Study Desk

"‘This is what the Lord God says: I will destroy great numbers of people in Egypt through the power of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

"‘This is what the Lord God says: I will destroy the idols and take away the statues of gods from the city of Memphis. There will no longer be a leader in Egypt, and I will spread fear through the land of Egypt.

So this is what the Lord God says: I am against the king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong arm and the broken arm, and I will make the sword fall from his hand.

The cedar trees in the garden of God were not as great as it was. The pine trees did not have such great limbs. The plane trees did not have such branches. No tree in the garden of God was as beautiful as this tree.

I made it beautiful with many branches, and all the trees of Eden in the garden of God wanted to be like it.

"‘So this is what the Lord God says: The tree grew tall. Its top reached the clouds, and it became proud of its height.

"‘This is what the Lord God says: On the day when the tree went down to the place of the dead, I made the deep springs cry loudly. I covered them and held back their rivers, and the great waters stopped flowing. I dressed Lebanon in black to show her sadness about the great tree, and all the trees in the countryside were sad about it.

"‘So no tree in Eden is equal to you, Egypt, in greatness and honor, but you will go down to join the trees of Eden in the place below the earth. You will lie among unclean people, with those who were killed in war. "‘This is about the king of Egypt and all his people, says the Lord God .'"

"‘This is what the Lord God says: I will spread my net over you, and I will use a large group of people to pull you up in my net.

I will make all the shining lights in the sky become dark over you; I will bring darkness over your land, says the Lord God .

"‘So this is what the Lord God says: The sword of the king of Babylon will attack you.

So I will let the Egyptians' water become clear. I will cause their rivers to run as smoothly as olive oil, says the Lord God .

"This is the funeral song people will sing for Egypt. The women of the nations will sing it; they will sing a funeral song for Egypt and all its people, says the Lord God ."

"The king of Egypt and his army will see these who have been killed in war. Then he will be comforted for all his soldiers killed in war, says the Lord God .

I made people afraid of the king of Egypt while he lived on earth. But he and all his people will lie among those who are unclean, who were killed in war, says the Lord God ."

Say to them: ‘The Lord God says: As surely as I live, I do not want any who are wicked to die. I want them to stop doing evil and live. Stop! Stop your wicked ways! You don't want to die, do you, people of Israel?'

So say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: You eat meat with the blood still in it, you ask your idols for help, and you murder people. Should you then have the land as your very own?

"Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: As surely as I live, those who are among the city ruins in Israel will be killed in war. I will cause those who live in the country to be eaten by wild animals. People hiding in the strongholds and caves will die of disease.

"Human, prophesy against the leaders of Israel, who are like shepherds. Prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: How terrible it will be for the shepherds of Israel who feed only themselves! Why don't the shepherds feed the flock?

"‘So, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord . This is what the Lord God says: