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NOVEMBER 11
peace for her when there is no peace,’ ” says I the LORD will answer him by Myself. I will
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the Lord GOD. set My face against that man and make him a
17 “Likewise, son of man, set your face against sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from
the daughters of your people, who prophesy the midst of My people. Then you shall know
out of their own heart; prophesy against them, that I am the LORD.
18 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Woe to 9 “And if the prophet is induced to speak any-
the women who sew magic charms on their thing, I the LORD have induced that prophet,
sleeves and make veils for the heads of people and I will stretch out My hand against him and
of every height to hunt souls! Will you hunt destroy him from among My people Israel.
the souls of My people, and keep yourselves 10 And they shall bear their iniquity; the pun-
alive? And will you profane Me among My ishment of the prophet shall be the same as the
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people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of punishment of the one who inquired, that the
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bread, killing people who should not die, and house of Israel may no longer stray from Me,
keeping people alive who should not live, by nor be profaned anymore with all their trans-
your lying to My people who listen to lies?” gressions, but that they may be My people and
20 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Be- I may be their God,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”
hold, I am against your magic charms by which 12 The word of the LORD came again to me,
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you hunt souls there like birds. I will tear them saying: “Son of man, when a land sins against
from your arms, and let the souls go, the souls Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch
you hunt like birds. I will also tear off your out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply
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veils and deliver My people out of your hand, of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man
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and they shall no longer be as prey in your and beast from it. Even if these three men,
hand. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would
22 “Because with lies you have made the deliver only themselves by their righteous-
heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not ness,” says the Lord GOD.
made sad; and you have strengthened the 15 “If I cause wild beasts to pass through the
hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn land, and they empty it, and make it so deso-
from his wicked way to save his life. There- late that no man may pass through because of
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fore you shall no longer envision futility nor the beasts, even though these three men were
practice divination; for I will deliver My people in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would
out of your hand, and you shall know that I am deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they
the LORD.”’” would be delivered, and the land would be
Now some of the elders of Israel came to desolate.
14 me and sat before me. And the word of 17 “Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say,
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the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and I cut off man
these men have set up their idols in their and beast from it, even though these three men
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hearts, and put before them that which causes were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they
them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let
Myself be inquired of at all by them?
4 “Therefore speak to them, and say to them,
‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Everyone of the 14:14–20 Noah, Daniel, and Job. Jeremiah
house of Israel who sets up his idols in his 7:16 and 15:1–4 provide a close parallel to this
heart, and puts before him what causes him to passage. According to Jeremiah, even Moses
stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the and Samuel, well known for their power in
prophet, I the LORD will answer him who comes, intercessory prayer,would not prevail to deliv-
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according to the multitude of his idols, that I er Jerusalem and the people. The 3 Old
may seize the house of Israel by their heart, Testament heroes mentioned in this section
because they are all estranged from Me by exhibited power in intercession on behalf of
their idols.” ’ others (Gen. 6:18; Job 42:7–10; Dan. 1; 2) at
6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus strategic points in redemptive history, and
says the Lord GOD: “Repent, turn away from even they could not deliver anyone but them-
your idols, and turn your faces away from all selves if they were there praying earnestly.
your abominations. For anyone of the house of Even the presence and prayers of the godly
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Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, could not stop the coming judgment. Genesis
who separates himself from Me and sets up his 18:22–32 and Jeremiah 5:1–4 provide rare
idols in his heart and puts before him what exceptions to the principle that one man’s
causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes righteousness is no protection for others.
to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me,

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