Study Desk

In the past, you were slaves. People forced you to work hard. But the Lord will take away the hard work you were forced to do.

At that time you will begin to sing this song about the king of Babylon: The king was cruel when he ruled us, but now his rule is finished.

But now, the whole country rests and is quiet. Now the people begin to celebrate.

You were an evil king, and now you are finished. Even the pine trees are happy. The cedar trees of Lebanon rejoice. They say, "The king chopped us down, but now the king has fallen, and he will never stand again."

You were like the morning star, but you have fallen from the sky. In the past, all the nations on earth bowed down before you, but now you have been cut down.

But that did not happen. You were brought down to the deep pit—Sheol, the place of death.

But you were thrown out of your grave like a branch cut from a tree and thrown away. You are like a dead man who fell in battle, trampled under the feet of other soldiers. Now you look like any other dead man wrapped in burial clothes.

Other kings have their own graves, but you will not join them, because you ruined your own country and killed your own people. So your wicked descendants will be stopped.

I will destroy the king of Assyria in my country. I will walk on him on my mountains. He forced my people to be his slaves; he put a yoke on their necks. But that pole will be taken off Judah's neck, and that burden will be removed.

Country of Philistia, don't be happy that the king who beat you is now dead. It is true that his rule has ended, but his son will come and rule. It will be like one snake giving birth to a more dangerous one. The new king will be like a quick and dangerous snake to you.

But even the poorest of my people will be able to eat safely. And their children will be able to lie down and feel safe. But I will make your family die from hunger, and your enemy will kill anyone who survives.

But what will the messengers from that nation report about us? They will say, "The Lord made Zion strong, and his poor people went there for safety."

But Nimrim Brook is as dry as a desert. The grass has dried up, and the plants are all dead. Nothing is green.

The water of Dimon is full of blood, and I will bring even more troubles to Dimon. A few people living in Moab have escaped the enemy, but I will send lions to eat them.

We have heard that the people of Moab are very proud and conceited. They are hot-tempered braggers, but their boasts are only empty words.

There will be no joy and happiness in the orchard. I will end the happy singing and shouting in the vineyard. The grapes are ready to make wine, but they will all be ruined.

The people of Moab will go to their high places to worship. They will go to their temple to pray, but it will not help them.

This is a message about Damascus: "Damascus is now a city, but it will be destroyed. Only ruined buildings will be left there.

"That time will also be like the olive harvest. People knock olives from the trees, but a few olives are usually left at the top of each tree. Four or five olives are left on some of the top branches. It will be the same for those cities," says the Lord All-Powerful.

This will happen because you have forgotten the God who saves you. You have not remembered that God is your place of safety. You brought some very good grapevines from faraway places. You might plant those grapevines, but they will not grow.