Study Desk

But that would have disgraced me, because many other nations had seen me bring the Israelites out of Egypt.

I said this because they had not only ignored my laws and teachings, but had disgraced my Sabbath and worshiped idols.

But the children also rebelled against me. They refused to obey my laws and teachings, and they treated the Sabbath as any other day. I became angry and decided to punish them in the desert.

But I did not. That would have disgraced me in front of the nations that had seen me bring the Israelites out of Egypt.

They may think they can be like other nations and get away with worshiping idols made of wood and stone. But that will never happen!

Go ahead and worship your idols for now, you Israelites, because soon I will no longer let you dishonor me by offering gifts to them. You will have no choice but to obey me!

so you deserve to be punished. But I will treat you in a way that will bring honor to my name, and you will know that I am the Lord God.

But I complained, " Lord God, I don't want to do that! People already say I confuse them with my messages."

Ezekiel, son of man, mark two roads for the king of Babylonia to follow when he comes with his sword. The roads will begin at the same place, but be sure to put up a signpost where the two roads separate and go in different directions.

Everyone in Jerusalem had promised to be loyal to Babylonia, and so none of them will believe that this could happen to them. But Babylonia's king will remind them of their sinful ways and warn them of their coming captivity.

You wicked Ammonites see false visions and believe untrue messages. But your day of punishment is coming soon, and my sword will slaughter you!

The priests of Israel ignore my Law! Not only do they refuse to respect any of my sacred things, but they don't even teach the difference between what is sacred and what is ordinary, or between what is clean and what is unclean. They treat my Sabbath like any other day, and so my own people no longer honor me.

And then the prophets in Israel cover up these sins by giving false visions. I have never spoken to them, but they lie and say they have a message from me.

I looked for someone to defend the city and to protect it from my anger, as well as to stop me from destroying it. But I found no one.

Oholibah saw all this, but she was more sinful and wanted sex more than her sister Oholah ever did.

But Oholibah behaved worse than her sister. Oholibah saw images of Babylonian men carved into walls and painted red.

Oholibah didn't stop there, but became even more immoral and acted as she had back in Egypt.

But you must drink every drop! Then smash the cup to pieces and use them to cut your breasts in sorrow. I, the Lord God, have spoken.

But good men will someday accuse those two of murder and of being unfaithful, because they are certainly guilty.

But I have seen that blood, and it cries out for me to take revenge.