consults, so the penalty for the iniquity will be for the prophet, 11in order that they should no longer lead the house of Israel astray, away from following me, and that they should no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions, but that they should be my people, and I should be their God, says the Lord, the Lord.» ’ ” 12Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 13“Son of Adam, if a land sins against me by acting perversely, then I will stretch my hand against it and break its supply of bread, and I will send a famine to it, and I will cut man and beast off from it. 14And even if these three men were somewhere in it: Noah, Daniel and Job, they by their righteousness would only save their own lives, says the Lord, the Lord. 15If I were to cause wild animals to pass through the land and bereave it, and it were to become desolate for want of a passer-by, because of the wild animals, 16those three men somewhere in it – as I live, says the Lord, the Lord – would certainly not save sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, and the land would become a desolation. 17Or if I were to bring the sword on that land and to say, ‘Let the sword pass through the land’, so that I should cut man and beast off from it, 18then these three men somewhere in it – as I live, says the Lord, the Lord – would not save sons or daughters, but they would only save themselves. 19Or if I were to send a pestilence to that land, and I were to pour my fury out over it in bloodshed, so as to cut man and beast off from it, 20and Noah, Daniel and Job were somewhere inside it – as I live, says the Lord, the Lord – they certainly would not save son or daughter. They would only save their own lives by their righteousness. 21For this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘Even if I send my four harmful judgments – the sword and famine and wild animals and a pestilence to Jerusalem, so as to cut man and beast off from it, 22yet it will be the case that a remnant will remain in it, who will be brought out – sons and daughters. There they will be coming out to you, and you will see their way and their deeds, and you will be comforted concerning the harm which I brought over Jerusalem, with everything I brought over it. 23And they will comfort you when you see their way and their deeds, and you will know that it was not for nothing that I did everything that I did in it, says the Lord, the Lord.’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 15 

1And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, in what way is a vine tree more than any other tree? Or its branch, which is among the trees of the forest? 3Is wood taken from it to make artisanry? Or does one use it for a peg, to hang all sorts of items on it? 4Look, it is put in the fire as fuel, and the fire consumes both its ends, and its centre is also burned. Is it fit for craftsmanship? 5Look, when it was in its natural state, it was not used for craftsmanship, so how much less when fire has consumed it, and it has been burned? Will it still be used for craftsmanship? 6So this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘As the vine tree is among the trees of the forest which I have consigned to fire as fuel, so I have consigned the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 7And I will take issue with them; they will come out of the fire, but the fire will devour them, and you will know that I am the Lord when I take issue with them. 8And I will make the land a desolation, because they have acted perversely, says the Lord, the Lord.’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 16 

1And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, make Jerusalem's abominations known to her, 3and say, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says to Jerusalem: «Your conception and your birth are from the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother was a Hittite. 4And as for your birth, on the day when you were born, your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were not washed clean in water, and you were not cleansed with salty water at all, nor were you wrapped in swaddling clothes at all. 5Not an eye had pity on you, by doing just one of these things to you, to have compassion on you, and you were cast into the open field because of your loathsomeness on the day when you were given birth. 6When I passed through you, I saw you trodden under foot in your own blood, and I said to you in your own blood, ‹Live›, and again I said to you in your own blood, ‹Live.› 7I made you ten thousand inhabitants strong like the wild vegetation, and you increased and become great, and you proceeded to the height of ornamentation. Your breasts matured, and your hair grew, whereas you were naked and destitute. 8When I passed through you, I looked at you, and behold, your time was the time of love, and I spread my wing over you, and I covered your nakedness, and I swore to you, and I entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord, the Lord, and you became mine. 9And I washed you with water, and I rinsed your blood off you, and I anointed you with oil. 10And I clothed you with embroidery, and I shod you with badger skin, and I girded you with fine linen, and I covered you with silk. 11And I adorned you with ornaments, and I put bracelets on your hands, and a chain round your neck. 12And I put a nosering on your nose, and earrings on your ears, and a magnificent crown on your head. 13And you adorned yourself with gold and silver, and your apparel was fine linen and silk and embroidery, and you ate fine flour products and honey and oil, and you became beautiful in the extreme, and you became a prosperous kingdom. 14And your fame went out among the nations for your beauty, for it was perfect, a testimony to my majesty which I placed on you, says the Lord, the Lord. 15But you put trust in your beauty, and you prostituted yourself with your fame, and you poured your prostitution on every passer-by; it became his. 16And you took some of your garments, and you made yourself draped idolatrous high places, and you committed prostitution at them, saying, ‹They will not come, and it will not be.› 17And you took your magnificent articles, made from my gold and my silver which I gave you, and you made yourself images of the male organ, and you committed prostitution with them. 18And you have taken your embroidered garments, and you have covered them, and you have placed my oil and my incense in front of them. 19And there is my food which I gave you – fine flour and oil and honey with which I fed you, but you set it before them as sweet fragrance, and that is what it became, says the Lord, the Lord. 20And you took your sons and your daughters whom you bore me, and you sacrificed them to the images, to be consumed. Is it a small matter among your prostitutions 21that you have slaughtered my sons and surrendered them, to have them pass over fire for the images? 22And with all your abominations and prostitutions you have not remembered the days of your youth when you were naked and destitute – when you were trodden under foot in your own blood. 23And it came to pass after all your wrongdoing – woe, woe to you, says the Lord, the Lord – 24that you built yourself an idolatrous mound, and you made yourself a high place in every street. 25You have built your high place at the head of every road, and you have made your beauty an abomination, and you have opened your legs to every passer-by, and you have been profuse in your prostitution. 26And you have engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians your neighbours, who are very lustful, and you have been profuse in your prostitution, so as to provoke me to anger. 27So look, I have stretched my hand out over you, and I have diminished your privileged position, and I have delivered you to the will of those who hate you – the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your lewd way. 28And you have engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians because of your insatiability, and you have been promiscuous with them, and indeed were not satiated. 29And you have increased your prostitution in the land of Canaan the Chaldean way, and also in this you were not satiated. 30How weak-willed your heart is, says the Lord, the Lord, in that you do all these things. It is the practice of a self-willed prostitute. 31In your satellite villages is your idolatrous mound, at the head of every road, and you have built your high place in every street, but you have not been like a prostitute, in that you have been scornful of taking immoral earnings. 32You are an adulterous woman who takes strangers instead of her husband. 33To all prostitutes one gives fees, but you have given your gratuities to all your lovers, and you have bribed them to come to you from all around in your prostitutions. 34So it has been with you in your prostitutions the opposite of what other women do, in that sexual favour has not been sought from you, and in that you have given a gratuity, and no gratuity was given to you. So you have been the opposite.» 35Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the Lord. 36This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Because of the squandering of your copper money, and because your nakedness has been revealed in your prostitutions with your lovers and with all your abominable idols, and by the blood of your sons whom you gave to them, 37I am about to gather up all your lovers with whom you have been familiar, and all whom you have loved, with all whom you have hated, and I will gather them up against you from round about, and I will reveal your nakedness to them, and they will see all your nakedness. 38And I will judge you with the judgments for women who commit adultery and who shed blood, and I will deliver you up to furious bloodshed and jealousy. 39And I will deliver you into their hand, and they will flatten your idolatrous mound and demolish your high places, and they will strip you of your clothes, and they will take your magnificent articles and leave you naked and destitute. 40And they will bring a contingent up against you, and they will stone you with boulders, and they will cut you to pieces with their swords. 41And they will burn your houses with fire, and they will pass judgments on you in the sight of many women. So I will stop you from being a prostitute, and also you will no longer give a gratuity for services. 42But I will give rest to my anger on you, and my jealousy will depart from you, and I will have rest and will no longer be angry. 43Since you have not remembered the days of your youth, but you have been stirred up against me with all these things, now look, I for my part will put your way on your head, says the Lord, the Lord, and you will not commit this lewdness with all your abominations. 44Look, everyone who speaks in proverbs will speak a proverb against you and say, ‹As the mother is, so is her daughter.› 45You are your mother's daughter who loathes her husband and her sons, and you are the sister of your sisters who loathed their husbands and their sons. Your mother was a Hittite and your father was an Amorite. 46Now your elder sister is Samaria – she and her daughters – and she is situated to your left. And the sister of yours who is younger than you, who is situated to your right, is Sodom and her daughters. 47And you didn't walk in their ways, or commit their abominations. But in just a short time, you became more perverse than them in all your ways. 48As I live, says the Lord, the Lord, Sodom your sister – she and her daughters – have certainly not done what you and your daughters have done. 49Look, this is what the iniquity of Sodom your sister was: that she and her daughters had pride, immoderation with food, and nonchalant ease, and she did not improve the circumstances of the poor and needy. 50And they were arrogant, and they committed an abomination before me, so I removed them because of what I saw. 51And Samaria has not committed half of your sins, but you have multiplied your abominations more than them, and you have justified your sister with all your abominations which you have committed. 52You too, bear your ignominy, you who have charged your sister with your own sins by which you have acted more abominably than them. They are more righteous than you, so you for your part be ashamed and bear your ignominy in your justifying your sister. 53But I will reverse their deportation – the deportation of Sodom and her daughters, and the deportation of Samaria and her daughters, and the deportation of your body of deportees among them – 54so that you bear your ignominy, and you suffer ignominy for everything you did when you gave them comfort. 55And your sisters Sodom and her daughters will return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters will return to their former state, and you and your daughters will return to your former state. 56For your sister Sodom did not get a mention by you, at the time when you were behaving arrogantly, 57before your wrongdoing was exposed, as it was at the time of the reproach of the daughters of Aramaea and all its surrounding areas – of the daughters of the Philistines round about who despise you. 58You will bear your lewdness and your abominations, says the Lord59For this is what my Lord the Lord says: «I will yet deal with you as you have dealt, in that you have despised an oath, in breaking a covenant. 60But I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an age-abiding covenant for you. 61Then you will remember your ways, and you will feel ashamed when you take back your sisters, those older than you as well as those younger than you, when I give them to you as daughters, but not by your covenant. 62But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord, 63so that you remember and are ashamed and no longer open your mouth, because of your ignominy when I pardon everything you have done, says the Lord, the Lord.» ’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 17 

1And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, propound a riddle, and tell the house of Israel a parable, 3and say, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says:

«The great eagle, with large wings, with long flight-feathers,

With full plumage, which has various colours,

Has gone to Lebanon

And has taken the top of the cedar tree.

4He has plucked its topmost shoots off

And brought it all to the land of the merchant

And placed it in a city of traders.

5He took some of the seed of the land

And put it in a field ready to be sown.

He took it to a water-rich place

And set it out like willow trees.

6And it grew and became a vine

Which spread out at low height,

And it turned its branches towards him,

And its roots were under him.

So it became a vine,

And it produced tendrils and sent out shoots.

7And there was another great eagle,

With large wings and copious plumage,

And look, this vine stretched its roots hungrily towards him

And sent its branches from the terrace on which it was planted

To him for him to water it.

8It was planted in a good field,

With much water,

To produce branches and to bear fruit,

To become a magnificent vine.» ’

9Say, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says:

«Will it thrive?

Will he not uproot it

And cut its fruit off

So that it withers?

All the foliage of its growth will wither,

But not by a powerful arm,

Or by a mighty people coming to pluck it up by its roots.

10So look, will it, having been planted, thrive?

When the east wind hits it,

Will it not completely wither?

It will wither on the terraces

Where it is cultivated.» ’ ”

11And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 12“Please say to the rebellious house, ‘Do you not know what these things represent?’ Say, ‘Look, the king of Babylon has come to Jerusalem, and he has captured its king and its officials, and he has brought them to his place in Babylon. 13And he has taken some of the royal seed and has made a covenant with him and has made him take an oath, and he has taken the high-ranking people of the land 14so that the kingdom might be lowly, so that it should not exalt itself, so that it should keep his covenant, for it to stand. 15But he rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt, asking Pharaoh to give him horses and a large body of men. Will he who does these things either be successful or escape? Or if he breaks the covenant, will he escape? 16As I live, says my Lord the Lord, he will certainly die in the location of the king who made him king, because he despised his oath and because he broke his covenant. He will die with him in the precincts of Babylon. 17And Pharaoh will not attend to him with a large army or a vast contingent in war, in casting up ramparts or in building a wall of circumvallation or in cutting down many people. 18Since he has despised the oath in breaking the covenant, and he has made an agreement and done all these things, he will not escape. 19Therefore this is what my Lord the Lord says: «As I live, it is certainly my oath which he has despised, and my covenant which he has broken, and I will requite it on his head. 20And I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my netting, and I will bring him to Babylon, and I will contend with him there for his perversity with which he has acted towards me. 21And all his men who flee in all his governmental departments will fall by the sword, and those who remain will be scattered to every wind, and you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken.» 22This is what my Lord the Lord says: «So I for my part will take a piece of the top of the tall cedar tree and set it; I will pluck from the prime of his shoots a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23I will plant it on a mountain in the heights of Israel, and it will produce a branch and bear fruit, and it will become a noble cedar, and under it every bird of every kind will dwell – they will dwell in the shadow of its foliage. 24And all the wild trees will know that I, the Lord, have brought down a tall tree and have exalted a lowly tree, and that I have caused a fresh tree to dry up and have made a dry tree blossom. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it.» ’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 18 

1And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“What are you up to, you who quote this saying about the land of Israel, saying,

‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,

And the sons' teeth are on edge’?

3As I live, says the Lord, the Lord, you certainly will not have occasion to quote this saying any more in Israel.

4Look, all individuals are mine.

As the individuality of the father is,

So is the individuality of the son

– They are mine.

The individual who sins will die.

5But a man who is just,

And who observes justice and equity,

6Who has not eaten on the mountains,

And who has not raised his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,

And who has not defiled his neighbour's wife,

And who has not approached a woman during her menstruation,

7And who does not oppress anyone,

Who returns what was given as security for a loan,

Who does not commit robbery,

Who gives his food to the hungry

And covers the naked with clothing,

8Who does not lend on interest,

And who does not take a financial return,

Who withdraws his hand from iniquity,

Who practices true justice

Between one man and another,

9Who walks in my statutes

And keeps my judicial pronouncements,

By doing what is true

– Such a man is just

And will certainly live,

Says the Lord, the Lord.

10If a man begets an unruly son

Who sheds blood,

And who does anything resembling any one of these things,

11Although the father himself does not do any of these things,

But the son for his part eats on the mountains

And defiles his neighbour's wife,

12Oppresses the poor and needy,

Commits robbery,

Does not return what was given as security

And raises his eyes to the idols,

Commits an abomination,

13Lends on interest

And takes a financial return

– Will the son live?

He shall not live;

He has committed all these abominations.

He shall surely be put to death;

His blood will be upon him.

14But if on the other hand a man begets a son,

And he sees all his father's sins

Which he has committed,

And he is discerning

And does not do anything like them –

15He does not eat on the mountains,

And he does not raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,

And he does not defile his neighbour's wife,

16And he does not oppress anyone,

He does not withhold what is taken as security,

He does not commit robbery,

He gives his food to the hungry,

And he covers the naked with clothing,

17He withdraws his hand from demanding payment from the poor,

He does not take interest and financial return,

He observes my judicial pronouncements,

And he walks in my statutes,

Then he will not die in the iniquity of his father;

The son will certainly live.

18As for his father,

Since he engaged in oppression

And committed robbery of his brother

And did what is not right among his people,

The result is that he will die in his iniquity.

19But you will say, ‘Why does the son not bear the iniquity of the father?’ If the son executes justice and righteousness and keeps all my statutes, and he does them, he will surely live. 20The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father will not bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will be upon him. 21And as for the wicked man, if he turns away from all his sin which he has committed, and he keeps all my statutes, and he observes justice and righteousness, he will certainly live; he shall not die. 22None of his transgressions which he has committed will be made mention of against him. He will live in his righteousness which he has done. 23Do I have any pleasure at all in the death of a wicked man? says my Lord the Lord. Is it not rather in him turning away from his ways, so that he lives? 24But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits injustice such as all the abominations which the wicked man does, will he live? None of his righteousness which he did will be made mention of. It is in his perverseness which he has displayed and in his sins by which he has sinned that he will die. 25But you say, ‘The way of the Lord* is not fair.’ Well, hear, O house of Israel. Is my way not fair? Is it not your ways which are not fair? 26When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and displays perverseness and dies in these things, he will die in his perverseness which he displayed. 27And when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed, and he observes justice and righteousness, he will preserve his life, 28for he has reviewed things and turned away from all his transgressions which he committed. He will certainly live; he shall not die. 29But the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord* is not fair.’ Are my ways not fair, O house of Israel? Are not your ways unfair? 30So I will judge you according to each one's ways, O house of Israel, says the Lord, the Lord. Turn away and withdraw from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be a stumbling block to you. 31Cast all your transgressions by which you have transgressed away from you, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit, for why should you die, O house of Israel? 32For I do not take pleasure in the death of him who dies, says the Lord, the Lord. So turn back and live.

Ezekiel Chapter 19 

1And as for you, deliver a lamentation to the leading men of Israel, 2and say,

‘What is your mother?

A lioness which lies down among the lions

And brings up her cubs among the young lions.

3And she brought up one of her cubs;

It became a young lion

And learned to catch prey.

It ate a man.

4The nations heard of it;

It was caught in their pit,

And they brought it with hooks to the land of Egypt.

5And the lioness realized after waiting

That her hope was lost,

And she took another of her cubs

And made it a young lion.

6So it walked around among the lions

And became a young lion,

And it learned to catch prey.

It ate a man.

7And it knew its desolate haunts,

And it laid their cities waste,

And the land and its fulness were devastated

By the sound of its roaring.

8Then the nations took action against it,

Round about from various countries.

And they spread their net against it.

It was caught in their pit,

9And they put it in a cage using hooks,

And they brought it to the king of Babylon.

They brought it in nets

So that its voice would no longer be heard

On the mountains of Israel.

10Your mother is like a vine

Planted in your blood by water.

She became fruitful and full of branches

Due to the abundant water.

11And she had strong branches

For the sceptres of rulers,

And its height became great

Among the thick branch growth,

And it appeared in its height

With the abundance of its branches.

12But she was plucked up in fury;

She was cast down to the ground,

And the east wind dried her fruit up.

Her strong branches broke apart and dried up,

And a fire consumed it.

13And now she has been planted in the desert,

In an arid and thirsty land.

14And fire spread from the stem of her branches;

It consumed her fruit,

And there was no strong branch in her

No sceptre for ruling.

This is a lamentation,

And a lamentation it has become.’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 20 

1Then it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that some of the elders of Israel came to consult the Lord, and they sat before me. 2And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 3“Son of Adam, speak with the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Have you come to consult me? As I live, I will certainly not be consulted by you, says the Lord, the Lord.» ’ 4Will you judge them, will you be the judge, son of Adam? Have them know the abominations of their fathers, 5and say to them, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «On the day when I chose Israel, I both raised my hand to the seed of the house of Jacob, and I made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. And I raised my hand to them and said, ‹I am the Lord your God.› 6On that day I raised my hand to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt to a land which I have destined for them, flowing with milk and honey. It is a beacon of splendour to all the various countries. 7And I said to them, ‹Let each man cast away his abominable-looking things, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.› 8But they rebelled against me and were not willing to heed me. They did not each cast away their abominable-looking things, and they did not abandon the idols of Egypt. And I said I would pour my wrath out over them, to expend my anger on them, within the land of Egypt. 9But I acted for the sake of my name, so that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations which are among them, in whose sight I have been made known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 10So I brought them out of the land of Egypt, and I brought them to the desert, 11and I gave them my statutes, and I made my judicial principles known to them, which a man shall observe and live by. 12And I also gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, for them to know that I, the Lord, sanctify them. 13But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They did not walk in my statutes, and they rejected my judicial principles, which a man shall observe and live by, and they profaned my Sabbaths a lot. So I said I would pour my fury out over them in the desert, to make an end of them. 14And I acted for the sake of my name, so that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I brought them out. 15And I also raised my hand to them in the desert that I would not bring them to the land which I have given them – flowing with milk and honey, a beacon of splendour to all the various countries – 16because they rejected my judicial principles and did not walk in my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, for their heart would go after their idols, 17but my eye spared them from me destroying them, and I did not make an end of them in the desert. 18And I said to their sons in the desert, ‹Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, and do not keep their judicial principles, and do not defile yourselves with their idols. 19I am the Lord your God. Walk in my statutes, and keep my judicial principles, and observe them. 20And sanctify my Sabbaths, so that they are a sign between me and you, for you to know that I am the Lord your God.› 21But the sons rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes, and they did not keep my judicial principles, observing them, which a man shall observe and live by. They profaned my Sabbaths, and I said I would pour my fury out over them, to expend my anger on them in the desert. 22But I withdrew my hand, and I acted for the sake of my name, so as not to be profaned in the eyes of the Gentiles in whose sight I brought them out. 23I also raised my hand to them in the desert that I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them in the various countries, 24because they did not observe my judicial principles, and they rejected my statutes, and they profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after the idols of their fathers. 25And I also gave them statutes for what is not good, and judicial principles by which they should not live. 26So I defiled them by their own gifts when they caused all who open the womb to pass through fire, so that I should lay them waste, so that they might know that I am the Lord.» ’ 27Therefore, son of Adam, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Your fathers snubbed me even in this way: when they displayed perverseness against me. 28When I brought them into the land concerning which I had raised my hand to give it to them, they saw every high hill and every dense tree, and they offered their sacrifices there, and there they aroused anger because of their oblations, and they produced their sweet fragrances there, and they poured their libations out there. 29And I said to them, ‹What is that idolatrous raised site over there which you are going to?› And it is called Bamah up to this day.» ’ 30So say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Are you making yourselves unclean in the way of your fathers, and are you engaging in prostitution, copying their abominations? 31For when you raise your offerings, when you make your sons pass through fire, you defile yourselves with all your idolatrous practices, as you have been doing up to this day. So shall I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord, the Lord, I will certainly not be consulted by you. 32And as for what springs to your mind, it certainly will not come to pass, when you say, ‹We will be like the Gentiles, like the families of the various countries, serving wood and stone.› 33As I live, says the Lord, the Lord, I will certainly reign over you with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. 34And I will bring you out of the various peoples, and I will gather you from the various countries in which you have been scattered, with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with fury poured out. 35And I will bring you to the place of discourse of the various peoples, and I will contend with you there face to face. 36As I contended with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will contend with you, says the Lord, the Lord. 37And I will make sure you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the terms of the covenant. 38And I will purge from you those who are rebellious and those who transgress against me. I will remove them from the land of their residence, and they shall not come into the land of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord39And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what my Lord the Lord says: «Let each man go and serve his idols, and afterwards if you will not heed me. But do not profane my holy name any more with your gifts and with your idols. 40For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, says the Lord, the Lord, there the whole house of Israel will serve me, all of it in the land. There I will delight in them, and there I will require your heave-offerings and your prime gifts, in all your holy dealings. 41With a fragrant scent I will delight in you, when I bring you out of the various peoples, and I gather you from the countries in which you have been scattered. And I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the Gentiles. 42And you will know that I am the Lord when I bring you to the ground of Israel, to the land for which I raised my hand to give it to your fathers. 43And there you will remember your ways and all your deeds by which you defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves in facing up to yourselves for all your wicked things which you have done. 44And you will know that I am the Lord when I take action with you for my name's sake, not according to your bad ways or according to your corrupted deeds, O house of Israel, says the Lord, the Lord.» ’ ” 45And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 46“Son of Adam, face towards the south, and prophesy to the south, and prophesy to the forest of the field in the south. 47And say to the forest in the south, ‘Hear the word of the Lord. This is what my Lord the Lord says: «I am about to light a fire against you, and it will consume every moist tree and every dry tree in your precincts. The blazing flame will not be extinguished, and all faces from the south to the north will be scorched by it. 48All flesh will see that I, the Lord, burnt it. It will not be extinguished.» ’ ” 49Then I said, “Alas, my Lord the Lord, they are saying of me, ‘Is he not speaking proverbially?’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 21 

1Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, face towards Jerusalem and prophesy to the sanctuary, and prophesy to the ground of Israel, 3and say to the ground of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord says: «I am here against you, and I will draw out my sword from its sheath, and I will cut the righteous and the wicked off from you. 4Since I will cut the righteous and the wicked off from you, my sword will come out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north. 5And all flesh will know that I, the Lord, have drawn my sword out from its sheath. It will no longer return.» ’ 6And you, son of Adam, give a sigh. Sigh before their eyes, with churning of your stomach and in bitterness. 7And it will come to pass, when they say to you, ‘What are you sighing for?’, that you will say, ‘Concerning the report, for it is coming, when every heart will sink, and all hands will droop, and every mood will be dejected, and all knees will dissolve like water. Behold, it is coming, and it will be brought to pass, says my Lord the Lord.’ ” 8And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 9“Son of Adam, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord* says.’ Say,

‘A sword, a sword has been sharpened

And also polished.

10It has been sharpened to carry out slaughter.

And it is so that it may have a glitter to it

That it has been polished.

Or should we rejoice in the sceptre of my son?

The sword despises all wood.

11And he has committed it to polishing,

To be held in the hand.

It is a sword which has been sharpened,

And it has been polished,

For it to be placed in the hand of the killer.’

12Cry out and howl,

Son of Adam,

For it will be against my people.

It will be against all the officials of Israel.

My people will be delivered to the sword,

So slap your thigh.

13For it is a trial.

For what will happen when even the sceptre,

Which the sword despises,

Is not in existence?

Says the Lord, the Lord.

14And you, son of Adam, prophesy,

And strike hand against hand,

And let the sword do double work

Or triple work.

It is a sword for making casualties,

A sword for great loss of life,

Closing in on them.

15It is in order that the heart may melt,

With many troubles at all their gates,

That I have appointed the threatening sword.

Oh, it has been made to glitter;

It has been drawn for slaughter.

16O sword, be sharp,

Strike to the right,

Take notice,

Strike to the left

– Wherever your face is pointing.

17Then I too will strike my hand against my hand,

And give my fury rest.

I, the Lord, have spoken.”

18And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 19“Now you, son of Adam, lay out for yourself two roads, for the king of Babylon's sword to come by. The two of them will issue from one country. Carve out a signpost at the head of the road to the city; carve it out. 20Lay out a road for the sword to come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah, at fortified Jerusalem. 21For the king of Babylon will stand at the fork in the road, at the head of two roads, using divination. He will shake arrows, he will inquire of household gods; he will inspect the liver. 22On his right will be divination concerning Jerusalem, to set up battering rams, to open up a way in for slaughter, to raise a voice in a battle-cry, to set up battering rams against the gates, to throw up a rampart; to build a wall of circumvallation. 23But it will be like a false divination in their sight – that is, to those who have sworn oaths to the king's officials – and he will make mention of the iniquity, for them to be caught. 24So this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘Since you have brought your iniquity into remembrance, by your transgressions being revealed, by your sins being made manifest, with all your deeds – on account of your being brought into remembrance – you will be caught by the hand. 25And as for you, you profane and wicked leader of Israel, whose day has come, at the time of the final iniquity, 26this is what the Lord, the Lord, says:

«Remove the turban

And take the crown away.

What was won't be any more.

Exalt the lowly

And humble the exalted.

27I will overturn, overturn, overturn it.

Moreover this will not happen

Until the coming of him who has the right,

Which I will give him.» ’

28And you, son of Adam, prophesy and say, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says to the sons of Ammon and concerning their reproach.’ So say,

‘The sword, the sword is unsheathed,

Polished for slaughter

To cause devouring

– The reason for its glitter –

29When they see false visions concerning you,

When they divine concerning you falsely,

Putting you with the necks of those to be executed for their crimes,

Whose day will come in the final iniquity.

30Return it to its sheath.

I will judge you

In the place where you were created,

In your native land.

31And I will pour out my indignation over you;

I will blow on my angry fire against you,

And I will deliver you into the hand of savage men,

Forgers of destruction.

32You will be fuel for the fire;

Your blood will be in the midst of the land.

You will not be remembered,

For I, the Lord, have spoken.’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 22 

1And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2As for you, son of Adam, will you judge, will you judge the City of Blood, and will you make all its abominations known to it? 3So you will say, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «As for the city which sheds blood in its own precincts, its time is about to come, for it has made idols to defile itself. 4You have become guilty of your blood which you have shed, and you have become unclean by your idols which you have made, and you have brought your days near, and you have come to your years, which is why I have made you an object of reproach to the nations and an object of scorn to all the various countries. 5Those near and far from you will mock you, you who are of sullied name and great turmoil. 6Look, you officials of Israel. Each one in you, Jerusalem, had it in his power to shed blood. 7Those in you have despised their father and mother; in your precincts people have dealt with the foreigner with extortion, and in you they have oppressed the orphan and the widow. 8You have despised my holy things, and you have profaned my Sabbaths. 9In you were slanderers, so as to shed blood, and in you some ate on the mountains. In your precincts they engaged in intrigue. 10In you one has uncovered his father's nakedness; in you they have violated her who was unclean by reason of menstruation. 11And a man has committed an abomination with his neighbour's wife, and a man has defiled his daughter-in-law through depravity, and a man in you has violated his sister – his father's daughter. 12In you some have accepted a bribe for the purpose of shedding blood. You have taken interest and financial gain, and you have defrauded your neighbours with extortion, and me you have forgotten, says the Lord, the Lord. 13And look, I have struck my hand at your unjust gain which you have made, and at your blood which has been in your confines. 14Will your heart stand firm, and will your hands hold out in the days when I deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it. 15And I will scatter you among the Gentiles, and I will disperse you among the various countries, and I will purge your uncleanness from you. 16And you will be profaned by your own self in the eyes of the Gentiles, and you will know that I am the Lord.» ’ ” 17Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 18“Son of Adam, the house of Israel has become dross to me. They are all copper and tin and iron and lead in the furnace. They have become the dross of silver. 19So this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘Because you have all become dross, I am about to gather you into Jerusalem. 20Like a mixture of silver and copper and iron and lead and tin inside a furnace, to have fire blown on it to melt it, so I will gather you in my anger and in my fury, and I will keep you in place and melt you. 21And I will gather you, and I will blow on you with my irate fire, and you will be melted in it. 22As is the smelting of silver in the furnace, so you will be smelted in it, and you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my fury on you.’ ” 23Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 24“Son of Adam, say to her, ‘You are a land which has not been cleansed, which had no rain on the day of indignation. 25There is a conspiracy of her prophets within her, like a roaring lion tearing at prey. They devour people, they take riches and valuables; they have increased the number of widows she has within her confines. 26Her priests have done violence to my law, and they have profaned my holy things. They have not made a distinction between holy and profane, and they have not made the difference known between unclean and clean, and they have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths, so I have been profaned in their midst. 27Her officials at her centre are like wolves tearing at prey, shedding blood, destroying people in order to make unjust gain. 28And her prophets have plastered over these things with lime, seeing false visions and divining falsely to them, saying, «This is what my Lord the Lord says», when the Lord has not spoken. 29The people of the land have committed extortion, and they have snatched away plunder and oppressed the poor and needy, and they have maltreated the foreigner without justice. 30And I sought from them a man who would build a wall, and who would stand at the breach before me, for the sake of the land, to prevent its destruction, but I didn't find anyone. 31So I have poured out my indignation over them. I have made an end of them in my irate fire. I have put their way on their head, says my Lord the Lord.’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 23 

1And the word of the Lord came to me and said,

2“Son of Adam, there were two women,

Daughters of the same mother.

3And they engaged in prostitution in Egypt

It was in their youth that they engaged in prostitution.

There their breasts were fondled,

And there their virgin nipples were caressed.

4And their names were Aholah the elder one

And Aholibah her sister.

And they were mine,

And they gave birth to sons and daughters,

Whose names were Samaria-Aholah

And Jerusalem-Aholibah.

5And Aholah acted promiscuously beneath me,

And she made love to her lovers,

With the Assyrians who were near,

6Dressed in blue

– Governors and administrators,

All of them attractive young men –

Horsemen riding on horses.

