Ezekiel 12:1-28

(1)  The word of the LORD came to me:

(2)  "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house.

(3)  As for you, son of man, prepare for yourself an exile's baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight. You shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.

(4)  You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for exile, and you shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as those do who must go into exile.

(5)  In their sight dig through the wall, and bring your baggage out through it.

(6)  In their sight you shall lift the baggage upon your shoulder and carry it out at dusk. You shall cover your face that you may not see the land, for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel."

(7)  And I did as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands. I brought out my baggage at dusk, carrying it on my shoulder in their sight.

(8)  In the morning the word of the LORD came to me:

(9)  "Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, 'What are you doing?'

(10)  Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are in it.'

(11)  Say, 'I am a sign for you: as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They shall go into exile, into captivity.'

(12)  And the prince who is among them shall lift his baggage upon his shoulder at dusk, and shall go out. They shall dig through the wall to bring him out through it. He shall cover his face, that he may not see the land with his eyes.

(13)  And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. And I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he shall not see it, and he shall die there.

(14)  And I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops, and I will unsheathe the sword after them.

(15)  And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries.

(16)  But I will let a few of them escape from the sword, from famine and pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they go, and may know that I am the LORD."

(17)  And the word of the LORD came to me:

(18)  "Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink water with trembling and with anxiety.

(19)  And say to the people of the land, Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink water in dismay. In this way her land will be stripped of all it contains, on account of the violence of all those who dwell in it.

(20)  And the inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall become a desolation; and you shall know that I am the LORD."

(21)  And the word of the LORD came to me:

(22)  "Son of man, what is this proverb that you have about the land of Israel, saying, 'The days grow long, and every vision comes to nothing'?

(23)  Tell them therefore, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: I will put an end to this proverb, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.' But say to them, The days are near, and the fulfillment of every vision.

(24)  For there shall be no more any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel.

(25)  For I am the LORD; I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, but in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it, declares the Lord GOD."

(26)  And the word of the LORD came to me:

(27)  "Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, 'The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.'

(28)  Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be performed, declares the Lord GOD."

Revelation 21:1-27

(1)  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

(2)  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

(3)  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

(4)  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

(5)  And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

(6)  And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

(7)  The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

(8)  But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

(9)  Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb."

(10)  And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,

(11)  having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

(12)  It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed--

(13)  on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.

(14)  And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

(15)  And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls.

(16)  The city lies foursquare; its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal.

(17)  He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement.

(18)  The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass.

(19)  The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,

(20)  the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.

(21)  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.

(22)  And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.

(23)  And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

(24)  By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,

(25)  and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there.

(26)  They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.

(27)  But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

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