Judgment It’s Tricky

1. “Moreover, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, 2. and say, ‘What was your mother? A lioness. She couched among lions, in the middle of the young lions she nourished her cubs. 3. She brought up one of her cubs. He became a young lion. He learned to catch the prey. He devoured men. 4. The nations also heard of him. He was taken in their pit; and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt. 5. “ ‘Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her cubs, and made him a young lion. 6. He went up and down among the lions. He became a young lion. He learned to catch the prey. He devoured men. 7. He knew their palaces, and laid waste their cities. The land was desolate, with its fullness, because of the noise of his roaring. 8. Then the nations attacked him on every side from the provinces. They spread their net over him. He was taken in their pit. 9. They put him in a cage with hooks, and brought him to the king of Babylon. They brought him into strongholds, so that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel. 10. “ ‘Your mother was like a vine in your blood, planted by the waters. It was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. 11. It had strong branches for the scepters of those who ruled. Their stature was exalted among the thick boughs. They were seen in their height with the multitude of their branches. 12. But it was plucked up in fury. It was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branches were broken off and withered. The fire consumed them. 13. Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. 14. Fire has gone out of its branches. It has devoured its fruit, so that there is in it no strong branch to be a scepter to rule.’ This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.”

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1. In the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Yahweh, and sat before me. 2. Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 3. “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Is it to inquire of me that you have come? As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “I will not be inquired of by you.” ’ 4. “Will you judge them, son of man? Will you judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers. 5. Tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “In the day when I chose Israel, and swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, ‘I am Yahweh your God;’ 6. in that day I swore to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands. 7. I said to them, ‘Each of you throw away the abominations of his eyes. Don’t defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.’ 8. “ ‘ “But they rebelled against me, and would not listen to me. They didn’t all throw away the abominations of their eyes. They also didn’t forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the middle of the land of Egypt. 9. But I worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, among which they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them, in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 10. So I caused them to go out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. 11. I gave them my statutes, and showed them my ordinances, which if a man does, he will live in them. 12. Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies them. 13. “ ‘ “But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They didn’t walk in my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances, which if a man keeps, he shall live in them. They greatly profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness, to consume them. 14. But I worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out. 15. Moreover also I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands; 16. because they rejected my ordinances, and didn’t walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. 17. Nevertheless my eye spared them, and I didn’t destroy them. I didn’t make a full end of them in the wilderness. 18. I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Don’t walk in the statutes of your fathers. Don’t observe their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. 19. I am Yahweh your God. Walk in my statutes, keep my ordinances, and do them. 20. Make my Sabbaths holy. They shall be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am Yahweh your God.’ 21. “ ‘ “But the children rebelled against me. They didn’t walk in my statutes, and didn’t keep my ordinances to do them, which if a man does, he shall live in them. They profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. 22. Nevertheless I withdrew my hand, and worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out. 23. Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries; 24. because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes, and had profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols. 25. Moreover also I gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances in which they should not live. 26. I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused all that opens the womb to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am Yahweh.” ’ 27. “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Moreover, in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me. 28. For when I had brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill, and every thick tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There they also made their pleasant aroma, and there they poured out their drink offerings. 29. Then I said to them, ‘What does the high place where you go mean?’ So its name is called Bamah to this day.” ’ 30. “Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Do you pollute yourselves in the way of your fathers? Do you play the prostitute after their abominations? 31. When you offer your gifts, when you make your sons pass through the fire, do you pollute yourselves with all your idols to this day? Should I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I will not be inquired of by you! 32. “ ‘ “That which comes into your mind will not be at all, in that you say, ‘We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.’ 33. As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, I will be king over you. 34. I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries in which you are scattered with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. 35. I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36. Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,” says the Lord Yahweh. 37. “I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38. I will purge out from among you the rebels and those who disobey me. I will bring them out of the land where they live, but they shall not enter into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.” 39. “ ‘As for you, house of Israel, the Lord Yahweh says: “Go, everyone serve his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me; but you shall no more profane my holy name with your gifts and with your idols. 40. For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel,” says the Lord Yahweh, “there all the house of Israel, all of them, shall serve me in the land. There I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the first fruits of your offerings, with all your holy things. 41. I will accept you as a pleasant aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries in which you have been scattered. I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations. 42. You will know that I am Yahweh when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country which I swore to give to your fathers. 43. There you will remember your ways, and all your deeds in which you have polluted yourselves. Then you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that you have committed. 44. You will know that I am Yahweh, when I have dealt with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, you house of Israel,” says the Lord Yahweh.’ ” 45. Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 46. “Son of man, set your face toward the south, and preach toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the South. 47. Tell the forest of the South, ‘Hear Yahweh’s word: The Lord Yahweh says, “Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it will devour every green tree in you, and every dry tree. The burning flame will not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north will be burned by it. 48. All flesh will see that I, Yahweh, have kindled it. It will not be quenched.” ’ ” 49. Then I said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! They say of me, ‘Isn’t he a speaker of parables?’ ”

1. The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from the sky which had fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of the abyss was given to him. 2. He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit. 3. Then out of the smoke came locusts on the earth, and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4. They were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those people who don’t have God’s seal on their foreheads. 5. They were given power, not to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a person. 6. In those days people will seek death, and will in no way find it. They will desire to die, and death will flee from them. 7. The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for war. On their heads were something like golden crowns, and their faces were like people’s faces. 8. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like those of lions. 9. They had breastplates, like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, or of many horses rushing to war. 10. They have tails like those of scorpions, and stings. In their tails they have power to harm men for five months. 11. They have over them as king the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is “Abaddon”, but in Greek, he has the name “Apollyon”. 12. The first woe is past. Behold, there are still two woes coming after this. 13. The sixth angel sounded. I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14. saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!” 15. The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day and month and year, so that they might kill one third of mankind. 16. The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million. I heard the number of them. 17. Thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the horses’ heads resembled lions’ heads. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur. 18. By these three plagues were one third of mankind killed: by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur, which proceeded out of their mouths. 19. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents, and have heads, and with them they harm. 20. The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn’t repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn’t worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can’t see, hear, or walk. 21. They didn’t repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.

31. “For has any said to God, ‘I am guilty, but I will not offend any more. 32. Teach me that which I don’t see. If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’? 33. Shall his recompense be as you desire, that you refuse it? For you must choose, and not I. Therefore speak what you know. 34. Men of understanding will tell me, yes, every wise man who hears me: 35. ‘Job speaks without knowledge. His words are without wisdom.’ 36. I wish that Job were tried to the end, because of his answering like wicked men. 37. For he adds rebellion to his sin. He claps his hands among us, and multiplies his words against God.”