WEBVTT 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.740 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:09.060 in a year. Today's reading is from the book of 00:00:09.060 --> 00:00:14.480 Ezekiel, chapters 13 through 18. Chapter 13 And 00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:16.940 the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son 00:00:16.940 --> 00:00:19.719 of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel 00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:22.420 who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out 00:00:22.420 --> 00:00:24.500 of their own heart, Hear the word of the Lord. 00:00:24.820 --> 00:00:27.929 Thus says the Lord God, Woe to the foolish prophets 00:00:27.929 --> 00:00:30.789 who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing. 00:00:31.070 --> 00:00:33.950 O Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the 00:00:33.950 --> 00:00:37.049 desert. You have not gone up into the gaps to 00:00:37.049 --> 00:00:39.289 build the wall for the house of Israel to stand 00:00:39.289 --> 00:00:42.189 in battle on the day of the Lord. They have envisioned 00:00:42.189 --> 00:00:45.869 futility and false divination, saying, Thus says 00:00:45.869 --> 00:00:48.729 the Lord, but the Lord has not sent them. Yet 00:00:48.729 --> 00:00:51.810 they hope that the word may be confirmed. Have 00:00:51.810 --> 00:00:54.710 you not seen a futile vision, and have you not 00:00:54.710 --> 00:00:57.869 spoken? False divination? You say the Lord says, 00:00:58.149 --> 00:01:01.810 but I have not spoken. Therefore, thus says the 00:01:01.810 --> 00:01:04.390 Lord God, because you have spoken nonsense and 00:01:04.390 --> 00:01:07.250 envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against 00:01:07.250 --> 00:01:10.189 you, says the Lord God. My hand will be against 00:01:10.189 --> 00:01:13.069 the prophets who envision futility and who divine 00:01:13.069 --> 00:01:16.329 lies. They shall not be in assembly of my people, 00:01:16.450 --> 00:01:18.969 nor be written in the record of the house of 00:01:18.969 --> 00:01:21.989 Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of 00:01:21.989 --> 00:01:24.620 Israel. then you shall know that I am the Lord 00:01:24.620 --> 00:01:28.239 God. Because, indeed, because they have seduced 00:01:28.239 --> 00:01:31.079 my people, saying, Peace, when there is no peace, 00:01:31.260 --> 00:01:34.120 and one builds a wall, and they plaster it with 00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:36.959 the untempered mortar, say to those who plaster 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:39.799 it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:43.000 There will be flooding, rain, and new or great 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:46.299 hailstones shall fall, and a stormy wind shall 00:01:46.299 --> 00:01:49.120 tear it down. Surely when the wall has fallen, 00:01:49.239 --> 00:01:51.859 will it not be said to you, Where is the mortar 00:01:51.859 --> 00:01:54.900 with which you plastered it? Therefore, thus 00:01:54.900 --> 00:01:57.400 says the Lord God, I will cause a stormy wind 00:01:57.400 --> 00:02:00.560 to break forth in my fury, and there shall be 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:03.540 a flooding rain in my anger, and great hailstones 00:02:03.540 --> 00:02:06.739 in fury to consume it. So I will break down the 00:02:06.739 --> 00:02:09.080 wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, 00:02:09.300 --> 00:02:11.699 and bring it down to the ground, so that its 00:02:11.699 --> 00:02:14.759 foundation will be uncovered. It will fall, and 00:02:14.759 --> 00:02:17.379 you shall be consumed in the midst of it. Then 00:02:17.379 --> 00:02:20.340 you shall know that I am the Lord. Thus will 00:02:20.340 --> 00:02:23.300 I accomplish my wrath on the wall and on those 00:02:23.300 --> 00:02:25.560 who have plastered it with untempered mortar. 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:28.819 And I will say to you, the wall is no more, nor 00:02:28.819 --> 00:02:31.419 those who plastered it. That is, the prophets 00:02:31.419 --> 00:02:34.180 of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem and 00:02:34.180 --> 00:02:36.599 who see visions of peace for her when there is 00:02:36.599 --> 00:02:39.900 no peace, says the Lord God. Likewise, son of 00:02:39.900 --> 00:02:42.599 man, set your face against the daughters of your 00:02:42.599 --> 00:02:45.689 people who prophesy out of their own heart. Prophesy 00:02:45.689 --> 00:02:48.449 against them and say, Thus says the Lord God, 00:02:48.789 --> 00:02:51.409 Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their 00:02:51.409 --> 00:02:53.889 sleeves and make veils for the heads of people 00:02:53.889 --> 00:02:57.449 of every height to hunt souls. Will you hunt 00:02:57.449 --> 00:02:59.969 the souls of my people and keep yourselves alive? 