go astray

April 16, 2017

The deceived prophet (Ezek 14:9-14:11)

“‘If a prophet

Is deceived,

He speaks a word.

I,

Yahweh,

Have deceived

That prophet.

I will stretch out

My hand

Against him.

I will destroy him

From the midst

Of my people Israel.

They shall bear

Their punishment.

The punishment

Of the prophet

With the punishment

Of the inquirer

Shall be the same.

Thus the house of Israel

May no longer go astray

From me.

They will not

Defile themselves

Any more

With all their transgressions.

Then they shall be

My people.

I will be their God.’

Says Yahweh God.”

Yahweh said that if a prophet was deceived and spoke a wrong word, Yahweh himself had deceived him. Yahweh had stretched out his hand against him. Yahweh was going to destroy him from the midst of the people of Israel. Both those who asked about this saying and the prophet will be punished together. Thus the house of Israel may no longer go astray from Yahweh. They will not defile themselves any more with all their transgressions. Finally they shall be his people. He would be their God. Yahweh would root out all evil.

June 14, 2016

The fears of a father for his daughter (Sir 42:9-42:10)

“A daughter is a secret anxiety

To her father.

Worry over her robs him of sleep.

When she is young,

He fears that she may not marry.

If married,

He fears that she may be disliked.

While a virgin,

He fears that she may be seduced.

He fears that she may become pregnant

In her father’s house.

Or having a husband,

He fears that she may go astray.

Though married,

He fears that she may be barren.”

Sirach lists all the fears that a father has for his daughter. He has a secret anxiety about her that robs him of sleep. When she is young, he is afraid that she will never marry. He is also afraid that she may be seduced and have a child in his house. If she gets married, he is afraid that her new husband will dislike her. He also is afraid that she may go astray from her new husband. Finally, he worries whether she might be sterile and have no children. He seems like an over protective concerned father who does not have the same concern about his sons.