The Daily Audio Bible
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The Man of God Leaves
12 The Word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, you live among sinful people. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear. For they are sinful people. 3 So, son of man, get your things ready to take with you to another land, and let them see you leave during the day. Let them see you leave to go to another place. It may be that they will understand even if they are sinful people. 4 Take your things with you during the day, with them watching you. Take the things you will need for going to another land. Then let them see you go out at evening, like those who go to another land. 5 While they watch, dig a hole through the wall and go out through it. 6 Load your things on your shoulder while they watch, and carry the load out in the dark. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land. For I have made you as something special for the people of Israel to see.”
7 I did as I was told. During the day I brought out my things that I would need to go to another land. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I went out in the dark and carried the load on my shoulder while they watched.
8 In the morning the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “Son of man, have not the sinful people of Israel said to you, ‘What are you doing?’ 10 Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “This word is about the leader in Jerusalem, as well as all the people of Israel who are in it.”’ 11 Tell them, ‘I am something special for you to see. As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will be taken to another land and held there.’ 12 The leader among them will load his things on his shoulder in the dark and go out. A hole will be dug through the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes. 13 I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My trap. I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Babylonians, yet he will not see it. And he will die there. 14 I will divide all his helpers and all his army who are around him to the four winds and have the sword follow them. 15 Then they will know that I am the Lord when I divide them among the nations, and spread them among the countries. 16 But I will let a few of them get away from the sword, hunger and disease. They will tell about all their sinful ways to the nations where they go. And they will know that I am the Lord.”
17 The Word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, shake in fear as you eat your bread and drink your water. 19 Then tell the people of the land, ‘This is what the Lord God says about the people of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: “They will be afraid as they eat their bread, and drink their water in fear. For their land will lay waste because of the fighting of all who live in it. 20 The cities where people live will be laid waste, and the land will be destroyed. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”’”
21 The Word of the Lord came to me, saying, 22 “Son of man, what is this saying you people have about the land of Israel, which says, ‘The days are long and every special dream comes to nothing’? 23 Tell them, ‘The Lord God says, “I will make this saying come to an end, so that they will no longer use it as a saying in Israel.’” But tell them, ‘The days are near when all the special dreams from God will come true. 24 For there will be no more false dreams or good sounding words that do not come true. 25 For I the Lord will speak, and whatever I say will be done. It will no longer be held back. For in your days, O sinful people, I will speak the word and do it,’ says the Lord God.”
26 Again the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, 27 “Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, ‘The special dream he sees will not come to pass for many years. He is speaking of times far in the future.’ 28 So tell them, ‘The Lord God says, “None of My words will be held back any longer. Whatever I say will be done,’” says the Lord God.”
Word against False Preachers
13 Then the Word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, speak against those of Israel who speak false words in My name. Say to those who tell what is going to happen in the future out of their own minds, ‘Listen to the Word of the Lord! 3 The Lord God says, “It is bad for the foolish people who tell what is going to happen by following their own spirit and have seen nothing. 4 O Israel, your men who speak in My name are of no more worth than foxes in destroyed cities. 5 You have not gone up to the broken places to build the wall around the people of Israel so that it will stand in the battle on the day of the Lord. 6 They have lied and have spoken false words using their secret ways, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says,’ when the Lord has not sent them. Yet they hope that what they say will come true. 7 Did you not see a false dream and tell a lie using your secret ways when you said, ‘This is what the Lord says,’ when I have not spoken?”’”
8 So the Lord God says: “Because you have spoken false words and seen a lie, I am against you,” says the Lord God. 9 “My hand will be against those who see false dreams and speak false words. They will have no place in the gathering of My wise people. Their names will not be written down with the people of Israel. And they will not go into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord God. 10 Because they have led My people the wrong way by saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when anyone builds a bad wall, they cover it with whitewash, 11 tell those who cover it with whitewash that it will fall! A flood of rain will come, and large hailstones will fall. And a strong wind will break out. 12 When the wall has fallen, will you not be asked, ‘Where is the covering you used to cover the wall?’” 13 So the Lord God says, “I will make a strong wind break out in My anger. There will also be a flood of rain in My anger, and large hailstones to destroy that wall. 14 I will break down the wall that you covered with whitewash. I will bring it down to the ground so that its base will be showing. And when it falls, you will be destroyed with it. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 15 I will send My anger upon the wall and upon those who have covered it with whitewash. And I will say to you, ‘The wall is gone and the ones who covered it are gone. 16 There are no more people of Israel who speak false words to Jerusalem in My name, and who see dreams of peace for her when there is no peace,’ says the Lord God.
17 “Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are telling what will happen from their own minds. Speak against them, 18 and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “It is bad for the women who sew objects with secret powers to wear on their arms, and make coverings for the heads to trap people. Will you go after the lives of My people, but save the lives of others for yourselves? 19 You have used Me in a sinful way among My people for hands full of barley and for pieces of bread. You have killed people who should not die, and have kept others alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies.”’”
