Study Desk

Therefore this is what Adonai says: "Against this family I am planning an evil from which you will not withdraw your necks; nor will you walk with your heads held high, for it will be an evil time."

On that day they will take up a dirge for you; sadly lamenting, they will wail, "We are completely ruined! Our people's land has changed hands. Our fields are taken away from us; instead of restoring them, he parcels them out."

Her leaders sell verdicts for bribes, her cohanim teach for a price, her prophets divine for money — yet they claim to rely on Adonai ! "Isn't Adonai here with us?" they say. "No evil can come upon us."

Many Gentiles will go and say, "Come, let's go up to the mountain of Adonai , to the house of the God of Ya‘akov! He will teach us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Tziyon will go forth Torah, the word of Adonai from Yerushalayim.

He will judge between many peoples and arbitrate for many nations far away. Then they will hammer their swords into plow-blades and their spears into pruning-knives; nations will not raise swords at each other, and they will no longer learn war.

Instead, each person will sit under his vine and fig tree, with no one to upset him, for the mouth of Adonai -Tzva'ot has spoken.

For all the peoples will walk, each in the name of its god; but we will walk in the name of Adonai our God forever and ever.

Be in pain! Work to give birth like a woman in labor, daughter of Tziyon! For now you will go out of the city and live in the wilds till you reach Bavel. There you will be rescued; there Adonai will redeem you from the power of your enemies.

But they don't know the thoughts of Adonai , they don't understand his plan; for he has gathered them like sheaves on the threshing-floor.

Get up! Start threshing, daughter of Tziyon! "For I will make your horns like iron and your hoofs like bronze." You will crush many peoples and devote their plunder to Adonai , their wealth to the Lord of all the earth. Now gather yourself in troops, you who are accustomed to being in troops; they have laid siege to us. They are striking the judge of Isra'el on the cheek with a stick.

Then the remnant of Ya‘akov, surrounded by many peoples, will be like dew from Adonai , like showers on the grass, which doesn't wait for a man or expect anything from mortals.

class="poetry"> But you, Beit-Lechem near Efrat, so small among the clans of Y'hudah, out of you will come forth to me the future ruler of Isra'el, whose origins are far in the past, back in ancient times. Therefore he will give up [Isra'el] only until she who is in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his kinsmen will return to the people of Isra'el. He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of Adonai , in the majesty of the name of Adonai his God; and they will stay put, as he grows great to the very ends of the earth; and this will be peace. If Ashur invades our land, if he overruns our fortresses, we will raise seven shepherds against him, eight leaders of men. They will shepherd the land of Ashur with the sword, the land of Nimrod at its gates; and he will rescue us from Ashur when he invades our land, when he overruns our borders. Then the remnant of Ya‘akov, surrounded by many peoples, will be like dew from Adonai , like showers on the grass, which doesn't wait for a man or expect anything from mortals. The remnant of Ya‘akov among the nations, surrounded by many peoples, will be like a lion among forest animals, like a young lion among flocks of sheep — if it passes through, tramples and tears to pieces, there is no one to rescue them. Your hand will be raised over your enemies; all your adversaries will be destroyed. "When that day comes," says Adonai , "I will cut off your horses from among you and destroy your chariots. I will cut off the cities of your land and lay waste your strongholds. I will cut off sorceries from your land; you will no longer have soothsayers. I will cut off your carved images and standing-stones from among you; no longer will you worship what your own hands have made. I will pull up your sacred poles from among you and destroy your enemies. I will wreak vengeance in anger and fury on the nations, because they would not listen."

Would Adonai take delight in thousands of rams with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Could I give my firstborn to pay for my crimes, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"

For you keep the regulations of ‘Omri and all the practices of the house of Ach'av, modeling yourselves on their advice. Therefore I will make you an object of horror, the inhabitants of this city a cause for contempt; you will suffer the insults aimed at my people."

Woe to me! for I have become like the leavings of summer fruit, like the gleanings when the vintage is finished — there isn't a cluster worth eating, no early-ripened fig that appeals to me.

The godly have been destroyed from the land, there is no one upright among humankind. They all lie in wait for blood, each hunts his brother with a net.

Their hands do evil well. The prince makes his request, the judge grants it for a price, and the great man expresses his evil desires — thus they weave it together.

For a son insults his father, a daughter rises against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law — a person's enemies are the members of his own household.

But as for me, I will look to Adonai , I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

That will be the day for rebuilding your walls, a day for expanding your territory,