7And she gave her immoral favours to them,

All of them being choice sons of Assyria,

And she became unclean by all with whom she made love,

Through all their idols.

8And she did not abandon her immoral practices

Brought back from Egypt,

For they lay with her in her youth,

And they caressed her virgin nipples,

And they poured out their immorality on her.

9Therefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers,

Into the hand of the Assyrians,

With whom she made love.

10They revealed her nakedness;

They took her sons and her daughters,

And they killed her with the sword,

And she became notorious among women,

For judgment had been passed on her.

11And her sister Aholibah saw it,

And she was more perverse than her in her lovemaking,

And she was more profuse in her promiscuous acts than her sister

In her immoral ways.

12She made love to the Assyrians,

Governors and administrators who were near,

Dressed immaculately,

Horsemen riding on horses

– All attractive young men.

13And I saw that she had become unclean.

The two of them had the same conduct.

14And she added to her promiscuous deeds

When she saw an engraving of men on a wall

– Images of Chaldeans

Engraved in red ochre –

15Wearing a belt around their waist,

Wearing loose hanging dyed turbans on their heads,

All in the style of brigadiers,

With imagery of the sons of Babylon

– Chaldeans –

And their native land.

16And she lusted after them when her eyes saw them,

And she sent messengers to them in Chaldea.

17Then the Babylonians came to her

To lie making love,

And they defiled her with their promiscuity,

And she was defiled by them.

Then her sentiments became alienated from them.

18When she had revealed her promiscuous acts

And had revealed her nakedness,

My sentiments became alienated from her,

As my sentiments had become alienated from her sister.

19And she did more promiscuous acts,

Remembering the days of her youth

When she was promiscuous in the land of Egypt.

20And she lusted after their lovers,

Whose flesh was the flesh of donkeys,

And whose emission was the emission of horses.

21And you have looked about

For the unchaste way of your youth,

With caressing of your nipples,

As was done in Egypt on account of your youthful breasts.

22Therefore, Aholibah, this is what the Lord, the Lord, says:

‘I am about to stir your lovers up against you,

Those from whom your sentiments have become alienated,

And I will bring them against you all around,

23The sons of Babylon and all the Chaldeans:

Pekod and Shoa and Koa,

And all the sons of Assyria with them

– All of them attractive young men,

Governors and administrators,

Brigadiers and celebrities,

All of them horseriders.

24And a battalion will come against you,

Chariots and vehicles,

With a contingent of various peoples,

Who will beset you all around,

With shield and buckler and helmet.

And I will allow judgment to take place before them,

And they will judge you with their own legal processes.

25And I will set my zeal against you,

And they will deal with you in fury.

They will remove your nose and your ears,

And your posterity will fall by the sword.

They will capture your sons and your daughters,

And your posterity will be consumed by fire.

26And they will strip your clothes off

And take your magnificent articles away.

27And I will put an end to your unchaste way

And your promiscuity which came from the land of Egypt,

And you will not raise your eyes to them,

And you will no longer remember Egypt.

28For this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: «I am about to deliver you into the hand of those you hate – into the hand of those from whom your sentiments have become alienated. 29And they will deal with you with hatred, and they will take all your hard-earned possessions and leave you naked and destitute. And the nakedness of your promiscuous acts and your unchaste behaviour and your immoral ways will be revealed. 30They will do these things to you, because you have gone whoring after the Gentiles, whereby you have become unclean with their idols. 31You have gone the way of your sister, and I will put her cup in your hand.» 32This is what the Lord, the Lord, says:

«You will drink your sister's deep and wide cup.

It will be an occasion of derision and mocking

– A lot to stomach.

33You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow

With the cup of astonishment and desolation

– The cup of your sister Samaria.

34And you will drink it and drain it,

And you will gnaw its broken pieces,

And you will tear your breasts away,

For I have spoken,

Says the Lord, the Lord».

35Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord, says:

«Because you have forgotten me,

And you have cast me behind your back,

You too must bear your unchaste behaviour

And immoral ways.» ’ ”

36Then the Lord said to me, “Son of Adam, will you judge Aholah and Aholibah, and tell them their abominations? 37For they have committed adultery, and there is blood on their hands, and it is with their idols that they have committed adultery, and also with their sons whom they have borne to me, whom they have made pass through fire, consuming them. 38They have also done this to me: they defiled my sanctuary on that day, and they have profaned my Sabbaths. 39And when they slaughtered their sons to their idols, they came to my sanctuary on the same day to profane it, and so you see what they have done inside my house. 40‘And moreover you have sent for men to come from far away, to whom a messenger was sent, and look, they have come – they for whom you washed yourself and put eye-shadow on and decked yourself with ornaments. 41And you reclined on a magnificent bed, with a table laid in front of it, and you put my incense and my oil on it. 42And there was the sound of a carefree crowd in it, and these were men from the common masses, Sabaeans brought from the desert, who put bracelets on their wrists and a magnificent crown on their heads.’ 43And I said concerning her who is worn out with adulteries, ‘Will they now behave immorally with her in her prostitution, with the way she is?’ 44And they went to her as one goes to a prostitute. So they went to Aholah and Aholibah, the unchaste women. 45And it is righteous men who will judge them by the law of adulteresses and the law of those who shed blood, for they are adulteresses, and there is blood on their hands. 46For this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘Bring a contingent up against them, and consign them to atrocity and to being plundered. 47And the contingent will stone them and cut them down with their swords. They will kill their sons and their daughters and burn their houses with fire. 48And I will banish unchaste behaviour from the land, and all the women will be admonished, and they will not behave in your unchaste way. 49And your unchaste way will be requited upon you, and you will bear the sins committed with your idols, and you will know that I am the Lord, the Lord.’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 24 

1And the word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month and said, 2“Son of Adam, write down today's date – this very day. The king of Babylon has drawn near to Jerusalem on this very day. 3And tell the rebellious house a proverb, and say to them, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says:

«Put the pot on;

Put it on,

And pour water into it too.

4Add its ingredients to it

– Every fine piece of thigh and shoulder;

Fill it with choice joints.

5Take the choice of the small cattle,

And also burn the bones under it,

And boil it thoroughly,

And also cook its bones with it.»

6Therefore this is what my Lord the Lord says:

«Woe, City of Blood,

Pot which has scum in it,

Which the scum does not come out of.

Bring it out piece by piece.

No lot shall be cast for it.

7For her blood is within her confines;

She has put it on a dry surface of a rock.

She did not put it on the ground,

So having it covered with dust.

8It is to arouse fury

– To exact vengeance –

That I have put her blood on a dry surface of a rock,

To prevent it being covered over.»

9Therefore this is what my Lord the Lord says:

«Woe to the City of Blood.

I for my part will make the bonfire large.

10Increase the amount of wood,

Light the fire,

Prepare the flesh;

Spice the ointment,

And let the bones be burned.

11And stand it empty on its burning coals

So that it becomes hot,

And its copper burns,

And its uncleanness melts inside it,

And its scum is consumed.

12She has caused weariness with vain actions,

And the large quantity of her scum has not come out of her.

In the fire with her scum!

13In your uncleanness is your unchaste way,

Because I cleansed you,

But you did not become clean.

You will not be cleansed of your uncleanness any more

Until I have laid my fury on you.

14I, the Lord, have spoken.

It will come,

And I will do it.

I will not relent,

Nor will I have pity,

Nor will I show compassion.

They will judge you according to your ways

And according to your deeds,

Says the Lord, the Lord.» ’ ”

15And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 16“Son of Adam, I am about to take the delight of your eye away from you with a plague, but you shall not mourn, and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come. 17Silence any groaning, do not mourn for the dead; put your turban on, and put your shoes on your feet, and do not cover your moustache, and do not eat bread brought by other people.” 18So I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. Then I acted in the morning as I had been commanded. 19Then the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things which you are doing mean to us?” 20So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me and said, 21‘Say to the house of Israel, «This is what my Lord the Lord says: ‹I am about to profane my sanctuary, the magnificence of your strength, the delight of your eyes and the object of your tender affection. And your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. 22And you shall do what I have done. You shall not cover your moustache, and you shall not eat bread brought by other people. 23And wear your turbans on your heads and your shoes on your feet. You shall not mourn, and you shall not weep. And you will waste away in your iniquities, and you will groan to each other. 24And Ezekiel will be a sign to you. Do according to everything he has done. When it comes to you, you will know that I am the Lord, the Lord.› » 25And as for you, son of Adam, will it not be on the day when I take their stronghold from them, their magnificent object of joy, the delight of their eyes and what is dear to their heart – their sons and their daughters – 26on that day, will it not be that an escapee will come to you to give information? 27On that day your mouth will be opened with the escapee, and you will speak, for you will no longer be mute, and you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 25 

1Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, direct your attention to the Ammonites and prophesy against them, 3and say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of my Lord the Lord. This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Because you said, ‹Ha!› concerning my sanctuary when it was profaned, and concerning the ground of Israel when it was devastated, and concerning the house of Judah when they were deported, 4I am about to deliver you to the easterners as a possession, and they will station their encampments among you, and they will locate their tent sites among you. They will devour your fruit, and they will drink your milk. 5And I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels, and the Ammonite territory a place for sheep to lie down, and you will know that I am the Lord. 6For this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‹Because you have clapped your hands and stamped with your feet and have rejoiced inwardly with all your contempt for the ground of Israel, 7I for my part have stretched out my hand over you, and I will make you a spoil for the Gentiles, and I will cut you off from being one of the various peoples, and I will eliminate you from the various countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the Lord.› » ’ 8This is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘Because Moab and Seir say, «Look, the house of Judah is like all the Gentiles», 9I am about to open up the side of Moab, from the cities, from its cities at its border – the magnificence of the land of Beth-Jeshimoth, Baal-Meon and as far as Kiriathaim – 10to the easterners, together with the Ammonites. And I will give it as a possession, so that the Ammonites may no longer be remembered among the nations. 11And I will administer judgments in Moab, and they will know that I am the Lord.’ 12This is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘Because Edom has acted by taking vengeance on the house of Judah, and they have incurred great guilt and avenged themselves on them, 13this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: «I will stretch out my hand over Edom, and I will cut off from her man and beast, and I will make her more of a wasteland than Teman, and the Dedanites will fall by the sword. 14And I will appoint my vengeance on Edom through the agency of my people Israel, and they will deal with Edom according to my anger and according to my fury, and they will know my vengeance, says the Lord, the Lord.» ’ 15This is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘Because the Philistines have dealt in vengeance and have taken vengeance with inward contempt to settle a longstanding enmity, 16this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: «I am about to stretch my hand out over the Philistines, and I will cut the Cherethites off, and I will destroy the remainder of the sea coast. 17And I will exact great vengeance on them with furious punishments, and they will know that I am the Lord when I bring my vengeance on them.» ’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 26 

1And it came to pass in the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem, ‘Ha! She who was the gateway of the various peoples is broken. She has been diverted to me. I will be filled; she has been laid waste’, 3this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘I am here against you, Tyre, and I will bring many nations up against you, as the sea brings its waves up, 4and they will pull down the walls of Tyre and demolish her towers. Then I will sweep her dust away from her, and I will make her a dry rock. 5It will be a place for spreading out nets in the middle of the sea, for I have spoken, says the Lord, the Lord, and it will be spoil to the nations. 6And her daughters in the countryside will be killed by the sword, and they will know that I am the Lord. 7For this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: «I am about to bring to Tyre Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, from the north, the king of kings, with cavalry and with chariots and with horsemen, and a contingent, and many people. 8He will kill your daughters in the field by the sword, and he will place a wall of circumvallation against you. And he will cast up a rampart against you, and he will raise the buckler against you. 9And he will use battering rams on your walls, and he will demolish your towers with his axes. 10Because of the large number of his horses, their dust will cover you; your walls will shake at the sound of horsemen and wheels and chariots, when he comes to your gates, as the influx into a breached city. 11He will trample on all your outlying areas with the hooves of his horses; he will kill your people by the sword, and your strong idolatrous statues will fall to the ground. 12And they will plunder your wealth and take your merchandise as spoil, and they will demolish your walls and pull down your delightful houses, and they will put your stones and your timbers and your dust in the water. 13And I will put a stop to the sound of your songs, and the tones of your harps will not be heard any more. 14And I will make you a dry rock; you will be a place for spreading nets. You will not be built any more, for I, the Lord, have spoken, says the Lord, the Lord15This is what the Lord, the Lord, says to Tyre: «Will not the coastlands tremble at the sound of your fall, at the groaning of the casualties, at the killing taking place within your precincts? 16And all the princely seafarers will come down from their thrones and remove their robes, and they will take their embroidered clothing off. They will put on tremblings, they will sit on the ground, they will tremble all the time, and they will be astonished at you. 17And they will deliver a lamentation for you, and they will say to you,

‹How you have perished,

You who were inhabited by virtue of maritime activity,

The renowned city which was strong on the sea

– She and her inhabitants –

Where fear is instilled in all her inhabitants.

18Now the maritime countries will tremble,

On the day of your fall.

And the island countries which are in the sea

Will be terrified at your demise.›

19For this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‹When I make you a desolate city like the cities which are not inhabited, when I bring the ocean over you, and abundant waters cover you, 20I will bring you down with those who go down into the pit, to the people of a past age, and I will install you in the underworld – indeed the desolate places of a past age – with those who descend into the pit, so that you will not be inhabited, and I will display splendour in the land of the living. 21I will appoint you terrors, and you will be no more, and you will be sought but not found any more, age-abidingly, says the Lord, the Lord.› » ’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 26: v.13 ↔ Revelation 18:22.

Ezekiel Chapter 27 

1And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“And you, son of Adam, deliver a lamentation for Tyre, 3And say to Tyre,

You who dwell at the entrance routes from the sea,

The merchant of the various peoples,

Trading with many maritime countries,

This is what my Lord the Lord says:

«Tyre, you have said,

‹I am the perfection of beauty.›

4Your borders are in the heart of the seas;

Your builders have perfected your beauty.

5They have constructed all your hull planks from cypress from Senir;

They have taken cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.

6They made your oars from terebinths from Bashan.

The daughters of the Assyrians made your benches with ivory from the islands of Chittim.

7Your material to be made into your sail

Was fine linen with embroidery from Egypt;

Your dress

Was blue and purple from the islands of Elishah.

8The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers.

Your skilled men, O Tyre,

Were present in your precincts;

They were your ships' captains.

9The elders of Gebal and its skilled men were present in your precincts,

Sealing your ships' leaks.

All the ships of the sea and their sailors were present in your confines

To trade your wares.

10Men from Persia and Lud and Put were in your forces

– Your men of war.

They hung shield and helmet on display in you;

They gave you your dignity.

11The sons of Arvad and your forces were stationed on your walls round about,

And there were bold warriors on your towers.

They hung their shields on your walls round about;

They perfected your beauty.

12Tarshish was your trading partner, because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth. They traded for your merchandise with silver, iron, tin and lead. 13Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your trading partners, trading in people, and they traded articles of copper for your wares. 14Those from the house of Togarmah traded horses and horsemen and mules for your merchandise. 15The sons of Dedan were trading partners of yours; many maritime countries traded the merchandise you deal in. They offered horns of ivory, and ebony as a gift to you. 16Aramaea was your trading partner, because of the abundance of your products, in chrysoprase, purple material and embroidery and fine linen, and precious things and rubies, which they traded for your merchandise. 17Judah and the land of Israel were trading partners of yours; they traded with you in wheat from Minnith and Pannag, and honey and oil and balsam resin for your wares. 18Damascus was your trading partner in the abundance of your products, because of all the wealth in the wine of Helbon and the brilliant white wool. 19And Dan and Javan traded spun products for your merchandise. Forged iron, cassia and calamus were among your wares. 20Dedan was your trading partner in elegant clothes for riding. 21Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were trading partners in your produce, for lambs and rams and he-goats. In these things they were your trading partners. 22The merchants from Sheba and Raamah were your trading partners, foremost in all balsam resin and all gemstones and gold. They traded in your market places. 23Haran and Canneh and Eden, the traders of Sheba, Assyria and Chilmad were your trading partners. 24They were your trading partners in luxury items, in mantles made from blue material, and embroidery and in chests of multi-coloured cloth, bound in cords and made secure, in your market.

25The ships of Tarshish were your transportation with your wares,

And you were accomplished

And very honoured in the heart of the seas.

26Those who rowed you

Have brought you to tempestuous water.

The east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas.

27Your wealth and your merchandise and your wares

And your sailors and your ships' captains,

Those who repair your leaks,

And your negotiators in trading,

And all your men of war who are in your confines,

And people throughout your community

Who are within your precincts

Will fall in the heart of the seas

On the day of your demise.

28At the sound of the cry of your ships' captains,

The open areas will shake.

29All who handle the oar,

Sailors and all ships' captains on the sea,

Will disembark from their ships.

They will stand on land,

30And they will vociferate against you

And shout bitterly,

And they will throw dust up over their heads;

They will roll around in ash.

31And they will make themselves bald for you,

And they will bind sackcloth on,

And they will weep for you with bitter feelings

And bitter mourning.

32And they will deliver in their lamenting over you

A dirge,

And they will lament over you,

And say, ‹Who is like Tyre,

Like desolation

In the middle of the sea?›

33When your merchandise went out by sea,

You satisfied many peoples with the abundance of your wealth and wares;

You enriched the kings of the earth.

34It is the time when you are broken off from the seas

With their depths of water.

Your trade

And the whole of the community in your confines

Will collapse.

35All the inhabitants of the maritime countries will be astounded at you,

When their kings shudder in horror

And their faces palpitate.

36Traders among the various peoples will whistle at you.

You will be a dreadful scene,

And you will be no more,

Age-abidingly.» ’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 27: v.13 ↔ Revelation 18:13.

Ezekiel Chapter 28 

1Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says:

«Because your heart has been proud,

You have said, ‹I am God;

I sit in the seat of God

In the heart of the seas.›

But you are a man and not God,

And you have inclined your heart

To be as if God's heart.

3Look, you are wiser than Daniel.

No secret is hidden from you.

4In your wisdom and your understanding,

You have acquired riches,

And you have acquired gold and silver in your treasuries.

5By the greatness of your wisdom,

By your trade,

You have increased your wealth,

And your heart has become proud with your wealth.

6That is why this is what the Lord, the Lord, says:

‹Because you have disposed your heart

To be as if God's heart,

7Therefore I am about to bring foreigners against you

– Fierce ones from the Gentiles –

And they will draw their swords against the excellence of your wisdom,

And they will spoil your splendour.

8They will bring you down into the pit,

And you will die the death of him who is struck through,

In the heart of the seas.

9Will you really say,

"I am God"

Before him who will kill you,

When you are a man and not God,

In the hands of those who will strike you through?

10You will die the death of the uncircumcised,

By the hand of foreigners,

For I have spoken it,

Says the Lord, the Lord.› » ’ ”

11Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 12“Son of Adam, deliver a lamentation to the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says:

«You seal perfection in form.

You are full of wisdom

And are of absolute beauty.

13You were in Eden, the garden of God;

Every precious gemstone was your covering:

Ruby, topaz, and diamond,

Chrysolite, onyx, jasper,

Sapphire, chrysoprase, emerald,

And gold.

The workmanship of your drums and your bezels was with you;

They were prepared on the day when you were created.

14You are the anointed cherub

Who acts as a covering,

And I appointed you.

You have been on the holy mountain of God;

You have walked around among the fiery stones.

15You were perfect in your ways

From the day you were created

Until unrighteousness was found in you.

16With the large amount of your trade

They have filled your precincts with violence,

And you have sinned,

And I have removed you as profaned from the mountain of God,

And I will eradicate you,

You who act as a covering cherub,

From among the fiery stones.

17Your heart has become proud

Because of your beauty.

You have spoilt your wisdom on account of your splendour.

I will cast you down to the earth;

I will place you before kings,

For them to look at you.

18With the abundance of your iniquity,

With the unrighteousness in your trade,

You have profaned your sanctuaries.

So I will produce fire from within you;

It will consume you,

And I will make you ash on the earth

In the sight of all who see you.

19All among the various nations who know you

Will be astonished at you.

You will be a terrible scene,

And you will be no more

Age-abidingly.» ’ ”

20Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 21“Son of Adam, direct your attention to Sidon and prophesy against it. 22And you will say, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says:

«Here I am against you, Sidon,

And I will become glorified within your confines.

And they will know that I am the Lord

When I execute judgments in it.

And I will be sanctified in it.

23And I will send a plague to it

And blood in its streets,

And he who is struck will fall in its precincts

By the sword against it all around,

And they will know that I am the Lord.

24And the house of Israel will no longer have a stinging barb or painful thorn from any around them who despise them, and they will know that I am the Lord, the Lord25This is what my Lord the Lord says: «When I gather the house of Israel from the nations among which they have been scattered, and I have been sanctified through them in the eyes of the Gentiles, they will live on their land which I have given to my servant – to Jacob. 26And they will live on it in security, and they will build houses and plant vineyards, and they will live in security, when I execute judgments on all those who despise them from round about them, and they will know that I am the Lord their God.» ’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 29 

1In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, direct your attention to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. 3Speak and say, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says:

«I am here against you,

Pharaoh king of Egypt,

You great serpent who lie in your rivers,

Who have said,

‹My river is mine,

And I made it for myself.›

4But I will put hooks in your jaws,

And I will make the fish of your rivers stick in your scales,

And I will bring you up from your rivers

With all the fish of your rivers,

Which will stick in your scales.

5And I will leave you in the desert

– You and all the fish of your rivers.

You will fall on the open countryside;

You will not be collected up,

And you will not be gathered.

I have appointed you as food for the wild animals

And for the birds of the sky.

6And all the inhabitants of Egypt will know

That I am the Lord,

Because they were a reed staff of support to the house of Israel.

7When they held on to you by your hand,

You collapsed,

And you split all their shoulders.

And when they leant on you,

You buckled,

And you brought all their loins to a standstill.»

8So this is what my Lord the Lord says: «I am about to bring the sword over you, and I will cut man and beast off from you. 9And the land of Egypt will be a desolation and a ruin, and they will know that I am the Lord, because he said, ‹The river is mine, and I made it.› 10So I am here against you and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt ruins – a desolate ruin – from Migdol Syene to the border of Ethiopia. 11No foot of man will pass through it, nor will the feet of cattle pass through it, and it will not be inhabited for forty years. 12And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation among desolated countries, and its cities will be a desolation among ruined cities, for forty years. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the Gentiles; I will disperse them among the various countries.» 13For this is what my Lord the Lord says: «After forty years, I will gather the Egyptians from the various peoples where they have been scattered. 14And I will reverse the displacement of the Egyptians, and I will bring them back to the land of Pathros, to their native country, and they will be a low kingdom there. 15It will be the lowest of kingdoms, and it will no longer exalt itself over the nations, and I will make them few in number so that they cannot rule over the nations. 16And it will no longer be for the house of Israel a trusted ally, as they bring iniquity to mind as they appeal to them, and they will know that I am the Lord, the Lord.» ’ ” 17Then it came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me and said, 18“Son of Adam, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has engaged his forces on a major campaign against Tyre. Every head has been made bald, and every shoulder has become raw, but he has had no payoff, nor have his forces, from Tyre, for the campaign which he undertook against it. 19Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘I am about to give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth, and he will plunder it for its plunder, and spoil it for its spoil, and it will be pay for his forces. 20In his campaign which he has undertaken against it, I have delivered the land of Egypt to him, because they have acted for me, says the Lord, the Lord. 21On that day I will cause a horn to spring up in the house of Israel, and I will give you ability to speak up in their midst, and they will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 30 

1And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, prophesy and say, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says:

«Howl, woe be to the day!

3For the day is near,

Yes, the day of the Lord is near.

It will be a day of cloud,

A time of the Gentiles.

4And the sword will come to Egypt,

And there will be trembling in Ethiopia

When a casualty falls in Egypt,

And they take its wealth,

And its foundations are demolished.

5Ethiopia and Libya and Lud, and all the mixed population, and Chub, and the sons of the land of the covenant will fall by the sword with them.» 6This is what the Lord says:

«So those who support Egypt will fall,

And the pride of its strength will decline.

From Migdol Syene they will fall in it by the sword,

Says the Lord, the Lord.

7And they will be desolate inside desolated countries,

And each one's cities will be reckoned among the ruined cities.

8And they will know that I am the Lord,

When I produce fire in Egypt,

And all those who help her are routed.

9On that day, messengers will go out from my presence in ships

To instil fear in confident Ethiopia,

And there will be trembling among them on the day of Egypt.

For behold, it is coming.»

10This is what the Lord, the Lord, says:

«I will put a stop to the affluence of Egypt,

By the hand of Nebuchadrezzar

King of Babylon.

11He and his people with him

– Fierce people from the Gentiles –

Will be brought to bring the land to ruin,

And they will draw their swords against Egypt,

And they will fill the land with the fallen.

12And I will make the rivers dry land,

And I will sell the land into the hand of the wicked,

And I will make the land and its fulness desolate by the hand of foreigners.

I, the Lord, have spoken.»

13This is what my Lord the Lord says:

«And I will destroy the idols,

And I will put a stop to the false gods from Noph,

And there will not be a prince from the land of Egypt any more,

And I will put fear in the land of Egypt,

14And I will devastate Pathros,

And I will produce fire in Zoan,

And I will execute judgments in No,

15And I will pour out my fury on Sin,

The fortress of Egypt,

And I will cut the horde of No off.

16And I will produce fire in Egypt;

The city of Sin will writhe painfully,

And No will be broken into,

And Noph will have tribulations by day.

17The young men of Aven and Pi-Beseth will fall by the sword,

And the women will go into captivity.

18And in Tahpanhes the day will hold itself back

When I break the yoke beams of Egypt there,

And its pride in its strength ceases.

A cloud will cover it,

And its daughters will go into captivity.

19And I will execute judgments in Egypt,

And they will know that I am the Lord.» ’ ”

20Then it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me and said, 21“Son of Adam, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and look, it will not be bound up, to let it heal, with a bandage applied to bind it, to strengthen it, so that it could wield a sword. 22Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘Here I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break his arms – the strong one and the broken one – and I will cause the sword to fall from his hand. 23And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and I will disperse them among the various countries. 24And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and I will put my sword in his hand, but I will break Pharaoh's arms, and he will groan before him with the groanings of one struck through. 25And I will strengthen the king of Babylon's arms, but Pharaoh's arms will fall down. And they will know that I am the Lord when I put my sword in the hand of the king of Babylon, and he directs it towards the land of Egypt. 26So I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and I will disperse them among the various countries, and they will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 30: v.3 ↔ Revelation 1:10.

Ezekiel Chapter 31 

1Then it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his horde,

‘Whom do you resemble in your greatness?

3Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon,

With beautiful boughs

And having foliage giving shade.

And it was of great height,

And between its branches was its crest.

4Water made him great;

The deep water elevated him,

With its rivers flowing around its plantations.

And it has put out its channels

To all the trees of the countryside.

5That is why its standing was higher

Than any tree of the countryside,

And its boughs were numerous,

And its foliage was extensive

– Because of the large amount of water present

When it put out shoots.

6All the birds of the sky built their nests on its boughs,

And all the wild animals gave birth under its foliage,

And all kinds of great nations dwelt in its shade.

7And it became beautiful as it grew,

Through the length of its branches,

For its root was at much water.

8Cedars did not conceal it in the garden of God;

Cypresses were not similar to it in its boughs,

And plane trees were not like it in its foliage.

No tree in the garden of God was like it in its beauty.

9I made it beautiful with its many branches,

And all the trees of Eden

Which were in the garden of God

Were jealous of it.

10Therefore this is what my Lord the Lord says: «Because you have made yourself of high standing, and he has put his crest among the boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his self-exaltation, 11I will deliver him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations. They will certainly engage him. I will drive him out according to his wickedness. 12And fierce people from the Gentiles will cut him off and abandon him. His branches will fall off onto the mountains and in all the valleys, and his foliage will be broken up in all the gullies of the land, and all the various peoples of the earth will come down from his shade and abandon him. 13All kinds of birds of the sky will live in its ruins, and all kinds of wild animals will be in its foliage, 14because no aquatic trees will exalt themselves in their height, nor will they put out their crest among their boughs, nor will the mighty ones among them stand having great height – all which drink water – for they are all consigned to death, to the underworld, among the sons of Adam, to those who go down into the pit.» 15This is what my Lord the Lord says: «On the day when he went down into the grave, I caused mourning, I covered him with the deep, and I held back its rivers, and much water was restrained, and I caused Lebanon to mourn gloomily over him, and all the trees of the countryside were languid. 16At the sound of his fall I made nations tremble. When I brought him down to the grave with those who go down to the pit, all the trees of Eden were consoled in the underworld – the choice and best of Lebanon, all those which drink water. 17They also went down to the grave with him, to those struck through by the sword, including his arm – those who lived in his shade among the nations. 18Whom do you resemble in honour and greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the underworld. You will lie among the uncircumcised with those struck through by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all of his horde, says my Lord the Lord.» ’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 32 

1Then it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, deliver a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him,

‘You resemble a lion cub among the nations,

And you are like a serpent in the seas,

And you have broken through into your rivers,

And you have made the water turbid with your feet,

And you have stirred up mud in their rivers.’

3This is what my Lord the Lord says:

‘So I will spread my net over you

With an assembly of many peoples,

And they will bring you up in my netting.

4And I will abandon you in the land;

I will dump you in the open country,

And I will cause all kinds of birds of the sky to settle on you,

And I will satisfy the animals of all the land with you.

5And I will put your flesh on the mountains,

And I will fill the valleys with your lofty person.

6And I will give drink to the land

Which will flow with you

– With your blood –

On the mountains.

And the channels will be filled with you.

7And I will veil the sky

When I extinguish you

And I obscure its stars.

I will cover the sun with a cloud,

And the moon will not shine its light.

8I will obscure all sources of light in the sky over you,

And I will put darkness over your land,

Says the Lord, the Lord.

9And I will provoke the heart of many nations to anger,

When I bring your demise about

Among the nations in the countries

Which you have not known.

10And I will make many nations astonished at you,

And their kings will shudder in horror at you

When I brandish my sword in front of them.

And they will tremble all the time

– Each man for his life –

On the day of your demise.

11For this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: «The king of Babylon's sword will come to you.

12I will cause the fall of your horde by the swords of warriors

– All of them being fierce people from the Gentiles –

And they will plunder the splendour of Egypt,

And all its horde will be destroyed.

13And I will obliterate all its cattle from places at much water,

And no man's foot will make it turbid any more,

Nor will hooves of cattle make it turbid.

14Then I will make their water subside,

And I will make their rivers flow like oil

– Says the Lord, the Lord –

15When I make the land of Egypt a desolation,

And the land is made devoid of its fulness,

When I strike all those who live in it.

And they will know that I am the Lord.

16That is the lamentation

With which they shall lament it;

The daughters of the nations will lament it.

They will lament it

– Egypt and all its horde –

Says the Lord, the Lord.» ’ ”

17Then it came to pass in the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me and said,

18“Son of Adam, bewail the horde of Egypt,

And lament its descent

– It and the daughters of the noble nations –

To the underworld,

With those who go down to the pit.

19Who is there,

That you are more of a delight than they?

Descend and be laid down with the uncircumcised.

20They will fall among those struck through by the sword.

It has been delivered to the sword.

Drag it and all its hordes away.

21The mighty among the warriors will speak to him

From inside the grave with his helpers.

They have descended;

They lie uncircumcised,

Struck through by the sword.

22Assyria is there

With all its assembled people.

Around him are his graves.

All of them are those struck through,

Who fell by the sword.

23And its sepulchres were made at the sides of the pit,

And its assembled people are around its burial place.

They are all those who were struck through,

Who fell by the sword,

Who struck terror in the land of the living.

24Elam is there

With all its horde around its burial place.

They were all struck through,

Who fell by the sword,

Who descended uncircumcised to the underworld,

Who struck terror in the land of the living,

But they bore their ignominy

With those who descend into the pit.

