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Ezekiel 6:7
Your people will fall down dead among you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
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2 Kings 17 9-2 Kings 17 18
The Israelites did things in secret against the Lord their God. What they did wasn’t right. They built high places for worship in all their towns. They built them at lookout towers. They also built them at cities that had high walls around them.They set up sacred stones. And they set up poles used to worship the female god named Asherah. They did that on every high hill and under every green tree.The Lord had driven out nations to make room for Israel. But the Israelites burned incense at every high place, just as those nations had done. The Israelites did evil things that made the Lord very angry.They worshiped statues of gods. They did it even though the Lord had said,“ Do not do that.”The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers. He said,“ Turn from your evil ways. Keep my commands and rules. Obey every part of my Law. I commanded your people who lived long ago to obey it. And I gave it to you through my servants the prophets.”But the people wouldn’t listen. They were as stubborn as their people of long ago had been. Those people didn’t trust in the Lord their God.They refused to obey his rules. They broke the covenant he had made with them. They didn’t pay any attention to the rules he had warned them to keep. They worshiped worthless statues of gods. Then they themselves became worthless. They followed the example of the nations around them. They did it even though the Lord had ordered them not to. He had said,“ Do not do as they do.”They turned away from all the commands of the Lord their God. They made two statues of gods for themselves. The statues were shaped like calves. They made a pole used to worship the female god named Asherah. They bowed down to all the stars. And they worshiped the god named Baal.They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced all kinds of evil magic. They gave up following God’s rules. They did only what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. All these things made him very angry.So the Lord was very angry with Israel. He removed them from his land. Only the tribe of Judah was left.
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Jeremiah 5:25-31
But the things you have done wrong have robbed you of these gifts. Your sins have kept these good things far away from you.’“ Jeremiah, some of my people are evil. They hide and wait just as people hide to catch birds. They set traps for people.A hunter uses tricks to fill his cage with birds. And my people have filled their houses with a lot of goods. They have become rich and powerful.They have grown fat and heavy. There is no limit to the evil things they do. In court they do not seek justice. They don’t protect the rights of children whose fathers have died. They do not stand up for poor people.Shouldn’t I punish them for this?” announces the Lord.“ Shouldn’t I pay back the nation that does these things?“ Something horrible and shocking has happened in the land.The prophets prophesy lies. The priests rule by their own authority. And my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?”
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Ezekiel 7:27
“‘ The king will be filled with sadness. The princes will lose all hope. The hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will punish them based on how they have lived. I will judge them by their own standards. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’ ”
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Micah 6:9-12
The Lord is calling out to Jerusalem. And it would be wise to pay attention to him. He says,“ Listen, tribe of Judah and you people who are gathered in the city.You sinful people, should I forget that you got your treasures by stealing them? You use dishonest measures to cheat others. I have placed a curse on that practice.Should I forgive anyone who uses dishonest scales? They use weights that weigh things heavier or lighter than they really are.The rich people among you harm others. You are always telling lies. You try to fool others by what you say.
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Ezekiel 6:11
The Lord and King said to me,“ Clap your hands. Stamp your feet. Cry out,‘ How sad!’ Do this because the people of Israel have done so many evil things. I hate those things. Israel will be destroyed by war, hunger and plague.
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Jeremiah 5:1-9
The Lord says,“ Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look around. Think about what you see. Search through the market. See if you can find one honest person who tries to be truthful. If you can, I will forgive this city.They make their promises in my name. They say,‘ You can be sure that the Lord is alive.’ But their promises can’t be trusted.”Lord, don’t your eyes look for truth? You struck down your people. But they didn’t feel any pain. You crushed them. But they refused to be corrected. They made their faces harder than stone. They refused to turn away from their sins.I thought,“ The people of Jerusalem are foolish. They don’t know how the Lord wants them to live. They don’t know what their God requires of them.So I will go to the leaders. I’ll speak to them. They should know how the Lord wants them to live. They must know what their God requires of them.” But all of them had broken off the yoke the Lord had put on them. They had torn off the ropes he had tied them up with.So a lion from the forest will attack them. A wolf from the desert will destroy them. A leopard will hide and wait near their towns. It will tear to pieces anyone who dares to go out. Again and again they have refused to obey the Lord. They have turned away from him many times.The Lord says,“ Jerusalem, why should I forgive you? Your people have deserted me. They have made their promises in the names of gods that are not really gods at all. I supplied everything they needed. But they committed adultery. Large crowds went to the houses of prostitutes.Your people are like stallions that have plenty to eat. Their sinful desires are out of control. Each of them goes after another man’s wife.Shouldn’t I punish them for this?” announces the Lord.“ Shouldn’t I pay back the nation that does these things?
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Ezekiel 8:6-15
He said to me,“ Son of man, do you see what the Israelites are doing here? They are doing things I hate very much. Those things will cause me to go far away from my temple. But you will see things I hate even more.”Then he brought me to the entrance to the courtyard. I looked up and saw a hole in the wall.He said to me,“ Son of man, dig into the wall.” So I did. And I saw a door there.He continued,“ Go through it. Look at the evil things they are doing here. I hate those things.”So I went in and looked. All over the walls were pictures of all kinds of crawling things and“ unclean” animals. The Lord hates it when people worship those things. There were also carvings of the gods of the people of Israel.In front of them stood 70 elders of Israel. Jaazaniah was standing there among them. He is the son of Shaphan. Each elder was holding a shallow cup. A sweet- smelling cloud of incense was rising from the cups.The Lord spoke to me. He said,“ Son of man, do you see what the elders of Israel are doing in the dark? Each of them is in his own room worshiping his own god. They say,‘ The Lord doesn’t see us. He has deserted the land.’ ”He continued,“ You will see them doing things I hate even more.”Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord’ s house. I saw women sitting there. They were mourning for the god named Tammuz.The Lord said to me,“ Son of man, do you see what they are doing? You will see things I hate even more.”