00:03:00.330 --> 00:03:04.210 And will you profane me among my people for handfuls 00:03:04.210 --> 00:03:07.030 of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people 00:03:07.030 --> 00:03:10.270 who should not die and keeping people alive who 00:03:10.270 --> 00:03:13.569 should not live? By your lying to my people who 00:03:13.569 --> 00:03:16.930 listen to lies? Therefore, thus says the Lord 00:03:16.930 --> 00:03:19.949 God, Behold, I am against your magic charms, 00:03:20.090 --> 00:03:23.330 by which you hunt souls there like birds. I will 00:03:23.330 --> 00:03:25.789 tear them from your arms and let the souls go, 00:03:26.009 --> 00:03:29.490 the souls you hunt like birds. I will also tear 00:03:29.490 --> 00:03:31.750 off your veils and deliver my people out of your 00:03:31.750 --> 00:03:34.610 hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in 00:03:34.610 --> 00:04:05.159 your hand. Chapter 14 Now some of the elders 00:04:05.159 --> 00:04:07.680 of Israel came to me and sat before me, and the 00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:10.280 word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:13.539 these men have set up their idols in their hearts 00:04:13.539 --> 00:04:15.960 and put before them that which causes them to 00:04:15.960 --> 00:04:18.560 stumble into iniquity. Should I let myself be 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:21.899 inquired of at all by them? Therefore speak to 00:04:21.899 --> 00:04:24.089 them and say to them, thus says the lord god 00:04:24.089 --> 00:04:27.189 everyone of the house of israel who sets up his 00:04:27.189 --> 00:04:30.670 idols in his heart and puts before him what causes 00:04:30.670 --> 00:04:33.149 him to stumble into iniquity and then comes to 00:04:33.149 --> 00:04:36.189 the prophet i the lord will swear him who comes 00:04:36.189 --> 00:04:39.029 according to the multitude of his idols that 00:04:39.029 --> 00:04:41.389 i may seize the house of israel by their heart 00:04:41.389 --> 00:04:44.769 because they are all estranged from me by their 00:04:44.769 --> 00:04:47.850 idols therefore say to the house of israel Thus 00:04:47.850 --> 00:04:50.490 says the Lord God, Repent, turn away from your 00:04:50.490 --> 00:04:53.089 idols, and turn your faces away from all your 00:04:53.089 --> 00:04:55.769 abominations. For anyone of the house of Israel, 00:04:55.910 --> 00:04:58.579 or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who 00:04:58.579 --> 00:05:01.639 separates himself from me and sets up his idols 00:05:01.639 --> 00:05:04.500 in his heart and puts before him what causes 00:05:04.500 --> 00:05:06.959 him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a 00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:09.660 prophet to inquire of him concerning me, I the 00:05:09.660 --> 00:05:12.720 Lord will answer him by myself. I will set my 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:15.300 face against that man and make him a sign and 00:05:15.300 --> 00:05:17.899 a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst 00:05:17.899 --> 00:05:20.740 of my people. Then you shall know that I am the 00:05:20.740 --> 00:05:23.490 Lord. And if the prophet is induced to speak 00:05:23.490 --> 00:05:26.410 anything, I the Lord have induced that prophet, 00:05:26.649 --> 00:05:29.110 and I will stretch out my hand against him and 00:05:29.110 --> 00:05:31.970 destroy him from among my people Israel. And 00:05:31.970 --> 00:05:33.990 they shall bear their iniquity. The punishment 00:05:33.990 --> 00:05:36.290 of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment 00:05:36.290 --> 00:05:39.290 of the one who inquired, that the house of Israel 00:05:39.290 --> 00:05:42.430 may no longer stray from me, nor be profaned 00:05:42.430 --> 00:05:44.850 any more with all their transgressions, but that 00:05:44.850 --> 00:05:47.949 they may be my people and I may be their God, 00:05:48.149 --> 00:05:51.279 says the Lord God. The word of the Lord came 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:54.339 again to me, saying, Son of man, when a land 00:05:54.339 --> 00:05:57.199 sins against me by persistent unfaithfulness, 00:05:57.459 --> 00:06:00.720 I will stretch out my hand against it, I will 00:06:00.720 --> 00:06:03.740 cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, 00:06:03.779 --> 00:06:07.420 and cut off man and beast from it. Even if these 00:06:07.420 --> 00:06:11.000 three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:14.319 they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness, 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:18.120 says the Lord God. If I cause wild beasts to 00:06:18.120 --> 00:06:20.259 pass through the land, and they empty it, and 00:06:20.259 --> 00:06:22.639 make it so desolate that no man may pass through 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:25.720 because of the beasts, even though these three 00:06:25.720 --> 00:06:28.420 men were in it as I live, says the Lord God, 00:06:28.680 --> 00:06:31.300 they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, 00:06:31.480 --> 00:06:33.879 only they would be delivered, and the land would 00:06:33.879 --> 00:06:36.980 be desolate. Or if I bring a sword on that land 00:06:36.980 --> 00:06:39.899 and say, Sword, go through the land, and I cut 00:06:39.899 --> 00:06:42.439 off man and beast from it, even though these 00:06:42.439 --> 00:06:45.439 three men were in it as i live says the lord 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:48.339 god they would deliver neither sons nor daughters 00:06:48.339 --> 00:06:51.779 but only they themselves would be delivered or 00:06:51.779 --> 00:06:54.379 if i send a pestilence into that land and pour 00:06:54.379 --> 00:06:57.300 out my fury on it in blood and cut off from it 00:06:57.300 --> 00:07:00.540 man and beast even though noah daniel and job 00:07:00.540 --> 00:07:03.660 were in it as i live says the lord god they would 00:07:03.660 --> 00:07:06.550 deliver neither son nor daughter they would