Study Desk

All the people of Israel disobeyed your teachings and turned away from you. They did not listen to you. We sinned, so you did what you promised to do. All the curses and promises in the Law of Moses, your servant, happened to us.

I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision. The men with me didn't see the vision, but they were still afraid. They were so afraid that they ran away and hid.

"Then after a few years, the southern king and that commander will make an agreement. The daughter of the southern king will marry the northern king. She will do this to bring peace, but she and the southern king will not be strong enough. People will turn against her and against the one who brought her to that country. And they will turn against her child and against the one who helped her.

"The northern king will use lies and smooth talking to trick those who quit following the holy agreement, so they will sin even worse. But those who know God and obey him will be strong. They will fight back.

"Those wise teachers will help the other people understand what is happening. But even they will have to suffer persecution. Some of them will be killed with swords. Some of them will be burned or taken prisoner. Some of them will have their homes and things taken away.

Some of the wise people will stumble and make mistakes. But the persecution must come so that they can be made stronger and purer until the time of the end. Then, at the right time, that time of the end will come.

Many people will be made pure—they will make themselves clean. But evil people will continue to be evil. And those wicked people will not understand these things, but the wise people will understand them.

"Then the people of Judah and the people of Israel will be gathered together. They will choose one ruler for themselves, and their nation will be too large for the land. Jezreel's day will be great!

I will destroy her vines and fig trees. She said, ‘My lovers gave these things to me.' But I will change her gardens—they will become like a wild forest. Wild animals will come and eat from those plants.

And at that time I will answer." This is what the Lord says. "I will speak to the skies, and they will give rain to the earth.

The earth will produce grain, wine, and oil, and they will meet Jezreel's needs.

I will sow her many seeds on her land. To Lo-Ruhamah, I will show mercy. To Lo-Ammi, I will say, ‘You are my people.' And they will say to me, ‘You are our God.'"

Then the Lord said to me again, "Gomer has many lovers, but you must continue loving her. Do this because it is an example of the Lord 's love for Israel. He continues to love them, but they continue to turn to other gods, and they love to eat those raisin cakes."

After this, the people of Israel will come back and look for the Lord their God and for David their king. In the last days they will come to honor the Lord and his goodness.

They are always cursing, lying, killing, stealing, and committing adultery. They murder one person after another.

They became proud. They sinned more and more against me, so I will change their honor to shame.

"The priests fed on the people's sins. They wanted more and more of their sin offerings.

They will eat, but they will not be satisfied. They will commit sexual sins, but they will not have babies. This is because they left the Lord and became like prostitutes.

My people are asking pieces of wood for advice. They think those sticks will answer them! They have chased after those false gods like prostitutes and have left their own God.

They make sacrifices on the tops of the mountains and burn incense on the hills under oak trees, poplar trees, and elm trees. The shade under those trees looks nice. So your daughters lie under those trees like prostitutes, and your daughters-in-law commit sexual sins.