Study Desk

"I helped people who had not come to me for advice. Those who found me were not looking for me. I spoke to a nation that does not use my name. I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!'

"Look, here is a letter that lists all your sins. I will not be quiet until I pay you back for these sins. I will do it by punishing you.

Then Sharon Valley will be a field for sheep. The Valley of Achor will be a place for cattle to rest. All this will be for my people—for the people who come to me for help.

"But you people left the Lord , so you will be punished. You forgot about my holy mountain. You began to worship Luck. You held feasts for the false god, Fate.

My servants will shout for joy, but you will cry out in pain. Your spirits will be broken, and you will be very sad.

In that city there will never be a baby who lives only a few days, and every older person will live for a long, long time. A person who lives 100 years will be called young. And whoever doesn't live that long will be considered cursed.

I will answer them before they call for help. I will help them before they finish asking.

This is what the Lord says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is where I rest my feet. So do you think you can build a house for me? Do I need a place to rest?

I am the one who made all things. They are all here because I made them," says the Lord . "These are the people I care for: the poor, humble people who obey my commands.

Jerusalem and all her friends, be happy! All of you who were sad for her, be happy and rejoice with her!

"Before I made you in your mother's womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I chose you for a special work. I chose you to be a prophet to the nations."

"As for you, Jeremiah, get ready. Stand up and speak to the people. Tell them everything that I tell you to say. Don't be afraid of the people. If you are afraid of them, I will give you good reason to be afraid of them.

As for me, today I will make you like a strong city, an iron column, a bronze wall. You will be able to stand against everyone in the land, against the kings of the land of Judah, the leaders of Judah, the priests of Judah, and against the people of the land of Judah.

"Jeremiah, go and speak to the people of Jerusalem. Tell them that this is what the Lord says: "‘At the time you were a young nation, you were faithful to me. You followed me like a young bride. You followed me through the desert, through a land that had never been used for farmland.

They say to pieces of wood, ‘You are my father.' They say to a rock, ‘You gave birth to me.' All these people will be ashamed. They don't look to me for help. They have turned their backs to me. But when the people of Judah get into trouble, they say to me, ‘Come and save us!'

But where are the idols you made for yourselves? Let's see if they come and save you when you are in trouble! People of Judah, you have as many idols as you have cities!

You have blood on your hands! It is the blood of poor, innocent people. You did not catch them breaking into your house. You killed them for no reason!

You go from one place to another looking for help, always changing your mind. But Egypt will also disappoint you, just as Assyria did.

"Look up to the bare hilltops, Judah. Is there any place where you have not had sex with your lovers? You sat by the road waiting for lovers, like an Arab in the desert. You made the land ‘dirty' with all the evil sins you did when you were unfaithful to me.

You can hear crying on the bare hills. The people of Israel are crying and praying for mercy. They became very evil. They forgot the Lord their God.