Evil Princes Rebuked

111 And lift me up doth a spirit, and it bringeth me in unto the east gate of the house of Jehovah, that is facing the east, and lo, at the opening of the gate twenty and five men, and I see in their midst Jaazaniah son of Azzur, and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, heads of the people. 2 And He saith unto me, 'Son of man, these 'are' the men who are devising iniquity, and who are giving evil counsel in this city; 3 who are saying, It 'is' not near—to build houses, it 'is' the pot, and we the flesh. 4 Therefore prophesy concerning them, prophesy, son of man.' 5 And fall upon me doth the Spirit of Jehovah, and He saith unto me, 'Say: Thus said Jehovah: Rightly ye have said, O house of Israel, And the steps of your spirit I have known. 6 Ye multiplied your wounded in this city, And filled its out-places with the wounded. 7 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Your wounded whom ye placed in its midst, They 'are' the flesh, and it 'is' the pot, And you he hath brought out from its midst. 8 A sword ye have feared, And a sword I bring in against you, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah. 9 And I have brought you out of its midst, And given you into the hand of strangers, And I have done among you judgments. 10 By the sword ye do fall, On the border of Israel I do judge you, And ye have known that I 'am' Jehovah. 11 It is not to you for a pot, Nor are ye in its midst for flesh, At the border of Israel I do judge you. 12 And ye have known that I 'am' Jehovah, For in My statutes ye have not walked, And My Judgments ye have not done, And according to the judgments of the nations Who are round about you—ye have done!' 13 And it cometh to pass, at my prophesying, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah is dying, and I fall on my face, and cry—a loud voice—and say, 'Ah, Lord Jehovah, an end Thou art making of the remnant of Israel.'

The Promise of Restoration and Renewal

14 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 15 'Son of man, thy brethren, thy brethren, men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel—all of it, 'are' they to whom inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Keep far off from Jehovah; 16 it 'is' ours, the land hath been given for an inheritance; therefore say: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because I put them afar off among nations, And because I scattered them through lands, I also am to them for a little sanctuary, In lands whither they have gone in. 17 Therefore say: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: And I have assembled you from the peoples, And I have gathered you from the lands, Into which ye have been scattered, And I have given to you the ground of Israel. 18 And they have gone in thither. And turned aside all its detestable things, And all its abominations—out of it. 19 And I have given to them one heart, And a new spirit I do give in your midst, And I have turned the heart of stone out of their flesh, And I have given to them a heart of flesh. 20 So that in My statutes they walk, And My judgments they keep, and have done them, And they have been to me for a people, And I am to them for God. 21 As to those whose heart is going unto the heart Of their detestable and their abominable things, Their way on their head I have put, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

22 And the cherubs lift up their wings, and the wheels 'are' over-against them, and the honour of the God of Israel 'is' over them above. 23 And the honour of Jehovah goeth up from off the midst of the city, and standeth on the mountain, that 'is' on the east of the city. 24 And a spirit hath lifted me up, and bringeth me in to Chaldea, unto the Removed, in a vision, by the Spirit of God, and go up from off me doth the vision that I have seen; 25 and I speak unto the Removed all the matters of Jehovah that He hath shewed me.

