Study Desk

God also told this secret to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other men, but so that you, king, may know what it means. In that way you will understand what went through your mind.

"Holy angels announced this punishment so that all the people on earth may know that God Most High rules over human kingdoms. God gives those kingdoms to whoever he wants, and he chooses humble people to rule them.

Now, King, make the law and sign the paper it is written on so that it cannot be changed, because the laws of the Medes and Persians cannot be canceled or changed."

The northern king will decide to use all his power to fight against the southern king, and he will make an agreement with the southern king. The king of the north will let one of his daughters marry the southern king so that he can defeat the southern king. But those plans will not succeed. His plans will not help him.

"After the northern king, there will be a new ruler who sends out tax collectors so that he can live like a king. But after a few years, he will be destroyed, although he will not die in battle.

Some of the wise people will stumble and make mistakes. But the persecution must come so that they can be made stronger and purer until the time of the end. Then, at the right time, that time of the end will come.

So I will return and take back my grain at the time it is ready to be harvested. I will take back my wine at the time the grapes are ready. I will take back my wool and linen. I gave those things to her so that she could cover her naked body.

This is what the Lord says: "I will definitely punish the Ammonites for the many crimes they did. They killed the pregnant women in Gilead. The Ammonites did this so that they could take that land and make their country larger.

And when someone dies, a relative will come to get the body so that it can be taken out and burned. Relatives will come to take away the bones. They will call to anyone who might be hiding back in the house, "Are there any other dead bodies in there with you?" That person will answer, "No, …." But the relative will interrupt and say, "Hush! We must not mention the name of the Lord ."

You merchants say, "When will the New Moon be over so that we can sell grain? When will the Sabbath be over so that we can bring out more wheat to sell? We can raise the price and make the measure smaller. We can fix the scales and cheat the people.

The Lord answered me, "Write down what I show you. Write it clearly on a sign so that the message will be easy to read.

I tell you this so that you will learn a lesson. I want you to fear and respect me. If you do this, your home will not be destroyed, and I will not have to punish you the way I planned." But those evil people only wanted to do more of the same evil things they had already done!

Then I will change people from other nations so that they can speak the language clearly and call out the name of the Lord . They will all worship me together, shoulder to shoulder, as one people.

The crown will be kept in my Temple, so that when people see it, they will remember Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and the kindness of Zephaniah's son Josiah."

But they refused to listen and refused to do what he wanted. They closed their ears so that they could not hear what God said.

Lebanon, open your gates so that the fire will come and burn your cedar trees.

So that day the agreement was finished, and those poor sheep watching me knew that this message was from the Lord .

Then you will learn why I am giving you this command. I am telling you these things so that my agreement with Levi will continue." This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.

God wants husbands and wives to become one body and one spirit. Why? So that they would have holy children and protect that spiritual unity. Don't cheat on your wife. She has been your wife from the time you were young.

He said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God, jump off, because the Scriptures say, ‘God will command his angels to help you, and their hands will catch you, so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.'"