'House' in the Bible

“Therefore, house of Israel, I will judge each one of you according to his ways.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so they will not be a stumbling block that causes your punishment.

Throw off all the transgressions you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel?

Say to them: This is what the Lord God says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore an oath to the descendants of Jacob’s house and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I swore to them, saying: I am Yahweh your God.

“But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—the person who does them will live by them. They also completely profaned My Sabbaths. So I considered pouring out My wrath on them in the wilderness to put an end to them.

“Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them: This is what the Lord God says: In this way also your fathers blasphemed Me by committing treachery against Me:

“Therefore say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: Are you defiling yourselves the way your fathers did, and prostituting yourselves with their detestable things?

When you offer your gifts, making your children pass through the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. So should I be consulted by you, house of Israel? As I live”—this is the declaration of the Lord God—“I will not be consulted by you!

“As for you, house of Israel, this is what the Lord God says: Go and serve your idols, each of you. But afterward you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.

For on My holy mountain, Israel’s high mountain”—the declaration of the Lord God—“there the entire house of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land. There I will accept them and will require your contributions and choicest gifts, all your holy offerings.

You will know that I am Yahweh, house of Israel, when I have dealt with you because of My name rather than according to your evil ways and corrupt acts.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

“Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me. All of them are copper, tin, iron, and lead inside the furnace; they are the dross of silver.

On the same day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary to profane it. Yes, that is what they did inside My house.

Now speak a parable to the rebellious house. Tell them: This is what the Lord God says:Put the pot on the fire—put it on,and then pour water into it!

‘Say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the desire of your heart. Also, the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.

Say to the Ammonites: Hear the word of the Lord God: This is what the Lord God says: Because you said, ‘Good!’ about My sanctuary when it was desecrated, about the land of Israel when it was laid waste, and about the house of Judah when they went into exile,

This is what the Lord God says: “Because Moab and Seir said, ‘Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations,’

This is what the Lord God says: “Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah and incurred grievous guilt by taking revenge on them,

“The house of Israel will no longer be hurt by prickly briers or painful thorns from all their neighbors who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.

“This is what the Lord God says: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples where they are scattered and demonstrate My holiness through them in the sight of the nations, then they will live in their own land, which I gave to My servant Jacob.

Then all the inhabitants of Egyptwill know that I am Yahweh,for they have been a staff made of reedto the house of Israel.

It will never again be an object of trust for the house of Israel, drawing attention to their sin of turning to the Egyptians. Then they will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.”

“In that day I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel, and I will enable you to speak out among them. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”

“As for you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. When you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.

“Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel: You have said this, ‘Our transgressions and our sins are heavy on us, and we are wasting away because of them! How then can we survive?’

Tell them: As I live”—the declaration of the Lord God—“I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel?

Yet you say, ‘The Lord’s way isn’t fair.’ I will judge each of you according to his ways, house of Israel.”

Then they will know that I, Yahweh their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

Just as you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it became a desolation, so I will deal with you: you will become a desolation, Mount Seir, and so will all Edom in its entirety. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.

I will fill you with people, with the whole house of Israel in its entirety. The cities will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.

“Son of man, while the house of Israel lived in their land, they defiled it with their conduct and actions. Their behavior before Me was like menstrual impurity.

Then I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they went.

“Therefore, say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: It is not for your sake that I will act, house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went.

It is not for your sake that I will act”—the declaration of the Lord God—“let this be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated because of your ways, house of Israel!

“This is what the Lord God says: I will respond to the house of Israel and do this for them: I will multiply them in number like a flock.

Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look how they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off.’

“Son of man, take a single stick and write on it: Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him. Then take another stick and write on it: Belonging to Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and all the house of Israel associated with him.

The house of Israel will spend seven months burying them in order to cleanse the land.

From that day forward the house of Israel will know that I am Yahweh their God.

And the nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile on account of their iniquity, because they dealt unfaithfully with Me. Therefore, I hid My face from them and handed them over to their enemies, so that they all fell by the sword.

“So this is what the Lord God says: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have compassion on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for My holy name.

I will no longer hide My face from them, for I will pour out My Spirit on the house of Israel.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

He spoke to me: “Son of man, look with your eyes, listen with your ears, and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for you have been brought here so that I might show it to you. Report everything you see to the house of Israel.”

He said to me: “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel and their kings will no longer defile My holy name by their religious prostitution and by the corpses of their kings at their high places.

“As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, so that they may be ashamed of their iniquities. Let them measure its pattern,

“Say to the rebellious people, the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: I have had enough of all your detestable practices, house of Israel.

Because they ministered to the house of Israel before their idols and became a sinful stumbling block to them, therefore I swore an oath against them”—this is the declaration of the Lord God—“that they would bear the consequences of their sin.

He is not to marry a widow or a divorced woman, but must marry a virgin from the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.

“As the property of the city, you must set aside an area 1⅔ of a mile wide and 8⅓ miles long, adjacent to the holy donation of land. It will be for the whole house of Israel.

This will be his land as a possession in Israel. My princes will no longer oppress My people but give the rest of the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.

Then the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings for the festivals, New Moons, and Sabbaths—for all the appointed times of the house of Israel—will be the prince’s responsibility. He will provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and fellowship offerings to make atonement on behalf of the house of Israel.

The Lord handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him, along with some of the vessels from the house of God. Nebuchadnezzar carried them to the land of Babylon, to the house of his god, and put the vessels in the treasury of his god.

Then Daniel went to his house and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about the matter,

Therefore I issue a decree that anyone of any people, nation, or language who says anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be torn limb from limb and his house made a garbage dump. For there is no other god who is able to deliver like this.”

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.

So they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them.

Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you and your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them, you praised the gods made of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or understand. But you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in His hand and who controls the whole course of your life.

