Study Desk

But I will strip Edom bare. I will find all their hiding places, so they will not be able to hide from me. The children, relatives, and neighbors will die, and Edom will be no more.

This is what the Lord says: "Some people did not deserve to be punished, but they had to drink from the cup of suffering anyway. People of Edom, you deserve to be punished, so you will not escape punishment. You must certainly drink from the cup of suffering."

Edom, you frightened other nations, but your pride has fooled you. You live in the hollow places of the cliff and control the high places of the hills. Even if you build your home as high as an eagle's nest, I will bring you down from there," says the Lord .

"But I will make good things happen to Elam again in the future," says the Lord .

But I will bring the people of Israel back to their own pasture. They will eat on Mount Carmel and in Bashan. They will eat and be full on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead."

The Lord says, "At that time people will try to find Israel's guilt, but there will be no guilt. People will try to find Judah's sins, but no sins will be found, because I will leave a few people alive from Israel and Judah, and I will forgive their sins.

Babylon was the hammer of the whole earth, but how broken and shattered that hammer is now. It is truly the most ruined of all the nations.

But God is strong and will buy them back. His name is the Lord All-Powerful. He will surely defend them with power so he can give rest to their land. But he will not give rest to those living in Babylon."

"Desert animals and hyenas will live there, and owls will live there, but no people will ever live there again. She will never be filled with people again.

Don't let the Babylonian soldiers prepare their bows to shoot. Don't even let them put on their armor. Don't feel sorry for the young men of Babylon, but completely destroy her army.

"Foreigners in Babylon say, ‘We tried to heal Babylon, but she cannot be healed. So let us leave her and each go to his own country. Babylon's punishment is as high as the sky; it reaches to the clouds.'

People of Babylon, you live near much water and are rich with many treasures, but your end as a nation has come. It is time to stop you from robbing other nations.

But God, who is Jacob's Portion, is not like the idols. He made everything, and he chose Israel to be his special people. The Lord All-Powerful is his name.

"But I will pay back Babylon and all the Babylonians for all the evil things they did to Jerusalem in your sight," says the Lord .

Don't lose courage; rumors will spread through the land, but don't be afraid. One rumor comes this year, and another comes the next year. There will be rumors of terrible fighting in the country, of rulers fighting against rulers.

This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: "Babylon's thick wall will be completely pulled down and her high gates burned. The people will work hard, but it won't help; their work will only become fuel for the flames!"

But the Babylonian army chased King Zedekiah and caught him in the plains of Jericho. All of his army was scattered from him.

But Nebuzaradan left behind some of the poorest people of the land to take care of the vineyards and fields.

Jerusalem once was full of people, but now the city is empty. Jerusalem once was a great city among the nations, but now she is like a widow. She was like a queen of all the other cities, but now she is a slave.

Judah has gone into captivity where she suffers and works hard. She lives among other nations, but she has found no rest. Those who chased her caught her when she was in trouble.