Study Desk

"Now why do you cry out in a loud voice? Is there no king among you? Has your wise man died, so that you have pains like a woman giving birth?

I will destroy your false gods and your pillars of worship, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands.

My people, remember what Balak king of Moab said, and what Balaam son of Beor answered him. Remember what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may know the good things the Lord has done."

So I have begun to punish you, to destroy you because of your sins.

You have kept the laws of Omri and all the works of the people of Ahab. You have followed their ways. So I will give you up to be destroyed, and your people will be made fun of. You, My people, will be put to shame."

It is bad for me! For I am like those who pick fruit and gather grapes. There are no grapes to eat, or any of the early figs that I want so much.

The Law is not followed. What is right is never done. For the sinful are all around those who are right and good, so what is right looks like sin.

The Babylonians bring all of them up with a hook, and pull them away with their net. They gather them together in their fishing net, and so they have joy and are glad.

So they give gifts in worship to their net. They burn special perfume to their fishing net, because their net catches all the good things and good food they need.

Then the Lord answered me and said, "Write down the special dream on stone so that one may read it in a hurry.

"Also, wine fools the proud man, so he does not stay at home. He is like the grave who always wants more. Like death, he never has enough. He gathers all nations for himself, and gathers all people for his own.

"It is bad for him who makes his neighbors drink, mixing in his poison to make them drunk, so he can look on their shame!

I will bring trouble to men so that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like body waste.

It is bad for the people who live by the sea, the nation of the Cherethites! The Word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines. I will destroy you so that no people will be left living in you.

So as I live," says the Lord of All, the God of Israel, "Moab will be like Sodom, and the sons of Ammon will be like Gomorrah, a land taken over by thistles and salt, a waste land forever. Those left of My people will rob them. Those left of My nation will take their land."

"I have cut off nations. Their towers are destroyed. I have laid waste their streets so that no one walks in them. Their cities are laid waste, and no one lives in them.

"So wait for Me," says the Lord, "for the day when I stand up to speak. I have decided to gather nations together to pour My burning anger upon them. All the earth will be destroyed by the fire of My jealous anger.

So the sky has held back the water on the grass in the early morning because of you, and the earth has held back its food.

So the Lord moved the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, ruler of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the head religious leader, and the spirit of all the rest of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of All, their God.

I will shake all the nations so that the riches of all nations will come in. And I will fill this house with greatness,' says the Lord of All.