Ezekiel 30
Woe to Egypt and Her Allies
1 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,†
2 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Woe, woe be the day!
3 For the day of the Lord is near. It shall be the end of the nations.
4 The sword will come upon the Egyptians, and there shall be trouble in Ethiopia. The wounded will fall in Egypt, and her foundations shall collapse.
5 Persians, Cretans, Lydians, Libyans, and all the mixed multitude, and all the children of the covenant shall fall by the sword therein.”
6 ‘Thus says the Lord: “The supports of Egypt will fall, and the insolence of her strength will come down. From Migdol to Syene, they shall fall by the sword therein,” says the Lord.
7 “So they shall be wasted in the midst of desolate countries, and their cities shall be wasted in the midst of desolate cities.
8 Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I set Egypt on fire and crush all those who help it.
9 In that day messengers shall go forth, hurrying to destroy Ethiopia, and there will be trouble among them in the day of Egypt; for behold, it is coming.”
10 ‘Thus says the Lord and Master: “I shall destroy a multitude of the Egyptians by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
11 His hand and the hand of his people, they are the plague of the nations, sent to destroy the land. They will unsheathe all their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain.
12 I shall make their rivers deserts, and I will destroy the land and its fullness by the hands of foreigners. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
13 ‘For thus says the Lord and Master: “I shall also destroy the men of high status from Memphis, and the rulers of Memphis from the land of Egypt; and they shall be no more.
14 I shall destroy the land of Pathros, and set Tanis on fire, and exact vengeance on Diospolis.
15 I will pour out My anger on Sais, the strength of Egypt, and I will destroy the multitude of Memphis,
16 and set Egypt on fire. Syene will be greatly troubled, there shall be a rupture in Diospolis, and there will be flooding waters.
17 The youth of Heliopolis and Bubastum shall fall by the sword, and the women will go into captivity.
18 At Taphnae, the day will be darkened, when there I break to pieces the kingly powers of Egypt, and there the insolence of her strength shall perish. A cloud will cover her, and her daughters shall be taken prisoners.
19 Thus I shall execute judgment on Egypt, for they shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”
Pharaoh Punished by Babylon
20 Again it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
21 “Son of man, I have broken the arms of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and, behold, it has not been bound up to be healed, and no plaster applied to make it strong enough to hold a sword.
22 Therefore thus says the Lord and Master: ‘I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break his strong and outstretched arms, and throw down his sword from his hand.
23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them as chaff throughout the countries.
24 I shall strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword into his hand. I shall bring it upon Egypt, and he shall plunder and take spoils from it.
25 Thus I shall strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt.
26 So I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them as chaff throughout the countries. Then all will know that I am the Lord.’ ”
Psalms 127
1 An ode of ascents. Blessed are all who fear the Lord, Who walk in His ways.
2 You shall eat the fruits of your labor; You are blessed, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a vine, prospering on the sides of your house; Your children like newly planted olive trees Around your table.
4 Behold, so shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.
5 May the Lord bless you from Zion, And may you see the good things of Jerusalem All the days of your life;
6 May you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel.
Psalms 128
1 An ode of ascents. “Many times they warred against me from my youth,” Let Israel now say;
2 “Many times they warred against me from my youth, Yet they did not overcome me.
3 The sinners schemed behind my back; They prolonged their lawlessness.”
4 The righteous Lord cut in pieces the necks of sinners.
5 Let all who hate Zion Be shamed and turned back.
6 Let them become like grass on the housetops, Which withers before it is plucked up;
7 Like grass with which the reaper does not fill his hand, Nor the gatherer of sheaves, his bosom;
8 Neither do those who pass by say to them, “The Lord’s blessing be upon you; In the Lord’s name, we bless you.”
Proverbs of Solomon 28
The Lawful and the Lawless
1 An ungodly man flees when no one is pursuing, But a righteous man is confident as a lion.†
2 Condemnations arise because of the sins of the ungodly, But an astute man quenches them.†
3 A bold man harasses the poor with ungodliness. As a driving and unprofitable rain,
4 So those who forsake the law praise ungodliness, But those who love the law surround themselves with a wall.
5 Evil men do not understand judgment, But those who seek the Lord shall understand it in everything.†
2 John 1
Greeting and Benediction
1 The Elder, To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth,†
2 because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:
3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.†
Follow the Law of Love
4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.†
5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another.
6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.
Beware of Deceiving Heretics
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.†
8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.
9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.†
10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him;†
11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.
John’s Plans and Farewell
12 Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
13 The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.†