Study Desk

"Therefore, say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Will you [exiles] defile yourselves in the same manner as your fathers? And will you prostitute yourselves before their loathsome and heinous things?

"When you offer your gifts, when you make your sons pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be asked by you [for an oracle], O house of Israel? As I live," says the Lord GOD, "I will not be inquired of by you.

"As I live," says the Lord GOD, "most certainly with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I shall be King over you.

"As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment and contend with you," says the Lord GOD.

"As for you, O house of Israel," thus says the Lord GOD, "Go, let everyone serve his idols; but later you shall most certainly listen to Me, and you shall no longer profane My holy name with your gifts and with your idols.

"For on My holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel (Zion)," says the Lord GOD, "there the whole house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me. There I will [graciously] accept them, and there I will seek (require) your offerings and the choicest of your gifts, with all your holy and sacred things.

"And you will know [without any doubt] that I am the LORD when I have dealt with you for My Name's sake, not in accordance with your evil ways nor with your corrupt conduct, O house of Israel," says the Lord GOD.'"

and say to the forest of the Negev, 'Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am about to kindle a fire in you, and it will devour every one of your green trees, as well as every one of your dry trees. The blazing flame will not be quenched and the whole surface from the south to the north will be burned by it.

Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! They are saying of me, 'Is he not [just] speaking in parables and making allegories?'"

"And when they say to you, 'Why do you sigh and groan?' you shall answer, 'Because of the news that is coming; and every heart will melt and all hands will be frail, and every spirit will faint and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes and it will happen,' says the Lord GOD."

"For this sword has been tested [on others]; and what if it views with contempt the scepter [of Judah]? The scepter shall be no more [but shall be swept away]," says the Lord GOD.

"Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because you have caused your guilt to be remembered, in that your rebellion is uncovered, so that your sins appear in everything that you do—because you have come to mind, you will be seized with the hand [of the enemy].

thus says the Lord GOD, 'Remove the turban and take off the crown; things shall not remain as they have been. Exalt that which is low and abase the high.

"And you, son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the sons of Ammon and concerning their reproach (disgrace),' and say: 'A sword, a sword is drawn for the slaughter; it is sharpened and polished to put an end [to everything], and to flash like lightning,

"You shall say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that her time [of doom] will come, and makes idols to defile her, contrary to her interest!

"In you they have accepted bribes to shed blood; you have taken [forbidden] interest and [a percentage of] profits, and you have injured your neighbors for gain by oppression and extortion, and you have forgotten Me," says the Lord GOD.

"Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you [O Israel] into the midst of Jerusalem.

"Her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, 'Thus says the Lord GOD'—when the LORD has not spoken.

"Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; I have repaid their way [by bringing it] upon their own heads," says the Lord GOD.

"Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I will stir up your lovers (allies) against you, from whom you turned away in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side: