EZK 31-33 edits/corrections

26-EZK.usfm

@@ -2109,7 +2109,7 @@
 \q2 Well, Assyria was like a tall cedar tree in Lebanon;
 \q1 it had big beautiful branches
 \q2 that provided shade for other trees in the forest.
-\q1 It was very tall;
+\q1 It was very tall,
 \q2 and the branches of the tallest trees made a treetop that was a roof over the forest.
 \q1
 \v 4 Water came to it from deep springs,
@@ -2153,26 +2153,26 @@
 
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 \v 13 Birds of the sky settled on the fallen tree, and wild animals lived among its branches.
-\v 14 As a result, no other tree, even if the tree has plenty of water, will ever grow to such great height, or lift its top above the branches higher than other trees. They will all certainly die and decay; they will go to the place of the dead; they will go to the grave.'"
+\v 14 As a result, no other tree, even if the tree has plenty of water, will ever grow to such great height or lift its top above the branches higher than other trees. They will all certainly die and decay; they will go to the place of the dead; they will go to the grave.'"
 
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 \p
-\v 15 This is what Yahweh the Lord says: "When that great tree was cut down, it was as though the springs that watered it mourned for it, because I caused the plentiful water from the springs to dry up. It was as if I had caused the mountains in Lebanon to mourn for it, and all the trees there to weep.
+\v 15 This is what Yahweh the Lord says: "When that great tree was cut down, it was as though the springs that watered it mourned for it because I caused the plentiful water from the springs to dry up. It was as if I had caused the mountains in Lebanon to mourn for it and all the trees there to weep.
 
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-\v 16 I caused the people of other nations to tremble when they heard that tree fall to the ground—when they heard that Assyria had been destroyed. All the other peoples had also been like beautiful, well-watered trees in Lebanon, but they were comforted when the king represented by that cedar tree arrived among them in the place where they were as dead people.
+\v 16 I caused the people of other nations to tremble when they heard that tree fall to the ground—when they heard that Assyria had been destroyed. All the other peoples had also been like beautiful, well-watered trees in Lebanon, but they were comforted when the king represented by that cedar tree arrived among them in the place where they were like dead people.
 
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 \v 17 The people represented by the trees that grew in the shade of that huge tree, the allies of the great nation that the cedar tree represents, had also died and gone down to where the dead people are.
 \p
-\v 18 This parable is a warning to you people of Egypt. You think that there is no other nation that is as great and glorious as yours is. But your nation will also be destroyed, along with those other nations. Your people will be there among the other people who are not fit to worship me, people who have been killed by their enemies' swords. That is what will happen to the king of Egypt and all his many people." This is what the Lord Yahweh has declared will happen.
+\v 18 This parable is a warning to you people of Egypt. You think that there is no other nation that is as great and glorious as yours is. But your nation will also be destroyed, along with those other nations. Your people will be there among the other people who are not fit to worship me, people who have been killed by their enemies' swords. That is what will happen to the king of Egypt and all of his many people." This is what the Lord Yahweh has declared will happen.
 
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 \c 32
 \p
 \v 1 Almost twelve years after the Babylonians had taken us Israelites to their land, Yahweh gave me another message, on the first day of the twelfth month of that year. He told me,
 \v 2 "Son of man, sing a sad song about Pharaoh the king of Egypt. Sing this to him:
-\q1 'People think that you are like a lion among the nations;
+\q1 'People think that you are like a lion among the nations,
 \q1 but you are like a sea monster in the river
 \q2 thrashing around in the water,
 \q2 churning up the water with your feet
@@ -2181,10 +2181,10 @@
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 \p
 \v 3 But I, the Lord Yahweh, say to you
-\q1 that I will send many people to throw my net over you,
+\q1 that I will send many people to throw my net over you
 \q2 and that they will haul you up onto the land.
 \q1
-\v 4 They will throw you into a field, where I will leave you to your fate.
+\v 4 They will throw you into a field where I will leave you to your fate.
 \q1 I will allow the birds to sit on you,
 \q2 and all the wild animals will eat the flesh of your corpse until their stomachs are full.
 
@@ -2210,26 +2210,26 @@
 
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 \q1
-\v 9 And I will terrify the people of many nations when they hear how I destroy you,
+\v 9 And I will terrify the people of many nations when they hear how I destroy you—
 \q2 there where I will send you,
 \q2 in countries that you have never known about.
 \q1
 \v 10 I will cause many people to be shocked because of what has happened to you;
-\q2 their kings will be horrified and shudder because I destroyed you,
+\q2 their kings will be horrified and shudder because I destroyed you
 \q2 when I swung my sword in front of them to kill you.
 \q1 At the time that you die,
 \q2 all of them will tremble,
-\q2 fearing that I will kill them, too.
+\q2 fearing that I will kill them also.
 
