31 verses
1Moreover the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 2You, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? then cause her to know all her abominations. 3You shall say, Thus says LordOfMine Yahweh: A city that sheds blood in the midst of her, that her time may come, and that makes idols against herself to defile her! 4You have become guilty in your blood that you have shed, and are defiled in your idols which you have made; and you have caused your days to draw near, and have come even to your years: therefore have I made you a reproach to the nations, and a mocking to all the countries. 5Those who are near, and those who are far from you, shall mock you, you infamous one [and] full of tumult.
6Behold, the princes of Israel, everyone according to his power, have been in you to shed blood. 7In you have they set light by father and mother; in the midst of you have they dealt by oppression with the foreigner; in you have they wronged the fatherless and the widow. 8You have despised my holy things, and have profaned my Sabbaths. 9Slanderous men have been in you to shed blood; and in you they have eaten on the mountains: in the midst of you they have committed lewdness. 10In you have they uncovered their fathers' nakedness; in you have they humiliated her who was unclean in her impurity. 11One has committed abomination with his neighbor's wife; and another has lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law; and another in you has humbled his sister, his father's daughter. 12In you have they taken bribes to shed blood; you have taken interest and increase, and you have greedily gained of your neighbors by oppression, and have forgotten me, says LordOfMine Yahweh.
13Behold, therefore, I have struck my hand at your dishonest gain which you have made, and at your blood which has been in the midst of you. 14Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I, Yahweh, have spoken it, and will do it. 15I will scatter you among the nations, and disperse you through the countries; and I will consume your filthiness out of you. 16You shall be profaned in yourself, in the sight of the nations; and you shall know that I am Yahweh.
17The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 18Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me: all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are the dross of silver. 19Therefore thus says LordOfMine Yahweh: Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20As they gather silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire on it, to melt it; so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will lay you there, and melt you. 21Yes, I will gather you, and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst. 22As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so you will be melted in its midst; and you will know that I, Yahweh, have poured out my wrath on you.
23Yahweh's word came to me, saying, 24"Son of man, tell her, 'You are a land that is not cleansed, nor rained on in the day of indignation.' 25There is a conspiracy of her prophets in its midst, like a roaring lion ravening the prey: they have devoured souls; they take treasure and precious things; they have made her widows many in its midst. 26Her priests have done violence to my law, and have profaned my holy things: they have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. 27Her princes in its midst are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, [and] to destroy souls, that they may get dishonest gain. 28Her prophets have plastered for them with whitewash, seeing empty visions, and divining lies for them, saying, 'LordOfMine Yahweh says', when Yahweh has not spoken. 29The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery; yes, they have troubled the poor and needy, and have oppressed the foreigner wrongfully.
30"I sought for a man among them, who should build up the wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none. 31Therefore have I poured out my indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I brought on their heads," says LordOfMine Yahweh.
23 verses
1Wisdom has built her house. She has carved out her seven pillars. 2She has prepared her meat. She has mixed her wine. She has also set her table. 3She has sent out her maidens. She cries from the highest places of the city: 4"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him, 5"Come, eat some of my bread, Drink some of the wine which I have mixed! 6Leave your simple ways, and live. Walk in the way of understanding." 7He who corrects a mocker invites insult. He who reproves a wicked man invites abuse. 8Don't reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise man, and he will love you. 9Instruct a wise man, and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. 10The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 11For by me your days will be multiplied. The years of your life will be increased. 12If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you mock, you alone will bear it. 13The foolish woman is loud, Undisciplined, and knows nothing. 14She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, 15To call to those who pass by, who go straight on their ways, 16"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here." as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him, 17"Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret is pleasant." 18But he doesn't know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
1The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father; but a foolish son brings grief to his mother. 2Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death. 3Yahweh will not allow the soul of the righteous to go hungry, but he thrusts away the desire of the wicked. 4He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand, but the hand of the diligent brings wealth. 5He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during the harvest is a son who causes shame.
23 verses
13But we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers selflessly-loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14to which he called you through our Good News, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus AnointedOne. 15So then, brothers, stand firm and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word or by letter.
16Now our Lord Jesus AnointedOne himself, and God our Father, who selflessly-loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.
1Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, even as also with you, 2and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for not all have faith. 3But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 4We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you both do and will do the things we command. 5May the Lord direct your hearts into God's selfless-love, and into the perseverance of AnointedOne.
6Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus AnointedOne, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in rebellion, and not after the tradition which they received from us. 7For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn't behave ourselves rebelliously among you, 8nor did we eat bread from anyone's hand without paying for it, but with effort and exertion worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you, 9not because we don't have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us. 10For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: "If anyone is not willing to work, don't let him eat." 11For we hear of some who walk among you in rebellion, who don't work at all, but are busybodies. 12Now those who are that way, we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus AnointedOne, that they work with quietness and eat their own bread.
13But you, brothers, don't lose heart in doing what is right. 14If any man doesn't obey our word in this letter, note that man, that you have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed. 15Don't count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
16Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.
17The greeting of me, Paul, with my own hand, which is the sign in every letter: this is how I write. 18The grace of our Lord Jesus AnointedOne be with you all. [*Absolutely].
