2
"Mortal man," he said, "you are living among rebellious people. They have eyes, but they see nothing; they have ears, but they hear nothing, because they are rebellious.
3
"Now, mortal man, pack a bundle just as a refugee would and start out before nightfall. Let everyone see you leaving and going to another place. Maybe those rebels will notice you.
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While it is still daylight, pack your bundle for exile, so that they can see you, and then let them watch you leave in the evening as if you were going into exile.
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While they are watching, break a hole through the wall of your house and take your pack out through it.
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Let them watch you putting your pack on your shoulder and going out into the dark with your eyes covered, so that you can't see where you are going. What you do will be a warning to the Israelites."
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I did what the LORD told me to do. That day I packed a bundle as a refugee would, and that evening as it was getting dark I dug a hole in the wall with my hands and went out. While everyone watched, I put the pack on my shoulder and left.
8
The next morning the LORD spoke to me.
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"Mortal man," he said, "now that those Israelite rebels are asking you what you're doing,
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tell them what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying to them. This message is for the prince ruling in Jerusalem and for all the people who live there.
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Tell them that what you have done is a sign of what will happen to them---they will be refugees and captives.
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The prince who is ruling them will shoulder his pack in the dark and escape through a hole that they dig for him in the wall. He will cover his eyes and not see where he is going.
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But I will spread out my net and trap him in it. Then I will take him to the city of Babylon, where he will die without having seen it.
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I will scatter in every direction all the members of his court and his advisers and bodyguards, and people will search for them to kill them.
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"When I scatter them among the other nations and in foreign countries, they will know that I am the LORD.
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I will let a few of them survive the war, the famine, and the diseases, so that there among the nations they will realize how disgusting their actions have been and will acknowledge that I am the LORD."
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"Mortal man," he said, "tremble when you eat, and shake with fear when you drink.
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Tell the whole nation that this is the message of the Sovereign LORD to the people of Jerusalem who are still living in their land: They will tremble when they eat and shake with fear when they drink. Their land will be stripped bare, because everyone who lives there is lawless.
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Cities that are now full of people will be destroyed, and the country will be made a wilderness. Then they will know that I am the LORD."
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"Mortal man," he said, "why do the people of Israel repeat this proverb: 'Time goes by, and predictions come to nothing'?
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Now tell them what I, the Sovereign LORD, have to say about that. I will put an end to that proverb. It won't be repeated in Israel any more. Tell them instead: The time has come, and the predictions are coming true!
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"Among the people of Israel there will be no more false visions or misleading prophecies.
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I, the LORD, will speak to them, and what I say will be done. There will be no more delay. In your own lifetime, you rebels, I will do what I have warned you I would do. I have spoken," says the Sovereign LORD.
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"Mortal man, the Israelites think that your visions and prophecies are about the distant future.
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So tell them that I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying: There will be no more delay. What I have said will be done. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!"
2
"Mortal man," he said, "denounce the prophets of Israel who make up their own prophecies. Tell them to listen to the word of the LORD."
3
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "These foolish prophets are doomed! They provide their own inspiration and invent their own visions.
4
People of Israel, your prophets are as useless as foxes living among the ruins of a city.
5
They don't guard the places where the walls have crumbled, nor do they rebuild the walls, and so Israel cannot be defended when war comes on the day of the LORD.
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Their visions are false, and their predictions are lies. They claim that they are speaking my message, but I have not sent them. Yet they expect their words to come true!
7
I tell them: Those visions you see are false, and the predictions you make are lies. You say that they are my words, but I haven't spoken to you!"
8
So the Sovereign LORD says to them, "Your words are false, and your visions are lies. I am against you.
9
I am about to punish you prophets who have false visions and make misleading predictions. You will not be there when my people gather to make decisions; your names will not be included in the list of the citizens of Israel; you will never return to your land. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.
10
"The prophets mislead my people by saying that all is well. All is certainly not well! My people have put up a wall of loose stones, and then the prophets have come and covered it with whitewash.
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Tell the prophets that their wall is going to fall down. I will send a pouring rain. Hailstones will fall on it, and a strong wind will blow against it.
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The wall will collapse, and everyone will ask you what good the whitewash did."
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Now this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "In my anger I will send a strong wind, pouring rain, and hailstones to destroy the wall.
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I intend to break down the wall they whitewashed, to shatter it, and to leave the foundation stones bare. It will collapse and kill you all. Then everyone will know that I am the LORD.
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"The wall and those who covered it with whitewash will feel the force of my anger. Then I will tell you that the wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it---
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those prophets who assured Jerusalem that all was well, when all was not well!" The Sovereign LORD has spoken.