deliver 00:07:06.550 --> 00:07:09.870 only themselves by their righteousness. For thus 00:07:09.870 --> 00:07:12.490 says the Lord God, How much more it shall be 00:07:12.490 --> 00:07:15.910 when I send my four severe judgments on Jerusalem, 00:07:16.189 --> 00:07:19.990 the sword and famine and wild beasts and pestilence, 00:07:20.089 --> 00:07:23.639 to cut off man and beast from it. yet behold 00:07:23.639 --> 00:07:26.759 there shall be left in it a remnant who will 00:07:26.759 --> 00:07:30.220 be brought out both sons and daughters surely 00:07:30.220 --> 00:07:32.560 they will come out to you and you will see their 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:35.500 ways and their doings then you will be comforted 00:07:35.500 --> 00:07:38.079 concerning the disaster that i have brought upon 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:41.439 jerusalem all that i have brought upon it and 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:43.740 they will comfort you when you see their ways 00:07:43.740 --> 00:07:46.480 and their doings and you shall know that i have 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:49.639 done nothing without cause that i have done in 00:07:49.639 --> 00:07:55.259 it says the lord god Chapter 15 Then the word 00:07:55.259 --> 00:07:57.939 of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, how 00:07:57.939 --> 00:08:00.420 is the wood of the vine better than any other 00:08:00.420 --> 00:08:03.360 wood, the vine branch which is among the trees 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:06.639 of the forest? Is wood taken from it to make 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:10.300 any object? Or can men make a peg from it to 00:08:10.300 --> 00:08:13.920 hang any vessel on? Instead, it is thrown into 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:16.920 the fire for fuel. The fire devours both ends 00:08:16.920 --> 00:08:20.339 of it, and its middle is burned. Is it useful 00:08:20.339 --> 00:08:24.110 for any work? Indeed, when it was whole, no object 00:08:24.110 --> 00:08:26.689 could be made from it. How much less will it 00:08:26.689 --> 00:08:29.529 be useful for any work when the fire has devoured 00:08:29.529 --> 00:08:32.450 it and it is burned? Therefore thus says the 00:08:32.450 --> 00:08:34.970 Lord God, Like the wood of the vine among the 00:08:34.970 --> 00:08:37.450 trees of the forest, which I have given to the 00:08:37.450 --> 00:08:40.470 fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants 00:08:40.470 --> 00:08:43.029 of Jerusalem, and I will set my face against 00:08:43.029 --> 00:08:46.149 them. They will go out from one fire, but another 00:08:46.149 --> 00:08:49.409 fire shall devour them. Then you shall know that 00:08:49.409 --> 00:08:52.330 I am the Lord when I set my face against them. 00:08:52.490 --> 00:08:55.470 Thus I will make the land desolate, because they 00:08:55.470 --> 00:08:58.049 have persisted in unfaithfulness, says the Lord 00:08:58.049 --> 00:09:03.870 God. Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 00:09:04.169 --> 00:09:07.470 Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, 00:09:07.509 --> 00:09:09.929 and say, Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem, 00:09:10.269 --> 00:09:13.029 Your birth and your nativity are from the land 00:09:13.029 --> 00:09:15.600 of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite, and your 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:18.639 mother a Hittite. As for your nativity, on the 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:21.600 day you were born, your navel cord was not cut, 00:09:21.779 --> 00:09:24.340 nor were you washed in water to cleanse you. 00:09:24.379 --> 00:09:26.899 You were not rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in 00:09:26.899 --> 00:09:30.059 swaddling cloth. No eye pitied you to do any 00:09:30.059 --> 00:09:32.580 of these things for you, to have compassion on 00:09:32.580 --> 00:09:35.220 you, but you were thrown out into the open field, 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:38.480 when you yourself were loathed on the day you 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:41.259 were born. And when I passed by you and saw you 00:09:41.259 --> 00:09:43.679 struggling in your own blood, I said to you, 00:09:43.720 --> 00:09:47.279 in your blood, live. Yes, I said to you, in your 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:50.460 blood, live. I made you thrive like a plant in 00:09:50.460 --> 00:09:53.220 the field, and you grew, matured, and became 00:09:53.220 --> 00:09:56.039 very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your 00:09:56.039 --> 00:09:59.240 hair grew, but you were naked and bare. When 00:09:59.240 --> 00:10:01.700 I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed, 00:10:01.980 --> 00:10:04.879 your time was the time of love. So I spread my 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:07.610 wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, 00:10:07.610 --> 00:10:10.370 I swore an oath to you, and I entered into a 00:10:10.370 --> 00:10:13.149 covenant with you, and you became mine, says 00:10:13.149 --> 00:10:16.470 the Lord God. Then I washed you in water. Yes, 00:10:16.570 --> 00:10:19.730 I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed 00:10:19.730 --> 00:10:22.990 you with oil. I clothed you in embroidered clothes, 00:10:23.190 --> 00:10:26.330 and gave you sandals of badger skin. I clothed 00:10:26.330 --> 00:10:28.250 you with fine linen, and covered you with silk. 00:10:28.679 --> 00:10:31.559 I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on 00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:34.419 your wrists and a chain on your neck, and I put 00:10:34.419 --> 00:10:37.120 a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, 00:10:37.220 --> 00:10:40.240 and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you 00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:43.080 were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing 00:10:43.080 --> 00:10:46.460 was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:49.840 You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. 