Study Desk

This is what the Lord God says: How terrible it will be for the foolish prophets who follow their own ideas and have not seen a vision from me!

The prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem and who see visions of peace for the city, when there is no peace, will be gone, says the Lord God ."'

Say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: How terrible it will be for women who sew magic charms on their wrists and make veils of every length to trap people! You ruin the lives of my people but try to save your own lives.

For handfuls of barley and pieces of bread, you have dishonored me among my people. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed people who should not die, and you have kept alive those who should not live.

"Human, these people want to worship idols. They put up evil things that cause people to sin. Should I allow them to ask me for help?

So speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: When any of the people of Israel want to worship idols and put up evil things that cause people to sin and then come to the prophet, I, the Lord , will answer them myself for worshiping idols.

The prophet will be as guilty as the one who asks him for help; both will be responsible for their guilt.

"This is what the Lord God says: My plans for Jerusalem are much worse! I will send my four terrible punishments against it—war, hunger, wild animals, and disease—to destroy its people and animals.

You will be comforted when you see what happens to them for living as they did, because you will know there was a good reason for what I did to Jerusalem, says the Lord God ."

If the vine is thrown into the fire for fuel, and the fire burns up both ends and starts to burn the middle, is it useful for anything?

So this is what the Lord God says: "Out of all the trees in the forest, I have given the wood of the vine as fuel for fire. In the same way I have given up the people who live in Jerusalem

No one felt sorry enough for you to do any of these things for you. No, you were thrown out into the open field, because you were hated on the day you were born.

"‘Later when I passed by you and looked at you, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I spread my robe over you and covered your nakedness. I also made a promise to you and entered into an agreement with you so that you became mine, says the Lord God .

You also took your beautiful jewelry, made from my gold and silver I had given you, and you made for yourselves male idols so you could be a prostitute with them.

"‘But your sexual sins were not enough for you. You also took your sons and daughters who were my children, and you sacrificed them to the idols as food.

"‘How terrible! How terrible it will be for you, says the Lord God . After you did all these evil things,

you built yourself a place to worship gods. You made for yourself a place of worship in every city square.

You built a place of worship at the beginning of every street. You made your beauty hateful, offering your body for sex to anyone who passed by, so your sexual sins became worse and worse.

Men pay prostitutes, but you pay all your lovers to come to you. And they come from all around for sexual relations.

"‘Because you didn't remember when you were young, but have made me angry in all these ways, I will repay you for what you have done, says the Lord God . Didn't you add sexual sins to all your other acts which I hate?