Study Desk

Then He said to me, "See, I will give you cow's dung in place of human dung, so that you may prepare your bread over it."

'So it will be a disgrace, an object of abuse, a warning, and an object of horror to the nations that surround you when I execute judgments against you in anger, wrath, and raging reprimands. I, the LORD, have spoken.

"So your altars will become deserted and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will make your slain fall in front of your idols.

"Everywhere you live, cities will be in ruins and the high places will be deserted, so that your altars will be in ruins and deserted, your idols will be broken and brought to an end, your incense altars will be cut down, and your works wiped out.

"Anyone who is far away will die by the plague, anyone who is near will fall by the sword, and anyone who remains and is spared from these will die by the famine. So I will expend My wrath on them.

"So through all their dwelling places I will stretch out My hand against them and make the land more desolate and waste than the wilderness toward Diblah; so they will know that I am the LORD."'"

Then He said to me, "Son of man, raise your eyes now toward the north." So I raised my eyes toward the north, and behold, to the north of the altar gate was this idol of jealousy at the entrance.

And He said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations which the house of Israel are committing here, so that I would be far from My sanctuary? But yet you will see still greater abominations!"

And He said to me, "Son of man, now dig through the wall." So I dug through the wall, and behold, an entrance.

So I entered and looked, and behold, every form of crawling things and animals and detestable things, with all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around.

"Utterly kill old men, young men, female virgins, little children, and women, but do not touch any person on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary." So they started with the elders who were before the temple.

He also said to them, "Defile the temple and fill the courtyards with the dead. Go out!" So they went out and struck and killed the people in the city.

These are the living beings that I saw beneath the God of Israel by the river Chebar; so I knew that they were cherubim.

"You have feared a sword; so I will bring a sword upon you," the Lord GOD declares.

"You will fall by the sword. I will judge you to the border of Israel; so you shall know that I am the LORD.

"So you will know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My statutes, nor have you executed My ordinances, but you have acted in accordance with the ordinances of the nations around you."'"

so that they may walk in My statutes, and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

"So as for you, son of man, prepare for yourself baggage for exile and go into exile by day in their sight; that is, go into exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.

"Load the baggage on your shoulder in their sight and carry it out in the dark. You shall cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a sign to the house of Israel."

Then I did so, just as I had been commanded. By day I brought out my baggage like the baggage of an exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands; I went out in the dark and carried the baggage on my shoulder in their sight.