00:10:49.960 --> 00:10:52.460 You were exceedingly beautiful and succeeded 00:10:52.460 --> 00:10:55.710 to royalty. Your fame went out among the nations 00:10:55.710 --> 00:10:58.629 because of your beauty, for it was perfect through 00:10:58.629 --> 00:11:01.470 my splendor which I had bestowed on you, says 00:11:01.470 --> 00:11:04.509 the Lord God. But you trusted in your own beauty, 00:11:04.690 --> 00:11:07.070 played the harlot because of your fame, and poured 00:11:07.070 --> 00:11:10.169 out your harlotry on everyone passing by who 00:11:10.169 --> 00:11:12.509 would have it. You took some of your garments 00:11:12.509 --> 00:11:15.870 and adorned multicolored high places for yourself 00:11:15.870 --> 00:11:19.309 and played the harlot on them. Such things should 00:11:19.309 --> 00:11:22.710 not happen nor be. You have also taken your beautiful 00:11:22.710 --> 00:11:25.889 jewelry from my gold and my silver, which I had 00:11:25.889 --> 00:11:28.330 given you, and made for yourself male images 00:11:28.330 --> 00:11:30.710 and played the harlot with them. You took your 00:11:30.710 --> 00:11:33.149 embroidered garments and covered them, and you 00:11:33.149 --> 00:11:36.690 set my oil and my incense before them. Also my 00:11:36.690 --> 00:11:39.350 food, which I gave you, the pastry of fine flour, 00:11:39.570 --> 00:11:42.429 oil, and honey, which I fed you, you set it before 00:11:42.429 --> 00:11:45.470 them as sweet incense, and so it was, says the 00:11:45.470 --> 00:11:48.450 Lord God. Moreover, you took your sons and your 00:11:48.450 --> 00:11:51.049 daughters, whom you bore to me, and these you 00:11:51.049 --> 00:11:53.830 sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your 00:11:53.830 --> 00:11:56.769 acts of harlotry a small matter, that you have 00:11:56.769 --> 00:11:59.389 slain my children and offered them up to them 00:11:59.389 --> 00:12:02.409 by causing them to pass through the fire? And 00:12:02.409 --> 00:12:05.009 in all your abominations and acts of harlotry, 00:12:05.090 --> 00:12:07.169 you did not remember the days of your youth, 00:12:07.309 --> 00:12:10.149 when you were naked and bare, struggling in your 00:12:10.149 --> 00:12:13.350 blood. Then it was so, after all your wickedness. 00:12:13.629 --> 00:12:16.919 Woe, woe to you, says the Lord God. that you 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:19.620 also built for yourself a shrine and made a high 00:12:19.620 --> 00:12:22.759 place for yourself in every street. You built 00:12:22.759 --> 00:12:25.240 your high places at the head of every road and 00:12:25.240 --> 00:12:28.000 made your beauty to be abhorred. You offered 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:30.539 yourself to everyone who passed by and multiplied 00:12:30.539 --> 00:12:33.940 your acts of harlotry. You also committed harlotry 00:12:33.940 --> 00:12:36.620 with the Egyptians, your very fleshly neighbors, 00:12:36.899 --> 00:12:39.960 and increased your acts of harlotry to provoke 00:12:39.960 --> 00:12:43.419 me to anger. Behold, therefore, I stretched out 00:12:43.419 --> 00:12:46.299 my hand against you, diminished your allotment, 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:48.879 and gave you up to the will of those who hate 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:51.220 you, the daughters of the Philistines, who were 00:12:51.220 --> 00:12:54.220 ashamed of your lewd behavior. You also played 00:12:54.220 --> 00:12:56.480 the harlot with the Assyrians, because you were 00:12:56.480 --> 00:12:59.019 insatiable. Indeed, you played the harlot with 00:12:59.019 --> 00:13:02.139 them, and still were not satisfied. Moreover, 00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:05.019 you multiplied your acts of harlotry as far as 00:13:05.019 --> 00:13:08.179 the land of the traitor Chaldea. and even then 00:13:08.179 --> 00:13:11.159 you are not satisfied. How degenerate is your 00:13:11.159 --> 00:13:14.039 heart, says the Lord God, seeing you do all these 00:13:14.039 --> 00:13:18.059 things, the deeds of a brazen harlot. You erected 00:13:18.059 --> 00:13:20.220 your shrine at the head of every road and built 00:13:20.220 --> 00:13:22.960 your high place in every street. Yet you are 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:25.440 not like a harlot because you scorned payment. 