Study Desk

Therefore I will give their wives to others, their fields to conquerors, because from the smallest to the greatest, all of them make profit for unlawful gain, from prophet to priest, all of them practice deceit.

Why are we sitting? Gather, and let us go into the fortified cities, and let us perish there, for Yahweh our God has caused us to perish, and has provided drink for us, water of poison, because we have sinned against Yahweh.

"Because of the wound of the daughter of my people I am broken down, I mourn, horror has seized me.

Therefore, thus says Yahweh of hosts: "Look, I am about to refine them, and I will test them, for what else can I do, because of the presence of the daughter of my people?

Because of these things shall I not punish them?" declares Yahweh, "On a nation that is like this shall I not take revenge?

For the mountains I lift up weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the desert a lament, because they are laid waste so that no man passes through. And the sounds of cattle are not heard, from the birds of heaven to the animals they have fled, they are gone.

And Yahweh said, "Because of their forsaking my law that I set before them, and they have not obeyed my voice, and have not walked in it,

For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion, ‘How we are devastated! We are very ashamed because we have left the land, because they have overthrown our dwelling places.'

But Yahweh is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king. Because of his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his anger.

Woe to me, because of my wound. My wound is incurable. But I said, "Surely this is my sickness, and I must bear it."

And Yahweh of hosts, the one who planted you, has spoken evil against you, because of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, that they have done to themselves, to provoke me to anger by making smoke offerings to Baal."

How long will the land mourn, and the vegetation of every field dry up, because of the wickedness of those who live in it? The animals and the birds are swept away, because they have said, "He does not see our future."

They have sown wheat and they have reaped thorns. They are exhausted, they do not profit. And they will be ashamed of your produce, because of the burning anger of Yahweh."

But if you will not listen to it, my inner self will weep in secret places, because of the presence of your pride. And my eyes will weep bitterly, and they will melt in tears, because the flock of Yahweh has been taken captive.

And if you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things happened to me?' Because of the greatness of your iniquity your skirts are uncovered; your heels have endured violence.

This is your lot, the portion of your measure from me," declares Yahweh, "because you have forgotten me, and you have trusted in the lie.

Because of the ground, which is cracked because there was no rain on the ground. The farmers are ashamed, they cover their heads.

For even the doe in the field gives birth and forsakes her young, because there is no green growth.

And wild asses stand on the barren heights, they gasp for breath like the jackals. Their eyes fail because there is no vegetation."

And the people to whom they are prophesying will be cast out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword. And there will be no one who buries them, their wives, or their sons, or their daughters. And I will pour out on them their wickedness.