Study Desk

"People of Israel, you are unfaithful to me, but come back to me. Come back and I will forgive you for being unfaithful. "Just say, ‘Yes, we will come back, because you are the Lord our God.

"Give this message to the people of Judah: Tell everyone in the city of Jerusalem: ‘Blow the trumpet all over the country.' Shout out loud and say, ‘Come together! Let us all escape to the strong cities for protection.'

Raise the signal flag toward Zion. Run for your lives! Don't wait! Do this because I am bringing disaster from the north. I am bringing terrible destruction."

Look! The enemy rises up like a cloud. His chariots look like a windstorm. His horses are faster than eagles. It will be very bad for us! We are ruined!

So the people in the land will cry for the dead. The sky will grow dark. I have spoken and will not change. I have made a decision, and I will not change my mind."

The Lord says, "Walk the streets of Jerusalem. Look around and think about these things. Search the public squares of the city. See if you can find one good person, one who does honest things and who searches for the truth. If you find one good person, I will forgive Jerusalem.

Lord , I know that you want people to be loyal to you. You hit the people of Judah, but they did not feel any pain. You destroyed them, but they refused to learn their lesson. They became very stubborn. They refused to be sorry for the bad things they did.

Should I punish the people of Judah for doing these things?" This message is from the Lord . "You know I should punish a nation such as this. I should give it the punishment it deserves.

There are evil men among my people. They are like men who make nets for catching birds. They set their traps, but they catch people instead of birds.

Should I punish the people of Judah for doing these things?" This message is from the Lord . "You know I should punish a nation such as this. I should give it the punishment it deserves.

"Run for your lives, people of Benjamin! Run away from the city of Jerusalem! Blow the war trumpet in the city of Tekoa! Put up the warning flag in the city of Beth Hakkerem! Do these things because disaster is coming from the north. Terrible destruction is coming to you.

This is what the Lord says: "Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask where the old road is. Ask where the good road is, and walk on that road. If you do, you will find rest for yourselves. But you people have said, ‘We will not walk on the good road.'

I chose watchmen to watch over you. I told them, ‘Listen for the sound of the war trumpet.' But they said, ‘We will not listen!'

The soldiers carry bows and spears. They are cruel; they have no mercy. They are so powerful. They sound like the roaring ocean as they ride their horses. That army is coming, ready for battle. It is coming to attack you, Jerusalem."

My people, put on sackcloth and roll in the ashes. Cry loudly for the dead. Cry as if you lost an only son. Do this because the destroyer will come against us very quickly.

If you obey me, I will let you live in this place. I gave this land to your ancestors for them to keep forever.

This Temple is called by my name. Is this Temple nothing more to you than a hideout for robbers? I have been watching you.'" This message is from the Lord .

"‘You people of Judah, go now to the town of Shiloh. Go to the place where I first made a house for my name. The people of Israel also did evil things. Go and see what I did to that place because of the evil they did.

"As for you, Jeremiah, don't pray for these people of Judah. Don't beg for them or pray for them. Don't beg me to help them. I will not listen to your prayer for them.

Then the bodies of the dead people will become food for the birds of the sky. Wild animals will eat the bodies of those people. There will be no one left alive to chase the birds or animals away.