Study Desk

Those people killed my people, so I really will punish them!" The Lord God will live in Zion!

And I will destroy the one who sits on the throne in Ashdod. I will destroy the king who holds the scepter in Ashkelon. I will punish the people of Ekron. Then the Philistines who are still left alive will die." This is what the Lord God said.

This is what the Lord says: "I will definitely punish Judah for the many crimes they did. They refused to obey the Lord 's teachings and they did not keep his commands. Their ancestors believed lies, and those same lies caused the people of Judah to stop following God.

They took clothes from the poor, and then they sat on those clothes while worshiping at their altars. They loaned money to the poor, and then they took their clothes as a promise for payment. They made people pay fines and used the money to buy wine for themselves to drink in the temple of their god.

When the Lord God decides to do something, he will first tell his servants, the prophets.

When a lion roars, people are frightened. When the Lord God speaks, a prophet must prophesy.

So the Lord God says, "An enemy will surround your land. They will break down your strong walls and take the things you have hidden in your high towers."

This is what the Lord God All-Powerful says: "Warn the family of Jacob about these things.

The Lord God made a promise. He promised by his holiness that troubles will come to you. People will use hooks and take you away as prisoners. They will use fishhooks to take away your children.

And offer a thank offering made with yeast. Tell everyone about the freewill offerings. Israel, you love to do those things. So go and do them." This is what the Lord God said.

"So, Israel, this is what I will do to you. You people of Israel, prepare to meet your God."

He is the one who made the mountains. He created the wind. He lets people know his thoughts. He changes the darkness into dawn. He walks over the mountains of the earth. His name is Yahweh , Lord God All-Powerful.

This is what the Lord God says: "Officers leaving the city with 1000 men will return with only 100 men. Officers leaving the city with 100 men will return with only ten men."

You say that God is with you, so you should do good things, not evil. Then you will live, and the Lord God All-Powerful will be with you.

Hate evil and love goodness. Bring justice back into the courts. Maybe then the Lord God All-Powerful will be kind to the survivors from Joseph's family.

The Lord, the Lord God All-Powerful says, "People will be crying in the public places. They will be crying in the streets. They will hire the professional criers.

But you also carried statues of Sakkuth, your king, and Kaiwan. There was also that star god that you made for yourselves.

So I will send you as captives, far beyond Damascus." This is what the Lord says. His name is God All-Powerful.

The Lord God used his own name and made an oath. The Lord God All-Powerful said, "I hate what Jacob is proud of. I hate his strong towers. So I will let an enemy take the city and everything in it."

"But Israel, I will bring a nation against you that will bring troubles to your whole country from Lebo Hamath to Arabah Brook." This is what the Lord God All-Powerful said.