NKJV Bible in 365 Days
August
The Parable of Jerusalem's Unfaithfulness — August 1
Ezekiel 16-18
Ezekiel 16
1 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 365N 213.1
2 “Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, 365N 213.2
3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: “Your [a] birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 365N 213.3
4 As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. 365N 213.4
5 No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were [b] loathed on the day you were born. 365N 213.5
6 “And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ 365N 213.6
7 I made you [c] thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare. 365N 213.7
8 “When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread [d] My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord God . 365N 213.8
9 “Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. 365N 213.9
10 I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of [e] badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. 365N 213.10
11 I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. 365N 213.11
12 And I put a [f] jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 365N 213.12
13 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. 365N 213.13
14 Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,” says the Lord God . 365N 213.14
15 “But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it. 365N 213.15
16 You took some of your garments and adorned multicolored [g] high places for yourself, and played the harlot on them. Such things should not happen, nor be. 365N 213.16
17 You have also taken your beautiful jewelry from My gold and My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images and played the harlot with them. 365N 213.17
18 You took your embroidered garments and covered them, and you set My oil and My incense before them. 365N 213.18
19 Also My food which I gave you—the pastry of fine flour, oil, and honey which I fed you—you set it before them as [h] sweet incense; and so it was,” says the Lord God . 365N 213.19
20 “Moreover you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a small matter, 365N 213.20
21 that you have slain My children and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire? 365N 213.21
22 And in all your abominations and acts of harlotry you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, struggling in your blood. 365N 213.22
23 “Then it was so, after all your wickedness—‘Woe, woe to you!’ says the Lord God — 365N 213.23
24 that you also built for yourself a shrine, and made a [i] high place for yourself in every street. 365N 213.24
25 You built your high places at the head of every road, and made your beauty to be abhorred. You offered yourself to everyone who passed by, and multiplied your acts of harlotry. 365N 213.25
26 You also committed harlotry with the Egyptians, your very fleshly neighbors, and increased your acts of harlotry to provoke Me to anger. 365N 213.26
27 “Behold, therefore, I stretched out My hand against you, diminished your [j] allotment, and gave you up to the will of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior. 365N 213.27
28 You also played the harlot with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable; indeed you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied. 365N 213.28
29 Moreover you multiplied your acts of harlotry as far as the land of the trader, Chaldea; and even then you were not satisfied. 365N 213.29
30 “How degenerate is your heart!” says the Lord God , “seeing you do all these things, the deeds of a brazen harlot. 365N 213.30
31 “You erected your shrine at the head of every road, and built your [k] high place in every street. Yet you were not like a harlot, because you scorned payment. 365N 213.31
32 You are an adulterous wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband. 365N 213.32
33 Men make payment to all harlots, but you made your payments to all your lovers, and [l] hired them to come to you from all around for your harlotry. 365N 213.33
34 You are the opposite of other women in your harlotry, because no one solicited you to be a harlot. In that you gave payment but no payment was given you, therefore you are the opposite.” 365N 213.34
35 ‘Now then, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord ! 365N 213.35
36 Thus says the Lord God : “Because your filthiness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your harlotry with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your children which you gave to them, 365N 213.36
37 surely, therefore, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved, and all those you hated; I will gather them from all around against you and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness. 365N 213.37
38 And I will judge you as women who break wedlock or shed blood are judged; I will bring blood upon you in fury and jealousy. 365N 213.38
39 I will also give you into their hand, and they shall throw down your shrines and break down your [m] high places. They shall also strip you of your clothes, take your beautiful jewelry, and leave you naked and bare. 365N 213.39
40 “They shall also bring up an assembly against you, and they shall stone you with stones and thrust you through with their swords. 365N 213.40
41 They shall burn your houses with fire, and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women; and I will make you cease playing the harlot, and you shall no longer hire lovers. 365N 213.41
42 So I will lay to rest My fury toward you, and My jealousy shall depart from you. I will be quiet, and be angry no more. 365N 213.42
43 Because you did not remember the days of your youth, but [n] agitated Me with all these things, surely I will also recompense your [o] deeds on your own head,” says the Lord God . “And you shall not commit lewdness in addition to all your abominations. 365N 213.43
44 “Indeed everyone who quotes proverbs will use this proverb against you: ‘Like mother, like daughter!’ 365N 213.44
45 You are your mother’s daughter, [p] loathing husband and children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children; your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. 365N 213.45
46 “Your elder sister is Samaria, who dwells with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who dwells to the south of you, is Sodom and her daughters. 365N 213.46
47 You did not walk in their ways nor act according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you became more corrupt than they in all your ways. 365N 213.47
48 “ As I live,” says the Lord God , “neither your sister Sodom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done. 365N 213.48
49 Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 365N 213.49
50 And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as [q] I saw fit. 365N 213.50
51 “Samaria did not commit half of your sins; but you have multiplied your abominations more than they, and have justified your sisters by all the abominations which you have done. 365N 213.51
52 You who judged your sisters, bear your own shame also, because the sins which you committed were more abominable than theirs; they are more righteous than you. Yes, be disgraced also, and bear your own shame, because you justified your sisters. 365N 213.52
53 “When I bring back their captives, the captives of Sodom and her daughters, and the captives of Samaria and her daughters, then I will also bring back the captives of your captivity among them, 365N 213.53
54 that you may bear your own shame and be disgraced by all that you did when you comforted them. 365N 213.54
55 When your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters return to their former state, then you and your daughters will return to your former state. 365N 213.55
56 For your sister Sodom was not a byword in your mouth in the days of your pride, 365N 213.56
57 before your wickedness was uncovered. It was like the time of the reproach of the daughters of [r] Syria and all those around her, and of the daughters of the Philistines, who despise you everywhere. 365N 213.57
58 You have paid for your lewdness and your abominations,” says the Lord . 365N 213.58
