Study Desk

They put their false god on their shoulders and carry it. That false god is useless; people have to carry it! People set the statue on the ground, and it cannot move. That false god never walks away from its place. People can yell at it, but it will not answer. That false god is only a statue; it cannot save people from their troubles.

But I am close to making things right. Salvation will not be delayed much longer. I will bring salvation to Zion and to my wonderful Israel."

"I was angry with my people. They were mine, but I turned against them. I let you punish them, but you showed them no mercy. Even for those who were old you made the work hard.

You do bad things but still feel safe. You say to yourself, ‘No one sees the wrong I do.' You thought that your wisdom and knowledge would save you. You tell yourself, ‘I alone am important, and no one else matters.'

"But disaster is coming your way. You don't know when it will happen, but disaster is coming. And there is nothing you can do to stop it.

But they cannot even save themselves. They will burn like straw. They will burn so fast that there will be no coals left to cook bread. There will be no fire left to sit by.

"Family of Jacob, listen to me! You people call yourself ‘Israel,' but you are from Judah's family. When you take an oath, I, the Lord , the God of Israel, am the one whose name you use, but you are not honest and sincere.

But even in the past you didn't listen. You didn't learn anything. You never listen to what I say. I have always known that you would turn against me. You have rebelled against me from the time you were born.

"But I will be patient. I will do this for myself. People will praise me for not becoming angry and destroying you. You will praise me for waiting.

"Look, I will make you pure, but not in the way you make silver pure. I will make you pure by giving you troubles.

But the Lord also said, "There is no peace for evil people."

He used me to speak for him. He used me like a sharp sword, but he also held me in his hand to protect me. He used me like a sharp arrow, but he also kept me safe in his arrow bag.

I said, "I worked hard for nothing. I wore myself out, but I did nothing useful. I used all my power, but I did not really do anything. So the Lord must decide what to do with me. He must decide my reward."

And now he says, "You are a very important servant to me. You must bring back to me the tribes of Jacob. You must bring back the people of Israel who are still alive. But I have something else for you to do that is even more important: I will make you a light for the other nations. You will show people all over the world the way to be saved."

This is what the Lord says: "There will be a special time when I show my kindness. Then I will answer your prayers. There will be a special day when I will save you. Then I will help you and protect you. And you will be the proof of my agreement with the people. The country is destroyed now, but you will give the land back to the people who own it.

But now Zion says, "The Lord has left me; the Lord has forgotten me."

But the Lord says, "Can a woman forget her baby? Can she forget the child who came from her body? Even if she can forget her children, I cannot forget you.

"You are destroyed and defeated now. Your land is useless. But after a short time, you will have many people in your land. And those who destroyed you will be far, far away.

You were sad for the children you lost, but they will tell you, ‘This place is too small! Give us a bigger place to live!'

Those people hurt you, but I will force them to eat their own bodies. Their own blood will be the wine that makes them drunk. Then everyone will know that the Lord saved you. Everyone will know that the Powerful One of Jacob saved you."