00:13:25.700 --> 00:13:28.799 You are an adulterous wife who takes strangers 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:32.100 instead of her husband. Men make payment to all 00:13:32.100 --> 00:13:35.000 harlots, but you made your payments to all your 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:37.940 lovers and hired them to come to you from all 00:13:37.940 --> 00:13:40.960 around for your harlotry. You are the opposite 00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:43.779 of other women in your harlotry because no one 00:13:43.779 --> 00:13:46.779 solicited you to be a harlot, in that you gave 00:13:46.779 --> 00:13:50.840 payment, but no payment was given you. Therefore 00:13:50.840 --> 00:13:54.720 you are the opposite. Now then, O harlot, hear 00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:57.059 the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God, 00:14:20.040 --> 00:14:28.179 And I will judge you. as women who break wedlock 00:14:28.179 --> 00:14:31.320 or shed blood are judged. I will bring blood 00:14:31.320 --> 00:14:34.679 upon you in fury and jealousy. I will also give 00:14:34.679 --> 00:14:36.980 you into their hand, and they shall throw down 00:14:36.980 --> 00:14:39.059 your shrines and break down your high places. 00:14:39.379 --> 00:14:42.720 They shall also strip you of your clothes, take 00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:45.220 your beautiful jewelry, and leave you naked and 00:14:45.220 --> 00:14:48.009 bare. They shall also bring up an assembly against 00:14:48.009 --> 00:14:50.409 you, and they shall stone you with stones and 00:14:50.409 --> 00:14:53.190 thrust you through with their swords. They shall 00:14:53.190 --> 00:14:55.570 burn your houses with fire and execute judgments 00:14:55.570 --> 00:14:58.649 on you in the sight of many women. And I will 00:14:58.649 --> 00:15:00.909 make you cease playing the harlot, and you shall 00:15:00.909 --> 00:15:04.250 no longer hire lovers. So I will lay to rest 00:15:04.250 --> 00:15:07.710 my fury toward you, and my jealousy shall depart 00:15:07.710 --> 00:15:11.110 from you. I will be quiet and be angry no more. 00:15:11.470 --> 00:15:13.629 Because you did not remember the days of your 00:15:13.629 --> 00:15:16.730 youth, but agitated me with all these things, 00:15:16.909 --> 00:15:20.149 surely I will also recompense your deeds on your 00:15:20.149 --> 00:15:23.490 own head, says the Lord God. And you shall not 00:15:23.490 --> 00:15:26.830 commit lewdness in addition to all your abominations. 00:15:27.610 --> 00:15:30.610 Indeed, everyone who quotes Proverbs will use 00:15:30.610 --> 00:15:33.669 this proverb against you, like mother, like daughter. 00:15:33.830 --> 00:15:36.570 You are your mother's daughter. loathing husband 00:15:36.570 --> 00:15:39.570 and children and you are the sister of your sisters 00:15:39.570 --> 00:15:42.370 who loathed their husbands and children your 00:15:42.370 --> 00:15:44.950 mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite 00:15:44.950 --> 00:15:47.870 your elder sister is Samaria who dwells with 00:15:47.870 --> 00:15:50.409 her daughters to the north of you and your younger 00:15:50.409 --> 00:15:53.029 sister who dwells to the south of you is Sodom 00:15:53.029 --> 00:15:56.169 and her daughters you did not walk in their ways 00:15:56.169 --> 00:15:59.529 nor act according to their abominations but as 00:15:59.529 --> 00:16:02.570 if that were too little you became more corrupt 00:16:02.570 --> 00:16:06.340 than they in all your ways As I live, says the 00:16:06.340 --> 00:16:09.679 Lord God, neither your sister Sodom nor her daughters 00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:12.639 have done as you and your daughters have done. 00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:16.259 Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom. 00:16:16.299 --> 00:16:19.659 She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, 00:16:19.779 --> 00:16:22.860 and abundance of idleness. Neither did she strengthen 00:16:22.860 --> 00:16:25.899 the hand of the poor and needy. And they were 00:16:25.899 --> 00:16:28.820 haughty and committed abomination before me. 00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:33.460 Therefore I took them away as I saw fit. Samaria 00:16:33.460 --> 00:16:35.980 did not commit half of your sins, but you have 00:16:35.980 --> 00:16:38.840 multiplied your abominations more than they and 00:16:38.840 --> 00:16:41.700 have justified your sisters by all the abominations 00:16:41.700 --> 00:16:44.580 which you have done. You who judged your sisters, 00:16:44.740 --> 00:16:47.679 bear your own shame also, because the sins which 00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:50.059 you committed were more abominable than theirs. 00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:53.639 They are more righteous than you. Yes, be disgraced 00:16:53.639 --> 00:16:56.279 also and bear your own shame, because you justified 00:16:56.279 --> 00:16:59.519 your sisters. When I bring back their captives, 00:16:59.559 --> 00:17:01.960 the captives of Sodom and her daughters, and 00:17:01.960 --> 00:17:04.240 the captives of Samaria and her daughters, then 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:07.059 I will also bring back the captives of your captivity 00:17:07.059 --> 00:17:10.019 among them, that you may bear your own shame 00:17:10.019 --> 00:17:13.180 and be disgraced by all that you did when you 00:17:13.180 --> 00:17:16.039 comforted them. When your sisters, Sodom and 00:17:16.039 --> 00:17:18.119 her daughters, return to their former state, 00:17:18.200 --> 00:17:20.819 and Samaria and her daughters return to their 00:17:20.819 --> 00:17:23.559 former state, then you and your daughters will 00:17:23.559 --> 00:17:26.359 return to your former state. For your sister 00:17:26.359 --> 00:17:29.190 Sodom, was