20 So the Lord God says, “I am against your objects with secret powers that you wear on your arms with which you trap people like birds. I will tear them from your arms. And I will let the people go that you trap like birds. 21 I will also tear off your head-coverings and save My people from you. They will no longer be trapped by your hands. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 22 You have made My good people sad because of your lies whom I did not want to hurt. But you have helped the sinful man, so that he does not turn from his sinful way and save his life. 23 So you women will no longer see false dreams or use your secret ways to learn the future. I will save My people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.”
Worshipers of False Gods
14 Then some leaders of Israel came and sat down in front of me. 2 And the Word of the Lord came to me saying, 3 “Son of man, these men have taken false gods into their hearts. They have put in front of their faces the sin which is the cause of their fall. Should I let Myself be asked questions by them at all? 4 So speak to them and tell them, ‘The Lord God says, “Every man of Israel who has given his heart to false gods and lets them lead him into sin and then comes to the man of God, I the Lord will answer him, the answer that his many false gods should get, 5 that I may again have the hearts of the people of Israel who have left Me for their false gods.”’
6 “So tell the people of Israel, ‘The Lord God says, “Be sorry for your sins and turn away from your false gods. Turn your faces away from all your sinful ways. 7 If a man of Israel or a stranger living in Israel who turns away from Me and gives his heart to false gods, and worships them, and if he then comes to the man of God to get answers from Me, I the Lord will answer him Myself. 8 I will set My face against that man and make him something special to see and to speak against. I will cut him off from among My people. And you will know that I am the Lord. 9 But if the man who speaks in My name is given a false answer, it is I, the Lord, Who has caused him to speak. And I will put out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel. 10 They will suffer the punishment of their sin. The man who asks the question and the man who speaks to him in My name will both be punished in the same way. 11 This is so that the people of Israel may no longer turn away from Me, and no longer make themselves sinful with all their wrong-doing. They will be My people and I will be their God,”’ says the Lord God.”
Melchizedek—Like Christ
7 Melchizedek was king of Salem. He was a religious leader for God. When Abraham was coming back from the war where many kings were killed, Melchizedek met Abraham and showed respect to him. 2 Abraham gave Melchizedek one-tenth part of all he had. Melchizedek’s name means king of what is right. Salem means peace. So he is king of peace. 3 Melchizedek was without a father or mother or any family. He had no beginning of life or end of life. He is a religious leader forever like the Son of God.
4 We can see how great Melchizedek was. Abraham gave him one-tenth part of all he had taken in the war. 5 The Law made the family of Levi the Jewish religious leaders. The Law said that the religious leaders were to take one-tenth part of everything from their own people. 6 Melchizedek was not even from the family group of Levi but Abraham paid him. Melchizedek showed respect to Abraham who was the one who had received God’s promises. 7 The one who shows respect is always greater than the one who receives it. 8 Jewish religious leaders receive one-tenth part. They are men and they all die. But here Melchizedek received one-tenth part and is alive. 9 We might say that Levi, who receives one-tenth part, paid one-tenth part through Abraham. 10 Levi was not yet born. He was still inside Abraham’s body when Abraham paid Melchizedek.
11 The Law was given during the time when Levi and his sons were the religious leaders. If the work of those religious leaders had been perfect in taking away the sins of the people, there would have been no need for another religious leader. But one like Melchizedek was needed and not one from the family group of Aaron. 12 For when the family group of religious leaders changed, the Law had to be changed also. 13 These things speak of Christ Who is from another family group. That family group never had a religious leader who killed animals and gave gifts at the altar for the sins of the people. 14 Our Lord came from the family group of Judah. Moses did not write anything about religious leaders coming from that family group.
A Different Religious Leader Has Come
15 We can see that a different Religious Leader has come. This One is like Melchizedek. 16 Christ did not become a Religious Leader by coming from the family group of Levi as the Law said had to be. He became the Religious Leader by the power of a life that never ends. 17 The Holy Writings say this about Christ, “You are a Religious Leader forever like Melchizedek.” (A)
37 Then He brought Israel out with silver and gold. And there was not one weak person among their families. 38 Egypt was glad when they left. For they had become afraid of Israel. 39 He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light at night. 40 They asked, and He brought them quails for meat. And He filled them with the bread of heaven. 41 He opened the rock and water flowed out. It flowed in the desert like a river. 42 For He remembered His holy Word with Abraham His servant. 43 And He brought His people out with joy, His chosen ones with singing. 44 He gave them the lands of the nations. They were given what others had worked for, 45 so that they might do what He told them and keep His Law. Praise the Lord!
3 A stone is heavy, and sand is heavy, but to be made angry by a fool weighs more than both of them.
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