Study Desk

I looked around, but I saw no one to help me. I was surprised that no one supported me. So I used my own power to save my people; my own anger supported me.

But they turned against him and made his Holy Spirit very sad. So he became their enemy, and he fought against them.

But then his people remembered what happened long ago, in the days of Moses and the Israelites with him. Where is the Lord who brought the people through the sea, with the leaders of his people? Where is the one who put his Holy Spirit among them,

Your people had your Temple for a while, but now our enemies have walked on your holy place and crushed it.

You help those who enjoy doing good, who remember how you want them to live. But you were angry because we sinned. For a long time we disobeyed, so how can we be saved?

But Lord , you are our father. We are like clay, and you are the potter; your hands made us all.

Our ancestors worshiped you in our holy and wonderful Temple, but now it has been burned with fire, and all our precious things have been destroyed.

All day long I stood ready to accept people who turned against me, but the way they continue to live is not good; they do anything they want to do.

But they tell others, ‘Stay away, and don't come near me. I am too holy for you.' These people are like smoke in my nose. Like a fire that burns all the time, they continue to make me angry.

"But as for you who left the Lord , who forgot about my holy mountain, who worship the god Luck, who hold religious feasts for the god Fate,

I decide your fate, and I will punish you with my sword. You will all be killed, because I called you, but you refused to answer. I spoke to you, but you wouldn't listen. You did the things I said were evil and chose to do things that displease me."

So this is what the Lord God says: "My servants will eat, but you evil people will be hungry. My servants will drink, but you evil people will be thirsty. My servants will be happy, but you evil people will be shamed.

My servants will shout for joy because of the goodness of their hearts, but you evil people will cry, because you will be sad. You will cry loudly, because your spirits will be broken.

Your names will be like curses to my servants, and the Lord God will put you to death. But he will call his servants by another name.

But those people who kill bulls as a sacrifice to me are like those who kill people. Those who kill sheep as a sacrifice are like those who break the necks of dogs. Those who give me grain offerings are like those who offer me the blood of pigs. Those who burn incense are like those who worship idols. These people choose their own ways, not mine, and they love the terrible things they do.

So I will choose their punishments, and I will punish them with what they fear most. This is because I called to them, but they did not listen. I spoke to them, but they did not hear me. They did things I said were evil; they chose to do things I did not like."

You people who obey the words of the Lord , listen to what he says: "Your brothers hated you and turned against you because you followed me. Your brothers said, ‘Let the Lord be honored so we may see you rejoice,' but they will be punished.

No one has ever heard of that happening; no one has ever seen that happen. In the same way no one ever saw a country begin in one day; no one has ever heard of a new nation beginning in one moment. But Jerusalem will give birth to her children just as soon as she feels the birth pains.

When you see these things, you will be happy, and you will grow like the grass. The Lord 's servants will see his power, but his enemies will see his anger.

"These people make themselves holy and pure to go to worship their gods in their gardens. Following each other into their special gardens, they eat the meat of pigs and rats and other hateful things. But they will all be destroyed together," says the Lord .