25Its bed was appointed among those struck through,

Among all its horde.

Around it are its graves.

They are all uncircumcised,

Struck through by the sword,

For they struck terror in the land of the living,

But they bore their ignominy with those who descend into the pit.

He is consigned to the company of those struck through.

26Meshech, Tubal, and all its horde are there.

Around him are its sepulchres.

They are all uncircumcised,

Struck through by the sword,

For they struck terror in the land of the living.

27And they will not lie with the warriors who fell

– Those of the uncircumcised

Who have descended to the grave with their weapons of war.

For their swords were put under their heads,

But their iniquities are in their bones,

For they were the terror of warriors in the land of the living.

28And as for you, you will be overthrown among the uncircumcised,

And you will lie with those struck through by the sword.

29Edom is there,

As are its kings and all its princes

Who for their valour have been placed

With those struck through by the sword.

They will lie with the uncircumcised

And with those who descend into the pit.

30All the princes of the north are there

And all the Sidonians

Who descended with those struck through.

On account of their campaign of terror,

They are ashamed of their show of strength,

And they will lie uncircumcised

With those struck through by the sword.

And they will bear their ignominy

With those who descend into the pit.

31Pharaoh will see them,

And he will be comforted over all his horde

– Those struck through with the sword,

Pharaoh and all his forces –

Says the Lord, the Lord.

32For I have put my terror in the land of the living,

And he will be laid among the uncircumcised,

With those struck through by the sword

– Pharaoh and all his horde –

Says the Lord, the Lord.”

Ezekiel Chapter 33 

1Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, ‘When I bring a sword over a land, if the people of the land take one man from their borders and appoint him as their watchman, 3and he sees the sword coming over the land, and he blows the ramshorn and warns the people, 4if a person hears the sound of the ramshorn but does not take heed, and the sword comes and takes him, his blood will be on his head; 5he heard the sound of the ramshorn, but he did not take heed. His blood will be upon him. But he who takes heed will save his life. 6And if the watchman sees the sword coming, but he does not sound the ramshorn, and the people are not warned when the sword comes, it will take a person's life from them. That person will be taken in his iniquity, but I will require his blood from the hand of the watchman.’ 7And as for you, son of Adam, I have appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel. When you hear anything from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8When I say to the wicked man, ‘You wicked man, you shall surely die’, but you don't speak to warn the wicked man about his way, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood from your hand. 9But if you warn the wicked man about his way, for him to turn back from it, and he does not turn back from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved your life. 10And you, son of Adam, say to the house of Israel, ‘You have spoken like this and said, «If our transgressions and our sins are on us, and we are wasting away in them, then how can we live?» ’ 11Say to them, ‘As I live, says my Lord the Lord, I certainly do not take pleasure in the death of the wicked man, but in a wicked man turning back from his way, and living. Turn back, turn back from your wicked ways, for why should you die, O house of Israel?’ 12And you, son of Adam, say to the sons of your people, ‘The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him on the day of his transgression, and the wickedness of the wicked man is not something he will stumble in on the day of his turning away from his wickedness, whereas a righteous man cannot live by it on the day of his sin. 13When I say of the righteous man, «He will certainly live», and he trusts in his righteousness, but he commits injustice, none of his righteousness will be remembered, but it will be in his injustice which he has committed that he will die. 14And when I say to the wicked man, «You will certainly die», but he turns back from his sin and does justice and righteousness, 15and the wicked man restores what was given as security, and he repays what he has misappropriated, and he walks in the statutes of life, not committing injustice, he will certainly live; he shall not die. 16None of his sins which he has committed will be remembered regarding him. He has done justice and righteousness; he shall certainly live.’ 17Yet the sons of your people have said, ‘The way of the Lord* is not fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair. 18If a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits injustice, then he will die in those things. 19And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does justice and righteousness, he will live on account of them. 20But you say, ‘The way of the Lord* is not fair.’ But I will judge you each according to his ways, O house of Israel.” 21Then it came to pass in the twelfth year of our deportation, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, that an escapee came to me from Jerusalem and said, “The city has been attacked.” 22And the hand of the Lord had been on me in the evening before the escapee came, and he opened my mouth before he came to me in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute. 23Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 24“Son of Adam, the inhabitants of these wastelands, on the territory of Israel, are talking and saying, ‘Abraham was one man, and he inherited the land, whereas we are many, and the land has been given to us as an inheritance.’ 25So say to them, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «You have been eating with blood, and lifting your eyes up to your idols and shedding blood. So will you inherit the land? 26You have confided in your swords, you have committed an abomination, and each has defiled his neighbour's wife. So will you inherit the land?» ’ 27Say this to them: ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «As I live, they who are in the wastelands will certainly fall by the sword, and him who is in the open countryside I will give to the animals for them to eat, and those in fortresses or caves will die of a plague. 28And I will make the land a desolation and a wasteland, and its pride in its strength will cease, and the mountains of Israel will become desolate, with no-one passing through. 29And they will know that I am the Lord when I make the land a desolation and a wasteland on account of all their abominations which they committed.» ’ 30And as for you, son of Adam, the sons of your people are talking about you at the walls and at the doors of the houses, and they speak to each other, each to his brother, saying, ‘Come now, and hear what the word is which proceeds from the Lord.’ 31And they will come to you as an influx of people, and my people will sit before you, and they will hear your words, but they will not do them, for they show love in their speech, but their heart goes after unjust gain. 32And here you are like a lovely song to them, nice vocally, and a good musician. So they will hear your words, but they will not do them. 33And when this comes to pass – behold, it is coming – they will know that there was a prophet among them.”

Ezekiel Chapter 34 

1Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, prophesy to the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to these shepherds, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who have been tending themselves. Is it not the flock that shepherds tend? 3You eat the fatness, and you clothe yourselves with the wool. You sacrifice the fattened animal, but you do not tend the flock. 4You have not strengthened the ailing, nor have you nursed the sick, nor have you bound up the crushed, nor have you brought back her who was driven out, nor have you sought that which was getting lost. But you have ruled over them with force and with rigour. 5And they were scattered for want of a shepherd, and they were food for all kinds of wild animals, so they were scattered. 6My flock has gone astray in all the mountains and on every high hill, and my flock has been scattered all over the surface of the earth, with no-one seeking them and no-one searching for them. 7So, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. 8As I live, says the Lord, the Lord, it is most definitely the case that my flock is a prey, and my flock has been food for all kinds of wild animals, for want of a shepherd, and my shepherds did not seek my flock, but the shepherds tended themselves and did not tend my flock. 9So, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord10This is what my Lord the Lord says: «I am here against the shepherds, and I will demand my flock back from their charge, and I will stop them from tending the flock, and the shepherds will no longer tend them, and I will rescue my flock from their mouth, and they will not be food for them any longer11For this is what my Lord the Lord says: «Here I am, my very self, and I will seek my flock and search for them, 12and as a shepherd tending his flock searches when he is among his flock when they are scattered, so I will search for my flock, and I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. 13And I will bring them out from the nations, and I will gather them from the various countries, and I will bring them to their own country, and I will tend them on the mountains of Israel, at the watercourses and at all inhabitable places in the land. 14I will tend them on good pasture land, and their fold will be on the mountains of the heights of Israel. There they will lie in a good fold, and they will feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15I will tend my flock, and I will give them somewhere to lie down, says the Lord, the Lord. 16I will seek that which is getting lost, and I will bring back what is being driven out, and I will bind up what is crushed, and I will give strength to the sick. But I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will tend them with justice.» ’ 17And as for you, my flock, this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘I am about to judge between flock animal and flock animal, between rams and he-goats. 18Is it a small matter to you that you feed yourselves on good pasture, but you trample on the rest of your pastures with your feet? And that you yourselves drink from a pool of water, but you stir up the rest of the water with your feet? 19So my flock have to feed on the pasture trampled by your feet, and drink from the water stirred up by your feet. 20Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord, says to them: «I myself am here, and I will judge between fatted flock animals and lean flock animals, 21because you have pushed with your side and your shoulder, and you have butted all the ailing with your horns until you had scattered them widely. 22And I will save my flock, and they will no longer be a prey, and I will judge between flock animal and flock animal. 23And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he will tend them – my servant David. He will tend them, and he will be their shepherd. 24And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be a leader among them. I, the Lord, have spoken. 25And I will make a covenant of peace with them, and I will banish beasts of prey from the land, and they will live in the desert in security and sleep in the forests. 26And I will make them and the vicinity of my hill a blessing, and I will bring rain in its season – there will be rains of blessing. 27And the wild tree will yield its fruit, and the earth will yield its produce, and they will be on their land in security, and they will know that I am the Lord when I break their yoke beams and save them from the grip of those who exploit them. 28And they will no longer be a prey to the Gentiles, nor will the animals of the land devour them, but they will live in security, with no-one to make them afraid. 29And I will establish a plantation for them of renown, and they will no longer be gathered to their fathers through famine in the land, and they will no longer bear the reproach of the Gentiles. 30And they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and they will be my people, the house of Israel, says the Lord, the Lord. 31And you, my flock, the flock of my pasture, are Adamic seed, and I am your God, says the Lord, the Lord.» ’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 35 

1Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, direct your attention to Mount Seir, and prophesy against it, 3and say to it, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says:

«Here I am against you, O Mount Seir,

And I have stretched out my hand against you,

And I have appointed you to desolation and devastation.

4I will make your cities a ruin,

And you will be a desolation.

And you will know that I am the Lord,

5Because you have had an age-old hostility,

And you delivered the sons of Israel to the edges of the sword

At the time of their calamity,

At the time of the final iniquity.

6Therefore, as I live, says the Lord, the Lord, I will destine you for blood, and blood will pursue you. You have certainly hated in a bloody way, and blood will pursue you. 7And I will make Mount Seir a desolation and a devastation, and I will cut it off for anyone passing by or coming back. 8And I will fill its mountains with its men struck through. On your hills and in your valleys and all your watercourses, victims of the sword will fall. 9I will make you into age-abiding desolations, and your cities will not be inhabited, and you will know that I am the Lord. 10Because you said, ‹The two nations and the two countries will be mine, and we will inherit it›, when the Lord was present there, 11as I live, says the Lord, the Lord, I will act according to your anger and your envy which you have shown, because of your hatred of them. And I will have become known among them when I judge you. 12And you will know that I am the Lord. I have heard all your insults which you have uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‹It has become desolate; they have been delivered to us as prey.› 13And you have acted presumptuously against me with your mouth, and you have been profuse with your words against me. I have heard them14This is what my Lord the Lord says: «When the whole of the land is joyful, I will make you a desolation. 15As was your rejoicing at the fate of the house of Israel, because it had become desolate, so I will do to you. Mount Seir, you will become a desolation, as will all of Edom in its entirety, and they will know that I am the Lord.» ’ ”

Ezekiel Chapter 36 

1“And you, son of Adam, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. 2This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Because the enemy has said against you, ‹Ha! So the age-abiding raised sites will come into our possession›, 3prophesy and say, ‹This is what my Lord the Lord says: "Because and for the very reason that they have made you mountains of Israel desolate, and they have swallowed you up all around, so that you became a possession to the remainder of the nations, and you were incorporated into the gossip and slander of the people, 4you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord, the Lord." › » This is what my Lord the Lord says to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, and to the desolated ruins and to the abandoned cities which are a spoil and a laughing stock to the remainder of the nations which are round about, 5so this is what my Lord the Lord says: «I have most definitely spoken in the ardour of my zeal against the remainder of the nations, and against all of Edom, who gave my land to themselves as a possession, with wholehearted joy and inward contempt in plundering it as a spoil.» ’ 6Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Behold, in my zeal and in my fury I have spoken, because you are bearing the ignominy shown by the Gentiles.» 7Therefore this is what my Lord the Lord says: «I have raised my hand; the Gentiles whom you have round about you will certainly bear their ignominy. 8But you, you mountains of Israel, will put out your branches and bear your fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon be coming, 9for I am here for you, and I have turned to you, so that you will be cultivated and sown. 10And I will increase the number of people on you – the whole house of Israel in its entirety – and the cities will be inhabited, and the ruins will be rebuilt. 11So I will increase the number of people and cattle, and they will be numerous and will be fruitful, and I will install you as in your previous state, and I will do more good to you than in your earlier times, and you will know that I am the Lord. 12And I will lead people in to you – my people Israel – and they will inherit you, you mountains of Israel, and you will be an inheritance to them, and you will no longer bereave them of children.» 13This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Because they say to you, ‹You devour people, and you have been bereaving your nation›, 14you will no longer devour people, and you will no longer bereave your nation, says the Lord, the Lord. 15And I will no longer let the contempt of the Gentiles directed at you be heard, and you will no longer bear the reproach of the nations, and you will no longer bereave your own nation, says the Lord, the Lord.» ’ ” 16Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 17“Son of Adam, when the house of Israel was living on their own land, they defiled it with their way and their deeds. Their way before me was like the uncleanness of menstruation. 18So I poured my fury out over them, because of the blood which they had shed on the land which they had defiled with their idols. 19Then I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed in the various countries. I judged them according to their way and according to their deeds. 20And when it had come to the Gentiles, where they went, the Gentiles profaned my holy name, when they said of them, ‘These are the Lord's people, but they have come out of his land.’ 21Then I had pity on my holy name which the house of Israel had profaned among the Gentiles to whom they went. 22So say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «I am not acting for your sake, O house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the Gentiles to whom you have gone. 23And I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the Gentiles, which you profaned among them, and the Gentiles will know that I am the Lord, says the Lord, the Lord, when I am sanctified among them in their sight. 24Then I will take you from the Gentiles, and I will gather you from all the various countries, and I will bring you to your land. 25And I will sprinkle clean water over you, and you will become clean from all your unclean ways, and I will cleanse you from all your idols. 26And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit inside you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will put my spirit inside you, and I will make you walk in my statutes, and you will observe my judgments and execute them. 28And you will live in the land which I gave to your fathers, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. 29And I will save you from all your unclean ways, and I will call on the corn and increase it, and I will not bring famine over you. 30And I will increase the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will no longer incur the reproach of a famine among the Gentiles. 31But you will remember your evil ways and your deeds which were not right, and you will loathe yourselves in your view on account of your iniquities and on account of your abominations. 32Be it known to you that it is not for your sakes that I am acting, says the Lord, the Lord. Be ashamed and disgraced with your ways, O house of Israel.» 33This is what my Lord the Lord says: «On the day when I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will populate the cities with you, and the ruins will be rebuilt. 34And the land which was desolate will be cultivated instead of it being a desolation in the sight of everyone passing through. 35And they will say, ‹This land which was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the cities which were ruined and devastated and demolished are fortified and are inhabited.› 36And the Gentiles who remain round about you will know that I am the Lordthat I have built what was demolished and that I have planted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it37This is what my Lord the Lord says: «I will yet be asked by the house of Israel to act for them. I will increase the people like a flock. 38As a flock of holy people, as the flock of Jerusalem on its festival days, so the ruined cities will be, full of the human flock, and they will know that I am the Lord.» ’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 36: v.20 ↔ Romans 2:24 ● v.21 ↔ Romans 2:24 ● v.23 ↔ Romans 2:24.

Ezekiel Chapter 37 

1The hand of the Lord was on me, and he led me out in the spirit of the Lord, and he set me down in the middle of a valley which was full of bones. 2And he conducted me to them all around, and I saw that they were very numerous over the surface of the valley, and I saw that they were very dry. 3And he said to me, “Son of Adam, can these bones live?” And I said, “My Lord the Lord, you know.” 4And he said to me, “Prophesy about these bones, and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5This is what my Lord the Lord says to these bones: «I am about to bring spirit into you, and you will live. 6And I will put sinews on you, and I will make flesh arise over you, and I will cover you with skin, and I will put spirit in you, and you will live, and you will know that I am the Lord.» ’ ” 7So I prophesied as I had been commanded. And there was a sound as I prophesied, and it was actually an earth tremor, and the bones came close to each other. 8And I looked and what I saw was sinews and flesh arise, and skin covering them from above, but there was no spirit in them. 9Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of Adam, and say to the spirit, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Come, spirit, from the four winds, and breathe into these who have been killed, so that they live.» ’ ” 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the spirit came over them, and they revived, and they stood on their feet, as a very large host indeed. 11Then he said to me, “Son of Adam, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost; we have got ourselves cut off.’ 12Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «I am about to open your graves, and I will bring you up out of your graves, my people, and I will bring you to the land of Israel. 13And you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and when I bring you up out of your graves, my people. 14And I will put my spirit in you, and you will live, and I will set you down on your land, and you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and acted, says the Lord.» ’ ” 15Then the word of the Lord came to me and said, 16“And you, son of Adam, get yourself a piece of wood, and write on it, ‘For Judah and for the sons of Israel – those associated with him’, and take another piece of wood, and write on it, ‘For Joseph, Ephraim's piece of wood, and the whole house of Israel – those associated with him.’ 17And just join them one to another, into one piece of wood, so that they become a unity in your hand. 18And when the sons of your people speak to you and say, ‘Will you not tell us what these actions of yours mean?’, 19say to them, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «I am about to take Joseph's piece of wood, which is in Ephraim's hand, and the tribes of Israel – those associated with him – and put them with this: with Judah's piece of wood, and I will make them into one piece of wood, and they will be one in my hand.» ’ 20And the pieces of wood on which you write shall be held in your hand in their sight. 21Say to them, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «I am about to take the sons of Israel from among the Gentiles where they went, and I will gather them from round about, and I will bring them to their land. 22And I will make them into one nation in the land, in the mountains of Israel, and they will all have one king as king, and they will no longer be two nations, and they will no longer be divided into two kingdoms any more. 23And they will no longer defile themselves with their idols and with their abominations and with all their transgressions, and I will save them from all their places of abode in which they have sinned, and I will cleanse them, and they will be my people, and I will be their God. 24And my servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them, and they will walk in my judicial ways, and they will keep my statutes, and do them. 25And they will live on the land which I gave to my servant Jacob, on which your fathers lived, and they and their sons and their sons' sons will live on it age-abidingly, and David my servant will be their prince age-abidingly. 26And I will make a covenant of peace with them. It will be an age-abiding covenant with them, and I will settle them, and I will multiply them, and I will put my sanctuary in their midst age-abidingly. 27And my tabernacle will be with them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28And the Gentiles will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel when my sanctuary is among them age-abidingly.» ’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 37: v.27 ↔ 2 Corinthians 6:16.

Ezekiel Chapter 38 

1The word of the Lord came to me and said, 2“Son of Adam, direct your attention to Gog, the land of Magog, the foremost prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3and say, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Here I am against you, Gog, foremost prince of Meshech and Tubal. 4And I will turn you back and put hooks in your jaws. But I will draw you out, with all your forces, horses and horsemen, all fully fitted out – a large contingent – all of them with shield and buckler, wielding swords. 5Persia, Ethiopia and Libya will be with them, all of them with buckler and helmet, 6with Gomer and all its battalions, with the house of Togarmah, the remote parts of the north and all their battalions – many nations with you. 7Be prepared and prepare yourself, you and all your contingents which have been assembled around you, and be a guard to them. 8After many days you will be visited. In the last years you will come to the land which was brought back from destruction by the sword, a land with a population gathered from many nations, to the mountains of Israel which were continuously a ruin. But the inhabitants will have been brought out from the nations, and they will all be living there in safety. 9And you will go up and arrive like a tempest; you will be like a cloud set to cover the land – you and all your battalions, and many nations with you.» 10This is what my Lord the Lord says: «It will also come to pass on that day that matters will come to your mind, and you will think an evil thought. 11And you will say, ‹I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will come to those who are at rest – all of them living in safety, living without a wall, not having bolt or doors – 12to seize plunder, and to take spoil›, in turning your hand against the reinhabited ruins and against a people gathered from the nations, who are acquiring cattle and property, who live at the hub of the land. 13Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all its villages will say to you, ‹Is it to seize plunder that you have come? Is it to take spoil that you have assembled your contingent, to carry off silver and gold, to take cattle and property and to seize much plunder?› » ’ 14Therefore prophesy, son of Adam, and say to Gog, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «On that day, when my people Israel dwell in safety, will you not know what is happening? 15And you will come from your place, from the remote parts of the north – you and many nations with you – all horseriders, a large contingent and a great army. 16And you will come up to my people Israel like a cloud set to cover the land. It will be in the last days, and I will bring you against my land in order that the Gentiles may know me when I am sanctified through you in their sight, Gog.» 17This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Is it you of whom I spoke in the former days, by the intermediacy of my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for years that I would bring you up against them? 18So it will come to pass on that day when Gog comes against the land of Israel – says the Lord, the Lord – that my fury will mount up in my anger. 19And in my zeal, in my fiery ire, I have spoken. On that day there will certainly be a great earthquake over the land of Israel. 20And the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky and the wild animals and every reptile that crawls over the ground and all men who are on the surface of the ground will tremble at my presence, and the mountains will be demolished, and the steep places will fall down, and every wall in the land will collapse. 21And I will call the sword against him on all my mountains, says the Lord, the Lord. The sword of every man will be against his brother. 22And I will contend with him by plague and by blood, and I will rain overwhelming rain and hailstones and fire and sulphur on him and on his battalions and on many nations which are with him. 23And I will have myself magnified and sanctified, and I will be acknowledged in the sight of many nations, and they will know that I am the Lord.» ’

Reference(s) in Chapter 38: v.2 ↔ Revelation 20:8.

Ezekiel Chapter 39 

1And you, son of Adam, prophesy against Gog, and say, ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «Here I am against you, Gog, foremost prince of Meshech and Tubal. 2And I will steer you and lead you, and I will bring you up from the remote parts of the north, and I will bring you to the mountains of Israel. 3Then I will strike your bow out of your left hand, and I will knock your arrows out of your right hand. 4You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your battalions, as will the nations which are with you. I will make you food for birds of prey of every kind and the wild animals. 5You will fall in the open country, for I have spoken, says the Lord, the Lord. 6And I will send fire onto Magog, and onto those who live confidently in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the Lord. 7And I will make my holy name known among my people Israel, and I will not have my holy name profaned any more, and the Gentiles will know that I am the Lord, the holy one in Israel. 8Behold, it is coming, and it will be brought to pass, says the Lord, the Lord. That is the day which I have spoken of. 9And the inhabitants of the cities of Israel will go out and start a fire, and they will set weapons and bucklers and shields and bows and arrows and javelins and spears alight, and they will burn them in a fire for seven years. 10And they will no longer carry away wood from the countryside, nor will they hew it from the forests, for they will burn weapons in a fire, and they will plunder those who plundered them, and they will spoil those who spoiled them, says the Lord, the Lord. 11And it will come to pass on that day that I will give Gog a place there – a grave in Israel – in the valley of those who pass through, east of the sea, and it will block those who would pass through, for they will bury Gog and all his horde there, and they will call it the Valley of Hamon-Gog. 12And the house of Israel will be burying them for seven months, so as to cleanse the land. 13And all the people of the land will do the burying, and it will be to their renown – the day when I am glorified – says the Lord, the Lord. 14And men with an ongoing task will be selected to pass through the land, burying, with others passing through, those who remain on the face of the land, to cleanse it. And after seven months, they will investigate, 15and of those who pass through the land, if anyone sees a man's bone, he will build a way-mark next to it, to be there until the buriers have buried it, in the Valley of Hamon-Gog. 16And also the name of the city will be Hamonah. So they will cleanse the land.» ’ 17And as for you, son of Adam, this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘Say to the birds of every kind and to all the wild animals,

«Gather and come,

And congregate round about at my sacrifice

Which I am making for you

A great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel –

And you will eat flesh and drink blood.

18You shall eat the flesh of warriors

And drink the blood of the princes of the earth.

They are all as rams and fatted lambs and goats and bulls

– The fatted animals of Bashan.

19And you will eat fat to the full,

And you will drink blood until you are drunk from my sacrifice

Which I have made for you.

20And you will be satisfied at my table,

With horses and chariots

And warriors and all kinds of men of war,

Says my Lord the Lord.

21And I will present my glory among the Gentiles, and all the Gentiles will see my judgment which I executed, and my hand which I laid on them. 22And the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God from that day on. 23And the Gentiles will know that the house of Israel was deported for their iniquity, because they acted treacherously against me, so I hid my face from them, and I delivered them into the hands of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword. 24I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions, and I hid my face from them.» ’ 25Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘Now I will reverse the captivity of Jacob, and I will have compassion on the whole house of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name. 26And they will have borne their shame and all their treachery which they engaged in against me when they lived on their land in security, with no-one making them afraid, 27when I bring them back from the various peoples, and I gather them from the countries of their enemies, and I am sanctified among them in the sight of many nations. 28And they will know that I am the Lord their God, who deported them to the Gentiles. And I will collect them on their land; I will not leave any of them yonder any longer. 29And I will no longer hide my face from them when I have poured out my spirit on the house of Israel, says the Lord, the Lord.’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 39: v.17 ↔ Revelation 19:17, Revelation 19:18.

Ezekiel Chapter 40 

1In the twenty-fifth year of our deportation, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was attacked, on this very day, the hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me there. 2In the visions of God, he brought me to the land of Israel, and he set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a kind of structure of a city on the south side. 3And he brought me there, and what I saw was a man. His appearance was like the appearance of copper, and he had a cord of flax in his hand, and a measuring rod, and he stood at the gate. 4And the man said to me, “Son of Adam, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and take note of everything I show you, for it is in order to show you that you have been brought here. Tell the house of Israel everything that you see.” 5And what I saw was a wall outside the house all around, and in the man's hand was the measuring rod, six cubits long as determined by forearm and handbreadth. And he measured the width of the structure: it was one rod-length, and its height was one rod-length. 6And he went to the gate which faces east, and he went up its steps, and he measured the threshold of the gate: its width was one rod-length. And he measured the other threshold: one rod-length in width. 7As for the side-room, its length was one rod-length, and its width was one rod-length, and the distance between the side-rooms was five cubits. And the threshold of the gate to the portico at the gate in front of the house was one rod-length long. 8Then he measured the portico at the gate in front of the house: it was one rod-length. 9Then he measured the portico at the gate: it was eight cubits. And its turrets measured two cubits. And the portico at the gate was in front of the house. 10And the side-rooms of the gate on the east were three in number on one side and three in number on the other side. All three of them were of the same size, and the turrets on each side were of one size. 11Then he measured the width of the door to the gate: it was ten cubits. The length of the gate was thirteen cubits. 12And the gap in front of the side-rooms was one cubit, and there was a gap of one cubit to the side. And the side-room itself measured six cubits by six cubits. 13Then he measured the gate from the roof of a side-room to another's roof: the width was twenty-five cubits from door to door. 14Then he measured the turrets: they were sixty cubits, this being to a turret in the courtyard, all around the gate. 15And from the front of the gate of the entrance to the front of the portico of the inner gate it was fifty cubits. 16And the side-rooms and their turrets had shuttered windows on the sides inside the gate all around, and similarly the porticos. These were the windows all around on the inside. And each turret had palm tree motifs. 17Then he brought me to the outer court, and what I saw was annexes and a tiled floor, made for the court all around. There were thirty annexes on the tiled floor. 18And the tiled floor was to the side of the gates. All along the length of the gates was the lower tiled floor. 19And he measured the width from in front of the lower gate to the front of the inner court on the outside. It was one hundred cubits going east and going north. 20And he measured the length and width of the gate of the outer court which faces north. 21And the side-rooms to it were three on one side and three on the other side, and its turrets and its porticos were according to the measurements of the first gate. Its length was fifty cubits, and its width was twenty-five cubits. 22And its windows and its porticos and its palm tree motifs were according to the measurements of the gate which faces east. And one ascends to it by seven steps, and its porticos were in front of them. 23And the gate of the inner court was opposite the gate to the north and to the east. And he measured from gate to gate: one hundred cubits. 24Then he led me to the south, and what I saw was the gate to the south, and he measured its turrets and its porticos, and they were as the previous measurements. 25And it had windows, as did its porticos all around like the previous windows. The length was fifty cubits and the width was twenty-five cubits. 26And there were seven steps in its flight of steps, and its portico was in front of them, and its palm tree motifs were the same on one side as on the other side, on its turrets. 27And as for the gate to the inner court to the south, he measured from gate to gate in the south, and it was one hundred cubits. 28Then he brought me to the inner court at the south gate, and he measured the south gate which had the same measurements. 29And its side-rooms and its turrets and its porticos had the same measurements as previously, and it had windows, as did its porticos all around. It was fifty cubits in length, and its width was twenty-five cubits. 30And its porticos all around were twenty-five cubits in length, and their width was five cubits. 31And its porticos were facing the outer court, and its turrets had palm tree motifs, and there were eight steps to its staircase. 32Then he brought me to the inner court to the east, and he measured the gate. It had the same measurements as the previous ones. 33And its side-rooms and its turrets and its porticos had the same measurements as the previous ones, and it had windows, as did its porticos all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its width was twenty-five cubits. 34And its porticos were facing the outer court, and its turrets had palm tree motifs on both sides, and there were eight steps to its staircase. 35Then he brought me to the north gate, and he measured it as having the previous measurements. 36As for its side-rooms, its turrets and its porticos and its windows all around, the length of them was fifty cubits, and the width of them was twenty-five cubits. 37And its turrets were facing the outer court, and its turrets had palm tree motifs on both sides, and there were eight steps to its staircase. 38And there was an annex with its entrance by the turrets at the gates. There they washed the burnt offering. 39And in the portico of the gate were two tables on one side and two tables on the other side, on which to slaughter the burnt offering and the sin-offering and the guilt-offering. 40And on one side facing outside, as one goes up to the entrance of the northern gate, were two tables, and on the other side which belongs to the portico of the gate were two tables. 41There were four tables on one side and four tables on the other side, to the sides of the gate – eight tables on which they did the slaughtering. 42And four tables for the burnt offering were made of hewn stone. The length was one and a half cubits, and the width was one and a half cubits, and the height was one cubit. They placed on them the utensils with which they slaughtered the burnt offering and the sacrifice. 43And the hooks were one handbreadth wide, held up in their slots all around. And on the tables was the flesh of the oblation. 44And outside the inner gate were the annexes for the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate, and they faced south, with one to the side of the eastern gate facing north. 45And he said to me, “This is the annex which faces south for the priests who keep guard of the house. 46And the annex which faces north is for the priests who keep guard of the altar. They are the sons of Zadok, descended from the sons of Levi, who approach the Lord, to serve him.” 47And he measured the courtyard. Its length was one hundred cubits, and its width was one hundred cubits; it was square. And the altar was in front of the house. 48Then he brought me to the portico of the house, and he measured the turrets of the portico: five cubits on one side and five cubits on the other side. And the width of the gate was three cubits on one side and three cubits on the other side. 49The length of the portico was twenty cubits, and the width was eleven cubits, and at the steps by which one goes up to it there were columns by the turrets on each side.

