Study Desk

because bread and water will be scarce; and they will look at one another in dismay and waste away [in punishment] for their wickedness.

"Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because you have more turmoil than the nations which surround you and have not walked in My statutes, nor kept My ordinances, nor observed the ordinances of the nations which surround you,'

'And because of all your abominations, I will do among you that which I have not done, and the like of which I will not do again.

'So, as I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and with all your abominations, therefore I will also diminish you and withdraw, and My eye will have no pity and I will not spare [you].

"Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Strike with your fist, stamp with your foot and say, "Alas, because of all the evil atrocities of the house of Israel, which will fall by sword, by famine, and by virulent disease!

'For the seller will not regain and return to what he sold, even were they yet alive; for the vision [of punishment] regarding all the multitude [of people] will not be turned back, nor will any one of them sustain his life because of his sin.

"Then say to the people of the land, 'Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel, "They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with horror, because their land will be stripped and looted of its fullness because of the violence of all those who live in it.

Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Because you have spoken empty and delusive words and have seen lies, therefore behold, I am against you," says the Lord God.

"It is definitely because they have seduced My people, saying, 'Peace,' when there is no peace, and because when one builds a [flimsy] wall, behold, these [lying] prophets plaster it over with whitewash;

"You have profaned Me among My people [in payment] for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die and giving [a guarantee of] life to those who should not live, because of your lies to My people who pay attention to lies."'"

"Because you disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have encouraged the wicked not to turn from his wicked way and preserve his life,

in order that I may take hold of the heart (mind) of the house of Israel who are all estranged from Me because of their idols."'

"If I were to cause predatory beasts to pass through the land and they ravaged it and depopulated it of children, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through because of the predators,

'I will make the land desolate (ruined, deserted), because they have acted unfaithfully [through their idolatry],' says the Lord GOD."

"Then your fame went out among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My majesty and splendor which I bestowed on you," says the Lord GOD.

"But you trusted in and relied on your beauty and prostituted yourself [in idolatry and its debauched rituals] because of your fame, and you poured out your immoralities on every [willing] passer-by and your beauty was his [as you worshiped the idols of the Gentile nations].

"You prostituted yourself with the Assyrians because you were not satisfied; you prostituted yourself with them and still were not satisfied.

"When you built your shrine altar for prostitution at the beginning of every street and made your high place in every public square, you were not like a prostitute because you refused payment.

"And you are different from other [unfaithful] women in your promiscuity, in that no one follows you to lure you into prostitution, and because you give money and no money is given you; in this way you are different."

Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because your lewdness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered through your obscene immoralities with your lovers (pagan allies), and with all your [repulsive] idols, and because of the blood of your sons that you gave to them,