Study Desk

You people who live in Jerusalem will not weep any more. The Lord is compassionate, and when you cry to him for help, he will answer you.

The Lord will make you go through hard times, but he himself will be there to teach you, and you will not have to search for him any more.

Those who go to Egypt for help are doomed! They are relying on Egypt's vast military strength—horses, chariots, and soldiers. But they do not rely on the Lord , the holy God of Israel, or ask him for help.

Their emperor will run away in terror, and the officers will be so frightened that they will abandon their battle flags." The Lord has spoken—the Lord who is worshiped in Jerusalem and whose fire burns there for sacrifices.

But an honorable person acts honestly and stands firm for what is right.

You may be satisfied now, but this time next year you will be in despair because there will be no grapes for you to gather.

and thorn bushes and briers are growing on my people's land. Weep for all the houses where people were happy and for the city that was full of life.

How happy everyone will be with plenty of water for the crops and safe pasture everywhere for the donkeys and cattle.

When you fight for us, nations run away from the noise of battle.

and give stability to the nation. He always protects his people and gives them wisdom and knowledge. Their greatest treasure is their reverence for the Lord .

The brave are calling for help. The ambassadors who tried to bring about peace are crying bitterly.

Wild animals will roam there, and demons will call to each other. The night monster will come there looking for a place to rest.

Owls will build their nests, lay eggs, hatch their young, and care for them there. Vultures will gather there, one after another.

The desert will sing and shout for joy; it will be as beautiful as the Lebanon Mountains and as fertile as the fields of Carmel and Sharon. Everyone will see the Lord 's splendor, see his greatness and power.

The lame will leap and dance, and those who cannot speak will shout for joy. Streams of water will flow through the desert;

They will reach Jerusalem with gladness, singing and shouting for joy. They will be happy forever, forever free from sorrow and grief.

You are no match for even the lowest ranking Assyrian official, and yet you expect the Egyptians to send you chariots and horsemen.

until the emperor resettles you in a country much like your own, where there are vineyards to give wine and there is grain for making bread.

The Assyrian emperor has sent his chief official to insult the living God. May the Lord your God hear these insults and punish those who spoke them. So pray to God for those of our people who survive."

I will defend this city and protect it, for the sake of my own honor and because of the promise I made to my servant David.'"