Study Desk

Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"Son of man, ask a riddle and present a ^(C1)parable to the house of Israel,

^(F1)saying, 'This is what the Lord ^(F2)GOD says: "A great ^(F3)(C1)eagle with ^(C2)great wings, long pinions, and a full plumage of many colors came to ^(F4)(C3)Lebanon and took away the top of the ^(F5)cedar.

"He broke off the ^(F1)topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a ^(F2)city of traders.

"He also took ^(F1)from the seed of the land and planted ^(F1)it in ^(F2)(C1)fertile soil, a ^(F3)meadow beside abundant waters; he set it like a ^(C2)willow.

"Then it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine with its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced shoots and sent out branches.

"But there was ^(F1)another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine turned its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was ^(C1)planted, so that he might water it.

"It was planted in good ^(F1)soil beside abundant waters, so that it would produce branches and bear fruit, and become a splendid vine."'

"Say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers—so that all its sprouting shoots wither? And neither by great ^(F1)strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again.

"Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not ^(C1)completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it—wither on the beds where it grew?"'"

Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"Say now to the ^(C1)rebellious house, 'Do you not ^(C2)know what these things mean?' Say, 'Behold, the ^(C3)king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and leaders, and brought them to him in Babylon.

'Then he took one of the royal ^(F1)(C1)family and made a covenant with him, ^(F2)putting him under ^(C2)oath. He also took away the ^(C3)mighty of the land,

so that the kingdom would ^(C1)be humbled, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant so that it might continue.

'But ^(F1)he ^(C1)revolted against ^(F2)him by sending his messengers to Egypt so that they might give him horses and many ^(F3)troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does these things ^(C2)escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape?

'As I live,' declares the Lord GOD, 'In the ^(F1)country of the king who ^(F2)put him on the throne, whose oath he ^(C1)despised and whose covenant he broke, ^(F3)(C2)in Babylon he shall certainly die.

'^(C1)Pharaoh with his mighty army and great contingent will not ^(F1)help him in the war, when they pile up assault ramps and build siege walls to eliminate many lives.

'Now he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and behold, he ^(F1)(C1)pledged his allegiance, yet did all these things; he shall not escape.'"

Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: "As I live, My oath which he despised and My covenant which he broke, I will certainly ^(F1)inflict on his head.

"And I will spread My ^(C1)net over him, and he will be ^(C2)caught in My net. Then I will bring him to Babylon and ^(C3)enter into judgment with him there regarding the unfaithful act which he has committed against Me.

"All the ^(F1)(C1)choice men in all his troops will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to every wind; and you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken."

This is what the Lord GOD says: "I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and ^(F1)set it out; I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on a ^(C1)high and lofty mountain.

"On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, so that it may bring forth branches and bear fruit, and become a stately ^(C1)cedar. And ^(F1)birds of every ^(F2)kind will ^(F3)nest under it; they will ^(F3)nest in the shade of its branches.

"All the ^(C1)trees of the field will know that I am the LORD; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree ^(C2)flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will perform it."

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"^(C1)What do you people mean by using this proverb about the land of Israel, saying, '^(C2)The fathers eat sour grapes, ^(F1)But it is the children's teeth that have become blunt'?

"As I live," declares the Lord ^(F1)GOD, "you certainly are not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore.

"Behold, ^(C1)all ^(F1)souls are Mine; the ^(F2)soul of the father as well as the ^(F2)soul of the son is Mine. The ^(F3)soul who ^(C2)sins will die.

"But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness,

if he does not ^(C1)eat at the mountain shrines or ^(C2)raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or ^(C3)defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period—

and if a man does not oppress anyone, but ^(C1)restores to the debtor his pledge, ^(C2)does not commit robbery, but ^(C3)gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing,

and if he does not ^(F1)lend money at ^(C1)interest or take ^(F2)(C2)interest, if he keeps his hand from injustice and ^(C3)executes true justice between one person and another,

if he walks in ^(C1)My statutes and keeps My ordinances so as to deal faithfully—^(C2)he is righteous and will certainly ^(C3)live," declares the Lord GOD.

