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1. What's God going to say to my questions? I'm braced for the worst. I'll climb to the lookout tower and scan the horizon. I'll wait to see what God says, how he'll answer my complaint.
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1. I will stand H5975 upon H5921 my watch H4931 , and set H3320 me upon H5921 the tower H4692 , and will watch H6822 to see H7200 what H4100 he will say H1696 unto me , and what H4100 I shall answer H7725 when H5921 I am reproved H8433 .
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2. And then GOD answered: "Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run.
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2. And the LORD H3068 answered H6030 me , and said H559 , Write H3789 the vision H2377 , and make it plain H874 upon H5921 tables H3871 , that H4616 he may run H7323 that readeth H7121 it.
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3. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what's coming. It aches for the coming--it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time.
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3. For H3588 the vision H2377 is yet H5750 for an appointed time H4150 , but at the end H7093 it shall speak H6315 , and not H3808 lie H3576 : though H518 it tarry H4102 , wait H2442 for it; because H3588 it will surely come H935 H935 , it will not H3808 tarry H309 .
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4. "Look at that man, bloated by self-importance-- full of himself but soul-empty. But the person in right standing before God through loyal and steady believing is fully alive, really alive.
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4. Behold H2009 , his soul H5315 which is lifted up H6075 is not upright H3474 H3808 in him : but the just H6662 shall live H2421 by his faith H530 .
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5. "Note well: Money deceives. The arrogant rich don't last. They are more hungry for wealth than the grave is for cadavers. Like death, they always want more, but the 'more' they get is dead bodies. They are cemeteries filled with dead nations, graveyards filled with corpses.
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5. Yea H637 also, because H3588 he transgresseth H898 by wine H3196 , he is a proud H3093 man H1397 , neither H3808 keepeth at home H5115 , who H834 enlargeth H7337 his desire H5315 as hell H7585 , and is as death H4194 , and cannot H3808 be satisfied H7646 , but gathereth H622 unto H413 him all H3605 nations H1471 , and heapeth H6908 unto H413 him all H3605 people H5971 :
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6. Don't give people like this a second thought. Soon the whole world will be taunting them: "'Who do you think you are-- getting rich by stealing and extortion? How long do you think you can get away with this?'
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6. Shall not H3808 all H3605 these H428 take up H5375 a parable H4912 against H5921 him , and a taunting H4426 proverb H2420 against him , and say H559 , Woe H1945 to him that increaseth H7235 that which is not H3808 his! how long H5704 H4970 ? and to him that ladeth H3513 H5921 himself with thick clay H5671 !
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7. Indeed, how long before your victims wake up, stand up and make you the victim?
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7. Shall they not H3808 rise up H6965 suddenly H6621 that shall bite H5391 thee , and awake H3364 that shall vex H2111 thee , and thou shalt be H1961 for booties H4933 unto them?
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8. You've plundered nation after nation. Now you'll get a taste of your own medicine. All the survivors are out to plunder you, a payback for all your murders and massacres.
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8. Because H3588 thou H859 hast spoiled H7997 many H7227 nations H1471 , all H3605 the remnant H3499 of the people H5971 shall spoil H7997 thee ; because of men H120 's blood H4480 H1818 , and for the violence H2555 of the land H776 , of the city H7151 , and of all H3605 that dwell H3427 therein.
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9. "Who do you think you are-- recklessly grabbing and looting, Living it up, acting like king of the mountain, acting above it all, above trials and troubles?
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9. Woe H1945 to him that coveteth H1214 an evil H7451 covetousness H1215 to his house H1004 , that he may set H7760 his nest H7064 on high H4791 , that he may be delivered H5337 from the power H4480 H3709 of evil H7451 !
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10. You've engineered the ruin of your own house. In ruining others you've ruined yourself. You've undermined your foundations, rotted out your own soul.
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10. Thou hast consulted H3289 shame H1322 to thy house H1004 by cutting off H7096 many H7227 people H5971 , and hast sinned H2398 against thy soul H5315 .
