Study Desk

I have surely heard Ephraim's moaning: 'You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, and I will return, for You are the LORD my God.

This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: "When I restore them from captivity, they will once again speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities: 'May the LORD bless you, O righteous dwelling place, O holy mountain.'

"But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.

"This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Take these deeds-both the sealed copy and the open copy of the deed of purchase-and put them in a clay jar to preserve them for a long time.

For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land."

"Oh, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!

You show loving devotion to thousands, but lay the sins of the fathers into the laps of their children after them, O great and mighty God whose name is the LORD of Hosts,

Yet You, O Lord GOD, have said to me, 'Buy for yourself the field with silver and call in witnesses, even though the city has been handed over to the Chaldeans!'"

"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?

Now therefore, about this city of which you say, 'It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword and famine and plague,' this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says:

They will be My people, and I will be their God.

For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the houses of this city and the palaces of the kings of Judah that have been torn down for defense against the siege ramps and the sword:

"This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Go, speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that this is what the LORD says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.

"This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying:

and I brought them into the temple of the LORD, to a chamber occupied by the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was near the chamber of the officials, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper.

"This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem: 'Will you not accept discipline and obey My words?' declares the LORD.

Therefore, this is what the LORD, the God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: 'Behold, I will bring to Judah and to all the residents of Jerusalem all the disaster I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them but they have not obeyed, and I have called to them but they have not answered.'"

Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites: "This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: 'Because you have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have kept all his commandments and have done all that he charged you to do,

this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Jonadab son of Rechab will never fail to have a man to stand before Me.'"

Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, "Please pray for us to the LORD our God!"