Study Desk

"What do you mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers, they ate unripe fruit, and the teeth of the child became blunt.'

And yet they, the house of Israel, say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair!' Are not my ways fair, house of Israel? Are not your ways unfair?

And nations heard about him; in their pit he was caught, and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.

And nations set out against him from the surrounding provinces, and they spread their net over him, and he was caught in their pit.

And they put him in a collar with hooks, and they brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into a prison, so that his voice would not be heard any longer on the mountains of Israel.

But it was uprooted in rage; it was thrown to the earth, and the east wind dried up its fruit; they were stripped off, and its strong branch dried up; fire consumed it.

And then in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, men from the elders of Israel came to consult Yahweh, and they sat before me.

But they rebelled against me, and they were not willing to listen to me; each one did not throw away the detestable things of their eyes; and they did not abandon the idols of Egypt, and I decided to pour out my rage on them, to fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

And also my Sabbaths I gave to them to be a sign between me and between them so they would know that I, Yahweh, am the one sanctifying them.

"But in the desert the house of Israel rebelled against me; they did not walk in my statutes, and they rejected my regulations, which, if a person does them, he will live by them, and they greatly profaned my Sabbaths, and I decided to pour out my rage on them in the desert to destroy them,

because they despised my judgments, and they did not walk in my statutes, and my Sabbaths they profaned, for their heart was going after their idols.

And treat my Sabbaths as holy, and they will be a sign between me and between you that you may know that I, Yahweh, am your God.'

But the children rebelled against me; they did not walk in my statutes, and they did not observe my regulations, which if a person does them, then he will live by them. My Sabbaths they desecrated, and I decided to pour out my rage on them, to finish my anger against them in the desert.

because they did not do my regulations, and my statutes they despised, and my Sabbaths they profaned, and their eyes were after the idols of their ancestors.

And in turn I gave to them rules that were not good and regulations by which they will not live.

And I defiled them through their gifts in sacrificing all of the first offspring of the womb, in order that I will cause them to be stunned, so that they will know that I am Yahweh.

And I brought them to the land that I swore to give to them, and they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and they offered their sacrifices, and they presented there the provocation of their offering, and they gave there their fragrant incense offering, and they poured out their libations there.

And I will purge the rebels from among you and the ones transgressing against me; I will bring them out from the land where they are living as aliens, but into the land of Israel they will not come, and then you will know that I am Yahweh.

And they will know, all creatures, that I, Yahweh, I will bring out my sword from its sheath; it will not return again!"'

And then when they say to you, ‘On account of what are you groaning?' then you must say, ‘On account of the report, for it is coming, and every heart will be weak and all hands will hang limp and every spirit will be disheartened, and all knees will go like water.' Look! It is coming, and it will happen!" declares the Lord Yahweh.