59 For thus says the Lord God : “I will deal with you as you have done, who despised the oath by breaking the covenant. 365N 213.59
60 “Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. 365N 213.60
61 Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed, when you receive your older and your younger sisters; for I will give them to you for daughters, but not because of My covenant with you. 365N 213.61
62 And I will establish My covenant with you. Then you shall know that I am the Lord , 365N 213.62
63 that you may remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you an atonement for all you have done,” says the Lord God .’ ” 365N 213.63
Ezekiel 17
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 365N 213.64
2 “Son of man, pose a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel, 365N 213.65
3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God : “A great eagle with large wings and long pinions, Full of feathers of various colors, Came to Lebanon And took from the cedar the highest branch. 365N 213.66
4 He cropped off its topmost young twig And carried it to a land of trade; He set it in a city of merchants. 365N 213.67
5 Then he took some of the seed of the land And planted it in a fertile field; He placed it by abundant waters And set it like a willow tree. 365N 213.68
6 And it grew and became a spreading vine of low stature; Its branches turned toward him, But its roots were under it. So it became a vine, Brought forth branches, And put forth shoots. 365N 213.69
7 “But there was [a] another great eagle with large wings and many feathers; And behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, And stretched its branches toward him, From the garden terrace where it had been planted, That he might water it. 365N 213.70
8 It was planted in [b] good soil by many waters, To bring forth branches, bear fruit, And become a majestic vine.” ’ 365N 213.71
9 “Say, ‘Thus says the Lord God : “Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots, Cut off its fruit, And leave it to wither? All of its spring leaves will wither, And no great power or many people Will be needed to pluck it up by its roots. 365N 213.72
10 Behold, it is planted, Will it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It will wither in the garden terrace where it grew.” ’ ” 365N 213.73
11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 365N 213.74
12 “Say now to the rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean? ’ Tell them, ‘Indeed the king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and took its king and princes, and led them with him to Babylon. 365N 213.75
13 And he took the king’s offspring, made a covenant with him, and put him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land, 365N 213.76
14 that the kingdom might be brought low and not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand. 365N 213.77
15 But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still be delivered? 365N 213.78
16 ‘ As I live,’ says the Lord God , ‘surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke—with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. 365N 213.79
17 Nor will Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company do anything in the war, when they heap up a siege mound and build a [c] wall to cut off many persons. 365N 213.80
18 Since he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and in fact gave [d] his hand and still did all these things, he shall not escape.’ ” 365N 213.81
19 Therefore thus says the Lord God : “ As I live, surely My oath which he despised, and My covenant which he broke, I will recompense on his own head. 365N 213.82
20 I will spread My net over him, and he shall be taken in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and try him there for the [e] treason which he committed against Me. 365N 213.83
21 All his [f] fugitives with all his troops shall fall by the sword, and those who remain shall be scattered to every wind; and you shall know that I, the Lord , have spoken.” 365N 213.84
22 Thus says the Lord God : “I will take also one of the highest branches of the high cedar and set it out. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and will plant it on a high and prominent mountain. 365N 213.85
23 On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. Under it will dwell birds of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell. 365N 213.86
24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord , have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; I, the Lord , have spoken and have done it. ” 365N 213.87
Ezekiel 18
1 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 365N 213.88
2 “What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge’? 365N 213.89
3 “ As I live,” says the Lord God , “you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel. 365N 213.90
4 “Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die. 365N 213.91
5 But if a man is just And does what is lawful and right; 365N 213.92
6 If he has not eaten [a] on the mountains, Nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife, Nor approached a woman during her impurity; 365N 213.93
7 If he has not oppressed anyone, But has restored to the debtor his pledge; Has robbed no one by violence, But has given his bread to the hungry And covered the naked with clothing; 365N 213.94
8 If he has not [b] exacted usury Nor taken any increase, But has withdrawn his hand from iniquity And executed true [c] judgment between man and man; 365N 213.95
9 If he has walked in My statutes And kept My judgments faithfully— He is just; He shall surely live!” Says the Lord God . 365N 213.96
10 “If he begets a son who is a robber Or a shedder of blood, Who does any of these things 365N 213.97
11 And does none of those duties, But has eaten [d] on the mountains Or defiled his neighbor’s wife; 365N 213.98
12 If he has oppressed the poor and needy, Robbed by violence, Not restored the pledge, Lifted his eyes to the idols, Or committed abomination; 365N 213.99
13 If he has exacted usury Or taken increase— Shall he then live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, He shall surely die; His blood shall be upon him. 365N 213.100
14 “ If, however, he begets a son Who sees all the sins which his father has done, And considers but does not do likewise; 365N 213.101
15 Who has not eaten [e] on the mountains, Nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife; 365N 213.102
16 Has not oppressed anyone, Nor withheld a pledge, Nor robbed by violence, But has given his bread to the hungry And covered the naked with clothing; 365N 213.103
17 Who has withdrawn his hand from [f] the poor And not received usury or increase, But has executed My judgments And walked in My statutes— He shall not die for the iniquity of his father; He shall surely live! 365N 213.104
18 “ As for his father, Because he cruelly oppressed, Robbed his brother by violence, And did what is not good among his people, Behold, he shall die for his iniquity. 365N 213.105
19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. 365N 213.106
20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. 365N 213.107
21 “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 365N 213.108
22 None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. 365N 213.109
23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God , “ and not that he should turn from his ways and live? 365N 213.110
24 “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die. 365N 213.111
25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? 365N 213.112
26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. 365N 213.113
27 Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. 365N 213.114
28 Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 365N 213.115
29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair? 365N 213.116
30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God . “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. 365N 213.117
31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 365N 213.118
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God . “Therefore turn and live!” 365N 213.119