Ezekiel Portrays the Removal into Captivity

121 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 2 'Son of man, in the midst of the rebellious house thou art dwelling, that have eyes to see, and they have not seen; ears they have to hear, and they have not heard; for a rebellious house 'are' they. 3 And thou, son of man, make to thee vessels of removal, and remove by day before their eyes, and thou hast removed from thy place unto another place before their eyes, it may be they consider, for a rebellious house they 'are'. 4 And thou hast brought forth thy vessels as vessels of removal by day before their eyes, and thou, thou dost go forth at even before their eyes, as the goings forth of a removal. 5 Before their eyes dig for thee through the wall, and thou hast brought forth by it. 6 Before their eyes on the shoulder thou dost bear, in the darkness thou dost bring forth, thy face thou dost cover, and thou dost not see the earth, for a type I have given thee to the house of Israel.' 7 And I do so, as I have been commanded; my vessels I have brought forth as vessels of removal by day, and at even I have dug for me through the wall with the hand; in the darkness I have brought forth, on the shoulder I have borne away, before their eyes. 8 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, in the morning, saying, 9 'Son of man, have they not said unto thee—the house of Israel—the rebellious house—What art thou doing? 10 say unto them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: 'The prince 'is' this burden in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel who are in their midst. 11 Say: I 'am' your type; as I have done so it is done to them, into a removal, into a captivity, they do go. 12 As to the prince who 'is' in their midst, on the shoulder he beareth in the darkness, and he goeth forth, through the wall they dig to bring forth by it, his face he covereth, that he may not look on the very surface of the land. 13 And I have spread My net for him, and he hath been caught in My snare, and I have brought him in to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, and it he doth not see—and there doth he die. 14 'And all who are round about him to help him, and all his bands, I do scatter to every wind, and a sword I draw out after them. 15 And they have known that I 'am' Jehovah, in My scattering them among nations, and I have spread them through lands; 16 and I have left of them, a few in number, from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence, so that they recount all their abominations among the nations whither they have come, and they have known that I 'am' Jehovah.'

17 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 18 'Son of man, thy bread in haste thou dost eat, and thy water with trembling and with fear thou dost drink; 19 and thou hast said unto the people of the land, Thus said the Lord Jehovah concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, concerning the land of Israel: Their bread with fear they do eat, and their water with astonishment drink, because its land is desolate, because of its fulness, because of the violence of all who are dwelling in it. 20 And the cities that are inhabited are laid waste, and the land is a desolation, and ye have known that I 'am' Jehovah.'

21 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 22 'Son of man, what 'is' this simile to you, concerning the land of Israel, saying, Prolonged are the days, and perished hath every vision? 23 therefore say unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: I have caused this simile to cease, And they use it not as a simile again in Israel, But speak to them: Drawn near have the days, And spoken hath every vision. 24 For there is no more any vain vision, and flattering divination, In the midst of the house of Israel. 25 For I 'am' Jehovah, I speak, The word that I speak—it is done, It is not prolonged any more, For, in your days, O rebellious house, I speak a word, and I have done it, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.' 26 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying: 27 'Son of man, lo, the house of Israel are saying, The vision that he is seeing 'is' for many days, and of times far off he is prophesying, 28 therefore say unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: None of my words are prolonged any more, When I speak a word—it is done, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah!'

False Prophets Condemned

131 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 2 'Son of man, prophesy concerning the prophets of Israel who are prophesying, and thou hast said to those prophesying from their own heart: Hear ye a word of Jehovah: 3 Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Wo unto the prophets who are foolish, Who are going after their own spirit, And they have seen nothing. 4 As foxes in the wastes, Thy prophets, O Israel, have been. 5 Ye have not gone up into breaches, Nor do ye make a fence for the house of Israel, To stand in battle in a day of Jehovah. 6 They have seen vanity, and lying divination, Who are saying: An affirmation of Jehovah, And Jehovah hath not sent them, And they have hoped to establish a word. 7 A vain vision have ye not seen, And a lying divination spoken, When ye say: An affirmation of Jehovah, And I have not spoken? 8 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen a lie, Therefore, lo, I 'am' against you, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah. 9 And My hand hath been on the prophets, Who are seeing vanity, and who are divining a lie, In the assembly of My people they are not, And in the writing of the house of Israel they are not written, And unto the ground of Israel they come not, And ye have known that I 'am' the Lord Jehovah.

