Study Desk

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then inform her of all her abominations.

"And you shall say, 'This is what the Lord ^(F1)GOD says: "A city ^(C1)shedding blood in her midst, so that her time is coming; and a city that makes idols, contrary to her own good, for defilement!

"You have become ^(C1)guilty by ^(F1)the blood which you have shed, and you have become defiled by your idols which you have made. So you have brought your days closer and have come to your years; therefore I have made you a ^(C2)disgrace to the nations, and an object of mocking to all the lands.

"Those who are near and those who are far from you will make fun of you, you of ill repute, full of ^(C1)turmoil.

"Behold, the ^(C1)rulers of Israel, each according to his ^(F1)power, have been among you for the purpose of shedding blood.

"They have ^(C1)treated father and mother with contempt among you. They have oppressed the ^(C2)stranger in your midst; they have oppressed the ^(C3)orphan and the widow among you.

"You have ^(C1)despised My holy things and ^(C2)profaned My Sabbaths.

"Slanderous men have been among you for the purpose of shedding blood, and among you they have eaten at the mountain shrines. In your midst they have ^(C1)committed outrageous sin.

"Among you ^(F1)they have ^(C1)uncovered their fathers' nakedness; among you they have abused her who was ^(C2)unclean in her menstruation.

"And one has committed abomination with his ^(C1)neighbor's wife, another has outrageously defiled his ^(C2)daughter-in-law, and another among you has sexually ^(C3)abused his sister, his father's daughter.

"Among you they have ^(C1)taken bribes to shed blood; you have taken ^(F1)(C2)interest, you have injured your neighbors by ^(C3)oppression, and you have ^(C4)forgotten Me," declares the Lord GOD.

"Behold, then, I strike with My hand your ^(C1)profit which you have made and ^(F1)the bloodshed which is among you.

"Can ^(C1)your heart endure, or can your hands be strong for the days that I will deal with you? ^(C2)I, the LORD, have spoken and will act.

"And I will ^(C1)scatter you among the nations and disperse you among the lands, and I will ^(C2)eliminate your uncleanness from you.

"Then you will defile yourself in the sight of the nations, and you will ^(C1)know that I am the LORD."'"