Study Desk

When the Lord finishes doing what he planned to Jerusalem and Mount Zion, he will punish Assyria. The king of Assyria is very proud. His pride made him do many bad things, so God will punish him.

But Assyria doesn't understand this. So the Lord God All-Powerful will send a terrible disease against him. He will lose his wealth and power like a sick man losing weight. Then Assyria's glory will be destroyed. It will be like a fire burning until everything is gone.

Then the Lord All-Powerful will beat Assyria with a whip, just as he defeated Midian at Raven Rock. He will punish his enemies, as he did when he raised his stick over the sea and led his people from Egypt.

Look, the Lord God All-Powerful will use his great power and chop down that great tree. Their highest officials will be brought down. Their most important leaders will be humbled.

God will cut down his enemies. Like the tall trees of Lebanon he will cut them down with an ax.

He will judge the poor fairly and honestly. He will be fair when he decides what to do for the poor of the land. If he decides people should be beaten, he will give the command, and they will be beaten. If he decides people must die, he will give the command, and those evil people will be killed. Goodness and fairness will be like a belt he wears around his waist.

At that time the Lord will again reach out and take his people who are left in countries like Assyria, North Egypt, South Egypt, Ethiopia, Elam, Babylonia, Hamath, and other faraway countries around the world.

He will gather the people of Israel and Judah who were forced to leave their country. They were scattered to all the faraway places on earth. But he will raise the flag as a sign for the other nations, and he will gather his people together again.

Just as the Lord divided the Red Sea near Egypt, he will raise his arm in anger over the Euphrates River and hit it. It will divide into seven small rivers. They will be so small that the people can walk across with their sandals on.

At that time you will say, "Praise the Lord and call out his name! Tell everyone what he has done and how wonderful he is."

"Listen to that loud noise in the mountains. It sounds like crowds of people. People from many kingdoms are gathering together. The Lord All-Powerful is calling his army together.

They are coming from a faraway land. They are coming from beyond the horizon. The Lord will use this army as a weapon to show his anger. They will destroy the whole country."

In my anger I will shake the sky, and the earth will be moved from its place." That will happen on the day the Lord All-Powerful shows his anger.

The Lord will again show his love to Jacob. He will again choose the people of Israel. He will give them their land. Then the non-Israelites will join the Israelites, and both will become one family—Jacob's family.

At that time you will begin to sing this song about the king of Babylon: The king was cruel when he ruled us, but now his rule is finished.

The kings of other nations lie buried with honor, each king with his own grave.

Prepare to kill his children, because their father is guilty. His children will never take control of the land. They will never fill the world with their cities.

I will destroy the king of Assyria in my country. I will walk on him on my mountains. He forced my people to be his slaves; he put a yoke on their necks. But that pole will be taken off Judah's neck, and that burden will be removed.

When the Lord All-Powerful makes a plan, no one can change it. When he raises his arm to punish, no one can stop him.

Country of Philistia, don't be happy that the king who beat you is now dead. It is true that his rule has ended, but his son will come and rule. It will be like one snake giving birth to a more dangerous one. The new king will be like a quick and dangerous snake to you.