Ezekiel Chapter 41 

1Then he brought me to the temple, and he measured the turrets as being six cubits in width on one side and six cubits in width on the other side, which was the width of the tent. 2And the width of the entrance was ten cubits, and the sides of the entrance were five cubits on one side and five cubits on the other side. And he measured its length: it was forty cubits, and its width was twenty cubits. 3And he went inside and measured the turret of the entrance: it was two cubits high. And the entrance was six cubits high, and the width of the entrance was seven cubits. 4And he measured its length: it was twenty cubits. And its width was twenty cubits in front of the temple. Then he said to me, “This is the holy of holies.” 5Then he measured the wall of the house: it was six cubits. And the width of the side-chamber was four cubits all around the house. 6And the side-chambers were arranged as side-chamber on side-chamber in three storeys, repeated thirty times. And they were recessed in the wall which was for the house, for the side-chambers all around to be as if gripped in, but they were not actually gripped in by the wall of the house. 7And the edifice of the side-chambers became wider and curved as it went up and up, for the edifice was arc-shaped as it went up and up and round and round the house, so that there was more width higher up, as one goes up from the ground floor to the top storey via the middle level. 8And I saw the height of the house all around. The foundations of the side-chambers were, as measured by a full rod, six cubits to the join. 9The thickness of the wall which was adjoined to the side-chamber on the outside was five cubits. And the remaining part of the structure of the side-chambers was what was inside the wall. 10And between the annexes was a gap of twenty cubits all around the structure. 11As for the entrance of the side-chamber to the remaining part, there was one entrance to the north and one entrance to the south. And the width of the remaining part was five cubits all around. 12And as for the building which was beside the passageway in the western corner, its width was seventy cubits, and the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length was ninety cubits. 13And he measured the house. Its length was one hundred cubits, and the passageway and the building and its walls were one hundred cubits in length. 14And the width of the sides of the house and the passageway to the east was one hundred cubits. 15Then he measured the length of the building beside the passageway which was behind it, and its colonnade on each side. It was one hundred cubits, and there was an inner temple, and there were the porticos of the court. 16And there were thresholds and shuttered windows and interior colonnades, all three of them going round about, opposite the main threshold. There was panelling in wood all around from the ground to the windows – but the windows were excepted – 17to above the entrance, and up to the inner house, and on the outside, and on every wall all around, on the inside and on the outside, according to their measurements. 18And it was fashioned with cherubim and palm tree motifs, and there was a palm tree between the cherubim, and each cherub had two faces. 19So there was the face of a man facing a palm tree on one side, and the face of a lion cub facing a palm tree on the other side. It was fashioned like this on the whole house all around. 20From the ground to above the entrance, cherubim and palm trees were fashioned, including on the wall of the temple. 21As for the temple, its doorpost was square, and as for the façade of the sanctuary, its appearance was similar. 22And there was an altar of wood, whose height was three cubits and whose length was two cubits, and whose corners and length and walls were of wood. And he said to me, “This is the table which stands before the Lord.” 23And there were two doors to the temple and to the sanctuary. 24And the doors had two leaves – two swinging leaves – two to one door and two leaves to the other. 25And the cherubim and the palm trees were fashioned on them – on the doors of the temple – like those fashioned on the walls. And there were wooden steps in front of the portico on the outside. 26And there were shuttered windows and palm tree motifs on each side, on the sides of the portico and on the sides of the house and the steps.

Ezekiel Chapter 42 

1Then he led me out to the outer courtyard by the avenue in the direction of the north, and he brought me to the annex which was opposite the passageway and opposite the building to the north. 2At the head of a length of one hundred cubits was the north entrance, and the width was fifty cubits. 3Opposite the twenty cubits of the inner court, and opposite the tiled floor of the outer court, was a colonnade facing a colonnade, in three storeys. 4And in front of the annexes was a walkway ten cubits wide, leading to an inner way, a way one cubit wide. And their entrances were to the north. 5And the upper annexes were shorter, because the colonnades took space from them, making them shorter than the lowest storey, and than the middle storey of the building. 6For they were on the third storey, and they did not have pillars like the pillars of the courtyards, which is why they were indented with respect to the lower storey rooms and the middle storey rooms rising from the ground. 7And there was a wall which passed outside, opposite the annexes, through the outer court in front of the annexes. Its length was fifty cubits. 8For the length of the annexes which belonged to the outer court was fifty cubits, but in contrast those in front of the temple were one hundred cubits in length. 9And under these annexes was the entrance to the east as one comes to them from the outer court. 10And in the width of the wall of the court in the eastern direction in front of the passageway and in front of the building were annexes. 11And the avenue in front of them had the same appearance as the annexes which were in the avenue to the north. They had the same length and breadth, and at all their exits their designs and their entrances were the same. 12And like the entrances to the annexes which were on the southern avenue was the entrance at the head of the avenue, the avenue in front of the fence of the garden, and the avenue to the east, serving as ways in. 13Then he said to me, “The annexes of the north and the annexes of the south which are in front of the passageway are the holy annexes where the priests who come close to the Lord eat holy of holies. There they deposit the holy of holies and the meal-offering and the sin-offering and the guilt-offering, for the place is holy. 14When the priests go in, they shall not come straight out of the sanctuary to the outer court, for it is there that they shall deposit their clothes in which they serve, for the clothes are holy. They shall wear different clothes when they approach whatever is accessible to the people.” 15When he had finished the measurements of the inner house, he brought me out through the gate which faces east, and he measured it all around. 16He measured the eastern quarter with the measuring rod. It was five hundred rod-lengths by the measuring rod going around. 17He measured the northern quarter. It was five hundred rod-lengths by the measuring rod going around. 18He measured the southern quarter. It was five hundred rod-lengths by the measuring rod. 19He turned to the western quarter and measured five hundred rod-lengths by the measuring rod. 20He measured it at the four quarters. It had a wall all around. The length was five hundred rod-lengths, and the width was five hundred rod-lengths, to separate what is holy from what is profane.

Ezekiel Chapter 43 

1Then he led me to the gate, the gate which faces east. 2And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the east, and the sound of it was like the sound of fast-flowing water. And the land lit up with his glory. 3And the appearance in the vision which I saw was as in the vision which I saw when I came to bring the city to ruin, and the visions were like the vision which I saw at the River Chebar. And I fell face down. 4And the glory of the Lord came to the house through the gate which faces east. 5Then the spirit carried me and brought me to the inner courtyard, and I saw that the glory of the Lord filled the house. 6And I heard him speaking to me from the house while a man was standing next to me. 7And he said to me, “Son of Adam, observe the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel age-abidingly. And the house of Israel will no longer defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings with their prostitution, nor by the corpses of their kings and their idolatrous raised sites, 8which they did when they put their threshold with my threshold, and their doorpost alongside my doorpost, and the wall between me and them, and they defiled my holy name with their abominations which they committed, so that I made an end of them in my anger. 9Now they will remove their prostitution and the corpses of their kings from me, and I will dwell in their midst age-abidingly. 10You, son of Adam, describe the house to the house of Israel, so that they are put to shame because of their iniquities, and let them measure the layout. 11And when they are ashamed of everything they have done, make known to them the procedures of the house, and its layout within, and its exits and its entrances and all its procedures, and all its statutes and all its procedures, and all its laws, and write them down in their sight, so that they observe all its procedures and all its statutes, and do them. 12This is the law of the house. On the summit of the mountain, the whole of its site all around is a holy of holies. Look, this is the law of the house. 13These are the dimensions of the altar in cubits, a cubit here being a cubit and a handbreadth. Now the plinth ledge is a cubit deep and a cubit in width, and its border at its edge all around is one span high. And that is the plinth of the altar. 14And from the plinth ledge at the bottom up to the mid-level ledge is two cubits, and the width is one cubit, and from the mid-level ledge up to the high-level ledge is four cubits, and the width is one cubit. 15And the hearth is four cubits higher, and from the hearth rising up, there are the four horns. 16And the hearth is twelve cubits in length by twelve cubits in width. It is square in its four corners. 17And the hearth ledge is fourteen cubits long by fourteen cubits wide, measured to its four corners, and the border around it is half a cubit high, and its ledge is one cubit wide all around, and its steps face east.” 18Then he said to me, “Son of Adam, this is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘These are the statutes of the altar on the day when it is made, namely to offer a burnt offering on it and to sprinkle blood on it. 19And you will give the Levite priests who are of the seed of Zadok – who are near to me, says the Lord, the Lord, to serve me – a bull-calf of the oxen as a sin-offering. 20And you will take some of its blood and put it on the altar's four horns and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the rim all around, and you will offer it as a sin-offering and make atonement with it. 21And you will take the bull which is the sin-offering, and he will burn it in the appointed place of the house outside the sanctuary. 22And on the second day, you will offer a perfect buck of the goats as a sin-offering, and the priests will make the altar a sin-offering, as they make the sin-offering with the bull. 23And when you have finished offering for sin, you shall offer a perfect bull-calf of the oxen and a perfect ram from the sheep. 24And you will offer them before the Lord, and the priests will throw salt over them, and they will offer them as a burnt offering to the Lord. 25For seven days you shall carry out the sacrifice of the goat as a sin-offering each day, and they shall perform the sacrifice of a bull-calf of the oxen and a ram from the sheep, both being perfect. 26For seven days they shall make the altar an atonement and cleanse it, and they shall inaugurate it. 27And they will see the days through, and it will come to pass on the eighth day and further that the priests will perform your burnt offerings and your peace-offerings on the altar, and I will be pleased with you, says the Lord, the Lord.’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 43: v.7 ↔ Revelation 21:3.

Ezekiel Chapter 44 

1Then he brought me back through the gate of the outer sanctuary, which faces east, and it was shut. 2And the Lord said to me, “This gate will be shut. It shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, for the Lord God of Israel enters by it, so it shall be shut. 3But as for the prince, it is the prince who will sit in it to eat bread before the Lord. He will come in through the portico of the gate, and he will go out through it.” 4Then he brought me through the northern gate to the front of the house, and I looked, and I saw that the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord, and I fell face down. 5Then the Lord said to me, “Son of Adam, take note, and see with your eyes, and hear with your ears everything that I am saying to you concerning all the statutes of the house of the Lord and its whole law, and take note of the entrance to the house, with all the exits of the sanctuary. 6And you shall say to the rebels – to the house of Israel – ‘This is what my Lord the Lord says: «You have committed more than enough abominations, O house of Israel, 7because you have brought foreigners in, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in the flesh, for them to be in my sanctuary, profaning it, namely my house, when you offered my bread, fat and blood. So they broke my covenant with all your abominations. 8And you have not kept the charge of my holy things, but you have put the keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for your own ends9This is what my Lord the Lord says: «No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in the flesh shall enter into my sanctuary – none of all the foreigners who are among the sons of Israel, 10but it is rather the Levites, who have become distant from me, with Israel going astray when they strayed from me, going after their idols. And they will bear their iniquity. 11But they will be ministering in my sanctuary, having been given charge of the gates of the house, and serving the house. They will slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they will stand before them, to minister to them, 12because they ministered to them before their idols, and they were an iniquitous stumbling block to the house of Israel, which is why I have raised my hand against them, says the Lord, the Lord, and they will bear their iniquity. 13But they shall not come near to me to officiate as a priest to me, nor to come near to any of my holy things in the holy of holies, and they will bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed. 14But I will appoint them as keepers of the charge of the house in all its operations, and in everything that is done in it. 15But the Levite priests who are the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of my sanctuary when the sons of Israel strayed from me, will come near to me to serve me, and they will stand before me to offer fat and blood to me, says the Lord, the Lord. 16They shall come into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table to serve me, and they will keep my charge. 17And it will come to pass, when they come to the gates of the inner court, that they will wear linen clothes, and no wool will come on them when they minister at the gates of the inner court and inside. 18They shall have linen turbans on their heads, and they shall have linen trousers around their waist. They shall not gird themselves with anything causing sweat. 19And when they go out to the outer court – to the outer court to where the people are – they shall take off the clothes in which they minister and put them in the holy annexes, and they shall wear different clothes, and they shall not sanctify the people in their ordinary clothes. 20And they shall not shave their heads, but they shall not let the locks of their hair hang down. They shall certainly trim the hair on their heads. 21And no priest shall drink wine when they go into inner court. 22And they shall not take a widow or a divorcee as their wives, but rather a virgin of the seed of the house of Israel, but they can take a widow who is a priest's widow. 23And they shall instruct my people in the difference between holy and profane, and they shall make known to them the difference between unclean and clean. 24And in a dispute they shall stand to judge according to my judicial pronouncements, and they shall judge the matter, and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my set times, and they shall sanctify my Sabbaths. 25No-one shall go to a dead person, so becoming unclean, except that they may defile themselves for their father, or for their mother, or for their son, or for their daughter, for their brother or for their sister who does not have a husband. 26Then after his cleansing, they shall count out seven days for him, 27then on the day when he goes into the sanctuary – into the inner court to serve in the sanctuary – he shall make his sin-offering, says the Lord, the Lord. 28And this will be their inheritance: I am their inheritance. And you will not give them any territory in Israel: I am their territory. 29And they shall eat the meal-offering, and the sin-offering, and the guilt-offering. And every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. 30And the first harvest of all firstfruits of everything, and every heave-offering, of everything from all your heave-offerings, will be for the priests. And you will give the first batch of your dough to the priest so as to cause a blessing to rest on your house. 31The priests shall not eat any carcase, or anything preyed on, of poultry or of cattle.

Ezekiel Chapter 45 

1And when you assign the land as an inheritance, you shall make an offering to the Lord, a holy part of the land, a strip of twenty-five thousand units in length, and ten thousand in width. It will be a holy place in all its extent round about. 2Of this, there will be for the sanctuary five hundred by five hundred cubits square all around, and it will have fifty cubits of pasture around it. 3So according to this measured-out area, you shall measure a length of twenty-five thousand units and a width of ten thousand units, and in it will be the sanctuary – the holy of holies. 4It is a holy part of the land; it shall be for the priests, the servants of the sanctuary who come near to serve the Lord. And it will be their place for houses, and a sanctuary for the sanctuary. 5So it will be twenty-five thousand units in length and ten thousand units in width. And it will be for the Levites, the servants of the house – theirs as a territory with twenty annexes. 6And you shall assign the territory of the city to be five thousand units in width and a length of twenty-five thousand units, opposite the place of the holy heave-offering. It shall be for the whole house of Israel. 7And for the prince there will be land on each side of the holy heave-offering, and of the grounds of the city, opposite the place of the holy heave-offering and opposite the grounds of the city, from the western side to the west, and from the eastern side eastwards, and the length will be all along one of the apportionments, from the western border to the eastern border. 8In the land it will be his territory in Israel, and my princes will no longer oppress my people, and the land will be given to the house of Israel according to their tribes.» 9This is what my Lord the Lord says: «You princes of Israel, enough of your injustice! Renounce violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness. Desist from your banishments imposed on my people, says the Lord, the Lord. 10You shall have just balances and a just ephah and a just bath. 11The ephah and the bath shall be of equal volume, so that a bath may have a volume of one tenth of a homer, and an ephah one tenth of a homer. The derivative measures shall be from the homer. 12And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs. Twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, fifteen shekels will amount to your maneh. 13This is the heave-offering which you shall make: a sixth of an ephah from a homer of wheat. You shall also give a sixth part of an ephah from a homer of barley. 14And as for the statute concerning oil, it is a bath of oil. A bath is a tenth of a cor, which is ten baths, which is a homer, for there are ten baths in a homer. 15And you shall offer one lamb from the flock, out of two hundred, from the well-watered country of Israel, as a gift-offering and a burnt offering, and as peace-offerings, to atone for them, says my Lord the Lord. 16All the people in the land will be linked to this heave-offering for the prince in Israel. 17And it will be up to the prince to make the burnt offerings and the meal-offering and the libation at the festivals and on the new moons and on the Sabbaths – on all the festival days of the house of Israel. He will offer the sin-offering and the meal-offering and the burnt offering and the peace-offerings to atone for the house of Israel.» 18This is what my Lord the Lord says: «In the first month, on the first day of the month, you shall take a perfect bull-calf of the oxen, and you will expiate the sanctuary from sin. 19And the priest will take some of the blood of the sin-offering and put it on the doorposts of the house, and on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the posts of the gate of the inner court. 20And you will do likewise on the seventh day of the month, for anyone sinning through ignorance or through folly, and you will atone for the house. 21In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you will celebrate the Passover, a festival of a week of days. Unleavened bread will be eaten. 22And the prince will offer on that day for himself and for all the people of the land, a bull as a sin-offering. 23And for the seven days of the festival, he will make a burnt offering to the Lord – seven bulls and seven rams per day, perfect ones, for the seven days, and as a sin-offering, a buck of the goats per day, 24and he will offer a meal-offering of an ephah per bull, and an ephah per ram, and a hin of oil per ephah. 25In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month, at the festival, he will offer similarly for seven days – likewise with the sin-offering, likewise with the burnt offering and likewise with the meal-offering and likewise with the oil.»

Ezekiel Chapter 46 

1This is what my Lord the Lord says: «The gate of the inner court facing east will be shut for the six working days, then on the Sabbath day it will be opened, and on the day of the new moon it will be opened. 2And the prince will come through the portico of the outer gate, and he will stand at the gatepost, and the priests will offer his burnt offering and his peace-offerings, and he will worship at the threshold of the gate, then he will go out. But the gate will not be shut until the evening. 3And the people of the land will worship at the entrance of that gate on Sabbaths and on days of the new moon, before the Lord. 4And the burnt offering which the prince shall offer to the Lord on the day of the Sabbath is six perfect lambs and a perfect ram, 5and a meal-offering of an ephah per ram, and with the lambs he will offer a meal-offering as a gift according to his means, and a hin of oil per ephah. 6And on the day of the new moon he will offer a perfect bull-calf of the oxen and six lambs and a ram. They shall be perfect. 7And he will offer an ephah per bull and an ephah per ram, as a meal-offering, and for the lambs according to his means, and a hin of oil per ephah. 8When the prince comes, he shall come through the portico of the gate, and he shall go out through it. 9But when the people of the land come before the Lord on the festival days, he who comes in through the northern gate to worship shall go out through the southern gate, and he who comes in through the southern gate shall go out through the northern gate. He shall not return through the gate by which he came, for they shall leave opposite it. 10And the prince who is among them will go in when they go in, and when they go out, he shall go out with them. 11And at festivals and appointed times, the meal-offering will consist of an ephah per bull and an ephah per ram, and for the lambs, a gift according to his means, and oil – a hin per ephah. 12And when the prince makes a voluntary burnt offering or voluntary peace-offerings to the Lord, and he has opened the east-facing gate for himself, he shall make his burnt offering and his peace-offerings in the same way as when he makes them on the Sabbath day, and he will go out and close the gate after he has gone out. 13And you shall offer a perfect one-year-old lamb per day as a burnt offering to the Lord. You shall offer it every morning. 14And you shall make a meal-offering with it every morning, a sixth of an ephah, and a third of a hin of oil to moisten the fine flour. It is a meal-offering to the Lord; they are age-abiding statutes continually. 15So they shall offer the lamb, and the meal-offering, and the oil, every morning as a continual burnt offering.» 16This is what my Lord the Lord says: «If the prince gives a gift to any of his sons, it will be the inheritance of his sons. It will be their territory by inheritance. 17But if he gives a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, it will be his until the year of liberty when it returns to the prince. But when his inheritance is given to his sons, it shall be theirs. 18Now the prince shall not take any of the people's inheritance, in dispossessing them of their territory. He may give his sons some of his territory as an inheritance, so that my people are not scattered – each from his territory.» ’ ” 19Then he brought me through the entrance which was at the side of the gate to the holy annexes for the priests, which face north, and what I saw was a place there in the furthest part to the west. 20And he said to me, “This is the place where the priests cook the guilt-offering and the sin-offering, and where they bake the meal-offering, so that they do not bring them out into the outer court, so sanctifying the people.” 21Then he brought me out to the outer court, and he brought me across to the four corners of the court. And what I saw was a court in each corner of the court. 22In the four corners of the court were adjoining courts forty cubits long and thirty cubits wide. All four of them, set in the corners, had the same dimensions. 23And there was a circle of buildings in them, all around in the four of them, and it was constructed with kitchens under the ring of buildings. 24Then he said to me, “These constitute the cooks' house where the servants of the house cook the sacrifice for the people.”

Ezekiel Chapter 47 

1Then he brought me back to the entrance of the house, and what I saw was water coming out from under the threshold of the house towards the east, for the house faces east. And the water ran down from under the right hand side of the house, to the south of the altar. 2Then he brought me out through the north gate, and he took me round along the outside road to the outer gate, to the road going east. And what I saw was water flowing out from the right hand side. 3When the man came out to the east, with a line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me across in the water – water up to the ankles. 4Then he measured a thousand cubits further away, and he brought me across in the water – water up to the knees. Then he measured a thousand cubits further and brought me to water up to the waist. 5Then he measured a thousand cubits further, and it was a brook which I could not cross, because the water had risen high – it was water to swim in – a torrent which could not be crossed on foot. 6And he said to me, “Have you seen it, son of Adam?” Then he led me and brought me back to the bank of the brook. 7And when I had returned, what I saw was a very great abundance of trees on the banks of the brook, on each side. 8And he said to me, “This water is coming out to the eastern region, and it is going down to the arid land. Then it goes into the sea, and when it has been brought to the sea, the water is healed. 9And it shall come to pass that every living creature which teems everywhere the brook goes, shall live, and the fish will be very abundant, because this water has gone there, and they are healed, and everywhere where the brook goes comes to life. 10And it will come to pass that fishermen will stand in it from En-Gedi to En-Eglaim. It will be a place for casting nets. Its fish will be of various kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea, in very great abundance. 11But its swamps and marshes shall not be healed. They will be given over to salt. 12And along the brook on its banks on each side, every kind of fruit tree will arise. Its foliage will not wither and its fruit will not come to an end. According to its months, it will bear early fruit, because its water comes out of the sanctuary. And its fruit will be for food and its leaves for healing. 13This is what the Lord, the Lord, says: ‘This is the border of what you will inherit as the land for the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph will inherit two apportionments. 14And you shall inherit it – each as his brother – that which I raised my hand to give to your fathers, and this land will fall to you as an inheritance. 15And this is the border of the land on the northern side, from the Great Sea by the way to Hethlon, as one goes to Zedad: 16Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border at Damascus and the border at Hamath, Hazer-Hatticon, which is at the border of Havran. 17And the border will be from the sea to Hazar-Enan, the border at Damascus. And as for the north, to the north the border is at Hamath. So this is the north side. 18And as for the eastern side, you shall allocate territory from between Havran and Damascus, and between Gilead and the land of Israel at the Jordan, from the border at the eastern sea. So this is the eastern side. 19And the southern side, to the south, is from Tamar to the water at Meriboth of Kadesh, to the torrent going to the Great Sea. So this is the south side, to the south. 20And the western side is the Great Sea from the border to opposite the approach to Hamath. This is the western side. 21And you will divide this land of yours for the tribes of Israel. 22And it will come to pass that you will cast lots for it coming into your inheritance, and into the inheritance of foreigners who reside among you, who have begotten sons among you, who will be to you as native citizens among the sons of Israel. They will obtain an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23And it will come to pass that in whatever tribe where the foreigner is resident with them, there you will give him his inheritance, says the Lord, the Lord.

Reference(s) in Chapter 47: v.1 ↔ John 7:38, Revelation 22:1.

Ezekiel Chapter 48 

1And these are the names of the tribes, from the northern extremity at the course of the road to Hethlon, at the approach to Hamath and to Hazar-Enan and to the border of Damascus in the north, to the side of Hamath. Now Dan will have – from east to west – one section. 2And at the border with Dan, from the eastern side to the western side, there is one section for Asher. 3And at the border with Asher, from the eastern side to the western side, there is one section for Naphtali. 4And at the border with Naphtali, from the eastern side to the western side, there is one section for Manasseh. 5And at the border with Manasseh, from the eastern side to the western side, there is one section for Ephraim. 6And at the border with Ephraim, from the eastern side to the western side, there is one section for Reuben. 7And at the border with Reuben, from the eastern side to the western side, there is one section for Judah. 8And at the border with Judah, from the eastern side to the western side, there will be the section for the heave-offering which you shall make. It is twenty-five thousand units in width, and its length is the same as each of the sections from the eastern side to the western side, and the sanctuary will be in the middle of it. 9The heave-offering section which you shall make to the Lord is of length twenty-five thousand units, and its width is ten thousand units. 10And it is for these that the holy heave-offering section is: the priests. To the north it is twenty-five thousand units long, and to the west its width is ten thousand units, and to the east its width is ten thousand units, and to the south its length is twenty-five thousand units, and the sanctuary of the Lord shall be in the middle of it. 11It is for the priests, who are sanctified, from the sons of Zadok, who kept my charge, who did not go astray when the sons of Israel went astray, as when the Levites went astray. 12And they will have the heave-offering section on account of the heave-offering of the land as a holy of holies, extending to the border of the Levites. 13And the Levites will be adjoining the border of the priests in a region twenty-five thousand units in length and ten thousand units in width. The whole length is twenty-five thousand units and the width is ten thousand units. 14And they shall not sell any of it, nor exchange it, nor shall anyone remove the firstfruits of the land, for they are holy to the Lord. 15And the five thousand units which remain in the width out of the twenty-five thousand units is to be secular for the city, as a residential area and as common land, and the city will be in the middle of it. 16And these are the dimensions of the city. The northern side is four thousand five hundred units long, and the southern side is four thousand five hundred units long, and on the eastern side it is four thousand five hundred units wide, and the western side is four thousand five hundred units wide. 17And there will be common land belonging to the city to the north, two hundred and fifty units long, and to the south, two hundred and fifty units long, and to the east, two hundred and fifty units wide, and to the west, two hundred and fifty units wide. 18And the rest of the length appertaining to the holy heave-offering section is ten thousand units to the east, and ten thousand units to the west, and it appertains to the holy heave-offering section. And its produce shall be food for the workers in the city. 19And as for the workers in the city, they shall be from every tribe of Israel doing work in it. 20The whole heave-offering section is twenty-five thousand units long by twenty-five thousand units. You shall offer the holy heave-offering in a square within the territory of the city. 21And the remainder is for the prince, on each side of the holy heave-offering section. And as for the territory of the city, alongside the twenty-five thousand units width of the heave-offering section to the border on the east, and to the west, alongside the twenty-five thousand units width to the border on the west, it appertains to the prince's apportionments. So it will be a holy heave-offering section, and the sanctuary of the house will be in the middle of it. 22So part of the territory of the Levites and part of the territory of the city will be enclosed by what belongs to the prince. The remainder of the section between the border with Judah and the border with Benjamin will be for the prince. 23As for the rest of the tribes, from the eastern side to the western side, there is one section for Benjamin. 24And at the border with Benjamin, from the eastern side to the western side, there is one section for Simeon. 25And at the border with Simeon, from the eastern side to the western side, there is one section for Issachar. 26And at the border with Issachar, from the eastern side to the western side, there is one section for Zebulun. 27And at the border with Zebulun, from the eastern side to the western side, there is one section for Gad. 28And as for the border with Gad, on the southern side, the border shall be from Tamar to the water of Meribah of Kadesh, and to the torrent going to the Great Sea. 29This is the land which you will allocate by lot to the tribes of Israel according to their inheritance, and these are their apportionments, says the Lord, the Lord. 30And these are the city exits. Along the north side, which is four thousand five hundred units in length 31– for the gates of the city are according to the names of the tribes of Israel – three gates in the north: one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi; 32and on the eastern side, which is four thousand five hundred units in width, with three gates: with one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan; 33and on southern side, which is four thousand five hundred units in length, with three gates: one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun; 34and on the western side, which is four thousand five hundred units in width, three gates: one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali. 35The perimeter is eighteen thousand units, and the name of the city from that day shall be the Lord Is There.’ ”

Hosea  

Hosea Chapter 1 

1This is the word of the Lord which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, the king of Israel. 2This is the beginning of the word of the Lord through Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take a wife of prostitution and children of prostitution, for the land has thoroughly committed prostitution in departing from following the Lord.” 3So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim. And she conceived and bore him a son. 4And the Lord said to him, “Call him Jezreel, for in just a little while, I will visit the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5And it will come to pass on that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.” 6Then she conceived again and bore a daughter, and he said to him, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah, for I will not have compassion any more on the house of Israel, for I will utterly carry them away. 7But on the house of Judah I will have compassion, and I will deliver them through the Lord their God, but I will not deliver them through the bow or sword or war, or through horses or through horsemen.” 8And she weaned Lo-Ruhamah, then she conceived and bore a son. 9And he said, “Call him Lo-Ammi, because you will not be my people, and I will not belong to you. 10And the number of the sons of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured and cannot be counted, and it will come to pass that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people’, it will be said to them, ‘You are the sons of the living God.’ 11And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint for themselves one head, and they will come up from the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.

Reference(s) in Chapter 1: v.6 ↔ 1 Peter 2:10 ● v.9 ↔ Romans 9:25 ● v.10 ↔ Romans 9:25, Romans 9:26, 1 Peter 2:10, Revelation 21:3.

Hosea Chapter 2 

1Say to your brothers, ‘Ammi’, and to your sisters, ‘Ruhamah.’

2Contend with your mother, contend with her,

For she is not my wife,

And I am not her husband.

And let her put her prostitution away,

And her adulteries from between her breasts,

3Lest I strip her naked,

And I make her like the day she was born,

And I make her like a desert,

And I make her like a dry land,

And I kill her through thirst,

4And I do not have compassion on her sons,

Because they are the sons of prostitution,

5For their mother has committed prostitution.

She acted shamefully when she conceived them,

For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,

Who give me my bread and my water,

My wool and my flax,

My oil and my drink.’

6Therefore I am about to hedge your way in with thorns

And put up her walling,

And she will not find her paths.

7And she will pursue her lovers,

But she will not catch up with them,

And she will seek them

But will not find them,

And she will say, ‘Let me go,

And I will return to my first husband,

For it was better with me then than now.’

8For she did not know that it was I

Who gave her her corn and new wine and new oil,

And who increased her silver and gold,

Which they fashioned for Baal.

9That is why I will take my corn back again on its day,

And my new wine in its season,

And I will recall my wool and my flax,

Which were used to cover her nakedness.

10And now I will reveal her obscenity

In the eyes of her lovers,

And no-one will be able to deliver her from my hand.

11And I will put a stop to all her rejoicing,

Her celebration of feasts,

Her new moons, and her Sabbaths,

And all her festivals.

12And I will lay her vines and her fig trees waste,

Of which she said,

‘They are my reward which my lovers gave me.’

And I will make them a woodland,

And the beasts of the field will devour them.

13And I will visit on her the days of the Baalim,

When she burnt incense to them

And adorned herself with her earring and her necklace

And went after her lovers,

But she forgot me,

Says the Lord.

14So look, I will allure her

And make her go to the desert,

Where I will speak kindly to her.

15And I will give her back her vineyards

When she comes from there,

And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope.

And she will sing there, as in the days of her youth,

And as on the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

16And it will come to pass on that day,

Says the Lord,

That you will call me, ‘My husband’,

And you will no longer call me, ‘My Baal’.

17And I will remove the names of the Baalim from her mouth,

And they will no longer be remembered by their name.

18I will make a covenant with them on that day,

With the wild animals and with the birds of the sky

And the creeping things of the ground,

And I will break the bow and sword, and war from the land,

And I will enable them to lie down in security.

19And I will betroth you to myself for an age-abiding marriage,

And I will betroth you to myself in righteousness and in judgment

And in kindness and in compassion.

20And I will betroth you to myself in faithfulness,

And you will know the Lord.

21And it will come to pass on that day

That I will answer,

Says the Lord.

I will answer the heavens,

And they will answer the earth.

22And the earth will answer the corn,

And the new wine and the new oil,

And they will answer Jezreel.

23And I will sow her to myself in the land,

And I will have compassion on Lo-Ruhamah,

And I will say to Lo-Ammi,

‘You are my people’,

And he will say,

You are my God.’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 2: v.1 ↔ 1 Peter 2:10 ● v.23 ↔ Romans 9:26, 2 Corinthians 6:16.

Hosea Chapter 3 

1Then the Lord said to me, “Go again and make love to a woman who is loved by a friend, but who is adulterous, just as the Lord loves the sons of Israel, but they are turning to other gods, and they love cakes of raisins.” 2So I bought her for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer of barley and a lethek of barley. 3And I said to her, “Remain with me for many days, and do not commit prostitution. So do not have a relationship with any man, because after all, I myself will be for you.” 4For the sons of Israel will remain many days with no king and no prince, and no sacrifice and no pillar and no ephod or household gods. 5But afterwards the sons of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king, and they will fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.

Hosea Chapter 4 

1Hear the word of the Lord,

You sons of Israel,

For the Lord has a quarrel

With the inhabitants of the land.

For there is no truth,

And there is no mercy,

And there is no knowledge of God in the land.

