Study Desk

They will not toil in vain or raise children to be destroyed, for they are the seed blessed by Adonai ; and their offspring with them.

Who ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Is a country born in one day? Is a nation brought forth all at once? For as soon as Tziyon went into labor, she brought forth her children.

"Return, backsliding children," says Adonai ; "for I am your master. I will take you, one from a city, two from a family, and bring you to Tziyon.

"Return, backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding." "Here we are, we are coming to you, for you are Adonai our God.

"It is because my people are foolish — they do not know me; they are stupid children, without understanding, wise when doing evil; but they don't know how to do good."

This is why I am full of Adonai 's fury; I am weary of holding it back. "Pour it out on the children in the street and on the groups of young men gathered; for husbands and wives will be taken together, seniors as well as the very old.

The children gather the wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and, just to provoke me, they pour out drink offerings to other gods!

"Death has come up through our windows, it has entered our palaces, it has cut down children in the streets and young people in the public places."

class="poetry"> I wish I were out in the desert, in some travelers' lodge — then I could get away from my people and distance myself from them! "Indeed they are all adulterers, a band of traitors is what they are. They bend their tongues, their ‘bow' of falsehood, and hold sway in the land, but not for truth. For they go from evil to evil, and me they do not know," says Adonai . Everyone, be on guard against your neighbor, don't trust even a brother; for every brother is out to trick you, and every neighbor goes around gossiping. Everyone deceives his neighbor, no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongues to lie, they wear themselves out with sinning. "You inhabit a world of deceit; deceitfully they refuse to know me," says Adonai . "Therefore," says Adonai -Tzva'ot, "I will refine them and test them. What else can I do with the daughter of my people? Their tongues are sharpened arrows; with their mouths they speak deceit — they say nice words to their neighbors, while inwardly plotting against them. Should I not punish them for these things?" asks Adonai . "Should I not take vengeance on such a nation?" I weep and wail for the mountains and lament over the desert pastures, because they have been burned up; no one passes through; they no longer hear the sound of cattle; the birds and wild animals have fled, are gone. "I will make Yerushalayim a heap of ruins, turn it into a lair for jackals, and make the cities of Y'hudah desolate, with no one living there." Who is wise enough to understand this? To whom has the mouth of Adonai spoken, so that he can proclaim it? Why has the land perished and been laid waste like a desert, so that no one passes through? Adonai answers: "Because they abandoned my Torah, which I set before them, and neither listened to what I said nor lived accordingly, but have lived by their own hearts' stubbornness and by the ba‘alim, as their ancestors taught them — therefore," says Adonai -Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el: "I will feed this people bitter wormwood and give them poisonous water to drink. I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known. I will send the sword after them until I have wiped them out." Thus says Adonai -Tzva'ot: "Mark this, then summon the mourning women, so that they will come; send for those who are best [at mourning], so that they will come: ‘Have them hurry and wail for us, so our eyes will be wet from crying, and our eyelids gush with tears.' For the sound of wailing is heard from Tziyon: ‘We are utterly ruined, we are completely ashamed, because we have left the land, and our homes have been torn down!'" You women, hear the word of Adonai ! Let your ears receive the words from his mouth. Teach your daughters how to wail, have each teach her friend how to lament: "Death has come up through our windows, it has entered our palaces, it has cut down children in the streets and young people in the public places." Say: "Here is what Adonai says: ‘The corpses of people are scattered like dung in an open field, like sheaves left behind by the reaper with no one to gather them.'" Here is what Adonai says: "The wise man should not boast of his wisdom, the powerful should not boast of his power, the wealthy should not boast of his wealth; instead, let the boaster boast about this: that he understands and knows me — that I am Adonai , practicing grace, justice and righteousness in the land; for in these things I take pleasure," says Adonai . "The days are coming," says Adonai , "when I will punish all those who have been circumcised in their uncircumcision — Egypt, Y'hudah, Edom, the people of ‘Amon and Mo'av, and all those living in the desert who cut the edges [of their beard]: "For although all the Goyim are uncircumcised, all the house of Isra'el have uncircumcised hearts."

But now my tent is ruined, all its cords are severed; my children have left me and are no more; there is no one to set up my tent again, no one to raise its curtains.

As they remember their children, so they remember their altars and their sacred poles by the green trees on the high hills.

They have built the high places of Ba‘al, in order to burn up their children in the fire as burnt offerings to Ba‘al — something I never ordered or said; it never even entered my mind.

Ask now and see: can men give birth to children? Why, then, do I see all the men with their hands on their stomachs like women in labor, with every face turned pale?

Their children will be as they used to be, their community confirmed in my presence; and I will punish everyone who oppresses them.

Look! I am bringing them from the land in the north, gathering them from the far ends of the earth; among them are the blind and lame, women with children, women in labor, all together, a vast throng returning here.

This is what Adonai says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting and bitter weeping. It is Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no longer alive."

so there is hope for your future," says Adonai . "Your children will return to their own territory.

