Judgment on Idolaters Who Consult a Prophet

141 And there came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. 2 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them? 4 Therefore speak to them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, I Jehovah will answer him according to this, according to the multitude of his idols: 5 that I may take the house of Israel by their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. 6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Return ye, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, who separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet to inquire of me by him, I Jehovah will answer him by myself; 8 and I will set my face against that man, and will make him desolate, [so that he shall be] for a sign and for proverbs, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people: and ye shall know that I [am] Jehovah. 9 And if the prophet be enticed and shall speak a word, I Jehovah have enticed that prophet; and I will stretch out my hand against him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. 10 And they shall bear their iniquity: the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of the inquirer; 11 that the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither make themselves any more unclean with all their transgressions; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, saith the Lord Jehovah.

The Justice of God's Punishment of Jerusalem

12 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 13 Son of man, when a land sinneth against me by working unfaithfulness, and I stretch out my hand upon it, and break the staff of the bread thereof, and send famine upon it, and cut off man and beast from it; 14 though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, should be in it, they should deliver [but] their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord Jehovah. 15 If I cause evil beasts to pass through the land, and they bereave it, and it become a desolation, so that no one passeth through because of the beasts; 16 —though these three men should be in it, [as] I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters: they only should be delivered, and the land should be a desolation. 17 Or [if] I bring the sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land, so that I cut off man and beast from it, 18 and these three men should be in it, [as] I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only themselves should be delivered. 19 Or [if] I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast, 20 and Noah, Daniel, and Job should be in it, [as] I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither son nor daughter: they should [but] deliver their own souls by their righteousness. 21 For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the evil beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast! 22 But behold, there shall be left in it those that escape, who shall be brought out of [it], sons and daughters. Behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings; and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, as to all that I have brought upon it. 23 And they shall comfort you, when ye see their way and their doings; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord Jehovah.

Jerusalem like a Useless Vine

151 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, what is the wood of the vine more than any wood, the vine-branch, which is among the trees of the forest? 3 Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will [men] take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? 4 Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel: the fire consumeth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned; is it fit for [any] work? 5 Behold, when it was whole, it was used for no work; how much less when the fire hath consumed it, and it is burned, should it yet be used for any work? 6 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 7 And I will set my face against them: they shall go forth from [one] fire, and [another] fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I [am] Jehovah when I set my face against them. 8 And I will make the land a desolation, because they have wrought unfaithfulness, saith the Lord Jehovah.

Warning against Partiality

21 My brethren, do not have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [Lord] of glory, with respect of persons: 2 for if there come unto your synagogue a man with a gold ring in splendid apparel, and a poor man also come in in vile apparel, 3 and ye look upon him who wears the splendid apparel, and say, Do thou sit here well, and say to the poor, Do thou stand there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 have ye not made a difference among yourselves, and become judges having evil thoughts? 5 Hear, my beloved brethren: Has not God chosen the poor as to the world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to them that love him? 6 But ye have despised the poor [man]. Do not the rich oppress you, and [do not] they drag you before [the] tribunals? 7 And [do not] they blaspheme the excellent name which has been called upon you?

8 If indeed ye keep [the] royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well. 9 But if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law and shall offend in one [point], he has come under the guilt of [breaking] all. 11 For he who said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become transgressor of [the] law. 12 So speak ye, and so act, as those that are to be judged by [the] law of liberty; 13 for judgment [will be] without mercy to him that has shewn no mercy. Mercy glories over judgment.

Faith without Works Is Dead

14 What [is] the profit, my brethren, if any one say he have faith, but have not works? can faith save him? 15 Now if a brother or a sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one from amongst you say to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled; but give not to them the needful things for the body, what [is] the profit? 17 So also faith, if it have not works, is dead by itself. 18 But some one will say, Thou hast faith and I have works. Shew me thy faith without works, and I from my works will shew thee my faith. 19 Thou believest that God is one. Thou doest well. The demons even believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and that by works faith was perfected. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called Friend of God. 24 Ye see that a man is justified on the principle of works, and not on the principle of faith only. 25 But was not in like manner also Rahab the harlot justified on the principle of works, when she had received the messengers and put [them] forth by another way? 26 For as the body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.