2They burst out in cursing and lying

And murder and stealing and adultery,

And they strike with bloodshed upon bloodshed.

3That is why the earth will mourn,

And every inhabitant of it will languish,

Among the wild animals

And among the birds of the sky.

And also the fish of the sea will perish.

4But let no-one quarrel

And no-one contend,

For your people are like those who contend with the priest.

5So you will stumble in the daytime,

And the prophet will stumble too with you at night,

And I will reduce your mother to silence.

6My people are reduced to silence for want of knowledge,

For you have rejected knowledge,

And I have rejected you from officiating as a priest to me.

Since you have forgotten the law of your God,

I for my part will forget your sons.

7As they increased,

They sinned against me.

They have exchanged my honour

For dishonour.

8They eat the sin-offering of my people,

And they set their affections on iniquity.

9And the people and the priest acted in the same way,

So I will visit their ways on them,

And I will requite them with their own deeds.

10And they will eat

But not be satisfied,

And they will commit prostitution

But not abound,

For they have forsaken the Lord

And the keeping of his law.

11Prostitution and wine and new wine

Have taken hold of their heart.

12My people inquires at its wooden idol,

And its stick answers them,

For a spirit of prostitution has led them astray,

And they commit prostitution

Under the eyes of their God.

13On the tops of mountains they offer sacrifices,

And on the hills they burn incense,

Under the oak tree, the white poplar and the terebinth,

For its shade is pleasant,

Which is why your daughters commit prostitution,

And your brides commit adultery.

14I will not punish your daughters

When they commit prostitution,

Or your daughters-in-law

When they commit adultery,

For the men go aside with prostitutes,

And they sacrifice with the harlots.

So the people who do not understand will stumble.

15Although you engage in prostitution, O Israel,

Don't let Judah become guilty.

And do not go to Gilgal,

And do not go up to Beth-Aven,

And do not swear, “The Lord lives.”

16For Israel is recalcitrant like a recalcitrant heifer,

And now the Lord will put them to pasture,

Like a lamb in a wide open place.

17Ephraim is joined to idols;

Leave him to it.

18Their drinking bout has gone,

They have loved committing abundant prostitution;

Give them their way.

Her princes are a dishonour.

19The wind has tied her up in her wings,

And they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.

Hosea Chapter 5 

1Hear this, you priests,

And hearken, O house of Israel,

And give ear, O royal house,

For judgment on you is impending,

Because you were a snare to Mizpah

And a net spread out over Tabor.

2The backsliders had deep designs to slaughter,

While I passed censure on all of them.

3I know Ephraim,

And Israel is not hidden from me,

For now you, Ephraim have committed prostitution,

And Israel has become unclean.

4They do not make their works fit for returning to their God,

For a spirit of prostitution is in their midst,

And they do not know the Lord.

5And the pride of Israel will testify to its face,

And Israel and Ephraim will stumble in their iniquity,

And Judah will stumble too with them.

6They will go and seek the Lord among their sheep and their cattle,

But they will not find him.

He will have withdrawn from them.

7They have dealt treacherously with the Lord,

For they have borne sons who are strangers,

And now they will be devoured in a month along with their apportioned regions.

8Blow the ramshorn in Gibeah

And the trumpet in Ramah.

Sound the alarm in Beth-Aven.

Look behind you, Benjamin.

9Ephraim will become a desolation on the day of rebuke.

Among the tribes of Israel,

I have made it known faithfully.

10The princes of Judah were like those who moved the boundary.

I will pour out my anger on them like water.

11Ephraim is oppressed,

Justice has been perverted,

For he willingly followed the commandment.

12So I will be like the moth to Ephraim

And like rot to the house of Judah.

13When Ephraim saw his sickness

And Judah saw his wound,

Ephraim went to Assyria

And sent envoys to King Jareb.

But he was not able to cure you,

And he did not heal your wound.

14For I will be like a lion to Ephraim

And as a young lion to the house of Judah.

I myself will tear to pieces

And go, and carry off,

And there will be no-one to deliver him.

15I will go and return to my place

Until they acknowledge their guilt

And seek my face.

When they are in straits,

They will diligently seek me.

Hosea Chapter 6 

1“Come, let us return to the Lord,

For he tore apart,

But he will heal us.

He struck,

But he will bind us up.

2He will make us alive after two days;

On the third day he will raise us up,

And we will live in his presence.

3And we will know, saying,

‘Let us follow so as to know the Lord.

His rising is like the steady dawn,

And he will come like rain on us,

Like the late and early rain on the land.’ ”

4What shall I do to you, Ephraim?

What shall I do to you, Judah?

For the compassion you show

Is just as a cloud in the morning,

And like the early dew,

Which goes away.

5That is why I have hewn into the prophets;

I have killed them by the words of my mouth,

And my judgments on you go forth like light.

6For I desired mercy

And not sacrifice,

And knowledge of God

Rather than burnt offerings.

7But they like Adam have transgressed the covenant;

There, they dealt treacherously with me.

8Gilead is a town of workers of iniquity

A town stained with blood.

9And as gangs wait for a man,

So is a company of priests.

On the road to Shechem they commit murder,

For they perpetrate wickedness.

10In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing.

In that place there is the prostitution of Ephraim.

Israel is defiled.

11For you also, Judah,

He has appointed a reaping time,

When I reverse the captivity of my people.

Reference(s) in Chapter 6: v.6 ↔ Matthew 9:13, Matthew 12:7.

Hosea Chapter 7 

1When I heal Israel,

The iniquity of Ephraim will be revealed,

As will the evil deeds of Samaria.

For they have acted falsely,

And the thief comes in,

And a gang commits robbery in the open.

2And they don't consider

That I have remembered all their wrongdoing.

Their deeds surround them now;

They are before me.

3With their evil deeds they pleased the king,

And with their falsehood, princes.

4They are all adulterers,

Like a baker's burning oven.

Will he stop stoking it,

Or kneading the dough before it is leavened?

5On the festival day of our king,

The princes made him weak with the intoxication of wine.

He stretched out his hand with the scoffers.

6For in their plotting they bring their hearts near to an oven.

All night their baker sleeps,

But in the morning, it burns like a blazing fire.

7They are all as hot as a furnace,

And they have devoured their judges.

All their kings have fallen;

There is no-one among them who calls to me.

8Ephraim is mixing with the Gentiles;

Ephraim is like a cake which wasn't turned over.

9Strangers have devoured his strength,

And he does not realize it.

Also grey hair is strewn over him,

But he is not aware of it.

10And the pride of Israel testifies to his face,

Yet they do not return to the Lord their God,

And for all this they do not seek him.

11And Ephraim has become like an unsuspecting dove,

Without mettle.

They call out to Egypt;

They go to Assyria.

12As they go,

I will spread my net over them;

I will bring them down like the birds of the sky.

I will chasten them according to the report of their congregation.

13Woe to them,

For they have wandered away from me.

Devastation be upon them,

For they have transgressed against me.

Although I redeemed them,

They nevertheless speak lies about me.

14And they did not call out to me in their heart,

For they howled on their couches,

Where they congregate for their food and wine.

They have departed from me.

15And I chastened them,

And I strengthened their arms,

Yet they devise wickedness against me.

16They return,

But not to the Most High.

They are like an untrustworthy bow.

Their princes fall by the sword

Because of the insolence of their tongue.

This is the cause of them suffering derision in the land of Egypt.

Hosea Chapter 8 

1Put the ramshorn to your mouth;

War is coming like an eagle against the house of the Lord,

Because they have transgressed my covenant

And violated my law.

2To me they will cry,

“We – Israel – know you,

O God of mine.”

3Israel has cast off that which is good;

The enemy will pursue him.

4They have appointed kings,

But not from me;

They have appointed princes,

But I did not acknowledge it.

With their silver and their gold

They have made themselves idols,

Which is why they will be cut off.

5He has rejected your calf, Samaria.

My anger is kindled against them.

How long will they fail to attain to innocence?

6For the artificer who made it was from Israel

A man, who is not God.

For Samaria's calf will become splinters.

7For they have sown wind,

But they will reap a hurricane.

It has no standing corn;

It is a shoot without yielding anything

By which one can make flour.

If perchance it does yield anything,

Strangers will swallow it up.

8Israel is swallowed up.

Now they are among the Gentiles,

Like an item in which there is no pleasure.

9For they went to Assyria,

Like a wild donkey on its own.

And Ephraim hired lovers.

10Even though they have hired lovers among the Gentiles,

Now I will gather them,

But they will profane themselves for a while,

Under the burden of the king of princes.

11For Ephraim has increased the number of altars

With which to sin.

They have become altars

For him to sin.

12I have written down for him

The great things in my law,

But they were considered

Something strange.

13They offer the sacrifices which are gifts to me,

And they eat the flesh,

But the Lord does not accept them.

Now he will remember their iniquity,

And he will visit their sins.

They will return to Egypt.

14And Israel has forgotten its maker

And has built temples,

And Judah has increased its fortified cities.

So I shall send fire into its cities,

Which will devour her palaces.

Hosea Chapter 9 

1Do not be pleased, Israel,

With rejoicing as the Gentiles do,

For you have committed prostitution against your God.

You have loved the wages of prostitution

On every floor for threshing corn.

2The threshing floor and the wine vat will not feed them,

And the new wine in the land will fail.

3They will not dwell in the Lord's land,

And Ephraim will return to Egypt,

And he will eat unclean food in Assyria.

4They will not pour out wine offerings to the Lord,

And they will not be pleasing to him.

Their sacrifices will be like mourners' food to them;

All who eat it will be defiled.

For their bread for their life

Will not come into the house of the Lord.

5What will you do on the festival day,

And on a day of the feast of the Lord?

6For look, they have departed on account of the devastation.

Egypt will gather them,

And Memphis will bury them.

As for their delightful silver items,

Nettles will inherit them,

As will thorn bushes in their tents.

7The days of visitation are coming,

The days of retribution are coming,

And Israel will know it.

The prophet is a fool;

The spiritual man is mad,

Because of the abundance of your iniquity

And the great enmity.

8Ephraim was a watchman with my God.

As for the prophet,

The fowler's trap is set on all his ways.

There is enmity in the house of his God.

9They have deeply corrupted their ways,

As in the days of Gibeah.

He will remember their iniquity;

He will visit their sins.

10I found Israel like bunches of grapes in the desert;

I saw your fathers like early fruit on the fig tree in its early days.

But they went to Baal-Peor;

They consecrated themselves to a shameful thing

And became abominations with their acts of love.

11Ephraim is like a bird;

Their glory has flown away.

They are deprived of birth,

Of pregnancy, and of conception.

12Although they bring up their sons,

I will bereave them,

Depriving them of a man.

For woe indeed to them

When I depart from them.

13Ephraim, as what I have seen in Tyre,

Was planted in a pasture.

But Ephraim is on the point of bringing its sons to the slayer.

14O Lord, give them ...

– What will you give them?

Give them a miscarrying womb and dried up breasts.

15All the wickedness was in Gilgal,

For there I hated them,

Because of the wickedness of their deeds.

I will drive them out of my house,

I will no longer love them;

All their princes are refractory.

16Ephraim has been struck,

Their root is dried up,

And they do not produce fruit.

Even if they do bear children,

I will kill the delights of their womb.

17My God has rejected them,

For they have not heard him,

And they have become wanderers among the Gentiles.

Reference(s) in Chapter 9: v.7 ↔ Luke 21:22.

Hosea Chapter 10 

1Israel is a luxuriant vine;

It yields its fruit.

But in proportion to the abundance of its fruit,

It has increased its altars.

In proportion to the goodness of its land,

They have been good at erecting idolatrous statues.

2Their heart is divided;

Now they will bear their guilt.

He will break the necks of their altars;

He will devastate their idolatrous statues.

3For they will now say,

“We have no king,

For we have not feared the Lord”,

And, “What would a king do for us?”

4They have spoken words,

Swearing falsely,

Making a covenant,

So that judgment flourishes like hemlock in the furrows of the field.

5The inhabitants of Samaria will fear for the calves of Beth-Aven,

For its people shall mourn for it,

As will the idolatrous priests who rejoiced over it

– Over its glory,

Which has departed from it.

6This too will be carried to Assyria,

As a present for King Jareb.

Ephraim will receive shame,

And Israel will be ashamed because of his counsel.

7Samaria with her king is reduced to silence,

Like foam on the surface of the sea.

8And the idolatrous raised sites of Aven will be destroyed.

They are Israel's sin.

Thorns and brambles will come up on their altars.

And they will say to the mountains,

Cover us”,

And to the hills,

Fall on us.

9From the days of Gibeah

You have sinned, O Israel.

There they took a stand.

Did not battle befall them in Gibeah

Because of the wicked men?

10In my longing I would chastise them

When nations were gathered against them,

When they joined battle at their two fountains.

11But Ephraim is a trained calf,

Which likes to tread corn,

And I passed over the beauty of her neck.

I will cause Ephraim to be ridden,

And Judah will plough,

And Jacob will harrow for him.

12Sow righteousness for yourselves,

Reap in proportion to your mercy,

And break up fallow land for yourselves,

For it is time to be seeking the Lord

Until he comes

And rains righteousness on you.

13You have ploughed injustice,

You have reaped iniquity,

You have eaten the fruit of falsehood,

For you put trust in your own way

– In the greatness of your warriors.

14And a tumult will arise among your people,

And all your fortified cities will be plundered,

As when Shalman plundered Beth-Arbel on the day of battle,

When a mother was dashed to pieces with her sons.

15So shall Beth-El do to you,

Because of your great wickedness;

At dawn, the king of Israel will be utterly reduced to silence.

Reference(s) in Chapter 10: v.8 ↔ Luke 23:30, Revelation 6:16.

Hosea Chapter 11 

1When Israel was a child,

I loved him,

And I called my son from Egypt.

2As they called them,

So they departed from their presence.

They sacrificed to the Baalim,

And they burnt incense to carved images.

3And I taught Ephraim to walk,

Taking them by their arms,

But they did not know that I had healed them.

4I drew them with human cords,

With strings of love,

And I was to them like those who lift off the yoke on their jaws.

And I stretched my hand out to them

And fed them.

5He shall not return to the land of Egypt,

Or go to Assyria, which was his king

When they refused to repent.

6And the sword was wielded in his cities,

And it wasted his officials,

And it devoured them,

Because of their counsels.

7But my people are bent on backsliding from me.

Although they call upon him

– To the Most High –

They collectively do not exalt him.

8How could I give you up, Ephraim,

Or deliver you up, Israel?

How could I give you up, like Admah,

Or make you like Zeboim?

My heart has turned within me;

My consolations are altogether kindled.

9I will not execute the fury of my anger;

I will not ruin Ephraim again,

For I am God, and not man

– The holy one in your midst –

And I will not come in anger.

10They shall walk after the Lord;

He shall roar like a lion.

When he roars,

Sons of men tremble more than they do from a roaring sea.

11They will tremble like a bird from Egypt

Or a dove from the land of Assyria.

Then I will settle them in their houses,

Says the Lord.

12Ephraim has surrounded me with falsehood,

And the house of Israel with deceit,

But Judah still walks with God,

And is faithful with the holy ones.

Reference(s) in Chapter 11: v.1 ↔ Matthew 2:15.

Hosea Chapter 12 

1Ephraim is feeding on wind

And is pursuing the eastern blast.

All day long he does more fraud and plundering,

And they have made a covenant with Assyria,

And oil is brought to Egypt.

2And the Lord has a quarrel with Judah,

And a reason to visit Jacob according to his ways.

He will recompense him according to his works.

3In the womb he supplanted his brother,

And in his strength he wrestled with God.

4And he contended with the angel,

And he prevailed.

He wept and entreated him.

In Beth-El he found him,

And there he spoke with us.

5And the Lord is the God of hosts;

The Lord is his memorial name.

6And you will return to your God.

Keep mercy and judgment,

And wait for your God, always.

7He is a merchant.

In his hand are false balances;

He loves to defraud.

8And Ephraim said,

“Surely I have become rich;

I have found wealth for myself.

In all my labours they will not find in me any wrongdoing,

Which would be sin.”

9But I am the Lord your God

From the land of Egypt.

I will yet have you dwell in tents,

As on the days of the festival.

10And I have spoken through the prophets,

And I have increased the number of visions,

And I have given metaphors through the intermediacy of the prophets.

11Is Gilead vanity?

Surely they are falsehood.

They sacrifice oxen in Gilgal,

And their altars are like heaps of stones in the furrows of the field.

12And Jacob fled to the country of Aramaea,

And Israel served there for a wife,

And for a wife he kept sheep.

13And by a prophet

The Lord brought Israel up out of Egypt,

And by a prophet

He was guarded.

14Ephraim provoked the Lord bitterly,

And he will leave his acts of bloodshed on him,

And his Lord will requite him his reproach.

Hosea Chapter 13 

1When Ephraim spoke of trembling,

He carried weight in Israel,

But he became guilty with Baal

And died.

2And now they are sinning more,

And they have made a cast image for themselves from their silver

According to their understanding

– Idols, all of it the work of artificers.

To them they say,

“Let those who sacrifice men kiss the calves.”

3Therefore they shall be like the cloud in the morning,

And like the early dew which evaporates;

Like chaff blown away from the threshing floor,

And like smoke from a chimney.

4But I am the Lord your God,

From the land of Egypt.

And you will know no gods besides me,

And that there is no saviour except me.

5I knew you in the desert,

In the land of drought.

6Such was their pasture

That they were satisfied.

They were satisfied,

And their heart was lifted.

That is why they forgot me.

7And I was to them like a lion;

I will watch like a leopard by the wayside.

8I will come against them like a bear bereaved of cubs,

And I will tear the enclosure of their heart,

And I will devour them there like a lion;

A wild animal will tear them in pieces.

9It has ruined you, Israel,

For you are against me

– Against your helper.

10I will be your king.

Where is he who can save you in all your cities,

And your rulers regarding whom you said,

“Give me a king and princes”?

11I gave you a king in my anger,

And I took one away in my wrath.

12The iniquity of Ephraim is stowed away;

His sin is hidden away.

13The birth pangs of one bearing a child will come upon him.

He is not a wise son,

For time will not stand still

When it comes to the sons breaking out of the womb.

14I will deliver them from the power of the grave;

I will redeem them from death.

O death, I will be a plague on you;

O grave, I will be your destruction.

Repentance will be hidden from my eyes.

15For he will be fruitful among his brothers,

But then an east wind will come

– An almighty wind will come up from the desert.

And his fount will become dry,

And his spring will dry up.

He shall plunder the treasury of every precious object.

16Samaria will bear her guilt,

For she has rebelled against her God.

They will fall by the sword.

Their children will be torn apart,

And his pregnant women will be ripped open.

Reference(s) in Chapter 13: v.14 ↔ 1 Corinthians 15:55.

Hosea Chapter 14 

1Return, Israel, to the Lord your God,

For you have stumbled in your iniquity.

2Take with you words,

And return to the Lord,

And say to him,

“Take away all our iniquity,

Receive us favourably,

And we will repay with the calves of our lips.

3Assyria will not save us;

Let us not ride on horses,

And let us no longer say, ‘Our gods’ to the work of our hands.

Let it be that through you

The orphan receives compassion.”

4“I will heal their apostasy,

I will love them freely,

For my anger will have turned from him.

5I will be like dew to Israel,

And he will flourish like a lily,

And he will strike root

As trees do in Lebanon.

6His shoots will spread,

And his splendour will be like an olive tree,

And he will have a scent

As aromatic trees do in Lebanon.

7And they who dwell in his shadow will return,

And they will revive like corn

And flourish like the vine.

Their memorial will be like the wine of Lebanon.

8Ephraim will say,

‘What have I to do with idols any more?’

And I will answer and regard him.

I will be like a green cypress;

And from me your fruit will be found.

9Let him who is wise understand these things,

And let him who is intelligent know them,

For the ways of the Lord are upright,

And the righteous will walk in them,

But the transgressors will stumble in them.”

Joel  

Joel Chapter 1 

1The word of the Lord which came to Joel the son of Pethuel.

2Listen to this, you elders,

And give ear, all you dwellers of the land.

Was there ever anything like this in your days,

Or in the days of your fathers?

3Tell your sons about it,

And have your sons tell their sons,

And have their sons tell another generation.

4What was left by the gnawing locust,

The swarming locust has eaten.

What was left by the swarming locust,

The devouring locust has eaten.

And what was left by the devouring locust,

The consuming locust has eaten.

5Wake up, drunkards, and weep;

And all drinkers of wine,

Wail over the new wine,

For it is cut off from your mouth.

6For a nation has gone up onto my land

– A powerful and innumerable one.

Its teeth are the teeth of a lion,

And it has the incisors of a great lion.

7It has made my vine a desolation

And my fig tree splinters.

It has stripped it bare

And cast it away;

Its branches have turned white.

8Lament like a virgin girded in sackcloth

For the husband of her youth.

9The meal-offering and the libation

Have been cut off from the house of the Lord.

The priests – the Lord's servants – are in mourning.

10The countryside is wasted,

The ground mourns,

For the corn is wasted.

The new wine has dried up;

The new oil is languishing.

11The farmers have been put to shame.

The vinedressers are howling,

Also for the wheat and for the barley,

Because the harvest of the field has failed.

12The vine has dried up,

The fig tree is languishing

– The pomegranate and the date and the apple too.

All the trees of the field have dried up,

For joy has dried up from the sons of Adam.

13Gird yourselves and mourn, you priests;

Howl, you servants of the altar.

Come and pass the night in sackcloth,

You servants of my God,

For the meal-offering and the libation have been withheld from the house of your God.

14Hold a holy fast;

Proclaim a solemn assembly.

Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God,

And cry out to the Lord.

15Alas for the day!

For the day of the Lord is near,

And it will come as devastation from the Almighty.

16Is not food cut off in front of our eyes?

Are not happiness and rejoicing cut off from the house of our God?

17The seeds decay under their covering soil,

The storehouses have been laid waste,

The garners have been demolished,

For the corn supply has dried up.

18How the cattle sigh,

How the herds of oxen are perplexed,

For there is no pasture for them,

And the flocks of sheep are perishing.

19On you, O Lord, I will call,

For fire has devoured the pastures of the desert,

And a flame has set all the trees of the field ablaze.

20The beasts of the field also bleat to you,

For the brooks of water have dried up,

And fire has devoured the pastures of the desert.

Reference(s) in Chapter 1: v.15 ↔ Revelation 1:10.

Joel Chapter 2 

1Blow the ramshorn in Zion,

And sound the alarm on my holy mountain.

Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,

For the day of the Lord is coming,

For it is near.

2It is a day of darkness and dimness,

A day of cloud and gloom,

Like blackness spreading over the mountains,

Consisting of a numerous and strong people.

There has not been anything like it from ancient time,

Nor will there again be after it,

In the years of generation after generation.

3Fire will consume in front of them,

And behind them a flame will spread a conflagration.

The land in front of them is like the garden of Eden,

But behind them is a desolate desert,

And they will not have anyone who escapes it.

4Their appearance is as the appearance of horses,

And they run like horsemen.

5They rattle along over the tops of hills

With the noise of chariots

And with a sound like a flame devouring stubble.

They are a powerful people,

Equipped for war.

6In their presence nations will writhe;

All faces will lose their shine.

7Like warriors they run;

Like men of war, they climb a wall.

And each one marches in his file,

And they do not break ranks.

8And no-one jostles his neighbour;

Each man walks on his path.

And when they fall, hit by a missile,

They do not break up the formation.

9In the city, they scurry to and fro,

And they run on the wall.

They climb into houses;

They come through windows like a thief.

10In front of them the earth will tremble,

And the heavens will shake.

The sun and moon will be darkened,

And the stars will withdraw their brightness.

11And the Lord will sound his voice before his army

(For his camp is very mighty),

And he who gives his word is powerful.

For great is the day of the Lord,

And quite terrible,

And who can endure it?

12And even now,

Says the Lord,

Return to me with your whole heart,

And with fasting and with weeping

And with mourning.

13And tear your heart,

And not your clothes,

And return to the Lord your God,

For he is gracious and merciful,

Longsuffering and of great kindness,

Who repents of doing harm.

14Who knows if they will return and repent,

And leave a gift behind

– A meal-offering and a libation

To the Lord your God?

15Sound the ramshorn in Zion,

Hold a holy fast;

Proclaim a solemn assembly.

16Gather the people,

Proclaim a holy convocation,

Assemble the elders;

Gather the children

And those who are breastfed.

Let the bridegroom go out of his room,

And the bride go out of her bridal chamber.

17Between the portico and the altar,

Let the priests – the servants of the Lord – weep,

And let them say,

“Take pity, O Lord on your people,

And do not allow your inheritance to become a reproach,

By which the Gentiles would have a proverb against them.

Why should those among the Gentiles say,

‘Where is their God?’ ”

18And the Lord will be zealous for his land,

And he will spare his people.

19And the Lord will answer

And will say to his people,

“Look, I am sending you corn and new wine and new oil,

And you will be satisfied with it,

And I will no longer make you a reproach among the Gentiles.

20And I will remove the northerner from you,

And I will drive him out into a dry and desolate land,

With his face towards the eastern sea,

And his rear towards the western sea,

And his stench will go up,

And his foul smell will rise,

For he acted presumptuously in what he did.

21Do not fear, O land;

Rejoice and be happy,

For the Lord has presumed to act.

22Do not fear, you wild animals,

For the pastures of the desert will sprout grass,

For the tree will bear its fruit;

The fig tree and the vine will yield their richness.

23So, you sons of Zion,

Be glad and rejoice in the Lord your God,

For he has given you the teacher of righteousness,

And he has brought down rain upon you,

Early rain and late rain, as aforetime.

24And the threshing floors will be full of grain,

And the vats will overflow with new wine and new oil.

25And I will restore to you the years

Which the swarming locust devoured,

And the devouring locust, and the consuming locust and the gnawing locust

– My great army which I sent against you.

26And you will eat freely and be satisfied,

And you will praise the name of the Lord your God,

Who dealt wondrously with you,

And my people will never be ashamed.

27And you will know that I am in the midst of Israel,

And that I am the Lord your God,

And that there is no other.

And my people will never be ashamed.”

28“And it will come to pass after that,

That I will pour out my spirit on all flesh,

And your sons and your daughters will prophesy,

And your old people will have dreams,

And your young men will see visions.

29And I will also pour out my spirit

On menservants and on maidservants in those days.

30And I will show wonders in the sky and on the earth

– Blood and fire,

And pillars of smoke.

31The sun will be turned to darkness,

And the moon to blood,

Before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.

32And it shall come to pass

That everyone who calls on the name of the Lord

Will be delivered,

For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance,

As the Lord has said,

And for the remnants whom the Lord calls.

Reference(s) in Chapter 2: v.1 ↔ Revelation 1:10 ● v.11 ↔ Revelation 1:10 ● v.28 ↔ Acts 2:17 ● v.29 ↔ Acts 2:18 ● v.30 ↔ Acts 2:19 ● v.31 ↔ Acts 2:20, Revelation 6:12 ● v.32 ↔ Acts 2:21, Romans 10:13.

Joel Chapter 3 

1For look,

In those days and at that time,

When I reverse the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

2I will gather all the Gentiles,

And I will bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat,

And I will litigate with them there,

Concerning my people and my inheritance Israel,

Whom they have scattered among the nations,

And as to why they have divided up my land.

3For they have cast lots for my people,

And they have given boys for prostitutes,

And they have sold girls for wine

And have drunk it.

4And also, what have you to do with me,

Tyre and Sidon and all the regions of Philistia?

Will you repay me with retribution?

Well if you retribute me,

I will swiftly and rapidly return your retribution onto your head.

5For you have taken my silver and my gold,

And you have brought my fine precious objects into your temples.

6And you have sold the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem to the sons of the Greeks,

So removing them from their territory.

7Look, I am stirring them up

To move them from the place where you sold them,

And I will bring back your recompense onto your head.

8And I will sell your sons and your daughters

Into the hand of the sons of Judah,

Who will sell them to the Sabaeans

– To a distant nation –

For the Lord has spoken.

9Announce this among the nations,

Proclaim a holy war,

Arouse the warriors,

Let all men of war approach

And go up.

10Beat your ploughshares into swords

And your pruning shears into spears.

Let him who is weak say,

‘I am a warrior.’

11Make haste and come,

All you nations round about,

And be gathered there.

O Lord,

Bring down your warriors.

12Let the nations be aroused

And go up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat,

For there I will sit to judge all the nations round about.

13Send in the sickle,

For the harvest is ripe;

Come and tread,

For the wine press is full.

The wine vats are overflowing,

For great is their wickedness.

14There are multitudes, multitudes,

In the Valley of Decision,

For the day of the Lord is near,

In the Valley of Decision.

15The sun and moon will be darkened,

And the stars will withdraw their brightness.

16And the Lord will roar from Zion;

He will sound his voice from Jerusalem,

And heaven and earth will tremble.

But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,

And a stronghold to the sons of Israel.

17And you will know that I am the Lord your God,

Dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain.

And Jerusalem will be holy,

And strangers will no longer pass through her.

18And it will come to pass on that day

That the mountains will distil new wine,

And the hills will run with milk,

And all the brooks of Judah will run with water,

And a spring will come out at the house of the Lord,

And it will feed the stream of Shittim.

19Egypt will become a desolation,

And Edom will become a desolate desert,

Because of the violence done to the sons of Judah,

In that they shed innocent blood in their land.

20But Judah will remain age-abidingly,

And Jerusalem from generation to generation,

21And I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed,

And the Lord will dwell in Zion.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 3: v.13 ↔ Revelation 14:15 ● v.15 ↔ Acts 2:20, Revelation 6:12 ● v.18 ↔ John 7:38.

Amos  

Amos Chapter 1 

1The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen from Tekoa, describing what he saw concerning Israel, in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, the king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

2And he said,

“The Lord will roar from Zion,

And he will sound his voice from Jerusalem,

And the pastures of the shepherds will mourn,

And the summit of Carmel will dry up.”

3This is what the Lord says:

“For three transgressions of Damascus,

And for four,

I will not avert it,

Because of their threshing of Gilead

With iron threshing sledges.

4So I will send fire on the house of Hazael,

Which will consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad.

5And I will break the gate-bar of Damascus,

And I will cut off the inhabitant from the lowland of Aven,

And him who wields the sceptre of Beth-Eden.

And the people of Aramaea will go into captivity in Kir,

Says the Lord.”

6This is what the Lord says:

“For three transgressions of Gaza,

And for four,

I will not avert it,

Because of their act of taking a people entirely captive,

To deliver them to Edom.

7And I will send fire onto the wall of Gaza,

Which will consume her palaces.

8And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod,

And him who wields the sceptre from Ashkelon.

And I will turn my hand against Ekron,

And the remnants of the Philistines will perish,

Says the Lord, the Lord.”

9This is what the Lord says:

“For three transgressions of Tyre,

And for four,

I will not avert it,

Because they delivered them up with a complete captivity to Edom,

And they did not remember the brotherly covenant.

10And I will send fire onto the wall of Tyre,

Which will consume her palaces.”

11This is what the Lord says:

“For three transgressions of Edom,

And for four,

I will not avert it,

Because they pursued their brother with the sword,

And forswore compassion,

And their anger was perpetually tearing them to pieces,

And they retained their wrath unremittingly.

12And I will send fire on Teman,

Which will consume the palaces of Bozrah.”

13This is what the Lord says:

“For three transgressions of the sons of Ammon,

And for four,

I will not avert it,

Because of them ripping open the pregnant women of Gilead

In order to widen their territory.

14And I will light a fire on the wall of Rabbah,

Which will consume her palaces,

With an alarm sound on the day of war,

With a storm on the day of the whirlwind.

15And their king will go into captivity,

He together with his princes,

Says the Lord.”

Amos Chapter 2 

1This is what the Lord says:

“For three transgressions of Moab,

And for four,

I will not avert it,

Because he burnt the bones of the king of Edom to lime.

