Study Desk

So this is what the Lord God says: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He will take away Egypt's people and its wealth and its treasures as pay for his army.

So I will punish Egypt, and they will know I am the Lord .'"

"Human, I have broken the powerful arm of the king of Egypt. It has not been tied up, so it will not get well. It has not been wrapped with a bandage, so it will not be strong enough to hold a sword in war.

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.

So I will make the arms of the king of Babylon strong, but the arms of the king of Egypt will fall. Then people will know that I am the Lord when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he uses it in war against Egypt.

So the tree was taller than all the other trees in the countryside. Its limbs became long and big because of so much water.

So the tree was great and beautiful, with its long branches, because its roots reached down to much water.

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

So I handed it over to a mighty ruler of the nations for him to punish it. Because it was evil, I got rid of it.

So the trees that grow by the water will not be proud to be tall; they will not put their tops among the clouds. None of the trees that are watered well will grow that tall, because they all are meant to die and go under the ground. They will be with people who have died and have gone down to the place of the dead.

"‘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 .'"

"‘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 .

"The nation of Elam is there with all its army around its grave. All of them were killed in war. They had frightened people on earth and were unclean, so they went down to the lowest parts of the place of the dead. They must carry their shame with those who have gone down to the place of the dead.

They heard the sound of the trumpet but didn't do anything. So they are to blame for their own deaths. If they had done something, they would have saved their own lives.

"So you, human, say to Israel: ‘You have said: Surely our law-breaking and sins are hurting us. They will kill us. What can we do so we will live?'

They will not be punished for any of their sins. They now do what is right and fair, so they will surely live.

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?

You depend on your sword and do terrible things which I hate. Each of you has sexual relations with his neighbor's wife. So should you have the land?'

I will make the land an empty desert. The people's pride in the land's power will end. The mountains of Israel will become empty so that no one will pass through them.