Study Desk

Put on sackcloth and mourn, you Kohanim! Wail, you ministers of the altar. Come, lie all night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God, For the meal offering and the drink offering are withheld from your God's house.

Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly. Gather the Zakenim, And all the inhabitants of the land, to the house of the LORD, your God, And cry to the LORD.

Isn't the food cut off before our eyes; Joy and gladness from the house of our God?

Tear your heart, and not your garments, And turn to the LORD, your God; For he is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, And relents from sending calamity.

Who knows? He may turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind him, Even a meal offering and a drink offering to the LORD, your God.

Let the Kohanim, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, And let them say, "Spare your people, LORD, And don't give your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"

"Be glad then, you children of Tziyon, And rejoice in the LORD, your God; For he gives you the former rain in just measure, And he causes the rain to come down for you, The former rain and the latter rain, As before.

You will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied, And will praise the name of the LORD, your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And my people will never again be put to shame.

You will know that I am in the midst of Yisra'el, And that I am the LORD, your God, and there is no one else; And my people will never again be put to shame.

"So you will know that I am the LORD, your God, Dwelling in Tziyon, my holy mountain. Then Yerushalayim will be holy, And no strangers will pass through her any more.

I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, And him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; And I will turn my hand against `Ekron; And the remnant of the Pelishtim will perish," says the Lord GOD.

And they lay themselves down beside every altar on clothes taken in pledge; And in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, Unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets.

The lion has roared. Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken. Who can but prophesy?

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "An adversary will overrun the land; And he will pull down your strongholds, And your fortresses will be plundered."

"Listen, and testify against the house of Ya`akov," says the Lord GOD, the God Tzva'ot,.

The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness that behold, "The days shall come on you that they will take you away with hooks, And the last of you with fish hooks.

Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, And proclaim free will offerings and brag about them: For this pleases you, you children of Yisra'el," says the Lord GOD.

"I have overthrown some of you, As when God overthrew Sedom and `Amorah, And you were like a burning stick plucked out of the fire; Yet you haven't returned to me," says the LORD.

"Therefore thus will I do to you, Yisra'el; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, Yisra'el.