2And I will send fire to Moab,

Which will consume the palaces of Kerioth,

And Moab will die in a tumult,

In an alarm sound

– At the sound of the ramshorn.

3And I will cut off the judge from their midst,

And I will kill all their princes with him,

Says the Lord.”

4This is what the Lord says:

“For three transgressions of Judah,

And for four,

I will not avert it,

Because of them rejecting the law of the Lord,

When they did not keep his statutes,

And their lies led them astray

Lies which their fathers walked in.

5And I will send fire to Judah,

Which will consume the palaces of Jerusalem.”

6This is what the Lord says:

“For three transgressions of Israel,

And for four,

I will not avert it,

Because they sold the righteous for silver,

And the poor in return for a pair of sandals.

7They crush the head of the poor in the dust of the earth,

And they pervert the way of the meek,

And a man and his father go to a girl

To profane my holy name.

8And they recline in clothes taken in pledge,

Next to every altar,

And they drink confiscated wine

In the house of their God.

9Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them,

Whose height was as the height of cedars,

And who was as strong as oak trees.

And I destroyed his fruit above,

And his roots below the ground.

10And I brought you up out of the land of Egypt,

And I led you in the desert for forty years,

To inherit the land of the Amorite.

11And I raised up some of your sons to be prophets,

And some of your youths to be Nazarites.

Is this not so,

O sons of Israel?

Says the Lord,

12But you gave the Nazarites wine to drink,

And you commanded the prophets, saying,

‘Do not prophesy.’

13Look, I am burdened by you,

As a cart full of sheaves is burdened.

14So refuge will be unavailable to the swift,

And the strong will not be able to build up his force,

And the warrior will not be able to save his life.

15And the archer will not stand,

And he who is swift on his feet will not escape,

And he who rides on a horse will not save his life.

16And he who is courageous among warriors

Will flee naked on that day,

Says the Lord.”

Amos Chapter 3 

1Hear this word which the Lord has spoken concerning you, you sons of Israel, concerning all the family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,

2“Only you have I known,

Of all the families of the earth,

Which is why I will visit on you

All your iniquities.

3Can two walk together,

Unless they have met by appointment?

4Does the lion roar in the forest

When it has no prey?

Does the young lion sound its voice from its den

If it has not caught anything?

5Does a bird fall into a snare on the ground

When there is no bait set for it?

Does the snare snap up from the ground

When it has trapped nothing at all?

6Is the ramshorn ever sounded in the city

Without the people fearing?

Is there ever a calamity in the city

Which the Lord did not cause?

7For the Lord, the Lord, does not do anything,

Except after he has revealed his secret

To his servants, the prophets.

8When the lion roars,

Who will not fear?

And when the Lord, the Lord, speaks,

Who will not prophesy?

9Proclaim it to the palaces in Ashdod

And to the palaces in the land of Egypt,

And say,

‘Be gathered on the mountains of Samaria,

And see the great consternation within it,

And the oppressed in its midst.’

10For they do not know how to do what is right,

Says the Lord

– Those who treasure up violence and spoil in their palaces.

11Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord, says:

There will be an adversary,

And he will be around the land,

And he will sap your strength from you,

And your palaces will be plundered.’

12This is what the Lord says:

‘As the shepherd saves two legs or a piece of an ear

From the mouth of the lion,

So the sons of Israel will be saved

– Those dwelling in Samaria,

In the corner of a bed

Or on a damask couch.

13Hear and testify in the house of Jacob,

Says the Lord, the Lord God of hosts.

14For on the day when I visit the transgressions of Israel on them,

I will also visit the altars of Beth-El,

And the horns of the altars will be cut off,

And they will fall to the ground.

15And I will strike the winter house against the summer house,

And the ivory houses will cease to exist,

And many other houses will come to an end,

Says the Lord.

Amos Chapter 4 

1Hear this word, you heifers of Bashan,

Who are in the mountain of Samaria,

Who oppress the poor,

Who crush the needy,

Who say to their lords,

«Bring wine,

And let us drink.»

2The Lord, the Lord, has sworn by his holiness,

For look, the days are coming on you,

When he will take you away by hooks,

And your posterity by fishing tackle.

3And you will go out in waves, one opposite another,

And you will throw the hooks at the palace,

Says the Lord.

4Go to Beth-El and transgress,

And to Gilgal and transgress more.

And bring your sacrifices in the morning,

And within three days bring your tithes.

5And burn your thank-offering with leavened bread,

And call for the freewill-offerings.

Proclaim them,

For that is what you love,

You sons of Israel,

Says the Lord, the Lord.

6Now I myself have given you clean teeth in all your cities,

And shortage of bread in all your places,

Yet you have not returned to me,

Says the Lord.

7And I have also withheld rain from you,

With three months to go before the harvest,

And I brought rain to one city,

But I did not bring rain to another city.

One parcel of land was rained on,

But the parcel of land where I brought no rain

Dried up.

8So the inhabitants of two or three cities had to travel to one city and back

To drink water,

And they were not satiated,

Yet you did not return to me,

Says the Lord.

9And I struck you with much blight and mildew

In your gardens and vineyards,

And the gnawing locust ate your fig trees and olive trees,

Yet you did not return to me,

Says the Lord.

10I sent a plague to you,

Egyptian style.

I killed your youths with the sword,

With capture of your horses,

And I caused the stench of your camps to go up into your nostrils,

Yet you did not return to me,

Says the Lord.

11I have caused overthrowings among you,

Like the overthrow of God of Sodom and Gomorrah,

And you became like a firebrand rescued from the fire,

Yet you did not return to me,

Says the Lord.

12So I will deal with you this way,

O Israel.

Now because this is what I will do to you,

Prepare to meet your God,

O Israel.

13For look, he who forms the mountains,

And creates the wind,

And tells man what his purpose is,

Makes dawn darkness,

And treads on the idolatrous raised sites of the land

– The Lord God of hosts is his name.

Amos Chapter 5 

1Hear this word which I am relating against you as a lamentation, O house of Israel.

2The virgin of Israel has fallen;

She cannot get up again.

She has been left on the ground;

There is no-one to lift her up.’

3For this is what the Lord, the Lord, says:

‘The city that goes out with a thousand

Will be left with a hundred,

And the city that goes out with a hundred

Will be left with ten

Remaining to the house of Israel.’

4For this is what the Lord says to the house of Israel:

‘Seek me and live.

5But do not seek Beth-El,

And do not go to Gilgal,

And do not cross to Beersheba,

For Gilgal will certainly go into exile,

And Beth-El will be annihilated.

6Seek the Lord and live

Lest he advances like a fire over the house of Joseph,

And it consumes it,

And there is no-one to extinguish it in Beth-El,

7You who turn judgment to wormwood,

And who lay righteousness down on the ground.

8He who makes the Pleiades and Orion,

And turns the shadow of death into morning,

And darkens day into night,

Who calls the water of the sea

And pours it onto the face of the earth

– The Lord is his name –

9Who brings sudden destruction on the strong,

And destruction which will come upon the fortification.

10They have hated him who rebuked at the gate,

And they have loathed him who speaks that which is upright.

11Therefore, because you have trampled on the poor

And taken a cart-load of grain from him,

Although you have built houses of hewn stone,

You will not live in them,

And although you have planted attractive vineyards,

You will not drink their wine.

12For I know that your transgressions are many,

And that your sins are enormous.

They are oppressors of the righteous,

And takers of bribes,

And they pervert the justice of the poor at the gate.

13Therefore let him who is prudent

Be silent at that time,

For it is an evil time.

14Seek good and not evil,

In order that you may live,

And it will be the case

That the Lord God of hosts will be with you,

As you have said.

15Hate evil and love good,

And install justice at the gate;

Maybe the Lord God of hosts will be merciful

To the remnant of Joseph.’

16Therefore this is what the Lord God of hosts

– The Lord* – says:

There will be mourning in all streets,

And in all open places they will say,

«Woe, Woe»,

And they will call the farmer to lamentation,

And those who know wailing, to mourning.

17And there will be mourning in all the vineyards,

For I will pass through your precincts,

Says the Lord.

18Woe to those who long for the day of the Lord.

What is it to you?

The day of the Lord is darkness

And not light.

19It is like a man fleeing from the lion,

When a bear meets him,

Or when he comes home,

When he rests his arm on a wall,

A serpent bites him.

20Is not the day of the Lord darkness and not light?

And is it not gloomy

With no brightness in it?

21I hate, I reject your feasts,

And I do not fragrantly smell your solemn assemblies.

22Although you offer burnt offerings and your meal-offerings to me,

I will not receive them,

And I will not take pleasure in the peace-offering of your fatted calves.

23Remove from me the noise of your songs,

For I will not hear the music of your lutes.

24Let judgment roll on like water,

And righteousness like a constant stream.

25Did you for forty years offer me sacrifices and meal-offerings in the desert,

O house of Israel?

26And you raised up the shrine of your king,

And Saturn, your images and the star of your gods

Which you made for yourselves.

27So I will deport you to beyond Damascus,

Says the Lord

– The God of hosts is his name.

Reference(s) in Chapter 5: v.18 ↔ Revelation 1:10 ● v.20 ↔ Revelation 1:10 ● v.25 ↔ Acts 7:42 ● v.26 ↔ Acts 7:43 ● v.27 ↔ Acts 7:43.

Amos Chapter 6 

1Woe to those at ease in Zion,

And those who trust in the mountain of Samaria

– Those who are designated the foremost of the nations –

To whom the house of Israel came.

2Cross to Calneh and look,

And go from there to Greater Hamath,

And go down to Gath of the Philistines.

Are they better than these kingdoms,

And is their border greater than your border?

3You who push back the evil day,

But bring forward the seat of violence,

4You who lie on ivory beds

And stretch out on their couches

And eat the fatted lambs of the flock and the calves from the stall,

5Who chant to the sound of the lute,

Who like David invent for themselves musical instruments,

6Who drink from sacrificial wine dishes

And anoint themselves with prime oils,

And who are not grieved by the break-up of Joseph.

7That is why they will now go into captivity,

At the head of the body of captives.

And the merrymaking of those reclining will be gone.’

8The Lord, the Lord, has sworn by himself,

Says the Lord God of hosts,

‘I abhor the pride of Jacob,

And I hate his palaces,

So I will deliver up the city and its fulness.’

9And it will come to pass, if ten men remain in one house, that they will die. 10And a man's uncle will take him aside, as will his cremator, to take the bones out from the house, and he will say to anyone who is at the sides of the house, ‘Are there any more with you?’ And he will say, ‘None.’ And he will say, ‘Keep quiet, for it is not the time to make mention of the name of the Lord.’

11For look, the Lord commands

And strikes a large house into fragments,

And a small house into split stone.

12Do horses run on a rock,

Or does anyone plough it with oxen?

For you have turned justice into hemlock,

And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood.

13You rejoice in a thing of no substance,

Saying, ‘Did we not acquire our prestigious position through our own strength?’

14For look, I am about to raise a nation up against you,

O house of Israel,

Says the Lord God of hosts,

And they will oppress you,

So that you cannot go to Hamath

Or anywhere up to the brook of the arid tract.”

Amos Chapter 7 

1This is what my Lord the Lord showed me, and what I saw was him fashioning the locust at the start of when the latter growth springs up, and then I saw the latter growth after the king's reapings. 2And it came to pass, when the locust had finished eating the grass of the land, that I said, “My Lord the Lord, please forgive the question. Who will endure it? Will Jacob? For he is small.” 3And the Lord repented over this. “It will not come to pass”, said the Lord. 4This is what my Lord the Lord showed me, and what I saw was my Lord the Lord calling for a contention by fire, and it consumed the Great Ocean, and it consumed a portion of land. 5And I said, “My Lord the Lord, please stop. Who will endure it? Will Jacob? For he is small.” 6And the Lord repented over this. “This will not come to pass either”, my Lord the Lord said. 7This is what he showed me, and what I saw was the Lord* standing on a vertical wall, and in his hand was a plumbline. 8And the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumbline.” And the Lord* said,

“I am about to place a plumbline

In the midst of my people Israel.

I will not forgive them any more.

9And the high places of Isaac will become desolate,

And the sanctuaries of Israel will be devastated.

And I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

10Then Amaziah the priest of Beth-El sent word to Jeroboam the king of Israel and said, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to endure any of his words. 11For this is what Amos says:

‘Jeroboam will die by the sword,

And Israel will certainly go into captivity,

Away from its land.’ ”

12And Amaziah said to Amos, “Go, you seer. Flee to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there. 13And do not prophesy any more in Beth-El, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is the royal residence.” 14Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, and I am not a prophet's son, for I am a herdsman and a picker of sycamore fig fruit. 15But the Lord took me from looking after the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go and prophesy to my people Israel, and say, 16«And now, hear the word of the Lord, you who are saying,

‹Do not prophesy against Israel,

And do not distil prognostications against the house of Isaac.›

17Because of that, this is what the Lord says:

‹Your wife will commit whoredom in the city,

And your sons and daughters will fall by the sword,

And your land will be divided up with the measuring line,

And you will die on unclean land,

And Israel will certainly go into captivity

Away from its land.› » ’ ”

Amos Chapter 8 

1This is what my Lord the Lord showed me, and what I saw was a basket of summer fruit. 2And he said, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” And the Lord said to me,

“The end has come to my people Israel;

I will not forgive them any more.

3And the songs of the temple will be howlings on that day,

Says the Lord, the Lord.

Corpses will be numerous everywhere.

Men will say, ‘He has cast it off.

Keep silence.’

4Hear this, you who swallow up the needy

And in so doing, put a stop

To the livelihood of the poor of the land,

5Saying, ‘When will the new moon be over,

So we can sell corn?

And the Sabbath,

So we can open the grain stores,

Selling a short ephah,

And in so doing, make more shekels,

And swindle with false balances,

6So we can buy the poverty-stricken for silver,

And the needy for a pair of sandals’,

And saying, ‘Let us sell the refuse of the grain.’

7The Lord has sworn by the excellency of Jacob,

‘I will certainly never forget any of their works.’

8Will the land not tremble for this,

And every inhabitant on it mourn?

And will it not all rise like a river

And be driven about

And be submerged like the River of Egypt?

9And it will happen on that day,

Says the Lord, the Lord,

That I will make the sun set at noon,

And I will make the earth dark on a day in broad daylight.

10And I will turn your feasts into mourning

And all your songs into a dirge,

And I will cause you to put sackcloth round every waist,

And there will be baldness on every head,

And I will make the land like mourning for an only son,

And its final condition will be a bitter day.

11Behold, the days are coming,

Says the Lord, the Lord,

When I will send a famine to the land,

But not a famine of bread,

And not thirst for water,

But one of hearing the words of the Lord.

12And they will wander from sea to sea,

And from the north to the east,

And they will run to and fro

To seek the word of the Lord,

But they will not find it.

13On that day, the beautiful virgins will faint,

As will the young men, from thirst,

14Who swear by the guilt of Samaria,

And say, ‘As your God lives, Dan’,

And, ‘As the way of Beersheba lives.’

So they will fall

And not rise again.”

Amos Chapter 9 

1I saw the Lord* standing on the altar,

And he said, “Strike the capital of the pillar

So that the lintels shake,

And make them all crash onto their heads,

And I will kill the last of them with the sword.

None of them fleeing will get away,

And no fugitive among them will escape.

2Even if they dig through to the underworld,

My hand will take them from there,

And even if they ascend to heaven,

I will bring them down from there.

3And if they hide on the top of Carmel,

I will search and take them from there,

And if they conceal themselves from my eyes on the sea bed,

I will command the serpent,

And it will bite them,

Ousting them from there.

4And if they go into exile before their enemies,

There I will command the sword,

And it will kill them.

And I will set my eye against them,

For their harm and not for their good.

5And it is the Lord, the Lord of hosts,

Who strikes the earth

So that it melts,

So that all its inhabitants mourn,

And it all rises like a river,

And it is submerged like the River of Egypt

6– Who builds his high residences in the heavens,

And as for his vault of the heavens above the earth,

He founded it.

He calls to the water of the sea,

And pours it out on the surface of the earth

– The Lord is his name.

7Are you not to me like the sons of Ethiopians,

O sons of Israel?

Says the Lord.

Did I not bring Israel up out of the land of Egypt?

And the Philistines from Caphtor,

And the Aramaean from Kir?

8Look, the eyes of the Lord, the Lord, are against the sinful kingdom,

And I will cut it off from the face of the earth,

Except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,

Says the Lord.

9For behold, I am about to command

And cause the house of Israel to wander among all the nations,

As corn is shaken around in a sieve,

But no grain falls to the ground.

10All sinners among my people will die by the sword,

Who say,

‘No evil will approach and come upon us.’

11On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David,

Which has fallen down,

And I will wall up their breaches,

And I will raise up its ruins,

And I will build her up

As in days of old,

12In order that they who are called after my name

May inherit the remnant of Edom

And all the Gentiles,

Says the Lord,

Who is doing this.

13Look, the days are coming,

Says the Lord,

When the ploughman will be close behind the reaper,

And the grape-treader the seed-sower,

And the mountains will distil new wine,

And all the hills will melt.

14And I will reverse the captivity of my people Israel,

And they will rebuild the desolate cities

And they will dwell in them,

And they will plant vineyards

And they will drink their wine,

And they will make gardens

And they will eat their fruit.

15And I will plant them on their land,

And they will not be plucked up any more from their land

Which I have given to them,

Says the Lord your God.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 9: v.11 ↔ Acts 15:16 ● v.12 ↔ Acts 15:17, James 2:7.

Obadiah  

Obadiah Chapter 1 

1The vision of Obadiah. This is what my Lord the Lord says to Edom:

“We have heard a report from the Lord,

And an envoy sent among the nations,

Saying, ‘Rise and let us rise against her in war.’

2Look,

I have made you small among the nations;

You are greatly despised.

3The insolence of your heart has deceived you,

You who dwell in the fissures of the rock.

He who has a high dwelling place

Says in his heart,

‘Who can bring me down to earth?’

4Even if you exalt yourself like the eagle,

And even if you make your nest among the stars,

I will bring you down from there,

Says the Lord.

5If thieves were to come to you,

Or burglars in the night,

How you would be ruined!

Would they not steal as much as they want?

If grape-harvest raiders come to you,

Will they not just leave gleanings?

6How the affairs of Esau are investigated,

And how his hidden designs are searched out!

7All your allies have sent you to the border;

They have deceived you.

Those who were well-disposed to you have outwitted you;

They place your bread in a hunter's net under you,

But you have no understanding about it at all.

8Will I not destroy the wise men of Edom on that day,

Says the Lord,

And remove understanding from the mount of Esau?

9And your warriors of Teman will be afraid

Of each man being cut off

From the mount of Esau,

And they will be afraid of slaughter.

10For the violence done against your brother Jacob,

Shame will cover you,

And you will be cut off age-abidingly.

11On the day when you stood opposite Jacob,

On the day when strangers took his army captive,

And foreigners came to his gate

And cast lots over Jerusalem,

You too were one of them.

12But do not look with satisfaction

On the day of your brother,

On the day of his loss of sovereignty.

And do not rejoice over the sons of Judah

On the day when they perish,

And do not gloat

On the day of their adversity.

13Do not go to the gate of my people

On the day of their calamity,

And do not look upon their suffering

On the day of their calamity,

And do not send forces against their forces

On the day of their calamity.

14And do not stand at the road junction,

To cut off their escapees,

And do not close off their fugitives

On the day of adversity.

15For the day of the Lord is near,

Coming upon all nations.

As you have done,

So it shall be done to you;

Your recompense will return onto your head.

16For as you have drunk on my holy mountain,

So all the nations will drink continually.

And they will drink and swallow,

And they will be as if they had never existed.

17But on Mount Zion there will be deliverance,

And it will be holy,

And the house of Jacob will receive their inheritances.

18And the house of Jacob will become fire,

And the house of Joseph a flame,

But the house of Esau will become stubble.

So they will be burned and consumed,

And there will not be any escapee of the house of Esau,

For the Lord has spoken.

19And the south will inherit the mount of Esau,

And the lowlands will inherit the Philistines,

And they will inherit the territory of Ephraim,

And the territory of Samaria.

And Benjamin will inherit Gilead.

20And the captives of these forces of the sons of Israel

Who are scattered among the Canaanites

Will inherit territory as far as Zarephath.

And the captives of Jerusalem

Who are in Sepharad

Will inherit the cities of the south.

21And saviours will go to Mount Zion,

To judge the mount of Esau,

And the kingdom will be the Lord's.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 1: v.15 ↔ Revelation 1:10.

Jonah  

Jonah Chapter 1 

1And the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai and said, 2“Get up and go to Nineveh, the great city, and call out to it that their wickedness has come up into my presence.” 3But Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord, and he went down to Joppa, and he found a ship going to Tarshish, and he paid the fare for this, and he went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. 4But the Lord sent out a great wind to the sea, and there was a great storm on the sea, and the ship was on the point of being broken. 5And the sailors were afraid, and each one called to his god, and they jettisoned the cargo which was in the ship into the sea in order to lighten the vessel from it, but Jonah had gone down into the cabins of the vessel and had lain down, and he was in deep sleep. 6And the captain approached him and said to him, “What are you doing sleeping? Get up and call on your God. It may be that God will consider us, and we will not perish.” 7And each man said to his neighbour, “Come and let us cast lots, so we know on account of whom this misfortune of ours has come.” And they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8And they said to him, “Please tell us on account of what this misfortune of ours is, and what your business is, and where you come from, and what your country is, and of which people you are.” 9And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10And the men were afraid with a great fear, and the men said to him, “What is this that you have done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the Lord, for he had told them. 11And they said to him, “What should we do to you, so that the sea will calm down for us? For the sea is becoming more and more tempestuous.” 12And he said to them, “Lift me up and throw me into the sea, and the sea will calm down for you, for I know that it is on account of me that this great storm has come on you.” 13Then the men rowed in order to return to dry land, but they could not do it, because the sea was becoming more and more tempestuous on them. 14So they called to the Lord and said, “We beseech you, Lord, please do not let us perish because of this man's life, and do not lay innocent blood on us, for you, O Lord, do what you please.” 15So they lifted Jonah up and threw him in the sea. And the sea stopped its raging. 16And the men feared the Lord with a great fear, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and they made vows. 17Then the Lord appointed a large fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the inner parts of the fish for three days and three nights.

Reference(s) in Chapter 1: v.17 ↔ Matthew 12:40.

Jonah Chapter 2 

1And Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the inner parts of the fish. 2And he said,

“I called on account of my predicament to the Lord,

And he answered me.

I cried out from the belly of the underworld,

And you heard my voice.

3And you cast me into the deep,

In the heart of the seas,

And the tide surrounded me.

All your breakers and your waves passed over me.

4And I said,

‘I have been driven out of your sight,

But I will look again at your holy temple.’

5Water has surrounded me,

Threatening my life.

The deep has encompassed me;

Sea-weed is bound around my head.

6I descended to the roots of the mountains;

The earth with its bars were closing in after me for age-long time,

But you rescued my life from the pit,

O Lord my God.

7When my life was draining away from me,

I remembered the Lord,

And my prayer came to you

– To your holy temple.

8Those who pay respect to vain idols

Abandon themselves to their tender mercies,

9But I will sacrifice to you with a voice of thanksgiving;

That which I vowed,

I will fulfil,

For salvation is of the Lord.”

10Then the Lord spoke to the fish, and it ejected Jonah onto the dry land.

Jonah Chapter 3 

1And the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time and said, 2“Arise and go to Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am speaking to you.” 3So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, it being three days' journey round its perimeter. 4And Jonah began to go into the city, making a day's journey, and he made a proclamation and said, “There are forty days to go, then Nineveh will be overturned.” 5And the men of Nineveh believed God, and they called a fast, and they put on sackcloth, both great and small. 6And the matter reached the king of Nineveh, and he rose up from his throne and removed his robe and covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7And he made a pronouncement and announced in Nineveh by decree of the king and his nobles and said, “Let man, and cattle, and oxen, and sheep not taste anything, nor feed, and let them not drink water. 8But let man and cattle be covered in sackcloth, and let them call out to God in strength of mind, and let each man turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in their hands. 9Who knows whether God will turn and repent and turn from the fury of his anger, so that we do not perish.” 10And God saw their deeds – that they had turned from their evil way – and God repented of the harm which he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Jonah Chapter 4 

1But it greatly displeased Jonah, and it infuriated him. 2And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, I beseech you, was not this result my concern, up to the time that I was in my land? – the reason I was quick to flee to Tarshish? For I knew that you were a compassionate and merciful God, longsuffering and of great kindness, and repentant of that which is bad. 3And now, O Lord, take, I beseech you, my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4But the Lord said, “Is it good that you should be infuriated?” 5Then Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city, and he made a booth for himself there, and he sat under it in the shade, until he should see what would happen in the city. 6And the Lord God appointed a castor oil plant, and he caused it to go up over Jonah, to be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his distress. And Jonah was very pleased about the castor oil plant. 7But God appointed a worm at the rising of dawn on the next day, and it struck the castor oil plant, and it withered. 8And it came to pass at sunrise that God appointed a sultry east wind, and the sun struck Jonah's head, and he became faint, and he asked in his heart to die, and he said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9But God said to Jonah, “Is it good that you should be infuriated about the castor oil plant?” And he said, “It is good that I should be infuriated, to the extent of wanting death.” 10But the Lord said, “You pitied the castor oil plant, which you did not toil over and did not cultivate, which came in a night and perished in a night. 11Should I not pity the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than one hundred and twenty thousand people, who do not know the difference between their right hand and their left, and also much cattle?”

Micah  

Micah Chapter 1 

1The word of the Lord which came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

2Hear, all you people,

And hearken, O earth and your fulness,

And let my Lord the Lord be a witness against you

That is the Lord*

From his holy temple.

3For look, the Lord is coming out of his place,

And he will descend and step

Onto the idolatrous raised sites of the earth.

4Then the mountains will melt under him,

And the valleys will be split;

They will be like wax in front of a fire,

And like water pouring down a gully.

5All this is for the transgression of Jacob,

And for the sins of the house of Israel.

What is the transgression of Jacob?

Is it not Samaria?

And what are the idolatrous raised sites of Judah?

Are they not in Jerusalem?

6“And I will make Samaria a ruin of the countryside

– Vineyard plantation sites.

And I will pour her stones out into the valley,

And I will expose her foundations.

7And all her carved images will be beaten in pieces,

And all her wages of prostitution will be burnt in fire.

And I will make all her idols a desolation,

For she gathered them from the wages of prostitution,

And to the wages of prostitution they shall return.”

8For this I will mourn and howl;

I will walk as one who has been stripped and is naked.

I will undertake mourning like jackals,

And lamentation like ostriches.

9For her wounds are incurable,

For this has come to Judah;

He has reached the gate of my people

– Jerusalem.

10Do not relate this in Gath;

Do not weep at all.

In the house of Aphrah,

Roll in the dust.

11Transgress as you will,

O inhabitants of Shaphir,

In nakedness and shame.

The inhabitant of Zaanan did not come out

At the mourning of Beth-Ezel;

He will take his support away from you.

12For the inhabitants of Maroth waited for good times,

When bad times came down from the Lord,

At the gate of Jerusalem.

13Hitch the steed to the chariot,

O inhabitants of Lachish.

It is the beginning of sin for the daughter of Zion,

For the transgressions of Israel have been found in you.

14Therefore give a bill of divorce in Moresheth-Gath.

The houses of Achzib are deceit to the kings of Israel.

15I am still going to bring the dispossessor to you,

O inhabitants of Mareshah.

The glory of Israel will come to Adullam.

16Make yourself bald and shave yourself,

For the sake of your delightful sons.

Make your baldness wide like the eagle,

For they will be deported away from you.

Micah Chapter 2 

1Woe to those who devise vain things,

And those who engage in evil on their couches.

At morning light they perform it,

For it is in the power of their hand.

2And they covet fields

And they seize them,

And they covet houses

And they expropriate them,

And they oppress a fellow and his household,

And a man and his inheritance.

3Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“Look, I am devising evil on this family

A yoke from which you will not be able to move your necks –

And you will not walk haughtily,

For it will be a time of evil.

4On that day a proverb will be uttered against you,

And a mournful lamentation will be delivered,

Which will say,

‘We have been completely plundered;

He has changed the portion of my people.

How he has removed what was mine,

By overturning our fields

And dividing them up.’ ”

5Therefore you will not have anyone drawing a boundary by lot

In the convocation of the Lord.

6“Do not prophesy”, they prophesy.

So they do not prophesy to these people.

No-one withdraws from the shame he incurs.

7“Are you called the house of Jacob?

Has the Lord become impatient?

Or are these things his works?

Are not my works good

With him who walks uprightly?

8And recently my people would rise as if against an enemy.

Encountering a garment,

You would strip off the mantle

From passers-by, confidently

– Those returning from battle.

9You drive out the women of my people,

Each from her pleasant home.

You have taken away my honour from her children age-abidingly.

10Rise and go,

For this is not rest,

Because of uncleanness,

And it is destructive with a pernicious destruction.

11If a man walks in a spirit of falsehood,

And he lies,

Saying, ‘I will prophesy to you of wine and strong drink’,

Then he will be accepted as a prophet of this people.

12I will certainly gather all of you, Jacob,

I will certainly collect the remainder of Israel

And put him together like the sheep of Bozrah,

Like a flock in the middle of its pasture.

The women will bustle with so many people.

13The demolisher has gone out.

They break what is in front of them,

And they cross the gate and come out through it.

Their king crosses in front of them,

And the Lord is at their head.”

Micah Chapter 3 

1And I said,

“Hear, I beseech you, O heads of Jacob,

And leaders of the house of Israel.

Is it not incumbent on you to know judgment?

2You are haters of good

And lovers of evil.

You flay their skin off them

And remove their flesh off their bones.”

3And what they eat is the flesh of my people,

And they flay their skin off them

And break their bones,

And they chop them up for cooking in a pot,

Or as meat for stewing in a cauldron.

4Then they will cry out to the Lord,

But he will not answer them,

And he will hide his face from them at that time,

According to how they have done wrong in their works.

5This is what the Lord says

Concerning the prophets who are leading my people astray,

Biting with their teeth,

And who call, “Peace”,

(And whoever does not deliver according to their speech,

They prepare a holy war against him):

6“Therefore you will have a night blackout from visions,

And darkness from divining,

And the sun will set on the prophets,

And daylight will grow dim on them.

7And the seers will be ashamed,

And the diviners will blush,

And they will all cover their mouth,

For there will be no answer from God.”

8But truly, I am full of power

With the spirit of the Lord,

And of judgment and of courage

To tell Jacob of his transgression

And Israel of his sin.

9Hear this, I beseech you,

You heads of the house of Jacob,

And you leaders of the house of Israel,

Who exercise judgment abominably

And pervert everything that is upright,

10And you who build Zion with blood,

And Jerusalem with iniquity.

11Its leaders judge by bribery,

And its priests teach for a fee,

And its prophets divine for money.

Yet they lean on the Lord, saying,

“Is not the Lord among us?

No evil shall come upon us.”

12Therefore, on your account,

Zion will be ploughed to a field,

And Jerusalem will become ruins,

And the Temple Mount will become woodland heights.

Micah Chapter 4 

1And it will come to pass in the last days

That the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established

As the foremost of the mountains,

And it will be exalted above the hills,

And the various peoples will flow to it.

2And many Gentile nations will go,

And they will say,

“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

And to the house of the God of Jacob,

And he will instruct us concerning his ways,

And let us walk in his paths.”

For the law will go out from Zion,

And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

3And he will judge among many peoples,

And he will convict mighty nations,

However far away.

And they will beat their swords into ploughshares

And their spears into pruning shears.

Nation will not lift up the sword against nation,

And they will no longer learn warfare.

4And each man will sit under his vine

And under his fig tree.

And there will be no-one making them afraid,

For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

5For all the various peoples will walk each in the name of his god,

But we will walk in the name of the Lord our God,

For the age and in perpetuity.

6On that day, says the Lord,

I will gather the lame women,

And collect her who has been cast out,

And those I have afflicted.