not a byword in your mouth in the 00:17:29.190 --> 00:17:31.630 days of your pride, before your wickedness was 00:17:31.630 --> 00:17:34.369 uncovered. It was like the time of the reproach 00:17:34.369 --> 00:17:37.190 of the daughters of Syria and all those around 00:17:37.190 --> 00:17:39.589 her, and the daughters of the Philistines who 00:17:39.589 --> 00:17:42.730 despise you everywhere. You have paid for your 00:17:42.730 --> 00:17:45.150 lewdness and your abominations, says the Lord. 00:17:45.329 --> 00:17:48.150 For thus says the Lord God, I will deal with 00:17:48.150 --> 00:17:51.730 you as you have done, who despised the oath by 00:17:51.730 --> 00:17:55.079 breaking the covenant. Nevertheless, I will remember 00:17:55.079 --> 00:17:57.460 my covenant with you in the days of your youth, 00:17:57.559 --> 00:17:59.819 and I will establish an everlasting covenant 00:17:59.819 --> 00:18:02.759 with you. Then you will remember your ways and 00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:05.680 be ashamed when you receive your older and your 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:08.539 younger sisters. For I will give them to you 00:18:08.539 --> 00:18:11.259 for daughters, but not because of my covenant 00:18:11.259 --> 00:18:13.799 with you. And I will establish my covenant with 00:18:13.799 --> 00:18:16.339 you. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, 00:18:16.539 --> 00:18:19.380 that you may remember and be ashamed and never 00:18:19.380 --> 00:18:21.740 open your mouth anymore because of your shame. 00:18:22.109 --> 00:18:24.869 when I provide you an atonement for all you have 00:18:24.869 --> 00:18:30.549 done, says the Lord God. Chapter 17 And the word 00:18:30.549 --> 00:18:33.309 of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, pose 00:18:33.309 --> 00:18:35.569 a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of 00:18:35.569 --> 00:18:38.809 Israel, and say, Thus says the Lord God, A great 00:18:38.809 --> 00:18:42.009 eagle with large wings and long pinions, full 00:18:42.009 --> 00:18:44.650 of feathers of various colors, came to Lebanon, 00:18:44.910 --> 00:18:47.740 and took from the cedar the highest branch. He 00:18:47.740 --> 00:18:51.220 cropped off its topmost young twig and carried 00:18:51.220 --> 00:18:54.420 it to a land of trade. He set it in a city of 00:18:54.420 --> 00:18:56.900 merchants. Then he took some of the seed of the 00:18:56.900 --> 00:19:00.299 land and planted it in a fertile field. He placed 00:19:00.299 --> 00:19:03.180 it by abundant waters and set it like a willow 00:19:03.180 --> 00:19:05.660 tree. And it grew and became a spreading vine 00:19:05.660 --> 00:19:08.759 of low stature. Its branches turned toward him, 00:19:08.819 --> 00:19:12.119 but its roots were under it. So it became a vine, 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:14.779 brought forth branches, and put forth shoots. 00:19:15.559 --> 00:19:17.539 But there was another great eagle with large 00:19:17.539 --> 00:19:20.259 wings and many feathers, and behold, this vine 00:19:20.259 --> 00:19:23.279 bent its roots toward him, and stretched its 00:19:23.279 --> 00:19:25.500 branches toward him, from the garden terrace 00:19:25.500 --> 00:19:28.140 where it had been planted, that he might water 00:19:28.140 --> 00:19:30.920 it. It was planted in good soil by many waters, 00:19:31.099 --> 00:19:33.700 to bring forth branches, bear fruit, and become 00:19:33.700 --> 00:19:37.079 a majestic vine. Say, thus says the Lord God, 00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:40.579 Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots, 00:19:40.779 --> 00:19:43.940 cut off its fruit, and leave it to wither? All 00:19:43.940 --> 00:19:46.380 of its spring leaves will wither, and no great 00:19:46.380 --> 00:19:48.920 power or many people will be needed to pluck 00:19:48.920 --> 00:19:52.460 it up by its roots. Behold, it is planted. Will 00:19:52.460 --> 00:19:55.119 it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:57.940 east wind touches it? It will wither in the garden 00:19:57.940 --> 00:20:00.960 terrace where it grew. Moreover, the word of 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:04.039 the Lord came to me, saying, Say now to the rebellious 00:20:04.039 --> 00:20:06.759 house, Do you not know what these things mean? 00:20:07.079 --> 00:20:09.799 Tell them. indeed the king of babylon went to 00:20:09.799 --> 00:20:12.859 jerusalem and took its king and princes and led 00:20:12.859 --> 00:20:15.519 them with him to babylon and he took the king's 00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:18.359 offering made the covenant with him and put him 00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:21.200 under oath he also took away the mighty of the 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:24.039 land that the kingdom might be brought low and 00:20:24.039 --> 00:20:27.019 not lift itself up but that by keeping his covenant 00:20:27.019 --> 00:20:29.859 it might stand but he rebelled against him by 00:20:29.859 --> 00:20:32.900 sending his ambassadors to egypt that they might 00:20:32.900 --> 00:20:35.880 give him horses and many people will he prosper 00:20:36.329 --> 00:20:39.430 will he who does such things escape can he break 00:20:39.430 --> 00:20:42.569 a covenant and still be delivered as i live says 00:20:42.569 --> 00:20:45.190 the lord god surely in the place where the king 00:20:45.190 --> 00:20:48.690 dwells who made