Study Desk

We have a little sister, and her breasts are not yet grown. What should we do for our sister when a man comes asking to marry her?

Solomon, you can keep your 1000 shekels. Give 200 shekels to each man for the grapes he brought. But I will keep my own vineyard.

"Don't keep bringing me those worthless sacrifices. I hate the incense you give me. I cannot stand your festivals for the New Moon, the Sabbath, and other special meeting days. I hate the evil you do during those holy times together.

Learn to do good. Treat people fairly. Punish those who hurt others. Speak up for the widows and orphans. Argue their cases for them in court.

Your rulers are rebels and friends of thieves. They demand bribes and accept money for doing wrong. They take money to cheat people, and they don't speak up for widows and orphans. They will not even listen to their cries for help.

Then God will act as judge to end arguments between nations. He will decide what is right for people from many lands. They will stop using their weapons for war. They will hammer their swords into plows and use their spears to make tools for harvesting. All fighting between nations will end. They will never again train for war.

But the brother will refuse and say, "I cannot help you. I don't have enough food or clothes for my own family. You will not make me your leader."

The look on their faces shows that they are guilty. They are like the people of Sodom; they don't care who sees their sin. But it will be very bad for them. They will get what they deserve.

Tell the good people who do what is right that good things will happen to them. They will receive a reward for what they do.

But it will be very bad for wicked people, because they, too, will get what they deserve. They will get what they did to others.

Then the Lord will create a cloud of smoke in the day and a bright flame of fire at night over every building and over every meeting of the people on the mountain of Zion. And there will be a covering over everyone for protection.

Now I will sing a song for my friend, my love song about his vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.

What more could I do for my vineyard? I did everything I could. I hoped for good grapes to grow, but there were only rotten ones. Why did that happen?

"Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will pull up the thornbushes that protect it, and I will burn them. I will break down the stone wall and use the stones for a walkway.

I will turn my vineyard into useless land. No one will care for the plants or work in the field. Weeds and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it."

The vineyard that belongs to the Lord All-Powerful is the house of Israel. The grapevine, the plant he loves, is the man of Judah. The Lord hoped for justice, but there was only killing. He hoped for fairness, but there were only cries from people being treated badly.

Look at you people! You join houses to houses and fields to fields until there is no room for anyone else. But when the punishment comes, you will be forced to live alone. You will be the only people in the whole land.

How terrible it will be for you people who rise early in the morning and go looking for beer to drink. You stay awake late at night, getting drunk on wine.

They are famous for drinking wine and are heroes known for mixing drinks.

Look! God is giving a sign to the nations far away. He is raising a flag and whistling for them to come. Now the enemy is coming from a faraway land and will soon enter the country. They are moving very quickly.