17
The LORD said, "Now, mortal man, look at the women among your people who make up predictions. Denounce them
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and tell them what the Sovereign LORD is saying to them: "You women are doomed! You sew magic wristbands for everyone and make magic scarves for everyone to wear on their heads, so that they can have power over other people's lives. You want to possess the power of life and death over my people and to use it for your own benefit.
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You dishonor me in front of my people in order to get a few handfuls of barley and a few pieces of bread. You kill people who don't deserve to die, and you keep people alive who don't deserve to live. So you tell lies to my people, and they believe you."
20
Now this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "I hate the wristbands that you use in your attempt to control life and death. I will rip them off your arms and set free the people that you were controlling.
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I will rip off your scarves and let my people escape from your power once and for all. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
22
"By your lies you discourage good people, whom I do not wish to hurt. You prevent evil people from giving up evil and saving their lives.
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So now your false visions and misleading predictions are over. I am rescuing my people from your power, so that you will know that I am the LORD."
1
Some of the leaders of the Israelites came to consult me about the LORD's will.
2
Then the LORD spoke to me.
3
"Mortal man," he said, "these men have given their hearts to idols and are letting idols lead them into sin. Do they think I will give them an answer?
4
"Now speak to them and tell them what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying to them: Each of you Israelites who have given your heart to idols and let them lead you into sin and who then come to consult a prophet, will get an answer from me---the answer that your many idols deserve!
5
All those idols have turned the Israelites away from me, but by my answer I hope to win back their loyalty.
6
"Now then, tell the Israelites what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying: Turn back and leave your disgusting idols.
7
"Whenever one of you Israelites or one of you foreigners who live in the Israelite community turn away from me and worship idols, and then go to consult a prophet, I, the LORD, will give you your answer!
8
I will oppose you. I will make an example of you. I will remove you from the community of my people, so that all of you will know that I am the LORD.
9
"If any prophets are deceived into giving a false answer, it is because I, the LORD, have deceived them. I will remove them from the people of Israel.
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Both prophets and anyone who consults them will get the same punishment.
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I will do this to keep the Israelites from deserting me and defiling themselves by their sins. They are to be my people, and I will be their God." The Sovereign LORD has spoken.
13
"Mortal man," he said, "if a country sins and is unfaithful to me, I will reach out and destroy its supply of food. I will send a famine and kill people and animals alike.
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Even if those three men, Noah, Danel, and Job, were living there, their goodness would save only their own lives." The Sovereign LORD has spoken.
15
"Or I might send wild animals to kill the people, making the land so dangerous that no one could travel through it,
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and even if those three men lived there---as surely as I, the Sovereign LORD, am the living God---they would not be able to save even their own children. They would save only their own lives, and the land would become a wilderness.
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"Or I might bring war on that country and send destructive weapons to wipe out people and animals alike,
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and even if those three men lived there---as surely as I, the Sovereign LORD, am the living God---they would not be able to save even their children, but only their own lives.
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"If I send an epidemic on that country and in my anger take many lives, killing people and animals,
20
even if Noah, Danel, and Job lived there---as surely as I, the Sovereign LORD, am the living God---they would not be able to save even their own children. Their goodness would save only their own lives."
21
This is what the Sovereign LORD is saying: "I will send my four worst punishments on Jerusalem---war, famine, wild animals, and disease---to destroy people and animals alike.
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If some survive and save their children, look at them when they come to you. See how evil they are, and be convinced that the punishment I am bringing on Jerusalem is justified;
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then you will know that there was good reason for everything I did." The Sovereign LORD has spoken.
1
I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who sits on the throne; it was covered with writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals.
2
And I saw a mighty angel, who announced in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?"
3
But there was no one in heaven or on earth or in the world below who could open the scroll and look inside it.
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I cried bitterly because no one could be found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside it.
5
Then one of the elders said to me, "Don't cry. Look! The Lion from Judah's tribe, the great descendant of David, has won the victory, and he can break the seven seals and open the scroll."
6
Then I saw a Lamb standing in the center of the throne, surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb appeared to have been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that have been sent through the whole earth.
7
The Lamb went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who sits on the throne.
8
As he did so, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people.
9
They sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to break open its seals. For you were killed, and by your sacrificial death you bought for God people from every tribe, language, nation, and race.
10
You have made them a kingdom of priests to serve our God, and they shall rule on earth."
11
Again I looked, and I heard angels, thousands and millions of them! They stood around the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders,
12
and sang in a loud voice: "The Lamb who was killed is worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, and strength, honor, glory, and praise!"
13
And I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, in the world below, and in the sea---all living beings in the universe---and they were singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honor, glory and might, forever and ever!"
14
The four living creatures answered, "Amen!" And the elders fell down and worshiped.
