Study Desk

Jerusalem once was a city full of people, but now the city is so empty. She was one of the greatest cities in the world, but now she is like a poor widow. She was once a princess among cities, but now she has been made a slave.

She cries bitterly in the night. Her tears are on her cheeks. She has no one to comfort her. Many nations were friendly to her, but not one of them comforts her now. All her friends have turned their backs on her and have become her enemies.

Judah suffered very much, and then she was taken into captivity. She lives among other nations but has found no rest. The people who chased her caught her where there was no way out.

Jerusalem sinned very badly. Because Jerusalem sinned, she became a ruined city that people shake their heads about. In the past people respected her. But now they hate her, because they abused her. Jerusalem groaned and turned away.

All you who pass by on the road, you don't seem to care. But look at me and see. Is there any pain like my pain? Is there any pain like the pain that has come to me? Is there any pain like the pain that the Lord has punished me with? He has punished me on the day of his great anger.

I called out to my lovers, but they tricked me. My priests and my elders have died in the city. They were looking for food for themselves. They wanted to keep themselves alive.

Your prophets saw visions for you, but their visions were only worthless lies. They didn't speak against your sins. They didn't try to make things better. They spoke messages for you, but they were false messages that fooled you.

But then I think about this, and I have hope:

The precious people of Zion were once worth more than gold. But now they are treated like something worthless, like the cheap clay jars a potter makes.

Even a wild dog feeds her babies. Even the jackal lets her pups suck at her breast. But the daughter of my people is cruel. She is like the ostrich in the desert that forgets its eggs in the sand.

Babies are so thirsty their tongues stick to the roof of their mouths. Young children ask for bread, but no one gives them any.

But now their faces are blacker than soot. No one even recognizes them in the streets. Their skin is wrinkled over their bones. Their skin is like wood.

We have worn out our eyes looking for help, but no help comes. We kept on looking for a nation to save us. We kept watch from our watchtower, but no nation came to us.

The king was very important to us. He was like the breath we breathe, but he was trapped by them. The Lord himself chose the king, and we said this about the king, "We will live in his shadow. He protects us from the nations."

Be happy, people of Edom. Be happy, you who live in the land of Uz. But remember, the cup of the Lord's anger will come around to you too. When you drink from that cup, you will get drunk and strip off all your clothes.

Your punishment is complete, Zion. You will not go into captivity again. But the Lord will punish your sins, people of Edom. He will uncover your sins.

But you rule forever, Lord . Your kingly chair lasts forever and ever.

But each one of them had four faces and four wings.

Each living being went in the direction it was looking. They went wherever the spirit caused them to go, but they did not turn when they moved.

They could turn to move in any direction. But the living beings did not turn when they moved.