him king whose oath he despised 00:20:48.690 --> 00:20:51.289 and whose covenant he broke with him in the midst 00:20:51.289 --> 00:20:54.359 of babylon he shall die nor will pharaoh with 00:20:54.359 --> 00:20:56.519 his mighty army and great company do anything 00:20:56.519 --> 00:20:59.819 in the war when they heap up a siege mound and 00:20:59.819 --> 00:21:02.660 build a wall to cut off many persons since he 00:21:02.660 --> 00:21:05.819 despised the oath by breaking the covenant and 00:21:05.819 --> 00:21:08.700 in fact gave his hand and still did all these 00:21:08.700 --> 00:21:12.240 things he shall not escape therefore thus says 00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:15.430 the lord god As I live, surely my oath which 00:21:15.430 --> 00:21:17.829 he despised, and my covenant which he broke, 00:21:17.950 --> 00:21:20.869 I will recompense on his own head. I will spread 00:21:20.869 --> 00:21:23.789 my net over him, and he shall be taken in my 00:21:23.789 --> 00:21:26.750 snare. I will bring him to Babylon, and try him 00:21:26.750 --> 00:21:29.109 there for the treason which he committed against 00:21:29.109 --> 00:21:32.670 me. All his fugitives, with all his troops, shall 00:21:32.670 --> 00:21:34.970 fall by the sword, and those who remain shall 00:21:34.970 --> 00:21:37.309 be scattered to every wind. And you shall know 00:21:37.309 --> 00:21:40.480 that I, the Lord, have spoken. Thus says the 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:43.380 Lord God, I will take also one of the highest 00:21:43.380 --> 00:21:46.960 branches of the high cedar and set it out. I 00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:49.599 will crop off the topmost of its young twigs, 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:52.480 a tender one, and will plant it on a high and 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:55.640 prominent mountain. On the mountain height of 00:21:55.640 --> 00:21:58.180 Israel I will plant it, and it will bring forth 00:21:58.180 --> 00:22:01.740 boughs and bear fruit and be a majestic cedar. 00:22:02.019 --> 00:22:05.160 Under it will dwell birds of every sort. In the 00:22:05.160 --> 00:22:07.990 shadow of its branches they will dwell. And all 00:22:07.990 --> 00:22:10.150 the trees of the field shall know that I, the 00:22:10.150 --> 00:22:13.250 Lord, have brought down the high tree and exalted 00:22:13.250 --> 00:22:16.349 the low tree, dried up the green tree and made 00:22:16.349 --> 00:22:19.210 the dry tree flourish. I, the Lord, have spoken 00:22:19.210 --> 00:22:24.809 and have done it. Chapter 18 The word of the 00:22:24.809 --> 00:22:27.349 Lord came to me again, saying, What do you mean 00:22:27.349 --> 00:22:29.769 when you use this proverb concerning the land 00:22:29.769 --> 00:22:32.150 of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour 00:22:32.150 --> 00:22:35.190 grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge? 00:22:35.690 --> 00:22:38.349 As I live, says the Lord God, you shall no longer 00:22:38.349 --> 00:22:41.970 use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls 00:22:41.970 --> 00:22:45.089 are mine. The soul of the father as well as the 00:22:45.089 --> 00:22:48.470 soul of the son is mine. The soul who sins shall 00:22:48.470 --> 00:22:51.869 die. But if a man is just and does what is lawful 00:22:51.869 --> 00:22:54.670 and right, if he has not eaten on the mountains, 00:22:54.809 --> 00:22:57.450 nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house 00:22:57.450 --> 00:23:00.549 of Israel, nor defiled his neighbor's wife, nor 00:23:00.549 --> 00:23:03.230 approached a woman during her impurity, if he 00:23:03.230 --> 00:23:06.029 has not oppressed anyone, but has restored to 00:23:06.029 --> 00:23:09.130 the debtor his pledge, has robbed no one by violence, 00:23:09.250 --> 00:23:11.410 but has given his bread to the hungry, and covered 00:23:11.410 --> 00:23:14.210 the naked with clothing, if he has not exacted 00:23:14.210 --> 00:23:17.369 usury, nor taken any increase, but has withdrawn 00:23:17.369 --> 00:23:20.269 his hand from iniquity, and executed true judgment 00:23:20.269 --> 00:23:23.930 between man and man, if he has walked in my statutes, 00:23:23.970 --> 00:23:26.809 and kept my judgments faithfully, he is just, 00:23:26.990 --> 00:23:31.230 he shall surely live, says the Lord God. If he 00:23:31.230 --> 00:23:33.589 begets a son who is a robber, or a shedder of 00:23:33.589 --> 00:23:36.599 blood, Who does any of these things, and does 00:23:36.599 --> 00:23:39.839 none of those duties, but has eaten on the mountains 00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:42.640 or defiled his neighbor's wife? If he has oppressed 00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:45.539 the poor and needy, robbed by violence, not restored 00:23:45.539 --> 00:23:48.759 the pledge, lifted his eyes to the idols, or 00:23:48.759 --> 00:23:51.740 committed abomination, if he has exacted usury 00:23:51.740 --> 00:23:55.579 or taken increase, shall he then live? He shall 00:23:55.579 --> 00:23:58.619 not live. If he has done any of these abominations, 00:23:58.700 --> 00:24:02.079 he shall surely die. His blood shall be upon 00:24:02.079 --> 00:24:05.490 him. If, however, he begets a son, who sees all 00:24:05.490 --> 00:24:07.769 the sins which his father has done, and considers, 00:24:08.029 --> 00:24:11.609 but does not do likewise, who has not eaten on 00:24:11.609 --> 00:24:13.890 the mountains, nor