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11. The bricks of your house will speak up and accuse you. The woodwork will step forward with evidence.
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11. For H3588 the stone H68 shall cry out H2199 of the wall H4480 H7023 , and the beam H3714 out of the timber H4480 H6086 shall answer H6030 it.
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12. "Who do you think you are-- building a town by murder, a city with crime?
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12. Woe H1945 to him that buildeth H1129 a town H5892 with blood H1818 , and establisheth H3559 a city H7151 by iniquity H5766 !
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13. Don't you know that GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies makes sure nothing comes of that but ashes, Makes sure the harder you work at that kind of thing, the less you are?
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13. Behold H2009 , is it not H3808 of H4480 H854 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 that the people H5971 shall labor H3021 in the very H1767 fire H784 , and the people H3816 shall weary H3286 themselves for very H1767 vanity H7385 ?
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14. Meanwhile the earth fills up with awareness of GOD's glory as the waters cover the sea.
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14. For H3588 the earth H776 shall be filled H4390 H853 with the knowledge H1847 of the glory H3519 of the LORD H3068 , as the waters H4325 cover H3680 H5921 the sea H3220 .
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15. "Who do you think you are-- inviting your neighbors to your drunken parties, Giving them too much to drink, roping them into your sexual orgies?
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15. Woe H1945 unto him that giveth his neighbor drink H8248 H7453 , that puttest H5596 thy bottle H2573 to him , and makest him drunken H7937 also H637 , that H4616 thou mayest look H5027 on H5921 their nakedness H4589 !
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16. You thought you were having the time of your life. Wrong! It's a time of disgrace. All the time you were drinking, you were drinking from the cup of God's wrath.
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16. Thou art filled H7646 with shame H7036 for glory H4480 H3519 : drink H8354 thou H859 also H1571 , and let thy foreskin be uncovered H6188 : the cup H3563 of the LORD H3068 's right hand H3225 shall be turned H5437 unto H5921 thee , and shameful spewing H7022 shall be on H5921 thy glory H3519 .
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17. You'll wake up holding your throbbing head, hung over-- hung over from Lebanon violence, Hung over from animal massacres, hung over from murder and mayhem, From multiple violations of place and people.
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17. For H3588 the violence H2555 of Lebanon H3844 shall cover H3680 thee , and the spoil H7701 of beasts H929 , which made them afraid H2865 , because of men H120 's blood H4480 H1818 , and for the violence H2555 of the land H776 , of the city H7151 , and of all H3605 that dwell H3427 therein.
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18. "What's the use of a carved god so skillfully carved by its sculptor? What good is a fancy cast god when all it tells is lies? What sense does it make to be a pious god-maker who makes gods that can't even talk?
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18. What H4100 profiteth H3276 the graven image H6459 that H3588 the maker H3335 thereof hath graven H6458 it ; the molten image H4541 , and a teacher H3384 of lies H8267 , that H3588 the maker H3335 of his work H3336 trusteth H982 therein H5921 , to make H6213 dumb H483 idols H457 ?
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19. Who do you think you are-- saying to a stick of wood, 'Wake up,' Or to a dumb stone, 'Get up'? Can they teach you anything about anything? There's nothing to them but surface. There's nothing on the inside.
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19. Woe H1945 unto him that saith H559 to the wood H6086 , Awake H6974 ; to the dumb H1748 stone H68 , Arise H5782 , it H1931 shall teach H3384 ! Behold H2009 , it H1931 is laid over H8610 with gold H2091 and silver H3701 , and there is no H369 breath H7307 at all H3605 in the midst H7130 of it.
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20. "But oh! GOD is in his holy Temple! Quiet everyone--a holy silence. Listen!"
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20. But the LORD H3068 is in his holy H6944 temple H1964 : let all H3605 the earth H776 keep silence H2013 before H4480 H6440 him.
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