Study Desk

You became friends with many nations, but those nations don't care about you. Your ‘friends' have forgotten you. I hurt you like an enemy. I punished you very hard. I did this because of your great guilt. I did this because of your many sins.

Those nations destroyed you, but now they have been destroyed. Israel and Judah, your enemies will become captives. They stole things from you, but others will steal from them. They took things from you in war, but others will take things from them in war.

This is what the Lord says: "Jacob's people are now in captivity, but they will come back. And I will have pity on Jacob's houses. The city is now only an empty hill covered with ruined buildings, but the city will be rebuilt on its hill. And the king's palace will be rebuilt where it should be.

Remember, I will bring Israel from that country in the north. I will gather the people of Israel from the faraway places on earth. Some of the people will be blind and crippled. Some of the women will be pregnant and ready to give birth. But many people will come back.

They will come back crying, but I will lead them and comfort them. I will lead them by streams of water. I will lead them on an easy road, where they will not stumble. I will lead them in that way because I am Israel's father. And Ephraim is my firstborn son.

"Nations, listen to this message from the Lord ! Tell this message in the faraway lands by the sea: ‘God scattered the people of Israel, but he will bring them back together. And he will watch over his flock like a shepherd.'

But the Lord says, "Stop crying. Don't fill your eyes with tears. You will be rewarded for your work." This message is from the Lord . "The people of Israel will come back from their enemy's land.

I wandered away from you. But I finally realized how wrong I was. So I changed my heart and life. I am ashamed and embarrassed about the foolish things I did when I was young.'"

The Lord says, "You know that Ephraim is my dear son. I love that child. Yes, I often criticized Ephraim, but I still think about him. I love him very much, and I really do want to comfort him.

In the past I watched over Israel and Judah, but I watched for the time to pull them up. I tore them down. I destroyed them. I gave many troubles to them. But now I will watch over them to build them up and make them strong." This message is from the Lord .

"People will not use this saying anymore: ‘The parents ate the sour grapes, but the children got the sour taste.'

It will not be like the agreement I made with their ancestors. I made that agreement when I took them by the hand and brought them out of Egypt. I was their master, but they broke that agreement." This message is from the Lord .

King Zedekiah of Judah will not escape from the army of the Babylonians. But he will surely be given to the king of Babylon. And Zedekiah will speak to the king of Babylon face to face. He will see him with his own eyes.

You are loyal and kind to thousands of people, but you also bring punishment to children for their fathers' sins. Great and powerful God, your name is the Lord All-Powerful.

They came into this land and took it for their own. But they didn't obey you. They didn't follow your teachings or do what you commanded. So you made all these terrible things happen to them.

"Lord God , all those bad things are happening. But now you are telling me, ‘Jeremiah, buy the field with silver and choose some men to witness the purchase.' You are telling me this while the Babylonian army is ready to capture the city. Why should I waste my money like that?"

"They should have come to me for help, but they turned their backs to me. I tried to teach them again and again, but they would not listen to me. I tried to correct them, but they would not listen.

"You people are saying, ‘The king of Babylon will capture Jerusalem. He will use war, hunger, and disease to defeat this city.' But this is what the Lord , the God of the people of Israel, says:

‘I have forced the people of Israel and Judah to leave their land. I was very angry with them, but I will bring them back to this place. I will gather them from the land where I forced them to go. I will bring them back to this place. I will let them live in peace and safety.

You people are saying, ‘This land is an empty desert. There are no people or animals here. The Babylonian army defeated this country.' But in the future people will once again buy fields in this land.