lifted his eyes to the idols 00:24:13.890 --> 00:24:16.309 of the house of Israel, nor defiled his neighbor's 00:24:16.309 --> 00:24:19.430 wife, has not oppressed anyone, nor withheld 00:24:19.430 --> 00:24:22.049 a pledge, nor robbed by violence, but has given 00:24:22.049 --> 00:24:24.049 his bread to the hungry, and covered the naked 00:24:24.049 --> 00:24:26.569 with clothing, who has withdrawn his hand from 00:24:26.569 --> 00:24:29.089 the poor and not received usury or increase, 00:24:29.349 --> 00:24:31.869 but has executed my judgments and walked in my 00:24:31.869 --> 00:24:34.490 statutes, he shall not die for the iniquity of 00:24:34.490 --> 00:24:37.769 his father, he shall surely live. As for his 00:24:37.769 --> 00:24:40.849 father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed 00:24:40.849 --> 00:24:42.930 his brother by violence, and did what is not 00:24:42.930 --> 00:24:46.170 good among his people, behold, he shall die for 00:24:46.170 --> 00:24:49.230 his iniquity. Yet you say, why should the son 00:24:49.230 --> 00:24:51.759 not bear the guilt of the father? Because the 00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:54.099 Son has done what is lawful and right, and has 00:24:54.099 --> 00:24:56.680 kept all my statutes and observed them. He shall 00:24:56.680 --> 00:25:00.079 surely live. The soul who sins shall die. The 00:25:00.079 --> 00:25:02.519 Son shall not bear the guilt of the Father, nor 00:25:02.519 --> 00:25:05.299 the Father bear the guilt of the Son. The righteousness 00:25:05.299 --> 00:25:08.480 of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the 00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:10.819 wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. 00:25:11.220 --> 00:25:14.140 But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which 00:25:14.140 --> 00:25:16.880 he has committed, keeps all my statutes, and 00:25:16.880 --> 00:25:19.440 does what is lawful and right, he shall surely 00:25:19.440 --> 00:25:22.640 live. he shall not die. None of the transgressions 00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:25.200 which he has committed shall be remembered against 00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:27.700 him. Because of the righteousness which he has 00:25:27.700 --> 00:25:30.859 done, he shall live. Do I have any pleasure at 00:25:30.859 --> 00:25:33.460 all that the wicked should die, says the Lord 00:25:33.460 --> 00:25:36.559 God, and not that he should turn from his ways 00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:39.359 and live? But when a righteous man turns away 00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:41.519 from his righteousness and commits iniquity, 00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:44.380 and does according to all the abominations that 00:25:44.380 --> 00:25:47.859 the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness 00:25:47.859 --> 00:25:51.359 which he has done shall not be remembered. Because 00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:53.799 of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty, 00:25:53.980 --> 00:25:56.559 and the sin which he has committed, because of 00:25:56.559 --> 00:25:59.759 them he shall die. Yet you say, The way of the 00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:02.940 Lord is not fair. Hear now, O house of Israel. 00:26:03.140 --> 00:26:05.920 Is it not my way which is fair, and your ways 00:26:05.920 --> 00:26:08.900 which are not fair? When a righteous man turns 00:26:08.900 --> 00:26:11.299 away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, 00:26:11.299 --> 00:26:13.880 and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity 00:26:13.880 --> 00:26:16.829 which he has done that he dies. Again, when a 00:26:16.829 --> 00:26:19.250 wicked man turns away from the wickedness which 00:26:19.250 --> 00:26:21.630 he committed, and does what is lawful and right, 00:26:21.809 --> 00:26:25.410 he preserves himself alive. Because he considers 00:26:25.410 --> 00:26:27.849 and turns away from all the transgressions which 00:26:27.849 --> 00:26:30.430 he committed, he shall surely live, he shall 00:26:30.430 --> 00:26:33.589 not die. Yet the house of Israel says, The way 00:26:33.589 --> 00:26:36.509 of the Lord is not fair. O house of Israel, is 00:26:36.509 --> 00:26:39.450 it not my ways which are fair, and your ways 00:26:39.450 --> 00:26:43.150 which are not fair? Therefore I will judge you, 00:26:43.190 --> 00:26:45.569 O house of Israel, everyone according to his 00:26:45.569 --> 00:26:48.549 ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from 00:26:48.549 --> 00:26:51.150 all your transgressions, so that iniquity will 00:26:51.150 --> 00:26:54.269 not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the 00:26:54.269 --> 00:26:56.630 transgressions which you have committed, and 00:26:56.630 --> 00:26:59.009 get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. 00:26:59.269 --> 00:27:02.130 For why should you die, O house of Israel? For 00:27:02.130 --> 00:27:04.509 I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies, 00:27:04.690 --> 00:27:13.970 says the Lord God. Therefore turn and live. I 00:27:13.970 --> 00:27:15.809 hope you enjoyed today's reading as much as I 00:27:15.809 --> 00:27:18.089 did and I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow 00:27:18.089 --> 00:27:20.609 to continue on our journey. God bless you and 00:27:20.609 --> 00:27:21.289 have a great day.