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Exodus 14:18
The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. I will gain glory because of what will happen to Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”
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Ezekiel 22:25-31
Ezekiel, the princes of the land are like a roaring lion that tears its food apart. They eat people up. They take treasures and other valuable things. They cause many women in the land to become widows.Its priests break my law. They treat things set apart to me as if they were not holy. They treat holy and common things as if they were the same. They teach that there is no difference between things that are‘ clean’ and things that are not. They refuse to keep my Sabbath days. So they treat me as if I were not holy.The officials in the land are like wolves that tear their food apart. They spill blood and kill people to get rich.The prophets cover up these acts for them. The visions of these prophets are false. They use magic to try to find out what is going to happen. But their magic tricks are lies. They say,‘ The Lord and King says.’ But I have not spoken to them.The people of the land get rich by cheating others. They steal. They crush those who are poor and in need. They treat outsiders badly. They refuse to be fair to them.“ I looked for someone among them who would stand up for Jerusalem. I tried to find someone who would pray to me for the land. Then I would not have to destroy it. But I could not find anyone who would pray for it.So I will pour out my anger on its people. I will destroy them because of my great anger against them. And anything that happens to them will be their own fault,” announces the Lord and King.
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2 Chronicles 36 14-2 Chronicles 36 17
And that’s not all. The people and all the leaders of the priests became more and more unfaithful. They followed all the practices of the nations. The Lord hated those practices. The people and leaders made the Lord’ s temple“ unclean.” The Lord had set the temple in Jerusalem apart in a special way for himself.The Lord, the God of Israel, sent word to his people through his messengers. He sent it to them again and again. He took pity on his people. He also took pity on the temple where he lived.But God’s people made fun of his messengers. They hated his words. They laughed at his prophets. Finally the Lord’ s great anger was stirred up against his people. Nothing could save them.The Lord brought the king of the Babylonians against them. The Babylonian army killed their young people with their swords at the temple. They didn’t spare young men or young women. They didn’t spare the old people or weak people either. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar.
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Psalms 9:16
The Lord is known to be fair by the things he does. Evil people are trapped by what they have done.
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Ezekiel 36:17-18
“ Son of man, the people of Israel used to live in their own land. But they made it‘ unclean’ because of how they acted and the way they lived. To me they were‘ unclean’ like a woman having her monthly period.They spilled people’s blood in the land. They made the land‘ unclean’ by worshiping other gods. So I poured out my great anger on them.
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Ezekiel 25:11
I will punish Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
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Zephaniah 3:1-4
How terrible it will be for Jerusalem! Its people crush others. They refuse to obey the Lord. They are“ unclean.”They don’t obey anyone. They don’t accept the Lord’ s warnings. They don’t trust in him. They don’t ask their God for his help.Jerusalem’s officials are like roaring lions. Their rulers are like wolves that hunt in the evening. They don’t leave anything to eat in the morning.Their prophets care about nothing. They can’t be trusted. Their priests make the temple“ unclean.” They break the law they teach others to obey.
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Ezekiel 23:49
Those sisters will be punished because of the impure things they have done. They will be judged because they have worshiped other gods. Then they will know that I am the Lord and King.”
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Ezekiel 22:2-15
“ Son of man, are you going to judge Jerusalem? Will you judge this city that has so many murderers in it? Then tell its people they have done many evil things. I hate those things.Tell them,‘ The Lord and King says,“ Your city brings death on itself. You spill blood inside its walls. You make yourselves‘ unclean’ by making statues of gods.You are guilty of spilling blood. Your statues have made you‘ unclean.’ You have brought your days to a close. The end of your years has come. So the nations will make fun of you. All the countries will laugh at you.Those who are near you will tell jokes about you. So will those who are far away. Trouble fills the streets of your sinful city.“‘ “The princes of Israel are in your city. All of them use their power to spill blood.They have made fun of fathers and mothers alike. They have crushed outsiders. They have treated badly the children whose fathers have died. They have done the same thing to widows.You have looked down on the holy things that were set apart to me. You have misused my Sabbath days.You have spread lies about others so you can spill someone’s blood. You eat at the mountain temples. You commit impure acts.You bring shame on your fathers by having sex with their wives. You have sex with women during their monthly period. That is when they are‘ unclean.’One of you has sex with another man’s wife. I hate that sin. Another brings shame on his daughter- in- law by having sex with her. Still another has sex with his sister, even though she is his own father’s daughter.You accept money from people who want special favors. You do this to spill someone’s blood. You charge interest to poor people when you lend them money. You make money from them. You get rich by cheating your neighbors. And you have forgotten me,” announces the Lord and King.“‘ “I will clap my hands because I am so angry. You got rich by cheating others. You spilled blood inside the walls of your city.Will you be brave on the day I deal with you? Will you be strong at that time? I have spoken. I will do this. I am the Lord.I will scatter you among the nations. I will send you to other countries. I will put an end to your‘ uncleanness.’
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Psalms 83:17-18
May they always be filled with terror and shame. May they die in dishonor.May you, the Lord, let your enemies know who you are. You alone are the Most High God over the whole earth.
