YHWH Recompense


Hear the word of the Lord,

Yichezkel 18

    The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, “What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying:

‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

As I live,” says the Lord God, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.

“Behold, all souls are Mine;
The soul of the father
As well as the soul of the son is Mine;
The soul who sins shall die.

But if a man is just
And does what is lawful and right;
If he has not eaten [a]on the mountains,
Nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife,
Nor approached a woman during her impurity;

If he has not oppressed anyone,
But has restored to the debtor his pledge;
Has robbed no one by violence,
But has given his bread to the hungry
And covered the naked with clothing;
If he has not exacted usury
Nor taken any increase,
But has withdrawn his hand from iniquity
And executed true [c]judgment between man and man;
If he has walked in My statutes
And kept My judgments faithfully
He is just;
He shall surely live!”
Says the Lord God.

10 “If he begets a son who is a robber
Or a shedder of blood,
Who does any of these things
11 And does none of those duties,
But has eaten [d]on the mountains
Or defiled his neighbor’s wife;
12 If he has oppressed the poor and needy,
Robbed by violence,
Not restored the pledge,
Lifted his eyes to the idols,
Or committed abomination;

13 If he has exacted usury
Or taken increase – Shall he then live?
He shall not live!
If he has done any of these abominations,
He shall surely die;
His blood shall be upon him.

(This includes all people, all cultures, all nations says the Lord God! Do not exact usury from anyone, nor opress anyone. It is wickedness say the Lord God and Ekhad shall require recompense by your blood and your soul.)

14 If, however, he begets a son
Who sees all the sins which his father has done,
And considers but does not do likewise;
15 Who has not eaten [e]on the mountains,
Nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife;
16 Has not oppressed anyone,
Nor withheld a pledge,
Nor robbed by violence,
But has given his bread to the hungry
And covered the naked with clothing;
17 Who has withdrawn his hand from [f]the poor
And not received usury or increase,
But has executed My judgments
And walked in My statutes—
He shall not die for the iniquity of his father;
He shall surely live!

18 As for his father,
Because he cruelly oppressed,
Robbed his brother by violence,
And did what is not good among his people,
Behold, he shall die for his iniquity.

Turn and Live

19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. 20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

21 “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. 23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?

24 “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.

25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? 26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. 27 Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. 28 Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 

29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair?

30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. 

31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”

Have not by my hand, have I not spread out the nations? Who lay the foundations of the deep? Who marked the stone of the corners of the earth? Have I not filled the vast Oceans with My glory? When has man come to replace Me and my glory? What gives the mind of man his tempestuous disobedience to the one who Has created all things?

Hear now oh disobedient sons of men. For I bring My day upon you. You shall weep and tremble. My fist shall shake the earth, the thunder shall topple your highest buildings and break apart all that you have built with your hands. The thunder of my voice shall stretch forth to unravel all your plots and schemes. See I have done it. I have removed the rebels from my land, my Holy Mount.

The birds will go forth to feast on the bones of my enemies, a great feast. The feast of the beasts of the earth in whom I have taken pleasure in bringing forth. Did you forget who created you, O’ son of man?

My hand is outstretched in fury and who shall cause me to recoil? What power or King shall disrupt me, the Lord of Hosts? In your derision you shall be destroyed and all your deceptions. I shall free my Holy Mount Zion with my foot abreast her. The enemy shall weep and howl, the sinners and the rebels shall utterly be destroyed!

They shall look upon the land and say “why has the Lord done this thing” and the people shall respond, “Because they disobeyed the Lord of Hosts and served other gods.”

Tremble and weep you rebels for your day has come and My might shall exceed the power of the nations! I shall dispose those who speak against Me and devour the nation who refuses to heed. My armor and strength lay in Jerusalem in whom I shall save. I shall cause a remnant to survive my wrath in whom I shall remove all guile and bitterness. You shall loathe yourselves and your sin in which I detest. Surely I promised to rule over you with a rod of iron and those who deceive you are chaff for my passion.

I will cleanse the land I promised to Jacob and remove the rebels from within. All shall rejoice upon the destruction as bare teeth biting the flesh as in the days of manna. For my Holy Mount shall cause the nations to fear and tremble when they look upon her splendor. For Jerusalem shall be filled with all manner of precious substance, from the spoil of all nations.

I shall rebuild my land in which I have given to Jacob and I shall cleanse the rot within. No more shall my land be defiled with your murders O’ Simon! For I have removed the dross and burned up the chaff, rubbed off the dross so that only my obedient servants remain. I will grant you a new heart of love towards me. One that cannot be deceived to your lover, nor defrauded. I shall destroy the pursuers of my love with fierce wrath in my jealousy!

See I have done it. For the Lord of Hosts shall appoint his cleansing trough and pour out the muddy waters upon the land. The stink shall rise up before all nations who will abhor you. I shall hook their nose and bring them to my feast, the great feast of the birds. The nations do so desire the aroma I have prepared.

See I have done it.

The labyrinth of doom awaits the nations and your sorcerers will cry out in fear. Consul them now! Consul your wizards and your soothsayers! Consul them to save you from my hand says the Lord of Hosts. For I require recompense says the Lord God of Abraham in whom you trust your souls. I require recompense, vengeance is mine says the Lord of Hosts!

I shall disturb the oceans and the seas, the ground shall quake and topple all you buildings. Your wondrous development of your hands I seize. It is mine says the Lord. I do with the work of my hands. I build and destroy. I make war and give life O’ son of man.

I will remove the haughty and the noble. You shall lie in the dust and hide in the rocks from my wrath! My recompense is due. Your sin stinks to the heavens and My promise is fulfilled.

Jerusalem, O city on the hill, so I have loved you and brought the prophets to you! I have cleansed you time and again only for you to be polluted and sullied. The bones of My people, their blood cries out for vengeance. I shall recompense. I shall shake my mount! Rejoice O’ Jerusalem, I have cleansed thee. Your open wounds have been healed. I have set your fractured bones, I have mended your fences and your walls. I make the kid neigh and the babes laugh in joy. I make all things new in my Jerusalem. I have cleansed the wicked from among you. I bring forth pure light and water to nourish My people.

Behold the New Jerusalem, a splendor dazzling prism! The light shall be seen from nations abroad. The gentiles shall weep at the glory and adorn. They shall flow to my Mount as a river in early spring. The land is splendid, the figs are abundant. The orchard shall not waiver and all precious abundance abides in thee.

The Kings of the earth shower you with gold and splendor. For in my vengeance I lay them waste and the nations who do not serve Me shall waste. I have cast out the villains. The birds have eaten the carcass and their kin are removed. I have stamped out the seed of rebellion and brought vexation to the knee.

The nations weep to bind your sandal and to give their kin as concubine. So I have done it says the Lord of Hosts. Those who will not serve me shall not rule in Jerusalem. I have declared it says the Lord of Hosts. You shall tremble at my crushing hand and fear the Lord once again in my Mount! So I have done it.

Glory and praise be to YHWH, our Elohim, the Lord of Hosts.