Study Desk

'Violence has grown into a rod of wickedness. None of them shall remain, none of their people, none of their wealth, nor anything eminent among them.

"Utterly kill old men, young men, female virgins, little children, and women, but do not touch any person on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary." So they started with the elders who were before the temple.

"You will fall by the sword. I will judge you to the border of Israel; so you shall know that I am the LORD.

so that they may walk in My statutes, and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

"Bring your baggage out by day in their sight, as baggage for exile. Then you shall go out at evening in their sight, as those who are going into exile.

"Load the baggage on your shoulder in their sight and carry it out in the dark. You shall cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a sign to the house of Israel."

in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their offenses. So they will be My people, and I shall be their God,"' declares the Lord GOD."

"So I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD,

'As I live,' declares the Lord GOD, 'In the country of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, in Babylon he shall certainly die.

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

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

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

"But if the 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.

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

'Sanctify My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, so that you may know that I am the LORD your God.'

"And when you offer your gifts, when you make your sons pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "I certainly will not be inquired of by you.

"As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I assuredly shall be king over you.

"As for you, son of man, groan with a breaking heart and bitter grief; you shall groan in their sight.

"And when they say to you, 'Why are you groaning?' you shall say, 'Because of the news, for it is coming; and every heart will melt, all hands will go limp, every spirit will be disheartened, and all knees will drip with water. Behold, it is coming and it will happen,' declares the Lord GOD."

'Sharpened to make a slaughter, Polished to flash like lightning!' Or shall we rejoice, the rod of My son despising every tree?