7And I will make the lame women a remnant,

And her who has been cast out a great nation,

And the Lord will reign over them,

On Mount Zion,

From that time and age-abidingly.

8And as for you, O tower of the flock,

Citadel of the daughter of Zion,

To you it will betake itself and come

– The first dominion,

The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.

9Now why do you shout noisily?

Is there no king among you?

Or has your adviser ceased to exist?

For a writhing has seized you

Like a woman giving birth.

10Writhe and go into labour,

O daughter of Zion,

Like a woman giving birth.

For now you will go out of the town,

And dwell in the countryside,

And you will go to Babylon,

But there you will be rescued;

There the Lord will redeem you

From the grip of your enemies.

11And now, many nations will be gathered against you,

Saying, “Let her be profaned”,

And, “Let our eyes see Zion.”

12But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord,

And they do not understand his counsel,

For he will gather them,

Like a sheaf taken to the threshing floor.

13“Rise and thresh,

O daughter of Zion,

For I will make your horn of iron,

And I will make your hooves of copper,

And you will grind many peoples small”,

And I will consecrate their unjust gain to the Lord,

And their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth.

Micah Chapter 5 

1Now gather in troops,

O daughter of the troop.

He has placed a siege against us.

They will strike the judge of Israel

With a rod against the cheek.

2“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Although you are small among the thousands of Judah,

From you he who is mine will come out,

To be a ruler in Israel,

Yet his goings are of age-old time.

3Therefore he will suffer them

Until the time when she who is giving birth

Has given birth,

Then the rest of his brothers will return to the sons of Israel.

4And he will stand and tend them

In the strength of the Lord,

In the excellence of the name of the Lord his God,

And they will remain secure,

For then he will have become great up to the ends of the earth.

5And this man will be peace.

When Assyria comes to our land,

And when he treads in our palaces,

We will raise up against him seven shepherds

And eight princely men.

6And they will rule the land of Assyria with the sword,

And the land of Nimrod at its gates.

And he will deliver us from Assyria,

When he comes into our land,

And when he steps into our territory.

7And the remainder of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples,

Like dew from the Lord,

Like showers on the grass.

And he will not put hope in man,

Nor will he put expectation in the sons of Adam.

8And the remainder of Jacob will be among the Gentiles,

In the midst of many peoples,

Like a lion among the beasts of the forest,

Like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,

And if it comes across them,

It tramples and tears them to pieces,

And there is no-one to deliver them.

9Let your hand be raised against your adversaries,

And may all your enemies be cut off.

10And it will come to pass on that day,

Says the Lord,

That I will cut off your horses from your midst,

And I will destroy your chariots.

11And I will cut off the cities of your land,

And I will demolish all your fortresses.

12And I will cut off sorceries from your reach,

And you will have no diviners by clouds.

13And I will cut off your carved images,

And your pillars from your midst,

And you will no longer worship the works of your hands.

14And I will pull down your phallic parks from your precincts,

And I will destroy your cities.

15And I will take vengeance in anger and in fury

On the Gentiles who have not listened.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 5: v.2 ↔ Matthew 2:6, John 7:42.

Micah Chapter 6 

1Do listen to what the Lord is saying:

“Rise and contend with the mountains,

And let the hills hear your voice.

2Hear, O mountains, the Lord's contention,

And you firm foundations of the earth,

For the Lord has a contention with his people,

And he will argue with Israel.

3My people, what have I done to you?

And in what way have I wearied you?

Testify the case against me.

4For I brought you out of the land of Egypt,

And I redeemed you from a house of slavery

When I sent Moses, Aaron and Miriam before you.

5My people, do remember how Balak king of Moab took counsel,

And how Balaam the son of Beor answered him,

From Shittim to Gilgal,

In order to know the righteous ways of the Lord.”

6With what shall I come before the Lord,

And bow to God on high?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

With one-year-old calves?

7Is the Lord pleased with thousands of rams?

Or with tens of thousands of streams of oil?

Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression

– The fruit of my belly –

For my personal sins?

8He has told you, O man,

What is good,

And what the Lord requires from you,

Which is rather to exercise justice,

And to love kindness,

And to walk humbly with your God.

9The voice of the Lord calls to the city,

And your name provides wisdom:

“Hear the rod of chastisement.

And who appointed the matter?

10Are there still in the house of the wicked

Treasures obtained by wickedness?

And a short-measured ephah

Causing indignation?

11Will I be found pure with dishonest balances?

Or will I be found with the bag of false weights?

12For her rich men are full of violence,

And her inhabitants speak falsely,

And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

13I will also afflict you

By striking you and making you desolate

For your sins.

14You will eat

But not be satisfied,

And you will have dissatisfaction inside you.

And should you take hold of something,

You will not carry it away safely.

And whoever would escape

I will give up to the sword.

15You will sow,

But you will not reap.

You will tread the olive,

But you will not anoint yourself with its oil,

And you will prepare must,

But you will not drink the wine.

16So let a man beware

Of the statutes of Omri

And all the works of the house of Ahab

– For you have walked in their counsels –

Lest I make you a desolation,

And its inhabitants an object of jeering,

And they bear the reproach of my people.”

Micah Chapter 7 

1Alas for me,

For I am like those doing the summer ingathering and the vintage gleaning.

But there is no bunch of grapes to eat

Or early fruit which my being longs for.

2The kind have disappeared from the earth,

And there is no-one upright among men;

They all lie in wait for blood,

And a man hunts his brother with a net.

3Their hands are intent on prospering through evil.

The prince asks for favours,

And the judge asks for a bribe,

And the important man speaks of his personal wishes,

And they pervert the case.

4Their goodness is like a briar;

Their uprightness is thornier than a thorn-hedge.

The day your watchmen are looking out for

The day of your visitation – is coming.

At that time they will be in confusion.

5Do not put faith in a neighbour;

Do not put trust in the local leader

Any more than in her who lies in your bosom.

Guard the portals of your mouth.

6For the son despises his father,

And the daughter rises up against her mother,

And the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

A man's enemies are the men of his household.

7But I will watch for the Lord;

I will wait for the God of my salvation.

My God will hear me.

8Do not rejoice,

You enemy of mine.

If I fall,

I will rise,

And if I sit in darkness,

The Lord is my light.

9I will bear the anger of the Lord,

For I have sinned against him,

Until he pleads my case,

And he passes judgment concerning me.

He will bring me out into the light,

And I will see his righteousness.

10Then my enemy will see it,

And shame will cover her

Who said to me,

“Where is the Lord your God?”

My eyes will see her.

Now she will be trodden down,

Like the mud of the out-fields.

11It is a day of building your walls.

On that day,

The boundary will be pushed back.

12On that day,

He will come to you from Assyria,

And from fortified cities,

And from the fortification to the river,

And from sea to sea,

And from mountain to mountain.

13And the land shall be a desolation on its inhabitants

On account of the fruit of their works.

14Feed your people with your sceptre

– The sheep of your inheritance –

Dwelling solitarily in the forest in the midst of Carmel.

Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,

As in days of age-old time.

15As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,

I will show him wonders.

16The Gentiles will see

And be ashamed of all their might.

They will put their hand to their mouth;

Their ears will be deaf.

17They will lick the dust like the snake;

Like the crawling things of the earth,

They will come trembling out of their confined spaces.

They will fear the Lord our God

And be afraid because of you.

18Who is a God like you,

Forgiving iniquity and pardoning transgressions

For the remnant of his inheritance?

He will not retain his anger in perpetuity,

For he delights in kindness.

19He will again have mercy on us;

He will trample our iniquities underfoot.

And you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

20You will impart truth to Jacob,

And kindness to Abraham,

Which you swore to our fathers

In days of old.

Reference(s) in Chapter 7: v.6 ↔ Matthew 10:35, Matthew 10:36, Mark 13:12, Luke 12:53.

Nahum  

Nahum Chapter 1 

1The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

2God is jealous

And the Lord is vengeful.

The Lord is vengeful,

And he is a person of fury.

The Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries,

And he reserves judgment on his enemies.

3The Lord is longsuffering and great in power,

And he will certainly not acquit the guilty.

The Lord's way is in a whirlwind and in a storm,

And the clouds are the fine dust of his feet.

4He rebukes the sea and makes it dry,

And he dries up all the rivers.

Bashan languishes, and Carmel too,

And the flower of Lebanon languishes as well.

5Mountains tremble before him,

And hills melt,

And the land is upheaved in his presence,

As is the world and all its inhabitants.

6Who can stand before his indignation,

And who can endure the fury of his anger?

His wrath is poured out like fire,

And the rocks are demolished by him.

7The Lord is good;

He is a stronghold on the day of adversity,

And he knows those

Who trust in him.

8And with a flood passing over,

He will make an end of its site;

Darkness will pursue his enemies.

9What do you imagine against the Lord?

He will make an end;

Adversity will not rise up a second time.

10For the end will come to the entwined thorns,

And this will happen when they are drunk from their drinking bout.

They will be consumed like chaff fully dry.

11From you one will come out

Imagining evil against the Lord

– A worthless counsellor.

12This is what the Lord says:

Even if they are in full number,

And ever so numerous,

Nevertheless, they will be cut down,

And the event will pass.

Although I have afflicted you,

I will not afflict you any more.

13And now I will break his yoke off you,

And I will undo your bonds.

14And the Lord will give commandment concerning you;

No-one of your name will be propagated any more.

I will cut off the carved image and the cast image from the house of your gods;

I will appoint your grave,

For you are despised.

15Behold on the mountains

The feet of him who brings good tidings,

Who proclaims peace.

Celebrate your feasts, Judah,

And fulfil your vows,

For the worthless one will no longer pass through you;

He will have been completely cut off.

Nahum Chapter 2 

1The scatterer has gone up in confrontation with you.

Guard the rampart,

Watch the highway,

Firm up your loins;

Build up your strength greatly.

2For the Lord will restore the splendour of Jacob

As the splendour of Israel,

For the emptiers have emptied them

And have brought ruin on their branches.

3His warriors' shield is stained red,

The valiant men are dyed scarlet,

The chariots are with fiery steel

On the day which he has prepared,

And the cypresses are shaken by it.

4Chariots drive in a frenzy in the open places,

They run up and down the streets,

Their appearance is as flares;

They run swiftly like lightning flashes.

5He will remember his dignitaries;

They will stumble as they go.

They will return to its wall,

And the defence will be prepared.

6The sluices of the rivers will be opened,

And the palace will be dissolved.

7And it has been determined:

Nineveh will go into captivity,

She will be made to go up,

And her maidservants will lament like the sound of doves,

Beating their hearts.

8Now Nineveh has been like a pool of water

Since the days of its existence,

But they flee.

They will say, ‘Make a stand, make a stand!’

But there will be none turning back.

9‘Take silver as spoil;

Take gold as spoil’,

And there is no end to the store

And abundance of every precious object.

10It will be empty and emptied

And laid waste,

And its heart will melt,

And its knees will totter,

And it will be in trepidation in all its loins,

And all their faces will lose their shine.

11Where is the den of the lions,

And the feeding ground of the young lions?

Where the lion goes,

The great lion is there,

And the lion's whelp,

And there is nothing to make them afraid.

12The lion tears in pieces enough for his whelps,

And crushes for his lionesses

And fills his lairs with prey,

And his den with what has been preyed on.

13Look, I am against you,

Says the Lord of hosts,

And I will set its chariots on fire with smoke,

And the sword will devour your lion cubs,

And I will cut your prey off from the land,

And the voice of your messengers will no longer be heard.

Nahum Chapter 3 

1Alas for the City of Blood;

All of it is full of deceit and violence.

The predation does not stop.

2There will be the sound of the whip,

And the sound of the rattling of a wheel,

And of a prancing horse

And a jolting chariot.

3The horseman raises both a glaring sword and a glittering spear,

And there are many casualties

And an abundance of corpses,

And there is no end to dead bodies;

They stumble on their dead bodies.

4Because of the great extent of prostitution by the prostitute,

And because the mistress of sorceries is in good favour,

Who sells nations through her prostitution,

And families through her sorceries,

5Behold, I am against you,

Says the Lord of hosts,

And I will uncover your skirt in front of you,

And I will show nations your nakedness,

And kingdoms your shame.

6And I will cast abominations on you,

And I will despise you,

And I will make a spectacle of you.

7And it will come to pass

That all who see you

Will flee from you

And will say,

‘Nineveh has been laid waste;

Who will console her?’

From where can I seek comforters for you?

8Are you better than No-Amon,

Which is situated among the rivers,

With water round about it,

Whose fortification is the sea,

And whose wall consists of the sea?

9Ethiopia is your strength,

As is Egypt,

To which there is no end.

Put and Libya were among your allies.

10It will duly go into exile,

Into captivity,

And its children will be dashed to the ground at the head of all open spaces.

And they will cast lots for its honoured men,

And all its pre-eminent men will be bound in fetters.

11You too will become drunk,

You will be hidden;

You too will seek a stronghold

Away from your enemy.

12All your fortifications will be like fig trees with firstfruits.

If they are shaken,

They fall to the mouth of the eater.

13Look, your people are women in your midst.

The gates of your land are completely open to your enemies;

Fire will consume your bars.

14Draw water for yourself ready for a siege,

Strengthen your fortifications,

Go to the mud,

And tread on the clay;

Renovate the brick-kiln.

15There, fire will consume you,

The sword will cut you off;

It will consume you like the devouring locust.

Abound like the devouring locust,

Abound like the swarming locust!

16You have increased your number of merchants

More than the stars of heaven.

The devouring locust will strip you

And fly off.

17Your princes are like swarming locusts,

And your generals are like teeming locusts,

Which settle in walled places,

On a cold day,

But when the sun rises,

They flee,

And the place where they are is not known.

18Your shepherds slumber,

O king of Assyria;

Your dignitaries are at rest.

Your people have been scattered to the mountains,

And there is no-one to gather them.

19There is no alleviation of your break-up;

The blow on you is grievous.

All who hear a report about you

Clap their hands over you,

For over whom has your wickedness not passed continually?”

Habakkuk  

Habakkuk Chapter 1 

1The burden which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

2How long, O Lord, will I cry out,

But you won't hear?

I shout out to you about violence,

But you don't save.

3Why do you show me iniquity,

And have me see toil?

Oppression and violence are facing me,

And there is contention,

And strife raises its head.

4This is how the law is inoperative,

And justice never takes place.

For the wicked surround the righteous,

Which is how a perverted justice takes place.

5“Look among the Gentiles and see,

And be amazingly amazed.

For there is one carrying out a work in your days

Which you will not believe

When it is told you.

6For I am about to rouse the Chaldeans

– The bitter and hasty nation,

Who go to the wide outposts of the earth

In order to inherit habitable territory

Which is not theirs.

7They are terrible and fearful.

Their own concept of justice and dignity applies.

8And their horses are swifter than leopards,

And they are more fierce than the wolves of the evening.

Their horsemen spread out,

And their horsemen come from afar,

And they fly like an eagle that hastens to eat.

9They all come for violence;

The objective of their mission is to advance,

And they gather captives like sand.

10They also mock kings,

And princes are objects of derision to them.

They laugh at every fortification;

They heap up mounds of ground

And capture it.

11But then his attitude will change;

When he is in transgression,

He will realize his guilt

He who attributes this power of his to his god.”

12Are you not of old, O Lord,

My God, my holy one

– You who do not die?

O Lord, you have appointed them to judgment,

And you, the rock, have destined them to condemnation.

13You are too pure of eyes to see evil,

And you are not able to look on injustice.

Why do you look on traitors and remain silent?

– On the wicked man swallowing up someone more righteous than he?

14And you make man like the fish of the sea,

Like the reptiles,

Which have no ruler over them.

15They lift everyone with a hook,

And they drag them away in their net,

And they gather them in their dragnet,

Which is why they rejoice and exult.

16That is why they sacrifice to their net,

And burn incense to their dragnet,

For by these things their portion is fat,

And their food rich.

17Will they therefore empty their net?

Indeed they will not spare their continual destruction of nations.

Reference(s) in Chapter 1: v.5 ↔ Acts 13:41.

Habakkuk Chapter 2 

1I will stand at my watch,

And position myself at the bulwark,

And I will watch to see what he says to me,

And how I answer his rebuke of me.

2And the Lord answered me and said,

“Write the vision

And engrave it on tablets,

So that he who reads it

May run.

3For there is still a vision for the appointed time,

And he will inspire it for the end time,

And he will not lie.

If it delays, wait for it,

For it will certainly come;

It will not linger.

4Behold someone whose mind in him is puffed up;

It is not upright,

But the just shall live by his faith.

5And furthermore, wine deals treacherously,

Making a man proud,

And not dwelling quietly

One who increases his appetite like the grave,

And who, like death, cannot be satisfied,

Who gathers to himself all the nations,

And collects to himself all the peoples.

6Will not all these utter a proverb against him,

So that he is an object of satire and riddles?

And say, ‘Woe to him who increases what is not his!

How long can he continue to weigh himself down with accumulated debts?’

7Will not your creditors suddenly rise up,

And will not those who agitate you awaken?

And you will be a prey to them.

8Since you have plundered many nations,

The whole remainder of nations will plunder you,

Because of the bloodshed of man

And the violence in the land,

In the town,

And among all those inhabiting it.

9Woe to him who makes wicked unjust gain for his household,

To place his nest on high,

In order to be delivered from an evil hand.

10You have counselled a shameful course of action to your house

– The cutting off of many nations,

So sinning against yourself.

11For a stone will cry out from the wall,

And a rafter of wood will answer it.

12Woe to him who builds a wall by bloodshed

And establishes a town by iniquity.

13Look, is it not of the Lord of hosts

That the nations tire themselves for things that are fit for fire,

And the various peoples weary themselves for things that are vain?

14For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,

As the waters cover the sea.

15Woe to him who gives his neighbour drink,

You who pour out your wrath,

And also make drunk,

In order to see their nakedness.

16You are saturated with shame rather than glory.

You too must drink and show yourself uncircumcised.

The cup of the right hand of the Lord will hem you in,

And utter ignominy will come over your honour.

17For the violence of Lebanon will cover you,

And the destruction by beasts will terrify them,

Because of the bloodshed of man

And the violence of the land,

In a town and on all its inhabitants.

18In what way is a carved image profitable?

For the fashioner of it carved it;

Or a cast image, or a teacher of falsehood?

For the artisan trusts his artefact as benefiting him,

And he is occupied making mute idols.

19Woe to him who says to a piece of wood,

‘Awake’,

And to mute stone,

‘Arise.’

This is his teacher!

Look, it is set in gold and silver,

And there isn't any spirit inside it.”

20But the Lord is in his holy temple.

Be silent in his presence,

All the earth.

Reference(s) in Chapter 2: v.3 ↔ Hebrews 10:37 ● v.4 ↔ Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38.

Habakkuk Chapter 3 

1A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet concerning pre-eminence.

2Lord, I have heard your report;

I have feared, O Lord, your work.

Revive it in the course of years

– In the course of years make it known.

In raging,

Remember to be merciful.

3May God come from Teman,

And the holy one from Mount Paran.

Selah.

His glory covers the heavens,

And his praise fills the earth.

4And his splendour is as a light;

He has beams of light emanating from his hand,

Where his power is concealed.

5Pestilence goes before him,

And lightning emanates at his feet.

6He stood and measured out the earth;

He looked and shook up the nations,

And the perpetual mountains were scattered,

And age-abiding hills were brought low.

His ways are age-abiding.

7I saw the tents of Cushan in adversity,

And the awnings of the land of Midian shake.

8Was the Lord furious with the rivers?

Or was your anger with the rivers?

Or was your wrath with the sea?

For you will ride on your horses,

Drawing your chariots of salvation.

9Your bow will be made completely bare,

According to the oaths made to the tribes

Your declaration to them.

Selah.

You divide the earth with rivers.

10The mountains saw you,

And they writhed.

A watery downpour brought overflow,

The deep sounded its voice;

It lifted its hands up high.

11The sun and moon stood still in their residence;

At the light of your arrows they proceed

– At the brightness of the glittering of your spear.

12In indignation you step through the earth;

In anger you tread on nations.

13You have gone out for the salvation of your people,

For the salvation of your anointed nation;

You have shattered the head in the house of the wicked

In making it bare from the foundation to the neck.

Selah.

14You have bored through the head of their ruler with his sceptres.

They rage like a storm in order to scatter me;

Their exultation is as if to consume the poor in secret.

15You made your way through the sea with your horses,

Through great foaming water.

16I heard it,

And my stomach trembled;

At the sound, my lips quivered.

A loathsome feeling comes on my bones,

And I shake on the spot,

Wishing that I may rest on the day of adversity.

At the advance towards the people,

He will attack them.

17For a fig tree will not blossom,

And there will be no produce on the vines,

And the crop of the olive tree will fail,

And the cornfields will not yield food,

And the sheep will be cut off from the fold,

And there will be no cattle in the stalls.

18But I will exult in the Lord;

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

19The Lord my Lord is my strength,

And he makes my feet like those of the deer,

And he makes me walk on my raised sites.

To the choirmaster,

For accompaniment by my stringed instruments.

Zephaniah  

Zephaniah Chapter 1 

1The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, the king of Judah.

2“I will certainly gather everything up

From the face of the earth,

Says the Lord.

3I will gather up man and cattle;

I will gather up the birds of the sky

And the fish of the sea,

And the causes of offence

– The wicked.

So I will cut off man from the face of the earth,

Says the Lord.

4And I will stretch my hand out over Judah

And over all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,

And I will cut off the residue of Baal from this place

– The name of the idolatrous priests,

With the apostate Levitical priests,

5And the worshippers of the host of heaven on the rooftops,

And the worshippers who swear to the Lord,

And those swearing by Malcam,

6And those who apostatize from the Lord,

And those who have not sought the Lord

And have not inquired of him.

7Be silent before the Lord, the Lord,

For the day of the Lord is near,

For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice;

He has sanctified those he has invited.

8And it will come to pass on the day of the Lord's sacrifice

That I will visit the officials,

And the sons of the king,

And all those who are clothed in foreign clothing.

9And I will visit all those who leap over the threshold,

On that day,

Who fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.

10And on that day,

Says the Lord,

There will be the sound of crying out from the Fish Gate,

And howling from the Second Gate,

And a great crash from the hills.

11Howl, you inhabitants of Maktesh,

For all the merchant people have been silenced,

And all those who are laden with silver have been cut off.

12And it will come to pass at that time

That I will seek Jerusalem with lamps,

And I will visit the men

Who rest coolly indifferent on their oars,

Who say in their heart,

‘The Lord will not do good or bad.’

13And their wealth will become a prey,

And their houses a desolation.

And they will build houses

But not inhabit them,

And plant vineyards

But not drink their wine.

14The great day of the Lord is near,

It is near;

And it is very hasty.

At the sound of the day of the Lord,

The warrior will shout out there bitterly.

15That day is a day of wrath,

A day of distress and anguish,

A day of annihilation and obliteration,

A day of darkness and obscurity,

A day of cloud and gloom,

16A day of the ramshorn and alarm,

At the fortified cities

And at the high corner towers.

17And I will oppress man,

And they will walk as the blind,

For they have sinned against the Lord,

And their blood will be poured out like dust,

And their flesh like dung.

18Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them,

On the day of the Lord's wrath,

And all the earth will be consumed in his jealous fire,

For he will make an end

– A most terrifying one –

Of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Reference(s) in Chapter 1: v.7 ↔ Revelation 1:10 ● v.14 ↔ Revelation 1:10.

Zephaniah Chapter 2 

1Assemble yourselves, and gather,

O undesirable nation.

2Before the issuing of the statute,

The days will pass like chaff,

Until the day of the fury of the Lord's anger comes on you,

Until the day of the Lord's anger comes on you.

3Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth,

Who have acted in accordance with his justice.

Seek righteousness,

Seek meekness;

Perhaps you will be hidden

On the day of the Lord's anger.

4For Gaza will be forsaken,

And Ashkelon will be a desolation.

They will drive out Ashdod at midday,

And Ekron will be eradicated.

5Woe to the inhabitants of the tract by the sea

– The nation of Cherethites!

The word of the Lord is against you, Canaan,

Land of the Philistines,

And I will destroy you

Without leaving an inhabitant.

6And the tract by the sea will be dwelling places,

And wells, for shepherds,

And walled folds for sheep.

7And the tract will be for the remnant of the house of Judah.

They will feed on it;

They will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon in the evening,

For the Lord their God will visit them

And reverse their captivity.

8I have heard the reproach of Moab,

And the vilifications of the sons of Ammon,

Who reproach my people,

And who make themselves great on their territory.

9Therefore, as I live,

Says the Lord of hosts

– The God of Israel –

Moab will be like Sodom,

And the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah:

A domain of nettles and a pit of salt,

And an age-abiding desolation.

The remnant of my people will take them as spoil,

And the remainder of my nation will inherit them.

10This is what they will have in place of their pride,

For they reproached and acted proudly

Against the people of the Lord of hosts.

11The Lord will be terrible to them,

For he will cause all the gods of the land to waste away.

And they will worship him,

Each man in his place,

Over all the coastlands of the Gentiles.

12You Ethiopians too,

They are those to be struck by my sword.

13He will stretch his hand out to the north

And will destroy Assyria,

And he will make Nineveh a desolation

– A dry land like the desert.

14And the flocks will lie in its midst

– All the Gentiles' animals.

Also the pelican and the hedgehog will lodge in the capitals of the fallen columns,

And there will be the sound of a bird singing from the window.

There will be desolation at the threshold,

For he will expose the cedar panelling.

15This is the joyful city,

Dwelling in supposed security,

Saying in its heart,

‘I am and there is none besides me.’

How it has become a desolation

– A place for animals to lie down in.

Everyone passing through it will hiss at it

And wave it aside with the hand.

Zephaniah Chapter 3 

1Woe to the rebellious and polluted and oppressing city.

2It did not listen to the voice,

It did not accept correction,

It did not trust in the Lord;

It did not draw near to its God.

3Its officials in its society are roaring lions,

Its judges are evening wolves;

They leave nothing to gnaw in the morning.

4Its prophets are acting recklessly;

They are treacherous men.

Its priests have profaned the holy place;

They have done violence to the law.

5But the righteous Lord is in its midst;

He does not act iniquitously.

Each morning he gives his judgment as a light.

It is not lacking.

But the unjust knows no shame.

6I have cut off nations;

Their cornerstones have been made desolate.

I have laid their streets waste,

So that there is no-one passing by.

Their cities have been made desolate,

So that there is no man

– No inhabitant – in them.

7I said, ‘Surely you will fear me,

And take correction,

And its dwelling will not be cut off’,

Considering every way in which I had visited it.

But truly, they rose early

And caused ruin in all their works.

8Therefore wait for me,

Says the Lord,

Wait for the day of me rising for the raid,

For my judgment is to gather nations,

For me to collect kingdoms,

To pour out over them my indignation

– All the fury of my anger.

For in the fire of my jealousy

All the earth will be consumed.

9For then I will bring change to the people

– A pure lip –

That they may all call on the name of the Lord,

To serve him standing shoulder to shoulder.

10Beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,

Those who entreat me

– She who is in my diaspora –

Will bring my offering.

11On that day, you will not be ashamed of any of your works

With which you transgressed against me,

For then I will have removed from your midst

Those rejoicing in your pride,

And you will no longer be haughty on my holy mountain.

12And I will leave in your midst an afflicted and poor people,

And they will trust in the name of the Lord.

13The remnant of Israel will not commit iniquity

And will not speak lies,

And there will not be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue,

For they will pasture and lie down,

And there will be no-one to make them afraid.

14Sing for joy, O daughter of Zion,

Shout aloud, Israel,

Be glad and exult with all your heart,

O daughter of Jerusalem.

15The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;

He has removed your enemy.

The king of Israel – the Lordis in your midst,

And you will fear evil no more.

16On that day, it will be said to Jerusalem,

‘Do not fear’,

And to Zion,

‘Don't let your hands droop.’

17The Lord your God is in your midst,

A mighty one who will save.

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will be quiet in his love;

He will exult over you with singing.

18I will gather

Those grieved by the cessation of the festival.

They were your inhabitants;

The burden upon her was a reproach.

19I will deal with all your oppressors at that time,

And I will save her who is limping.

I will gather her who has been cast out,

And I will make them a recipient of praise and renown

In all the land where their shame was.

20At that time I will bring you home,

At the time when I gather you,

For I will give you renown and praise

Among all the various peoples of the earth,

When I reverse your captivity in front of your eyes,

Says the Lord.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 3: v.13 ↔ Revelation 14:5.

Haggai  

Haggai Chapter 1 

1In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came through the intermediacy of Haggai the prophet, with a prophecy for Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and for Joshua the son of Jozadak, the high priest, and it said, 2“This is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘This people has said, «The time has not come, the time for the house of the Lord to be built.» ’ ” 3And the word of the Lord came through the intermediacy of Haggai the prophet and said, 4Is it the time for you to dwell in your panelled houses, while this house is lying desolate? 5So now, this is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘Consider your ways.

6You have sown much,

But brought little in;

Eaten,

But not to satisfaction;

Drunk,

But not to the full;

Clothed yourselves,

But not enough to warm yourselves.

And the hired man hires himself out

For wages going into a purse with holes.’

7This is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘Consider your ways. 8Go up to the mountain and bring wood, and build the house, and I will accept it. And I will be honoured by it, says the Lord. 9You turned your attention to much gain, but look, it came to little, and when you brought it home, I blew on it. Why? says the Lord of hosts. Because of my house, in that it is desolate, but you run, each man to his own house. 10That is why heaven is shut on you, so that there is no dew, and the land has held back its produce. 11For I called a drought on the land and on the mountains, and on the corn, and on the new wine, and on the new oil, and on that which the ground produces, and on man and on the cattle, and on all manual toil.’ ” 12Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jozadak, the high priest, and all the remainder of the people, heeded the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, according as the Lord their God sent him, and the people feared the Lord. 13And Haggai the Lord's messenger spoke with the Lord's message to the people and said, “I am with you, says the Lord.” 14And the Lord roused the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remainder of the people, and they came, and they carried out the work in the house of the Lord of hosts their God, 15on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

Haggai Chapter 2 

1In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came through the intermediacy of Haggai the prophet and said, 2“Please speak to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the remainder of the people, and say, 3‘Who is there remaining among you who has seen this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Is it not in your sight nothing compared to what it was? 4So now, be strong, Zerubbabel, says the Lord, and be strong Joshua, son of Jozadak, high priest, and be strong all of you people of the land, says the Lord, and start work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts. 5I uphold the word which I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, and my spirit remains in your midst; do not fear. 6For this is what the Lord of hosts says: «Just once more, and it will be in a little while, and I will shake heaven and the earth, both the sea and the dry land, 7and I will shake all the nations. Then the desire of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8The silver is mine and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. 9The glory of this latter house will be greater than that of the first, says the Lord of hosts, and I will give peace in this place, says the Lord of hosts.» ’ ” 10On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet and said, 11“This is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘Please ask the priests about the law, and say, 12«If a man carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches in his fold bread, or boiled food, or wine or oil or any food, is it still holy?» ’ ” And the priests answered and said, “No.” 13Then Haggai said, “If a man who is unclean touches any of these, does it become unclean?” And the priests answered and said, “It becomes unclean.” 14Then Haggai reacted and said, “So it is with this people, and so it is with this nation, before me, says the Lord, and so is all the work of their hands. And that which they offer there is unclean. 15So now, please consider from this day on, how from before a stone was put on a stone in the Lord's temple, 16that ever since they came into existence, if anyone came to a heap of twenty measures of grain, it turned out to be ten. If he came to the wine vat to draw off fifty measures from the wine press, it turned out to contain twenty. 17I have struck you with blight and mildew and with hail, on all the work of your hands, but you have not come to me, says the Lord. 18Just consider from this day on, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day when the temple of the Lord was founded. Consider it. 19Is there still any seed in the granary? And also the vine and the fig tree and the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. But from this day, I will bless.” 20And the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai, on the twenty-fourth day of the month and said, 21“Speak to Zerubbabel the governor of Judah, and say, ‘I will shake heaven and the earth. 22And I will overturn the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and I will overturn the chariot fleet and its riders, and horses and their riders will fall, each one by his brother's sword. 23On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant, says the Lord, and I will make you like a seal, for I have chosen you, says the Lord of hosts.’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 2: v.6 ↔ Hebrews 12:26, Hebrews 12:27 ● v.7 ↔ Hebrews 10:37.

