Ezekiel 4

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The Siege of Jerusalem Symbolized

“And you, son of man, take a brick and lay it before you, and engrave on it a city, even Jerusalem. 2 And put siegeworks against it, and build a siege wall against it, and cast up a mound against it. Set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against it all around. 3 And you, take an iron griddle, and place it as an iron wall between you and the city; and set your face toward it, and let it be in a state of siege, and press the siege against it. This is a sign for the house of Israel. 4 “Then lie on your left side, and place the punishment of the house of Israel upon it. For the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their punishment. 5 For I assign to you a number of days, 390 days, equal to the number of the years of their punishment. So long shall you bear the punishment of the house of Israel. 6 And when you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the punishment of the house of Judah. Forty days I assign you, a day for each year. 7 And you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm bared, and you shall prophesy against the city. 8 And behold, I will place cords upon you, so that you cannot turn from one side to the other, till you have completed the days of your siege. 9 “And you, take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and emmer, and put them into a single vessel and make your bread from them. During the number of days that you lie on your side, 390 days, you shall eat it. 10 And your food that you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; from day to day you shall eat it. 11 And water you shall drink by measure, the sixth part of a hin; from day to day you shall drink. 12 And you shall eat it as a barley cake, baking it in their sight on human dung.” 13 And the Lord said, “Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them.” 14 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I have never defiled myself. From my youth up till now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has tainted meat come into my mouth.” 15 Then he said to me, “See, I assign to you cow’s dung instead of human dung, on which you may prepare your bread.” 16 Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, behold, I will break the supply of bread in Jerusalem. They shall eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and they shall drink water by measure and in dismay. 17 I will do this that they may lack bread and water, and look at one another in dismay, and rot away because of their punishment.

Psalm 101

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I Will Walk with Integrity

A Psalm of David.

I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.
2
I will ponder the way that is blameless.
Oh when will you come to me?
I will walk with integrity of heart
within my house;
3
I will not set before my eyes
anything that is worthless.
I hate the work of those who fall away;
it shall not cling to me.
4
A perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will know nothing of evil.

5
Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly
I will destroy.
Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart
I will not endure.

6
I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
he who walks in the way that is blameless
shall minister to me.

7
No one who practices deceit
shall dwell in my house;
no one who utters lies
shall continue before my eyes.

8
Morning by morning I will destroy
all the wicked in the land,
cutting off all the evildoers
from the city of the Lord.

Psalm 102

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Do Not Hide Your Face from Me

A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord.

Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry come to you!
2
Do not hide your face from me
in the day of my distress!
Incline your ear to me;
answer me speedily in the day when I call!

3
For my days pass away like smoke,
and my bones burn like a furnace.
4
My heart is struck down like grass and has withered;
I forget to eat my bread.
5
Because of my loud groaning
my bones cling to my flesh.
6
I am like a desert owl of the wilderness,
like an owl of the waste places;
7
I lie awake;
I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.
8
All the day my enemies taunt me;
those who deride me use my name for a curse.
9
For I eat ashes like bread
and mingle tears with my drink,
10
because of your indignation and anger;
for you have taken me up and thrown me down.
11
My days are like an evening shadow;
I wither away like grass.

12
But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever;
you are remembered throughout all generations.
13
You will arise and have pity on Zion;
it is the time to favor her;
the appointed time has come.
14
For your servants hold her stones dear
and have pity on her dust.
15
Nations will fear the name of the Lord,
and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory.
16
For the Lord builds up Zion;
he appears in his glory;
17
he regards the prayer of the destitute
and does not despise their prayer.

18
Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord:
19
that he looked down from his holy height;
from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
20
to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to set free those who were doomed to die,
21
that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord,
and in Jerusalem his praise,
22
when peoples gather together,
and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.

23
He has broken my strength in midcourse;
he has shortened my days.
24
“O my God,” I say, “take me not away
in the midst of my days⁠—
you whose years endure
throughout all generations!”

25
Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26
They will perish, but you will remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
27
but you are the same, and your years have no end.
28
The children of your servants shall dwell secure;
their offspring shall be established before you.

Proverbs 3

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Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart


My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
2
for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.

3
Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4
So you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man.

5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
7
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
8
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.

9
Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
10
then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.

11
My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
12
for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.

Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom


13
Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding,
14
for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
and her profit better than gold.
15
She is more precious than jewels,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
16
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
17
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
18
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called blessed.

19
The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding he established the heavens;
20
by his knowledge the deeps broke open,
and the clouds drop down the dew.

21
My son, do not lose sight of these⁠—
keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22
and they will be life for your soul
and adornment for your neck.
23
Then you will walk on your way securely,
and your foot will not stumble.
24
If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25
Do not be afraid of sudden terror
or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,
26
for the Lord will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being caught.
27
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to do it.

28
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
tomorrow I will give it”⁠—when you have it with you.
29
Do not plan evil against your neighbor,
who dwells trustingly beside you.
30
Do not contend with a man for no reason,
when he has done you no harm.
31
Do not envy a man of violence
and do not choose any of his ways,
32
for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord,
but the upright are in his confidence.
33
The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
34
Toward the scorners he is scornful,
but to the humble he gives favor.
35
The wise will inherit honor,
but fools get disgrace.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.