Study Desk

So I gave them laws that were not good. I gave them commands that would not bring life.

So now, son of man, speak to the family of Israel. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: The people of Israel said bad things about me and made evil plans against me.

But I still brought them to the land I promised to give them. They saw all the hills and green trees, so they went to all those places to worship. They took their sacrifices and anger offerings to all those places. They offered their sacrifices that made a sweet smell, and they offered their drink offerings at those places.

So the word of the Lord came to me again. He said,

So the sword has been polished. Now it can be used. The sword was sharpened and polished. Now it can be put in the hand of the killer.

"‘Son of man, shout out and scream because the sword will be used against my people and all the rulers of Israel. They wanted war—so they will be with my people when the sword comes. So slap your thigh to show your sadness,

because it is not just a test. You refused to be punished with the wooden stick, so what else should I use to punish you? A sword? '" This is what the Lord God said.

This is what the Lord God says: "You have done many evil things. Your sins are very clear. You forced me to remember that you are guilty, so the enemy will catch you in his hand.

You must say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: The city is full of murderers, so her time of punishment will come. She made filthy idols for herself, and those idols made her filthy!

So this is what the Lord God says: ‘All of you have become like worthless waste. So I will gather you into Jerusalem.

"Son of man, speak to Israel. Tell her that she is not pure. I am angry at that country, so that country has not received its rain.

So I will show them my anger—I will completely destroy them. I will punish them for the evil things they have done. It is all their fault." This is what the Lord God said.

So I let her lovers have her. She wanted Assyria, so I gave her to them!

So the Babylonian men came to her bed to have sex with her. They used her and made her so filthy that she became disgusted with them.

"Oholibah let everyone see that she was unfaithful. She let so many men enjoy her naked body that I became disgusted with her—just as I had become disgusted with her sister.

So Oholibah, this is what the Lord God says: ‘You became disgusted with your lovers, but I will bring them here, and they will surround you.

So I will stop your dreams about your love affair with Egypt. You will never again look for them. You will never remember Egypt again!'"

"So this is what the Lord God said: ‘Jerusalem, you forgot me. You threw me away and left me behind. So now you must suffer for leaving me and living like a prostitute. You must suffer for your wicked dreams.'"

"‘So this is what the Lord God says: It will be bad for Jerusalem. It will be bad for that city of murderers. Jerusalem is like a pot with rust on it, and those spots of rust cannot be removed! That pot is not clean, and the rust cannot be removed, so the meat must be thrown out and not divided among the priests.

I put her blood on the bare rock so that it would not be covered. I did this so that people would become angry and punish her for killing innocent people.