Study Desk

Say to them, ‘As I live,' swears Adonai Elohim , ‘I take no pleasure in having the wicked person die, but in having the wicked person turn from his way and live. So repent! Turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, house of Isra'el?'

So if, after I tell the righteous person that he will surely live, he begins trusting in his own [former] righteousness and starts committing crimes; then none of his [former] righteous actions will be remembered; on the contrary, he will die for the evil deeds he has committed.

if the wicked person restores pledged property and returns what he stole, so that he lives by the laws that give life and does not commit evil deeds; then he will live, he will not die.

Now the hand of Adonai had been on me that evening, before the fugitive arrived — he had opened my mouth prior to his coming to me in the morning, so my mouth was open, and I was no longer mute.

"Human being, those living in the desolate parts of the land of Isra'el are saying, ‘Avraham was only one, and he inherited the land. But we are many, so [how much more] is the land given to us to inherit!'

Moreover, I will utterly desolate the land; it will cease taking pride in its power; and the mountains of Isra'el will be so desolate that no one will pass through.'

So then they come to you, as people do, sit in front of you as my people, and hear your words; but they don't act on them. For with their mouths they flatter you, but their hearts are set on their own self-interest;

so for them you are like a love-song sung by someone with a nice voice who can play an instrument well — they hear your words, but they don't act on them.

So when all this comes true, then, at last, they will realize that a prophet has been there with them."

So they were scattered, without a shepherd, and became food for every wild animal — they were scattered.

Just as a shepherd looks after his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so I will look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark.

So now my sheep eat what you have trampled with your feet and drink water fouled by your feet.'

Therefore prophesy, and say that Adonai Elohim says, ‘Because they desolated you and swallowed you up from every side, so that the other nations could take possession of you; and now people are gossiping about you and slandering you;

When they came to the nations they were going to, they profaned my holy name; so that people said of them, ‘These are Adonai 's people, who have been exiled from his land.'

I will multiply the yield of fruit from the trees and increase production in the fields, so that you never again suffer the reproach of famine among the nations.

He had me pass by all around them — there were so many bones lying in the valley, and they were so dry!

So I prophesied as ordered; and while I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound; it was the bones coming together, each bone in its proper place.

Next he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath! Prophesy, human being! Say to the breath that Adonai Elohim says, ‘Come from the four winds, breath; and breathe on these slain, so that they can live.'"

So I prophesied as ordered, and the breath came into them, and they were alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army!

Finally, bring them together into a single stick, so that they become one in your hand.