"However, he may father a violent son who sheds blood, and does any one of these things to a brother

(though he himself did not do any of these things), that is, he even eats at the mountain shrines, and ^(C1)defiles his neighbor's wife,

oppresses the ^(C1)poor and needy, ^(C2)commits robbery, does not restore a pledge, but raises his eyes to the idols and ^(C3)commits abomination,

^(C1)lends money at interest and takes ^(F1)interest; will he live? He will not live! He has committed all these abominations, he shall certainly be put to death; his ^(C2)blood will be on himself.

"Now behold, he has fathered a son who saw all his father's sins which he committed, but he has ^(C1)seen them and does not do likewise.

"He does not eat at the mountain shrines or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; he has not defiled his neighbor's wife,

nor oppressed anyone, nor retained a pledge, nor committed robbery; instead, he ^(C1)gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing,

he keeps his hand from ^(F1)the poor, does not take any kind of interest on loans, but executes My ordinances, and walks in My statutes; ^(C1)he will not die for his father's guilt, he will certainly live.

"As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what was not good among his people, behold, he will die for his guilt.

"Yet you say, '^(C1)Why should the son not suffer the punishment for the father's guilt?' When the son has practiced ^(C2)justice and righteousness and has kept all My statutes and done them, he shall certainly live.

"The person who ^(C1)sins will die. A ^(C2)son will not suffer the punishment for the father's guilt, nor will a father suffer the punishment for the son's guilt; the ^(C3)righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

"But if the ^(C1)wicked person turns from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall certainly live; he shall not die.

"^(C1)All his offenses which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his ^(C2)righteousness which he has practiced, he will live.

"^(C1)Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked," declares the Lord GOD, "^(F1)rather than that he would ^(C2)turn from his ways and live?

"But when a righteous person ^(C1)turns away from his righteousness, commits injustice and does according to all the abominations that the wicked person does, will he live? ^(C2)All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his ^(C3)treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die.

"Yet you say, '^(C1)The way of the Lord is not right.' Hear now, house of Israel! Is ^(C2)My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

"When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness, commits injustice and dies because of it, for his injustice which he has committed he dies.

"But when a wicked person turns away ^(C1)from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life.

"Since he understood and turned away from all his offenses which he had committed, he shall certainly live; he shall not die.

"But the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Are My ways not right, house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?

"Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each according to his conduct," declares the Lord GOD. "^(C1)Repent and turn away from all your offenses, so that wrongdoing does not become a stumbling block to you.

"^(C1)Hurl away from you all your offenses which you have committed and make yourselves a ^(C2)new heart and a new spirit! For why should you die, house of Israel?

"For I take ^(C1)no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live!"

"As for you, take up a ^(C1)song of mourning for the ^(C2)leaders of Israel

and say, '^(F1)What was your mother? A lioness among lions! She lay down among young lions, She raised her cubs.

-'When she brought up one of her cubs, ^(C1)He became a young lion, And he learned to tear his prey; He devoured people.

-'Then nations heard about him; He was caught in their trap, And they ^(C1)brought him with hooks To the land of Egypt.

-'When she saw, as she waited, That her hope was lost, She took ^(F1)another of her cubs And made ^(C1)him a young lion.

-'And he ^(C1)walked about among the lions, He became a young lion; He learned to tear his prey; He devoured people.

-'He ^(F1)destroyed their ^(F2)palaces And laid waste their cities; And the land and its fullness were appalled Because of the sound of his roaring.

-'Then ^(C1)nations set against him On every side from their provinces, And they spread their net over him; He was caught in their trap.

-'^(C1)They put him in a ^(F1)wooden collar with hooks And ^(C2)brought him to the king of Babylon; They brought him in hunting nets So that his voice would no longer be heard On the mountains of Israel.

-'Your mother was ^(C1)like a vine in your ^(F1)vineyard, Planted by the waters; It was fruitful and thick with branches Because of abundant waters.

-'And it had ^(F1)(C1)strong stems fit for scepters of rulers, And its ^(C2)height was raised above the clouds So that it was seen in its height with the mass of its branches.

-'But it was ^(C1)uprooted in fury; It was ^(C2)thrown down to the ground; And the ^(C3)east wind dried up its fruit. ^(F1)Its ^(C4)strong stem ^(F2)was torn out So that ^(F3)it withered; The fire consumed it.

-'And now it is planted in the ^(C1)wilderness, In a dry and thirsty land.

-'And ^(C1)fire has gone out from its stem; It has consumed its shoots and fruit, So that there is no ^(F1)strong stem in it, A scepter to rule.'" This is a song of mourning, and has become a song of mourning.

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