10 Because, even because, they did cause My people to err, Saying, Peace! and there is no peace, And that one is building a wall, And lo, they are daubing it with chalk. 11 Say to those daubing with chalk—It falleth, There hath been an overflowing shower, And ye, O hailstones, do fall, And a tempestuous wind doth rend, 12 And lo, fallen hath the wall! Doth not one say unto you, Where 'is' the daubing that ye daubed? 13 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: I have rent with a tempestuous wind in My fury, And an overflowing shower is in Mine anger, And hailstones in My fury—to consume. 14 And I have broken down the wall that ye daubed with chalk, And have caused it to come unto the earth, And revealed hath been its foundation, And it hath fallen, And ye have been consumed in its midst, And ye have known that I 'am' Jehovah. 15 And I have completed My wrath on the wall, And on those daubing it with chalk, And I say to you: The wall is not, And those daubing it are not; 16 The prophets of Israel who are prophesying concerning Jerusalem, And who are seeing for her a vision of peace, And there is no peace, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

17 And thou, son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, who are prophesying out of their own heart, and prophesy concerning them, 18 And thou hast said: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Wo to those sowing pillows for all joints of the arm, And to those making the kerchiefs For the head of every stature—to hunt souls, The souls do ye hunt of My people? And the souls ye have do ye keep alive? 19 Yea, ye pierce Me concerning My people, For handfuls of barley, And for pieces of bread, to put to death Souls that should not die, And to keep alive souls that should not live, By your lying to My people—hearkening to lies. 20 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I 'am' against your pillows, With which ye are hunting there the souls of the flourishing, And I have rent them from off your arms, And have sent away the souls that ye are hunting, The souls of the flourishing. 21 And I have torn your kerchiefs, And delivered My people out of your hand, And they are no more in your hand for a prey, And ye have known that I 'am' Jehovah. 22 Because of paining the heart of the righteous with falsehood, And I have not pained it, And strengthening the hands of the wicked, So as not to turn back from his evil way, To keep him alive, 23 Therefore, vanity ye do not see, And divination ye do not divine again, And I have delivered My people out of your hand, And ye have known that I 'am' Jehovah!'

Salutation

11 James, of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ a servant, to the Twelve Tribes who are in the dispersion: Hail!

Faith and Humility

2 All joy count 'it', my brethren, when ye may fall into temptations manifold; 3 knowing that the proof of your faith doth work endurance, 4 and let the endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire—in nothing lacking; 5 and if any of you do lack wisdom, let him ask from God, who is giving to all liberally, and not reproaching, and it shall be given to him; 6 and let him ask in faith, nothing doubting, for he who is doubting hath been like a wave of the sea, driven by wind and tossed, 7 for let not that man suppose that he shall receive anything from the Lord— 8 a two-souled man 'is' unstable in all his ways. 9 And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his becoming low, because as a flower of grass he shall pass away; 11 for the sun did rise with the burning heat, and did wither the grass, and the flower of it fell, and the grace of its appearance did perish, so also the rich in his way shall fade away!

Trial and Temptation

12 Happy the man who doth endure temptation, because, becoming approved, he shall receive the crown of the life, which the Lord did promise to those loving Him.

13 Let no one say, being tempted—'From God I am tempted,' for God is not tempted of evil, and Himself doth tempt no one, 14 and each one is tempted, by his own desires being led away and enticed, 15 afterward the desire having conceived, doth give birth to sin, and the sin having been perfected, doth bring forth death. 16 Be not led astray, my brethren beloved; 17 every good giving, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of turning; 18 having counselled, He did beget us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit of His creatures.

Hearing and Doing the Word

19 So then, my brethren beloved, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, 20 for the wrath of a man the righteousness of God doth not work; 21 wherefore having put aside all filthiness and superabundance of evil, in meekness be receiving the engrafted word, that is able to save your souls; 22 and become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves, 23 because, if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one hath been like to a man viewing his natural face in a mirror, 24 for he did view himself, and hath gone away, and immediately he did forget of what kind he was; 25 and he who did look into the perfect law—that of liberty, and did continue there, this one—not a forgetful hearer becoming, but a doer of work—this one shall be happy in his doing. 26 If any one doth think to be religious among you, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, of this one vain 'is' the religion; 27 religion pure and undefiled with the God and Father is this, to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation—unspotted to keep himself from the world.