Zechariah  

Zechariah Chapter 1 

1In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, and said, 2“The Lord is very angry with your fathers, 3so you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of hosts says: «Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. 4Do not be like your fathers to whom the first prophets called and said, ‹This is what the Lord of hosts says: "Return now from your wicked ways and your wicked works" ›, but who did not heed it and who did not hearken to me, says the Lord. 5Where are your fathers? And do the prophets live age-abidingly? 6But regarding my words and my statutes with which I commanded my servants the prophets, have they not overtaken your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‹According to how the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us, according to our ways and our deeds, so he has dealt with us.› » ’ ” 7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, that is the month of Shevat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, as follows: 8I saw a vision at night, and there was a man riding on a red horse, who stood between the myrtles which were in the deep vale, and after him came red horses, bay ones, and white ones. 9And I said, “What are these, my Lord?” And the angel speaking to me said to me, “I will show you what these are.” 10And the man standing between the myrtles answered and said, “These are what the Lord has sent, to walk up and down on the earth.” 11And they answered the angel of the Lord, who was standing between the myrtles, and they said, “We have walked up and down on the earth, and what we saw was that the whole earth was dwelling undisturbed and was quiet.” 12And the angel of the Lord replied and said, “O Lord of hosts, how long will you not have compassion on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, over which you have been indignant for seventy years now?” 13And the Lord answered the angel speaking to me, with good words, comforting words. 14And the angel speaking to me said, “Call out and say, ‘This is what the Lord of hosts says:

«I am jealous for Jerusalem and Zion with a great jealousy.

15And I am angry with a great anger,

With the nations which are at ease,

For I was a little angry,

But they have exacerbated the evil.»

16Therefore this is what the Lord says:

«I will return to Jerusalem with compassion;

My house will be built in it,

Says the Lord of hosts,

And a cord will be stretched out over Jerusalem.» ’

17Call out again and say, ‘This is what the Lord of hosts says:

«My cities will yet overflow with goodness,

And the Lord will yet have mercy on Zion,

And he will yet choose Jerusalem.» ’ ”

18Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and what I saw was four horns. 19And I said to the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the horns which scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.” 20And the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21And I said, “What are these coming to do?” And he spoke and said, “Those are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man could lift his head, but these have come to terrify them, to throw out the horns of the Gentiles who are lifting up a horn against the land of Judah, to scatter it.”

Zechariah Chapter 2 

1And I lifted up my eyes and looked, and what I saw was a man, and in his hand was a measuring cord. 2And I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what its width is and what its length is.” 3Then what I saw was the angel who had been speaking to me, going out, and another angel coming out to meet him. 4And he said to him, “Run, speak to this young man and say, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited as open villages, because of the large number of men and cattle inside it. 5And I will be to it a wall of fire round about, says the Lord, and I will be there for glory in its precincts. 6Hey, hey! Now flee from the northern land, says the Lord, for I am the one who scattered you like the four winds of heaven, says the Lord. 7Hey, Zion, make your escape, you who dwell as a dependency of Babylon. 8For this is what the Lord of hosts says: «He has sent me after glory, to the Gentiles who spoil you, for he who touches you touches the apple of my eye. 9For I am about to wave my hand at them, and they will become a spoil to their servants, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me. 10Shout for joy and rejoice, daughter of Zion, for behold, I am coming, and I will dwell in your midst, says the Lord. 11And many nations will be joined to the Lord on that day, and they will be a people to me, and I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 12And the Lord will inherit Judah, his portion, on holy ground, and he will still choose Jerusalem. 13Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has been roused from his holy dwelling place.» ’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 2: v.1 ↔ Revelation 21:15.

Zechariah Chapter 3 

1And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan was standing on his right hand side to oppose him. 2And the Lord said to Satan, “May the Lord rebuke you, Satan, may the Lord, who chooses Jerusalem, rebuke you. Isn't this man a firebrand rescued from the fire?” 3Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments, and he was standing before the angel. 4And the angel reacted and spoke to those standing before him and said, “Take the filthy clothes off him.” And he said to Joshua, “Look, I have remitted your iniquity, and I have clothed you in costly dress.” 5Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” And they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him in garments, while the angel of the Lord stood by. 6Then the angel of the Lord testified to Joshua and said, 7“This is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘If you walk in my paths, and if you keep my charge, then you too will govern my house, and you will guard my courts, and I will give you right of way between these who are standing by. 8Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your colleagues sitting before you, for they are significant men. For I am about to bring in my servant the Branch. 9For here is the stone which I have put before Joshua. There will be seven eyes on one stone. I am about to incise its engraving, says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in one day. 10On that day, says the Lord of hosts, each of you will call to his neighbour, under the vine and under the fig tree.’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 3: v.9 ↔ Revelation 5:6.

Zechariah Chapter 4 

1And the angel who was speaking to me came back and woke me up, as a man who is woken from his sleep. 2And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I looked, and what I saw was a lampstand, all of gold, with its bowl above it, with its seven lamps on it, and seven pipes for the seven lamps which were above it. 3And there were two olive trees beside it – one to the right of the bowl and one to its left.” 4Then I inquired and spoke to the angel who was speaking to me, and I said, “What are these, my lord?” 5And the angel who was speaking to me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I answered, “No, my lord.” 6And he answered and spoke to me and said, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel. ‘It is not by force and not by strength, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 7Who are you, you great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, you become a plain, and he will bring out the head-stone. There will be shoutings of «Grace, grace» to it.’ ” 8And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 9“The hands of Zerubbabel founded this house, and his hands will complete it, and you will know that the Lord of hosts sent me to you. 10For who despises the day of small matters? For they will rejoice and see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel. These seven are the eyes of the Lord, scrutinizing the whole world.” 11Then I inquired and said to him, “What are these two olive trees to the right of the lampstand, and to its left?” 12And I inquired a second time and said to him, “What are the two branches of the olive trees, which by means of two golden tubes empty the golden bowl above them?” 13Then he spoke to me and said, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my Lord.” 14And he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of all the earth.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 4: v.3 ↔ Revelation 11:4 ● v.10 ↔ Revelation 5:6.

Zechariah Chapter 5 

1Then I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and what I saw was a flying scroll. 2And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width is ten cubits.” 3And he said to me, “This is the curse which is going out over the face of the whole earth. For everyone who steals, as in the prohibition of one side, is being acquitted, and everyone who swears, as in the prohibition of the other side, is being acquitted. 4I will send it out, says the Lord of hosts, and it will go to the house of the thief, and the house of the one who swears by my name falsely, and it will lodge inside his house, and it will consume it, both its timbers and its stones.” 5And the angel who was speaking to me came up and said to me, “Lift up your eyes and see what this is that is setting out.” 6And I said, “What is it?” And he said, “This is the ephah which is setting out.” And he said, “This is their appearance all over the earth.” 7And what I saw was a talent of lead being lifted up. And this is a woman sitting inside the ephah. 8And he said, “This is wickedness.” And he cast her into the ephah, and he cast the block of lead over its opening. 9Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and what I saw was two women coming out, and there was wind in their wings, for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the sky. 10And I said to the angel who was speaking to me, “Where are they taking the ephah to?” 11And he said to me, “To build for her a house in the land of Shinar. It will be established and set down there on its base.”

Zechariah Chapter 6 

1And I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and what I saw was four chariots coming out between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of copper. 2In the first chariot were red horses, and in the second chariot were black horses. 3And in the third chariot were white horses, and in the fourth chariot were vigorous dappled horses. 4Then I inquired and said to the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?” 5And the angel answered and said to me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing by the Lord of all the earth. 6The black horses in it are going out to the land of the north, and the white ones are going out after them, and the dappled ones are going out to the land of Teman. 7Then when the vigorous ones went out, they asked to go and patrol the earth.” And he said, “Go and patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8And he cried out to me and spoke to me and said, “See those which are going out to the land of the north; they have set my spirit down in the land of the north. 9And the word of the Lord came to me and said, 10Take some of the deportees: those of Heldai, those of Tobiah, and those of Jedaiah, and go on that day, and go to the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, with those who came from Babylon. 11And take silver and gold, and make crowns, and put them on the head of Joshua the son of Jozadak, the high priest. 12And speak to him, and say, ‘This is what the Lord of hosts says: «Behold the man – the Branch is his name – and under his protection he will grow up, and he will build the house of the Lord. 13And he will build the temple of the Lord, and he will bear majesty, and he will sit and rule on his throne, and he will be a priest on his throne, and there will be the counsel of peace between the two offices. 14And Helem and Tobiah and Jedaiah will have the crowns, as will Hen the son of Zephaniah, as a memorial in the temple of the Lord. 15And people from far away will come and build in the temple of the Lord, and you will know that the Lord of hosts sent me to you. And it will come to pass if you make a point of heeding the Lord your God.» ’ ”

Zechariah Chapter 7 

1And it came to pass in the fourth year of Darius the king that the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, that is Kislev. 2And Sar-Ezer and Regem-Melech and his men sent envoys to Beth-El to entreat the Lord, 3to say to the priests who were at the house of the Lord of hosts and to the prophets, “Shall I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done for so many years now?” 4And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me and said, 5“Speak to all the people of the land and to the priests, and say, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month for the last seventy years, did you really fast for me? 6And when you ate and when you drank, were you not eating for yourselves and drinking for yourselves? 7Have you not considered the words which the Lord proclaimed through the intermediacy of the former prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, and her cities around her and the south and the plain were also inhabited?’ ” 8And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah and said, 9“This is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘Judge with true justice and show kindness and compassion, each man to his brother. 10Do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the foreigner or the poor, and do not devise wickedness in your hearts, one against his brother.’ ” 11But they refused to listen, and they gave a rebellious shoulder, and they made their ears too dull to hear. 12And they made their hearts as hard as diamond, preventing them from hearing the law and the words which the Lord of hosts sent by his spirit, through the intermediacy of the former prophets, and there came great anger from the Lord of hosts. 13“And it has come to pass, that just as he cried out, and they did not listen, so they will cry out, and I will not listen, says the Lord of hosts. 14So I have driven them like a storm into all nations which they did not know of, and the land has become waste after them, so that there is no-one passing through or returning, and they have made the pleasant land a desolation.”

Zechariah Chapter 8 

1And the word of the Lord of hosts came and said, 2“This is what the Lord of hosts says:

‘I am jealous for Zion with a great jealousy,

And with great fury I am jealous for her.’

3This is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Zion, and I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the Holy Mountain.’ 4This is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘Elderly men and women will yet dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, each with his staff in his hand because of their advanced age. 5And the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.’ 6This is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘If it is marvellous in the sight of the remnant of this people, in those days, will it also be marvellous in my sight? says the Lord of hosts.’ 7This is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘I am about to save my people from the land of the east and from the land of the west. 8And I will bring them, and they will dwell in the precincts of Jerusalem, and they will be a people to me, and I will be God to them, in truth and righteousness.’ 9This is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘May you be of good courage, you who hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day when the house of the Lord of hosts was founded, when the temple was to be built. 10For before those days, a man had no wages, and there were no wages for keeping cattle, and there was no peace for him who went about his business, because of affliction. And I sent every man against his neighbour. 11But now, I will not be as in the former days to the remnant of this people, says the Lord of hosts. 12For it will be a seed enjoying peace. The vine will yield its fruit, and the land will yield its produce, and the heavens will give their dew. And I will give all these things as a possession to the remnant of this people. 13And it will come to pass, that just as you were an object of cursing among the Gentiles, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not fear; be of good courage.’ 14For this is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘Just as I purposed to bring harm to you when your fathers provoked me to anger, says the Lord of hosts, and I did not repent, 15so I have again purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; do not fear. 16These are the things which you are to do: speak the truth, each one with his neighbour, and judge in your courts with truth and sound judgment. 17And don't let any of you plot harm in your hearts against his neighbour, and do not love a false oath, for all these things are what I hate, says the Lord.’ ” 18And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me and said, 19“This is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth will be to the house of Judah for rejoicing, and for gladness, and for good festival times, so love truth and peace.’ 20This is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘It will yet be that various peoples will come, and inhabitants of many cities, 21and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, «Let us without fail go to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord of hosts. I too will go.» 22And many peoples will come, and powerful nations, to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the Lord.’ 23This is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘In those days what will happen is that ten men of all the languages of the Gentiles will take hold, namely they will take hold of the hem of the garment of a Jewish man and say, «Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.» ’ ”

Reference(s) in Chapter 8: v.8 ↔ 2 Corinthians 6:16, Revelation 21:7 ● v.16 ↔ Ephesians 4:25.

Zechariah Chapter 9 

1The burden of the word of the Lord in the land of Hadrach

And Damascus its resting place,

For the Lord has an eye on mankind

And on all the tribes of Israel,

2And Hamath also, which borders on it,

And Tyre, and Sidon,

For it is very wise.

3And Tyre built itself a fortification,

And it heaped up silver like dust,

And fine gold like the mud of the streets.

4The Lord* will take possession of it

And cast its wealth into the sea,

And it will be consumed by fire.

5And Ashkelon will see and be afraid,

And Gaza will tremble greatly,

And Ekron, for its expectation will be put to shame,

And Gaza will lose its kingship,

And Ashkelon will not be inhabited.

6And he who is of mixed race will dwell in Ashdod,

And I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

7And I will remove their blood sacrifices from their mouth,

And their abominations from between their teeth,

And he who remains will also belong to our God

And will be like a chief in Judah,

And Ekron will be as the Jebusite.

8And I will encamp my house at its station,

Preventing anyone from passing through or returning,

And the taskmaster will no longer pass through against them,

For now I have seen with my eyes.

9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion,

Shout out, O daughter of Jerusalem.

Behold, your king is coming to you;

He is righteous and saved.

He is lowly,

And riding on a donkey,

And on a colt

– The foal of an ass.

10And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim,

And the horse from Jerusalem,

And the bow of war will be cut off.

And he will speak peace to the Gentiles,

And his dominion will be from sea to sea,

And from the river to the ends of the earth.

11As for you too,

By the blood of your covenant,

I have released your captives from the pit

Which had no water in it.

12O captives of hope,

Return to the fortress,

For this very day I declare

That I will restore double to you.

13For I have drawn Judah as my bow,

And I have filled it with Ephraim.

And I have awakened your sons, O Zion,

Against your sons, O Greece,

And I have made you like a warrior's sword.

14And the Lord will be seen against them,

And his arrow will go out like lightning,

And my Lord the Lord will sound the ramshorn,

And he will go out in the tempests of the south.

15The Lord of hosts will protect them,

And they will consume and subdue the sling stones,

And they will drink and be boisterous as with wine,

And they will be full, like a sacrificial bowl

And as the corners of the altar.

16And the Lord their God will save them on that day,

As the flock of his people,

For the gemstones of the diadem will be lifted up,

As an ensign over his land.

17For how great is his goodness and his beauty!

Corn will make the youths flourish,

And new wine the virgins.

Reference(s) in Chapter 9: v.9 ↔ Matthew 21:5, John 12:15.

Zechariah Chapter 10 

1Ask for rain from the Lord

In the time of the latter rain.

The Lord makes lightning strikes

And appoints them pouring rain

For vegetables in the field for each person.

2For the household gods speak vanity,

And the diviners see lying visions

And tell false dreams.

They give empty comfort.

That is why they move around like sheep

And are afflicted,

Because there is no shepherd.

3“My anger was kindled against the shepherds,

And I will visit the he-goats,

For the Lord of hosts will visit his flock

– The house of Judah –

And he will make them like his majestic horse in war.

4From him comes the cornerstone,

From him comes the peg,

From him comes the bow of war;

From him every role of taskmaster converges together.

5And they will be as warriors,

Treading down in the mire of the streets in war,

And they will fight,

For the Lord will be with them,

And they will put horseriders to shame.

6And I will make the house of Judah strong,

And I will save the house of Joseph,

And I will give them a dwelling place.

For I will have mercy on them,

And they will be as if I had never thrust them away,

For I am the Lord their God,

And I will answer them.

7And Ephraim will be like a warrior,

And their heart will be glad, as with wine,

And their sons will see and be glad;

Their heart will rejoice in the Lord.

8And I will whistle to them

And gather them,

For I will redeem them,

And they will increase

As they have previously increased.

9And I will sow them among the nations,

And in remote places they will remember me,

And they will live with their sons,

And they will return.

10And I will bring them from the land of Egypt,

And from Assyria I will gather them,

And I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon,

But the necessary room will not be found for them.

11And with adversity he will pass over the sea,

And he will strike the waves on the sea,

And all the deep places of the river will become dry,

And the pride of Assyria will be brought down,

And the sceptre of Egypt will depart.

12And I will make them strong in the Lord,

And they will walk about in his name,

Says the Lord.”

Zechariah Chapter 11 

1Open your doors, O Lebanon,

And let fire devour your cedars.

2Howl, O cypress tree,

For the cedar has fallen,

For the mighty ones have been spoiled.

Howl, O oaks of Bashan,

For the inaccessible forest has come down.

3Hear the voice of howling of the shepherds,

For their magnificence has been spoiled.

Hear the voice of roaring of lions,

For the excellency of the Jordan has been spoiled.

4This is what the Lord my God says: “Tend the flock of slaughter, 5whose owners slaughter them, but they do not bear the guilt. And each of those who sell them says, ‘Blessed is the Lord, for I have gained riches.’ And their shepherds do not have compassion on them. 6For I will no longer have compassion on the inhabitants of the land, says the Lord, and I am about to deliver up each man into the hand of his neighbour, and into the hand of his king. And enemies will strike the land, but I will not save them from their grip. 7And I tended the flock of slaughter, which is why, O oppressed ones of the flock, I took two rods. One I called Beauty, and the other I called Binders, and I tended the flock. 8And I obliterated three shepherds in one month, for I was impatient with them, and also their whole being loathed me. 9And I said, ‘I will not tend you. Let her that is dying, die, and her that is being obliterated, be obliterated. And as for those who remain, let them eat each other's flesh.’ 10And I took my staff, Beauty, and I broke it asunder, to break my covenant which I made with all the nations. 11And it was broken on that day, and the oppressed of the flock who had regard for me knew this, for it was the word of the Lord. 12And I said to them, ‘If it is good in your sight, give me my wages, and if not, then decline. And they weighed out my wages: thirty silver coins.’ ” 13And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter, the grand sum of the valuation at which I was valued by them.” So I took the thirty silver coins, and I threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord. 14Then I broke my second staff, Binders, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. 15And the Lord said to me, “Get yourself a foolish shepherd's implement again. 16For I am about to raise up a shepherd in the land. He will not take care of those who are being obliterated, he will not seek that which has been driven out, he will not heal what is broken, he will not sustain what is still standing, but he will eat the meat of the fatted calves and tear their hooves apart.

17Woe to the vain shepherd,

Who abandons the flock.

Let a sword be against his arm

And against his right eye.

His arm will completely waste away,

And his right eye will become utterly dim.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 11: v.12 ↔ Matthew 27:9 ● v.13 ↔ Matthew 27:9-10.

Zechariah Chapter 12 

1The burden of the word of the Lord concerning Israel, says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens and is the founder of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man inside him. 2“I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of reeling to all the various peoples round about, and it will also be so concerning Judah, in the siege against Jerusalem. 3And it will come to pass on that day that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone to all the various peoples. All who lift it will be utterly cut in pieces, even if all the nations of the earth are gathered against it. 4On that day, says the Lord, I will strike every horse with astonishment, and its rider with madness, and I will open my eyes on the house of Judah, and I will strike every horse of the Gentiles with blindness. 5And the governors of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength, through the Lord of hosts their God.’ 6On that day I will make the governors of Judah like a brazier of fire with wood, and as a torch of fire in a sheaf, and they will consume to the right and to the left all the various peoples round about, and Jerusalem will yet be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem. 7And the Lord will save the tents of Judah first, in order that the splendour of the house of David, and the splendour of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, should not become greater than that of Judah. 8On that day, the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and even he among them who stumbles will be on that day like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord in front of them. 9And it will come to pass on that day that I will strive to destroy all the nations which come against Jerusalem. 10And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplications, and they will look on me whom they pierced, and they will mourn for him as the mourning for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over him, as one weeps bitterly for a firstborn son. 11On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be great, as the mourning of Hadad-Rimmon, in the Valley of Megiddon. 12And the land will mourn, each family apart – the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart, and the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart, 13the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart, the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart, 14and all the families that remain, each family apart, and their wives apart.

Reference(s) in Chapter 12: v.10 ↔ John 19:37, Revelation 1:7 ● v.12 ↔ Matthew 24:30.

Zechariah Chapter 13 

1On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David, and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. 2And it will come to pass on that day, says the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will not be remembered any more. And I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land. 3And it will come to pass, if a man still prophesies, that his father and his mother who gave him birth will say to him, ‘You shall not live, because you have spoken falsely in the name of the Lord.’ And his father and his mother who gave him birth will thrust him through when he prophesies. 4And it will come to pass on that day that the prophets will be put to shame, each one because of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not wear a hairy cloak in order to deceive. 5And he will say, ‘I am not a prophet; I am a tiller of the ground, for a man has employed me for this from my youth.’ 6Now someone will say to him, ‘What are these wounds on your hands?’ And he will say, ‘They are those with which I was struck by the house of my friends.’

7O sword, awake against my shepherd

And against the man who is my colleague,

Says the Lord of hosts.

Strike the shepherd,

And let the sheep be scattered,

And I will turn my hand to those who are little.

8And it will come to pass in the whole land,

Says the Lord,

That two thirds of it will be cut off and die,

And the third part will remain in it.

9And I will bring the third part into the fire,

And I will refine them as a refiner of silver,

And I will assay them as in assaying gold.

They will call on my name,

And I will answer them.

I will say, ‘They are my people’,

And they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’

Reference(s) in Chapter 13: v.1 ↔ John 7:38 ● v.7 ↔ Matthew 26:31, Mark 14:27.

Zechariah Chapter 14 

1Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. 2And I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to war, and the city will be captured, and the houses will be plundered, and the women raped. And half of the city will be deported, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. 3Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as on the day when he fought – on the day of battle. 4And on that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem to the east, and the Mount of Olives will be split in half, eastwards and westwards, and there will be a very big valley, and half of the mountain will move northwards, and half of it southwards. 5And you will flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach Azal, and you will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and the Lord my God will come. All the holy ones will be with you. 6And it will come to pass on that day that there will be no light; the prized lights will wane. 7And it will come to pass on a certain day – it is known to the Lord that there will be no day and no night. Then it will come to pass in the evening that there will be light. 8And it will come to pass on that day that living water will go out from Jerusalem, half of it to the eastern sea and half of it to the western sea. This will be in summer and in winter. 9And the Lord will be king over all the earth; on that day, the Lord will be one, and his name one. 10All the land will be changed to like the arid tract from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem. Then it will be lifted up high, and it will be inhabited in its place, from Benjamin's Gate to the place of the first gate – to the Corner Gate – and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's wine vats. 11And they will dwell in it, and there will be no more destruction, and Jerusalem will be inhabited securely. 12And this will be the way of striking in which the Lord will strike all the various peoples who made war against Jerusalem: he will cause their flesh to melt away while they are standing on their feet, and their eyes will melt in their sockets, and their tongue will melt away in their mouth. 13And it will come to pass on that day that there will be a great commotion among them from the Lord, and each one will seize the hand of his neighbour, and his hand will rise against the hand of his neighbour. 14And Judah will also fight in Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the Gentiles round about will be gathered – gold and silver and clothes, in great abundance. 15And that is the way that the striking of the horse, the mule, the camel and the donkey, and all cattle will be, which will be in those camps: it will be according to that way of striking. 16And it will come to pass that all the remainder of all the Gentiles who came against Jerusalem will go up from year to year, to worship the king, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 17And it will come to pass that concerning any representative from the families of the earth who does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the king, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18And if the family of Egypt does not go up, and it does not come, then there will be no rain on them; that will be the way of striking with which the Lord will strike the Gentiles who do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 19That will be the punishment for the sin of Egypt, and the punishment for the sin of all the Gentiles who do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 20On that day there will be written on the bells of a horse, ‘Holiness to the Lord’. And the pans in the house of the Lord will be as basins before the altar. 21And every pan in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the Lord of hosts, and all those who sacrifice will come and will take some of them, and they will cook in them. And there will not be any Canaanite any longer in the house of the Lord of hosts, on that day.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 14: v.1 ↔ Revelation 1:10 ● v.7 ↔ Revelation 1:10 ● v.8 ↔ John 7:38, Revelation 22:1.

Malachi  

Malachi Chapter 1 

1The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel through the intermediacy of Malachi. 2“I have loved you, says the Lord, but you say, ‘In what way have you loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob's brother? says the Lord, and I loved Jacob, 3but I hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation, and I have given his inheritance to the desert jackals. 4For Edom says, ‘We have been broken in pieces, but we will build up the waste places again.’ This is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘They may build, but I will pull down, and they will call them the Wicked Territory, and the People with whom the Lord has an Age-abiding Indignation. 5And your eyes will see, and you will say, «May the Lord be magnified above the territory of Israel.» 6A son honours his father, and a servant his master, so if I am a father, where is my honour? And if I am a master, where is my fear? The Lord of hosts says to you, «The priests despise my name.» Yet you say, «In what way do we despise your name?» 7You offer polluted bread on the altar, but you say, «In what way do we pollute you?» In that you say, «The table of the Lord is despicable.» 8And when you offer a blind animal to be sacrificed, is it not wrong? And when you offer a lame or sick animal, is it not wrong? Offer it now to your governor and see if he is pleased with you, or if he commends you, says the Lord of hosts.’ ” 9And now, entreat God, I pray you, that he be gracious to us. This has come about because of your deeds. “Will he commend any of you? says the Lord of hosts. 10Who among you would close the doors? And you do not kindle my altar freely. I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hands. 11For my name is great among the Gentiles from the rising of the sun to where it sets, and in every place incense is burnt and offered to my name, and a pure offering, for my name is great among the Gentiles, says the Lord of hosts. 12But you profane it when you say, ‘The table of the Lord* is polluted, and its produce, its fruit, is despicable.’ 13And you said, ‘Look how wearisome it is’, and you disparaged me, says the Lord of hosts, and you brought snatched animals, and lame ones, and sick ones, and you brought them as an offering. Should I be pleased with that from your hand? says the Lord. 14But cursed be he who fraudulently withholds, when there is a male in his flock, and he vows, and he sacrifices a spoiled animal to the Lord*, for I am a great king, says the Lord of hosts, and my name is feared among the Gentiles.

Reference(s) in Chapter 1: v.2 ↔ Romans 9:13 ● v.3 ↔ Romans 9:13.

Malachi Chapter 2 

1And now, this commandment is for you, O priests. 2And if you do not listen, and if you do not lay it to heart, to give honour to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. And indeed, I have already cursed them, for you are not laying this to heart. 3I am about to rebuke your seed, and I will spread dung on your faces – the dung of your feasts – and you will be taken away to it. 4And you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant may be with Levi, says the Lord of hosts. 5My covenant was with him, life and peace, and I gave them to him as a matter of fear, so that he would fear me, and so that he would be put in awe, on account of my name. 6There was a law of truth in his mouth, and injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and equity, and he recovered many from iniquity. 7For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and they should seek the law from his pronouncements, for he is the messenger from the Lord of hosts. 8But you have departed from the way, you have caused many to stumble in the law, and you have perverted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts. 9So I too will make you despised and lowly regarded by all the people, according as you do not guard my ways, and you show partiality in administering the law.” 10Do we not all have one father? Did not one God create us? Why do we deal faithlessly one to his brother, so violating the covenant of our fathers? 11Judah has been treacherous, and an abomination has been perpetrated in Israel and in Jerusalem, for Judah has profaned the Lord's holiness, in that he loved and married the daughter of a strange god. 12May the Lord cut off any man who does this, whether on guard or whether answering a watchword challenge from the tents of Jacob, even if he brings an offering to the Lord of hosts. 13And this second thing you do (while covering the Lord's altar with tears, with weeping and groaning), so that he no longer respects the offering, to receive it with delight from your hands. 14And yet you say, “Why?” Because the Lord testifies the case between you and the wife of your youth, that you dealt treacherously with her, but she was your companion, and your wife by your covenant. 15And did he not make you one? And he has the residue of the spirit. And why one? He is seeking a seed of God, so you must be on guard in your spirit, and do not deal faithlessly with the wife of your youth. 16“For the Lord God of Israel says that he hates divorce, as one covers up violence with one's clothes, says the Lord of hosts, so be on your guard in your spirit, and do not deal faithlessly.” 17You have wearied the Lord with your words, yet you say, “In what way have we wearied him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does wrong is good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them”, or, “Where is the God of judgment?”

Malachi Chapter 3 

1I am about to send my messenger, and he will prepare a way before me. Then the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight. Behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2And

Who can endure the day of his coming?

And who can stand at his appearing?

For he is like a refiner's fire,

And like fullers' lye.

3And he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and he will refine them like gold and silver, and they will become offerers of the meal-offering to the Lord in righteousness. 4And the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord, as in the days of an age past, and as in former years. 5And I will draw near to you for justice, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers, and against those who swear falsely, and against those who defraud the hired labourer of his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who pervert the case of the foreigner, and who do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts. 6For I am the Lord; I do not change, and you sons of Jacob have not perished. 7Since the days of your fathers, you have departed from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘In what way should we return?’ 8Can a man defraud God? For you are defrauding me. But you say, ‘In what way do we defraud you?’ In tithing and in the heave-offering. 9You curse with a curse, and you are defrauding me – all the nation. 10Bring all of the tithe to the treasury, so that there is provision in my house. And test me, please, in this matter, says the Lord of hosts, whether or not I will open for you the windows of heaven and empty out an abundant blessing on you. 11And I will rebuke the consuming locust for you, and it will not ruin your fruit of the ground, and it will not cause the vine in the field to be unfruitful, says the Lord of hosts. 12And all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land, says the Lord of hosts. 13Your words have been obstinate against me, says the Lord, yet you say, ‘In what way have we spoken together against you?’ 14You say, ‘It is vain to serve God, and what profit is there that we keep his charge, and that we walk mournfully before the Lord of hosts? 15And so now we call those who are presumptuous blessed, and also those who claim that those who act wickedly are firmly established, and even those who put God to the test and escape without consequence.’ ” 16Then those who feared the Lord spoke together, one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him, of those who feared the Lord and those who respected his name. 17“And they will be mine, says the Lord of hosts, on the day when I make them a special possession. And I will have compassion on them, as a man has compassion on his son who serves him. 18And you will return, and you will see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, and between him who serves God and him who does not serve him.

Reference(s) in Chapter 3: v.1 ↔ Matthew 11:10, Mark 1:2, Luke 1:17, Luke 7:27 ● v.2 ↔ Revelation 6:17.

Malachi Chapter 4 

1For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the presumptuous, and all those who act wickedly will be like chaff. And that coming day will set them on fire, says the Lord of hosts, who will not leave them root or branch. 2And the sun of righteousness will rise on you who fear my name, and healing will be in its wings, and you will go out and thrive like fatted calves of the stall. 3And you will tread down the wicked, for they will be as ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I do this, says the Lord of hosts. 4Remember the law of Moses my servant, whom I commanded at Horeb, concerning all Israel, with statutes and judicature. 5Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord, 6and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the sons, and the hearts of the sons to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with sacred destruction.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 4: v.5 ↔ Luke 1:17, Revelation 1:10 ● v.6 ↔ Luke 1:17.