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 \p
-\v 11 I, the Lord Yahweh tell you, Egypt,
+\v 11 I, the Lord Yahweh, tell you, Egypt,
 \q1 that the swords of the army of the king of Babylon will strike you.
 \q1
 \v 12 I will cause the mighty soldiers of Babylonia
 \q2 to kill your best soldiers—
 \q2 the soldiers of Babylonia, who are more ruthless than those of any other nation.
-\q1 They will cause the people of Egypt to quit being proud,
+\q1 They will cause the people of Egypt to quit being proud
 \q2 because they will kill very many of your people.
 
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@@ -2251,14 +2251,14 @@
 \p
 \v 16 There will be a sad song that people will sing about Egypt.
 \p Women of many nations will sing it;
-\q2 they will chant it about Egypt and all its many people."
+\q2 they will chant it about Egypt and all of its many people."
 \q2 This will surely happen because Yahweh has said that it would happen.
 
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 \p
 \v 17 On the fifteenth day of that same month, Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
 \p
-\v 18 "Son of man, wail about the many people of Egypt, because I will send them to the place under the earth, where they and people of other mighty nations will be. I will send them there, along with others, down to the place where the dead are.
+\v 18 "Son of man, wail about the many people of Egypt, because I will send them to the place under the earth where they and people of other mighty nations will be. I will send them there, along with others, down to the place where dead people are.
 
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 \v 19 Say to them, 'You people of Egypt, you think that you are more beautiful than the people of other nations. But you also will descend to the place where the godless dead people are.
@@ -2268,11 +2268,11 @@
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 \p
 \v 22 The dead of the people of Assyria and their army will also be there. They will be surrounded by the dead of others whom their enemies killed.
-\v 23 Their graves will be there in the deep pit, and the dead soldiers of their army will lie around their graves. The dead of all those who had terrified so many others will also be there, for their enemies will have killed them, too.
+\v 23 Their graves will be there in the deep pit, and the dead soldiers of their army will lie around their graves. The dead of all those who had terrified so many others will also be there, for their enemies will have killed them also.
 
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 \p
-\v 24 Many, many people from the country of Elam will be there, too, and Elam's servants, because their enemies will have killed them. These were soldiers who had terrified people in many places. At that time they will lie there in that deep pit below the earth, and they, along with the others who have gone there, will be disgraced.
+\v 24 Many, many people from the country of Elam will also be there, along with Elam's servants, because their enemies will have killed them. These were soldiers who had terrified people in many places. At that time they will lie there in that deep pit below the earth, and they, along with the others who have gone there, will be disgraced.
 \p
 \v 25 The people of Elam in their huge numbers will lie there among others who were slaughtered, surrounded by the graves of a huge crowd of other people. While they were alive, they caused people of other nations to be terrified; but they were godless, and now, because their enemies will have killed them, they will lie with others in that deep pit, disgraced.
 
@@ -2293,16 +2293,16 @@
 
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-\v 31 The king of Egypt and all his army will see them, and they will be comforted about the death of their many people, because they know that there were other huge groups of people whom their enemies killed.
-\v 32 While that king was living, I allowed him to terrify others in many countries, but he and his huge army will be there among other godless people whom their enemies have killed." This will certainly surely happen because the Lord Yahweh has said that it would happen.
+\v 31 The king of Egypt and all of his army will see them, and they will be comforted about the death of their many people because they know that there were other huge groups of people whom their enemies killed.
+\v 32 While that king was living, I allowed him to terrify others in many countries, but he and his huge army will be there among other godless people whom their enemies have killed." This will surely happen because the Lord Yahweh has said that it would happen.
 
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 \c 33
 \p
 \v 1 Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
 \v 2 "Son of man, speak to your fellow Israelites and say this to them: 'Suppose that I bring an enemy army to attack a country, and the people of that country choose one of their own people to be a watchman.
-\v 3 And suppose that he sees the enemy army come into view, and that he blows a trumpet to warn everyone.
-\v 4 If anyone hears the trumpet but pays no attention, and if that person then dies because of the enemy, that person is responsible for his own death.
+\v 3 And suppose that he sees the enemy army come into view and that he blows a trumpet to warn everyone.
+\v 4 If anyone hears the trumpet but pays no attention and if that person then dies because of the enemy, that person is responsible for his own death.
 
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 \v 5 If he had paid attention, he would have saved his own life. But as it is, he will die, and it will be his own fault.
@@ -2313,7 +2313,7 @@
 \p
 \v 7 Son of man, this parable has a meaning for you. I have appointed you to be a watchman for the Israelites. So always listen to what I say, and warn the people for me.
 \v 8 When I say to some wicked person, 'You wicked person, you will surely die because of your sins,' you must tell him what I said. If you do not speak to that person to warn him to turn away from his sins, that wicked person will die because of his sins, but I will make you responsible for his death.
-\v 9 But if you warn that wicked person that he should turn away from his sins, but if he does not do so, then he will die because of his sins, but you will have saved your own life.
+\v 9 But if you warn that wicked person that he should turn away from his sins and he does not do so, then he will die because of his sins, but you will have saved your own life.
 
