Study Desk

"Therefore speak to them and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Any man of the house of Israel who takes his idols [of rebellion] into his heart, and puts the [vile] stumbling block of his wickedness and guilt [images of silver and gold] before his face, and yet comes to the prophet [to ask of him], I the LORD will answer him, [but I will answer him] in accordance with the number of his idols,

"Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Repent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your disgusting and vile acts.

so that the house of Israel may no longer drift away from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions, but they will be My people, and I will be their God,"' says the Lord GOD."

even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in that land, by their own righteousness (right standing with God) they could only save (deliver) themselves," says the Lord GOD.

though these three men were in the land, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "they could not save either their sons or their daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate (ruined, deserted).

even though these three men were in the land, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "they could not save either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be saved.

even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "they could not save either their son or their daughter; they would save only themselves by their righteousness [that is, their right-standing with God—their moral and spiritual integrity]."

For thus says the Lord GOD, "How much more when I send My four severe judgments against Jerusalem—sword, famine, predatory beasts, and virulent disease—to cut off man and animal from it!

"Then they will reassure you [in regard to the appropriateness of the judgments] when you see their [heinous] conduct and actions, for you will know that I have not done without cause whatever I did to it," declares the Lord GOD.

"Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Like the wood of the grapevine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the people of Jerusalem;

'I will make the land desolate (ruined, deserted), because they have acted unfaithfully [through their idolatry],' says the Lord GOD."

and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem (all of Israel), "Your [spiritual] origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite; your [spiritual] father was an Amorite and your [spiritual] mother a Hittite.

"Then I passed by you [again] and looked on you; behold, you were maturing and at the time for love, and I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore [an oath] to you and entered into a covenant with you," says the Lord GOD, "and you became Mine."

"Then your fame went out among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My majesty and splendor which I bestowed on you," says the Lord GOD.

"Also My bread which I gave you, [made from the] fine flour and oil and honey with which I fed you, you even offered it before idols [no better than cow dung] as a sweet and soothing aroma; so it happened," says the Lord GOD.

"Then it came about after all your wickedness ('Woe, woe to you!' says the Lord GOD),

"How weakened by longing and lust is your heart (mind)," says the Lord GOD, "while you do all these things, the actions of a bold and brazen prostitute.

Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because your lewdness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered through your obscene immoralities with your lovers (pagan allies), and with all your [repulsive] idols, and because of the blood of your sons that you gave to them,

"And I [the Lord GOD] will judge you like women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy.

"Because you have not remembered the days of your youth but have enraged Me with all these things, therefore, I in turn will bring your conduct down on your own head," says the Lord GOD, "so that you will not commit this lewdness on top of all your other repulsive acts.