“Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel, ‘The days pass slowly, and every vision fails’?

&#8220;Son of man, of all the woody branches among the trees of the forest, what happens to the wood of the vine?<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;How sick is your heart, declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>, when you perform all of these acts, the deeds of a bold prostitute.

&#8220;What do you mean by quoting this proverb concerning the land of Israel,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;&#8216;The fathers eat sour grapesp> <p class="poetry">And the children&#8217;s teeth become numb?&#8217;<n id="1" />p>

Throw away all your sins you have committed and fashion yourselves a new heart and a new spirit!<n id="1" /> Why should you die, O house of Israel?

So I said to them, What is this high place you go to?&#8217;&#8221; (So it is called &#8220;High Place&#8221;<n id="1" /> to this day.)p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;For testing will come, and what will happen when the scepter, which the sword despises, is no more?<n id="1" /> declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>.&#8217;p>

He said, &#8220;Do you know why I have come to you?<n id="1" /> Now I am about to return to engage in battle with the prince of Persia. When I go, the prince of Greece is coming.

<t /><p class="poetry">Very soon they will say, &#8220;We have no kingp> <p class="poetry">since we did not fear the <sc>Lordsc>.p> <p class="poetry">But what can a king do for us anyway?&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">O Ephraim, I do not want to have anything to do<n id="1" /> with idols anymore!p> <p class="poetry">I will answer him and care for him.p> <p class="poetry">I am like<n id="2" /> a luxuriant cypress tree; <n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">your fruitfulness comes from me!<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Listen to the cattle groan!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The herds of livestock wander around in confusion<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because they have no pasture.p> <p class="poetry">Even the flocks of sheep are suffering.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Woe<n id="1" /> to those who wish for the day of the <sc>Lord!sc>p> <p class="poetry">Why do you want the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s day of judgment to come?p> <p class="poetry">It will bring darkness, not light.p>

<p class="poetry">Jerusalem, why are you<n id="1" /> now shouting so loudly?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Has your king disappeared?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Has your wise leader<n id="4" /> been destroyed?p> <p class="poetry">Is this why<n id="5" /> pain grips<n id="6" /> you as if you were a woman in labor?p>

<p class="poetry">You are too just<n id="1" /> to tolerate<n id="2" /> evil;p> <p class="poetry">you are unable to condone<n id="3" /> wrongdoing.p> <p class="poetry">So why do you put up with such treacherous people?<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour<n id="5" /> those more righteous than they are?<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">What good<n id="1" /> is an idol? Why would a craftsman make it?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">What good is a metal image that gives misleading oracles?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Why would its creator place his trust in it<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and make<n id="5" /> such mute, worthless things?p>

He replied, &#8220;Don&#8217;t you know what these are?&#8221; So I responded, &#8220;No, sir.&#8221;

Before he could reply I asked again, &#8220;What are these two extensions<n id="1" /> of the olive trees, which are emptying out the golden oil through the two golden pipes?&#8221;

Someone asked me, &#8220;What do you see?&#8221; I replied, &#8220;I see a flying scroll thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide.&#8221;<n id="1" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">After this the angelic messenger<n id="1" /> who had been speaking to me went out and said, &#8220;Look, see what is leaving.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;I have shown love to you,&#8221; says the <sc>Lord,sc> but you say, &#8220;How have you shown love to us?&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">&#8220;Esau was Jacob&#8217;s brother,&#8221; the <sc>Lordsc> explains, &#8220;yet I chose Jacob