Study Desk

I will sell your sons and daughters to the sons of Judah. And they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far away." The Lord has spoken.

Use the long, sharp knife, for the fruit is full-grown. Come and crush the grapes, for the crushing-place is full. They flow over, for their sins are many.

Egypt will be destroyed and Edom will become a desert waste, because of the bad things done to the sons of Judah. They have killed people in the land of Judah who were not guilty of wrong-doing.

The Lord says, "For three sins of Damascus and for four, I will not hold back punishment. They have crushed Gilead with tools of sharp iron.

The Lord says, "For three sins of Gaza and for four, I will not hold back punishment. They took a nation of people away and sold them to Edom.

The Lord says, "For three sins of Tyre and for four, I will not hold back punishment. They took a nation of people and sold them to Edom. They did not remember the agreement between brothers.

The Lord says, "For three sins of Ammon and for four, I will not hold back punishment. They tore open the women of Gilead who were going to have a baby, so that they would get more land.

The Lord says, "For three sins of Judah and for four, I will not hold back punishment. They turned away from the Law of the Lord. They have not obeyed His Laws. They have gone the wrong way, following the lies of their fathers.

The Lord says, "For three sins of Israel and for four, I will not hold back punishment. They sell those who are right and good for money. To get shoes, they sell people who are in need.

They crush those who are poor in the dust of the earth with their feet. They push the poor out of the way. A man and his father go to the same girl and sin against My holy name.

They lie down beside every altar on clothing taken as trust for promises. And in the house of their God they drink the wine which was paid by those who have done wrong.

They do not know how to do what is right," says the Lord. "They store up in their strong cities what they have fought for and robbed."

So the Lord God says, "Those who hate you will gather around the land. They will pull down your strong-places and rob your strong cities."

As the Lord God is holy, He has promised, "The days are coming when they will take you away with meat hooks. And the last of you will be taken with fish hooks.

Go over to Calneh and look. And go from there to great Hamath. Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these nations? Is their land better than yours?

The Lord God of All says, "I am going to raise up a nation against you, O people of Israel. And they will bring much suffering upon you from the gate of Hamath to the river of the Arabah."

People will go from sea to sea, and from the north to the east. They will go from place to place to look for the Word of the Lord, but they will not find it.

As for those who swear by the false gods of Samaria, saying, ‘As your god lives, O Dan,' and ‘As the way of Beersheba lives,' they will fall and never rise again."

Even if they hide on the top of Mount Carmel, I will find them and take them from there. Even if they hide themselves from My eyes on the bottom of the sea, there I will tell the large sea-snake to bite them.

Even if they are taken away to a strange land by those who hate them, there I will have the sword kill them. I will set My eyes against them to hurt them, and not to bring good to them."