Study Desk

"You also took your beautiful jewels made of My gold and of My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images so that you might commit prostitution with them.

"Also My bread which I gave you, fine flour, oil, and honey with which I fed you, you would offer before them for a soothing aroma; so it happened," declares the Lord GOD.

"So behold, I have stretched out My hand against you and cut back your rations. And I turned you over to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your outrageous conduct.

"Men give gifts to all prostitutes, but you give your gifts to all your lovers and lavish favors on them so that they will come to you from every direction for your obscene practices.

"So it is the opposite for you from those women in your obscene practices, in that you are not approached for prostitution, and in the fact that you pay a prostitute's fee, and no fee is paid to you; so you are the opposite."

therefore, behold, I am going to gather all your lovers whom you pleased, all those whom you loved as well as all those whom you hated. So I will gather them against you from every direction and expose your nakedness to them so that they may see all your nakedness.

"So I will judge you as women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy.

"So I will satisfy My fury against you and My jealousy will leave you, and I will be pacified and no longer be angry.

"Since you have not remembered the days of your youth but have caused Me unrest by all these things, behold, I in turn will bring your conduct down on your own head," declares the Lord GOD, "so that you will not commit this outrageous sin in addition to all your other abominations.

"So they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it.

"Furthermore, Samaria did not commit half of your sins, for you have multiplied your abominations more than they. So you have made your sisters appear innocent by all your abominations which you have committed.

so that you will bear your disgrace and feel ashamed for all that you have done when you become a consolation to them.

before your wickedness was uncovered, so now you have become the disgrace of the daughters of Edom and of all who are around her, of the daughters of the Philistines—those surrounding you who despise you.

"So I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD,

so that you may remember and be ashamed, and not open your mouth again because of your disgrace, when I have forgiven you for all that you have done," the Lord GOD declares.

"Then it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine with its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced shoots and sent out branches.

"But there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine turned its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was planted, so that he might water it.

"It was planted in good soil beside abundant waters, so that it would produce branches and bear fruit, and become a splendid vine."'

"Say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers—so that all its sprouting shoots wither? And neither by great strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again.

so that the kingdom would be humbled, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant so that it might continue.