When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Then the Lord said to him:Name him Jezreel, for in a little whileI will bring the bloodshed of Jezreelon the house of Jehuand put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.

She conceived again and gave birth to a daughter, and the Lord said to him:Name her No Compassion,for I will no longer have compassionon the house of Israel.I will certainly take them away.

But I will have compassion on the house of Judah,and I will deliver them by the Lord their God.I will not deliver them by bow, sword, or war,or by horses and cavalry.

Hear this, priests!Pay attention, house of Israel!Listen, royal house!For the judgment applies to youbecause you have been a snare at Mizpahand a net spread out on Tabor.

So I am like rot to Ephraimand like decay to the house of Judah.

For I am like a lion to Ephraimand like a young lion to the house of Judah.Yes, I will tear them to pieces and depart.I will carry them off,and no one can rescue them.

I have seen something horrible in the house of Israel:Ephraim’s promiscuity is there; Israel is defiled.

Put the horn to your mouth!One like an eagle comesagainst the house of the Lord,because they transgress My covenantand rebel against My law.

They will not pour outtheir wine offerings to the Lord,and their sacrifices will not please Him.Their food will be like the bread of mourners;all who eat it become defiled.For their bread will be for their appetites alone;it will not enter the house of the Lord.

Ephraim’s watchman is with my God.The prophet encounters a fowler’s snareon all his ways.Hostility is in the house of his God!

All their evil appears at Gilgal,for there I came to hate them.I will drive them from My housebecause of their evil, wicked actions.I will no longer love them;all their leaders are rebellious.

Ephraim surrounds me with lies,the house of Israel, with deceit.Judah still wanders with Godand is faithful to the holy ones.

Grain and drink offerings have been cut offfrom the house of the Lord;the priests, who are ministers of the Lord, mourn.

Dress in sackcloth and lament, you priests;wail, you ministers of the altar.Come and spend the night in sackcloth,you ministers of my God,because grain and drink offeringsare withheld from the house of your God.

Announce a sacred fast;proclaim an assembly!Gather the eldersand all the residents of the landat the house of the Lord your God,and cry out to the Lord.

Hasn’t the food been cut offbefore our eyes,joy and gladnessfrom the house of our God?

In that daythe mountains will drip with sweet wine,and the hills will flow with milk.All the streams of Judah will flow with water,and a spring will issue from the Lord’s house,watering the Valley of Acacias.

They stretch out beside every altaron garments taken as collateral,and in the house of their God,they drink wine obtained through fines.

I will demolish the winter houseand the summer house;the houses inlaid with ivory will be destroyed,and the great houses will come to an end.This is the Lord’s declaration.

Listen to this message that I am singing for you, a lament, house of Israel:

For the Lord God says:The city that marches out a thousand strongwill have only a hundred left,and the one that marches out a hundred strongwill have only ten left in the house of Israel.

For the Lord says to the house of Israel:Seek Me and live!

Seek Yahweh and live,or He will spread like firethroughout the house of Joseph;it will consume everything,with no one at Bethel to extinguish it.

“House of Israel, was it sacrifices and grain offerings that you presented to Me during the 40 years in the wilderness?

Woe to those who are at ease in Zionand to those who feel secure on the hill of Samaria—the notable people in this first of the nations,those the house of Israel comes to.

And if there are 10 men left in one house, they will die.

A close relative and burner will remove his corpse from the house. He will call to someone in the inner recesses of the house, “Any more with you?”That person will reply, “None.”Then he will say, “Silence, because Yahweh’s name must not be invoked.”

For the Lord commands:The large house will be smashed to pieces,and the small house to rubble.

Isaac’s high places will be deserted,and Israel’s sanctuaries will be in ruins;I will rise up against the house of Jeroboamwith a sword.”

Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you right here in the house of Israel. The land cannot endure all his words,

Now hear the word of the Lord. You say:Do not prophesy against Israel;do not preach against the house of Isaac.

Look, the eyes of the Lord Godare on the sinful kingdom,and I will destroy itfrom the face of the earth.However, I will not totally destroythe house of Jacob—this is the Lord’s declaration—

for I am about to give the command,and I will shake the house of Israelamong all the nations,as one shakes a sieve,but not a pebble will fall to the ground.

But there will be a deliverance on Mount Zion,and it will be holy;the house of Jacob will dispossessthose who dispossessed them.

Then the house of Jacob will be a blazing fire,and the house of Joseph, a burning flame,but the house of Esau will be stubble;Jacob will set them on fire and consume Edom.Therefore no survivor will remainof the house of Esau,for the Lord has spoken.

All this will happen because of Jacob’s rebellionand the sins of the house of Israel.What is the rebellion of Jacob?Isn’t it Samaria?And what is the high place of Judah?Isn’t it Jerusalem?

House of Jacob, should it be asked,“Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient?Are these the things He does?”Don’t My words bring goodto the one who walks uprightly?

Then I said, “Now listen, leaders of Jacob,you rulers of the house of Israel.Aren’t you supposed to know what is just?

Listen to this, leaders of the house of Jacob,you rulers of the house of Israel,who abhor justiceand pervert everything that is right,

In the last daysthe mountain of the Lord’s housewill be establishedat the top of the mountainsand will be raised above the hills.Peoples will stream to it,

and many nations will come and say,“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,to the house of the God of Jacob.He will teach us about His waysso we may walk in His paths.”For instruction will go out of Zionand the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Are there still the treasures of wickednessand the accursed short measurein the house of the wicked?

The statutes of Omriand all the practices of Ahab’s househave been observed;you have followed their policies.Therefore, I will make you a desolate placeand the city’s residents an object of contempt;you will bear the scorn of My people.”