Study Desk

And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or of what they say, even if thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or lose strength of heart by their looks, for they will not obey Me.

You are not being sent to many people of strange speech and a hard language whom you cannot understand. If I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.

But the people of Israel will not listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to Me. All the people of Israel are strong-willed and show no respect.

See, I have made you as strong-willed and as hard as they are.

Then go to the Jews who have been taken away from their land. Go to the sons of your people. And if they listen or not, tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says.'"

Then I came to the Jews who had been taken from their land and who lived by the Chebar River at Tel-abib. I sat among them seven days where they were living, and I was filled with fear.

As for you, son of man, they will put ropes on you and tie you up with them, so that you cannot go out among the people.

And I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you cannot speak. You will not be able to speak sharp words to them, for they will not obey Me.

But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth, and you will tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says.' He who hears, let him hear. And he who is not willing to hear, let him not be willing. For they are a sinful people.

And He said to me, "Son of man, I am going to take away the bread that is needed in Jerusalem. They will weigh the bread they eat and they will drink water from small cups, and be afraid

because there will not be enough bread and water. They will look at one another in fear, and waste away in their sin.

‘This is how My anger will stop. I will cause My anger to be upon them, and I will be comforted. Then they will know that I, the Lord, have spoken in My jealousy when I have sent My anger upon them.

I will send hunger and wild animals against you, and they will take away your children. Disease and death will pass through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I, the Lord, have spoken.'"

Then those who get away will remember Me in the nations where they have been taken. They will remember how I have been hurt by their sinful hearts which turned away from Me, and by their sinful eyes which followed after their false gods. And they will hate themselves in their own eyes for the sins they have done, for all their sinful ways.

"The Lord God says, ‘Clap your hands, and step hard with your feet, and say, "It is bad because of all the hated sins of the people of Israel! They will fall by the sword, hunger, and disease.

Then you will know that I am the Lord, when their dead lie among their false gods around their altars. They will lie on every high hill, on all the mountain tops, under every green tree, and under every oak tree with many leaves. Their dead will be in all the places where they burned special perfume to all their false gods.

‘They have sounded the horn and made everything ready, but no one is going to the battle. For My anger is against all their people.

They will dress themselves in cloth made from hair. Much fear will cover them. Shame will be upon all faces, and the hair will be cut from all their heads.

They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will become an unclean thing. Their silver and gold will not be able to help them in the day of the Lord's anger. They cannot stop their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For riches have been the cause of their falling into sin.

They turned the beauty of gold into objects of pride, and made their hated objects of worship with it. So I will make it an unclean thing to them.