Here is what Adonai says: "The people escaping the sword found favor in the desert — I have brought Isra'el to its rest." From a distance Adonai appeared to me, [saying,] "I love you with an everlasting love; this is why in my grace I draw you to me. Once again, I will build you; you will be rebuilt, virgin of Isra'el. Once again, equipped with your tambourines, you will go out and dance with the merrymakers. Once again, you will plant vineyards on the hills of Shomron, and those doing the planting will have the use of its fruit. For a day will come when the watchmen on Mount Efrayim will call, ‘Come, let's go up to Tziyon, to Adonai our God.'" For here is what Adonai says: "Sing with joy for Ya‘akov! shout for the chief of the nations! Proclaim your praise, and say: ‘ Adonai ! You have saved your people, the remnant of Isra'el!' Look! I am bringing them from the land in the north, gathering them from the far ends of the earth; among them are the blind and lame, women with children, women in labor, all together, a vast throng returning here. They will come weeping and praying as I bring them back. I will lead them by streams of water on smooth paths, so that they won't stumble. For I am a father to Isra'el, and Efrayim is my firstborn son." Nations, hear the word of Adonai ! Proclaim it in the coastlands far away. Say: "He who scattered Isra'el is gathering him, guarding him like a shepherd his flock." For Adonai has ransomed Ya‘akov, redeemed him from hands too strong for him. They will come and sing on the heights of Tziyon, streaming to the goodness of Adonai, to the grain, the wine, the olive oil, and the young of the flock and the herd. They themselves will be like a well-watered garden, never to languish again. "Then the virgin will dance for joy, young men and old men together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, comfort and gladden them after their sorrow. I will give the cohanim their fill of rich food, and my people will be satisfied with my bounty," says Adonai . This is what Adonai says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting and bitter weeping. It is Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no longer alive." This is what Adonai says: "Stop your weeping, and dry your eyes, for your work will be rewarded," says Adonai . "They will return from the enemy's land; so there is hope for your future," says Adonai . "Your children will return to their own territory. "I hear Efrayim bemoaning himself: ‘You disciplined me, and I took your discipline like a young ox not used to a yoke. Let me return, and I will return, for you are Adonai , my God. Yes, I turned away; but later I repented. When I had been made to understand, I struck my thigh in shame and remorse, bearing the weight of the disgrace acquired when I was young.' "Isn't Efrayim my very dear son, a child who delights me so? I speak about him all the time, I can't help but recall him to mind. In sum, I deeply yearn for him; I will surely show him favor," says Adonai . Set up road signs, erect guideposts, pay attention to the highway, the path on which you traveled. Come back, virgin Isra'el, come back to these cities of yours! How long will you hesitate, you unruly daughter? For Adonai has created something new on earth: a woman with the strengths of a man. Here is what Adonai -Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el, says: "This expression will be used again in the land of Y'hudah and its cities after I have returned their exiles: ‘May Adonai bless you, home of justice, holy mountain!' In it will live together Y'hudah and all its cities, the farmer and those who lead the flocks. For I have satisfied the weary and filled the needs of all in distress." At this point I woke up and looked around, but I had enjoyed my sleep. "Here, the days are coming," says Adonai , when I will sow the house of Isra'el and the house of Y'hudah with the seed of humans and the seed of animals. At that time, just as I used to watch over them with the intent to uproot, break down, overthrow, destroy and do harm; so then I will watch over them to build and plant," says Adonai . "When those days come they will no longer say, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.' Rather, each will die for his own sin; every one who eats sour grapes, his own teeth will be set on edge. "Here, the days are coming," says Adonai, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Isra'el and with the house of Y'hudah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers on the day I took them by their hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt; because they, for their part, violated my covenant, even though I, for my part, was a husband to them," says Adonai . "For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Isra'el after those days," says Adonai : "I will put my Torah within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will any of them teach his fellow community member or his brother, ‘Know Adonai '; for all will know me, from the least of them to the greatest; because I will forgive their wickednesses and remember their sins no more." This is what Adonai says, who gives the sun as light for the day, who ordained the laws for the moon and stars to provide light for the night, who stirs up the sea until its waves roar — Adonai -Tzva'ot is his name: "If these laws leave my presence," says Adonai , "then the offspring of Isra'el will stop being a nation in my presence forever." This is what Adonai says: "If the sky above can be measured and the foundations of the earth be fathomed, then I will reject all the offspring of Isra'el for all that they have done," says Adonai . "Look, the days are coming," says Adonai , "when the city will be rebuilt for Adonai from the Tower of Hanan'el to the Corner Gate. The measuring line will be stretched straight to Garev Hill, then turn to Go‘ah. The whole valley of corpses and ashes, including all the fields as far as Vadi Kidron, and on to the corner of the Horse Gate to the east, will be separated out for Adonai ; it will never be uprooted or destroyed again."

You display your grace to thousands but also repay the guilt of the fathers into the lap of their children who follow them. Great, powerful God, whose name is Adonai -Tzva'ot,

I will give them singleness of heart and singleness of purpose, so that they will fear me forever — this will be for their own good and for the good of their children after them.