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@@ -2322,17 +2322,17 @@
 
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 \p
-\v 12 Therefore, Son of man, say to your fellow Israelites that if good people start to disobey me, the fact that they were previously righteous will not keep me from punishing them. Similarly, if wicked people turn away from their wicked behavior, they will not die because of those sins. And if good people start to sin, I will not allow the fact that they had been good to keep me from punishing them now.
-\v 13 If I tell those who do what is right that they will surely remain alive because of all the good they do, but then if they turn away and become proud of all their good deeds, then I will ignore all the good things that they had done before. I will make sure that they will die because of the evil things that they have done.
+\v 12 Therefore, son of man, say to your fellow Israelites that if good people start to disobey me, the fact that they were previously righteous will not keep me from punishing them. Similarly, if wicked people turn away from their wicked behavior, they will not die because of those sins. And if good people start to sin, I will not allow the fact that they had been good to keep me from punishing them now.
+\v 13 If I tell those who do what is right that they will surely remain alive because of all the good they do, but if they then turn away and become proud of all their good deeds, then I will ignore all the good things that they had done before. I will make sure that they will die because of the evil things that they have done.
 
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 \v 14 Continue to tell the people these things: If I say to some wicked person, 'You will surely die because of your sins,' perhaps that person will stop doing evil and start doing what is just and right.
-\v 15 For example, he might return what he took from another person to guarantee that that person would pay back what he owes, or he might return things that he has stolen, or he might obey the laws that will enable those who obey them to remain alive. If this happens, he will surely remain alive; he will not die because of the sins that he committed previously.
-\v 16 I will ignore the sins that he previously committed; he will surely remain alive.
+\v 15 For example, he might return what he took from another person to guarantee that person would pay back what he owes, or he might return things he has stolen, or he might obey the laws that will enable those who obey them to remain alive. If this happens, he will surely remain alive; he will not die because of the sins he committed previously.
+\v 16 I will ignore the sins he previously committed; he will surely remain alive.
 
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 \p
-\v 17 Tell the people this: That they say that what I do is not fair, but that it is really what they do that is not fair. Then tell them these things, also:
+\v 17 Tell the people this: They say that what I do is not fair, but it is really what they do that is not fair. Then tell them these things, also:
 \v 18 If a good person stops doing what is good and starts to do what is evil, it is fair that he should die because of his sins.
 \v 19 And if a wicked person turns away from his wicked behavior and does what is right and fair, it is fair for him to remain alive because of doing that.
 \v 20 Remind the people that they are still saying that what I do is not fair. They can talk all they want, but I will punish each of them for what they do. Tell them this."
@@ -2349,23 +2349,23 @@
 
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 \v 25 So send a message to them. Say, 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says: "You eat meat that still has the animal's blood in it. You still worship idols. And you still murder others. So should this land belong to you?
-\v 26 You rely on using your swords to obtain things that you want. You do many detestable things. Each of you sleeps with other men's wives. So should you really possess the land of Israel?"'
+\v 26 You rely on using your swords to obtain things you want. You do many detestable things. Each of you sleeps with other men's wives. So should you really possess the land of Israel?"'
 
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 \p
 \v 27 Send this message to them and tell them that this is what I, the Lord Yahweh, say to them: 'As surely as I am alive, those who are left in the ruins in Jerusalem—their enemies will also kill them. And those who are living in the countryside—wild animals will kill them. Those who are living in forts and caves will die from disease.
 \v 28 I will cause your country to become a desolate wasteland. You will no longer be proud of being a strong country. The mountains of Israel will become very desolate, with the result that no one will walk across them.'
-\v 29 Then, when I have caused their country to become a desolate wasteland because of all the disgusting things that you have done, they will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do."
+\v 29 Then, when I have caused your country to become a desolate wasteland because of all the disgusting things that you have done, they will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do."
 
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 \p
 \v 30 As for you, Son of man, your fellow Israelites here in Babylon stand beside the city wall or at the doors of their houses and are talking with each other. They are saying, 'Come and listen to the message that has come from Yahweh.'
-\v 31 My people come to you as they often have done, and they sit in front of you to listen to what you say. But they do not do what you tell them that they must do. With their mouths they say that they love me, but in their inner beings they are eager to acquire things by doing what is unjust.
+\v 31 My people come to you as they often have done, and they sit in front of you to listen to what you say. But they do not do what you tell them they must do. With their mouths they say that they love me, but in their inner beings they are eager to acquire things by doing what is unjust.
 
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 \v 32 To them, you are only a man who sings them beautiful songs and plays a musical instrument well. They hear what you say, but they do not do what you tell them to do.
 \p
-\v 33 The terrible things that I have said will happen to them will surely happen. And then they will know that a prophet has been among them, and that you are that prophet."
+\v 33 The terrible things that I have said will happen to them will surely happen. And then they will know that a prophet has been among them and that you are that prophet."
 
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 \c 34