Study Desk

Therefore My people go into exile because they lack knowledge [of God]; And their honorable men are famished, And their common people are parched with thirst.

Therefore, as the tongue of fire consumes the stubble [from straw] And the dry grass collapses into the flame, So their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away like fine dust; Because they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts And despised and discarded the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Then I said, "Woe is me! For I am ruined, Because I am a man of [ceremonially] unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

and say to him, 'Take care and be calm, do not fear and be weak-hearted because of these two stumps of smoldering logs, on account of the fierce anger of [King] Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah (Pekah, usurper of the throne of Israel).

'Because Aram, along with Ephraim (Israel) and the son of Remaliah, have planned evil against you (Judah), saying,

Now in that day [because of the poverty caused by the invaders] a man will keep alive only a young milk cow and two sheep;

and because of the abundance of milk produced he will eat curds, for everyone that is left in the land will eat [only] curds and [wild] honey.

People will come there [to hunt] with arrows and with bows because all the land will be briars and thorns.

"Because these people (Judah) have refused the gently flowing waters of Shiloah And rejoice in Rezin [the king of Aram] and Remaliah's son [Pekah the king of Israel],

[Direct those people] to the law and to the testimony! If their teachings are not in accord with this word, it is because they have no dawn.

So it will be in that day, that the burden of the Assyrian will be removed from your shoulders and his yoke from your neck. The yoke will be broken because of the fat.

"You will not be united with them in burial, Because you have destroyed your land, You have slain your people. May the descendants of evildoers never be named!

"Prepare a slaughtering place for his sons Because of the wickedness [the sin, the injustice, the wrongdoing] of their fathers. They must not rise and take possession of the earth, And fill the face of the world with cities."

"Do not rejoice, O Philistia, any of you, Because the rod [of Judah] that struck you is broken; For out of the serpent's root will come a viper [King Hezekiah of Judah], And its offspring will be a flying serpent.

The [mournful, inspired] oracle (a burden to be carried) concerning Moab: Because in a night Ar of Moab is devastated and ruined; Because in a night Kir of Moab is devastated and ruined.

Because you [Judah] have forgotten the God of your salvation And have not remembered the Rock of your Stronghold— Therefore you plant lovely plants And set the grounds with vine slips of a strange god,

In that day the Egyptians will become like [helpless] women, and they will tremble and be frightened because of the waving of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which He is going to wave over them.

The land of Judah [Assyria's ally] will become a terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be in dread of it, because of the purpose of the LORD of hosts which He is planning against Egypt.

It will become a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the LORD because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior, a [Great] Defender, and He will rescue them.

"Then they will be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their boast.