November 14th - Day 318

Ezekiel 29-30:26



Ezekiel 29

A Prophecy Against Egypt

1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. 3 Speak to him and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

" 'I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,

you great monster lying among your streams.

You say, "The Nile is mine;

I made it for myself."

4 But I will put hooks in your jaws

and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales.

I will pull you out from among your streams,

with all the fish sticking to your scales.

5 I will leave you in the desert,

you and all the fish of your streams.

You will fall on the open field

and not be gathered or picked up.

I will give you as food

to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the air.

6 Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the LORD.

" 'You have been a staff of reed for the house of Israel. 7 When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched. [a]

8 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will bring a sword against you and kill your men and their animals. 9 Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

" 'Because you said, "The Nile is mine; I made it," 10 therefore I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and a desolate waste from Migdol to Aswan, as far as the border of Cush. [b] 11 No foot of man or animal will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years. 12 I will make the land of Egypt desolate among devastated lands, and her cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.

13 " 'Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered. 14 I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt, [c] the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly kingdom. 15 It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations. I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations. 16 Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence for the people of Israel but will be a reminder of their sin in turning to her for help. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.' "

17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of the LORD came to me: 18 "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare and every shoulder made raw. Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre. 19 Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder the land as pay for his army. 20 I have given him Egypt as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign LORD.

21 "On that day I will make a horn [d] grow for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD."

Ezekiel 30

A Lament for Egypt

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

" 'Wail and say,

"Alas for that day!"

3 For the day is near,

the day of the LORD is near—

a day of clouds,

a time of doom for the nations.

4 A sword will come against Egypt,

and anguish will come upon Cush. [e]

When the slain fall in Egypt,

her wealth will be carried away

and her foundations torn down.

5 Cush and Put, Lydia and all Arabia, Libya [f] and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.

6 " 'This is what the LORD says:

" 'The allies of Egypt will fall

and her proud strength will fail.

From Migdol to Aswan

they will fall by the sword within her,

declares the Sovereign LORD.

7 " 'They will be desolate

among desolate lands,

and their cities will lie

among ruined cities.

8 Then they will know that I am the LORD,

when I set fire to Egypt

and all her helpers are crushed.

9 " 'On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day of Egypt's doom, for it is sure to come.

10 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

" 'I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt

by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

11 He and his army—the most ruthless of nations—

will be brought in to destroy the land.

They will draw their swords against Egypt

and fill the land with the slain.

12 I will dry up the streams of the Nile

and sell the land to evil men;

by the hand of foreigners

I will lay waste the land and everything in it.

I the LORD have spoken.

13 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

" 'I will destroy the idols

and put an end to the images in Memphis. [g]

No longer will there be a prince in Egypt,

and I will spread fear throughout the land.

14 I will lay waste Upper Egypt, [h]

set fire to Zoan

and inflict punishment on Thebes. [i]

15 I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium, [j]

the stronghold of Egypt,

and cut off the hordes of Thebes.

16 I will set fire to Egypt;

Pelusium will writhe in agony.

Thebes will be taken by storm;

Memphis will be in constant distress.

17 The young men of Heliopolis [k] and Bubastis [l]

will fall by the sword,

and the cities themselves will go into captivity.

18 Dark will be the day at Tahpanhes

when I break the yoke of Egypt;

there her proud strength will come to an end.

She will be covered with clouds,

and her villages will go into captivity.

19 So I will inflict punishment on Egypt,

and they will know that I am the LORD.' "

20 In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the LORD came to me: 21 "Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. It has not been bound up for healing or put in a splint so as to become strong enough to hold a sword. 22 Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand. 23 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. 24 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man. 25 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt. 26 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the LORD."

Footnotes:

1. Ezekiel 29:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint and Vulgate Hebrew and you caused their backs to stand
   
2. Ezekiel 29:10 That is, the upper Nile region
   
3. Ezekiel 29:14 Hebrew to Pathros
   
4. Ezekiel 29:21 Horn here symbolizes strength.
   
5. Ezekiel 30:4 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verses 5 and
   
6. Ezekiel 30:5 Hebrew Cub
   
7. Ezekiel 30:13 Hebrew Noph ; also in verse 16
   
8. Ezekiel 30:14 Hebrew waste Pathros
   
9. Ezekiel 30:14 Hebrew No ; also in verses 15 and 16
   
10. Ezekiel 30:15 Hebrew Sin ; also in verse 16
    
11. Ezekiel 30:17 Hebrew Awen (or On)
    
12. Ezekiel 30:17 Hebrew Pi Beseth

Hebrews 11:32-12:13



32And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37They were stoned[a]; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Hebrews 12

God Disciplines His Sons

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,

and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

6because the Lord disciplines those he loves,

and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."[b]

7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet,"[c] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Footnotes:

1. Hebrews 11:37 Some early manuscripts stoned; they were put to the test;
   
2. Hebrews 12:6 Prov. 3:11,12
   
3. Hebrews 12:13 Prov. 4:26

Psalm 112:1-10



Psalm 112

1[a] Praise the LORD. [b]

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,

who finds great delight in his commands.

2 His children will be mighty in the land;

the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches are in his house,

and his righteousness endures forever.

4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,

for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. [c]

5 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,

who conducts his affairs with justice.

6 Surely he will never be shaken;

a righteous man will be remembered forever.

7 He will have no fear of bad news;

his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear;

in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

9 He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,

his righteousness endures forever;

his horn [d] will be lifted high in honor.

10 The wicked man will see and be vexed,

he will gnash his teeth and waste away;

the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 112:1 Chapter 112 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the lines of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
   
2. Psalm 112:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
   
3. Psalm 112:4 Or / for the LORD is gracious and compassionate and righteous
   
4. Psalm 112:9 Horn here symbolizes dignity.

Proverbs 27:17



17 As iron sharpens iron,

so one man sharpens another.