Study Desk

Thus, saith Yahweh - Unto the way of the nations, become not ye accustomed, Nor at the signs of the heavens, be ye dismayed, - Because the nations are dismayed at them.

Thus, shall ye say unto them, The gods that made not the heavens, And the earth, Shall perish out of the earth, And from under these heavens!

He that made the earth by his power, That established the world by his wisdom, - And by his understanding stretched out the heavens,

At the voice that he uttered, there was a tumult of waters in the heavens, And he caused vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth, - The lightnings for rain, he made, And brought forth wind out of his treasuries.

Are there, among the vanities of the nations senders of rain? Or can, the heavens themselves, give myriad drops? Art not, thou, he, O Yahweh our God? Therefore will we wait for thee, For, thou, hast made all these.

And I will set in charge over them - four species Declareth Yahweh, The sword to slay, and The dogs to trail along, - and The bird of the heavens and The beast of the earth to devour and to destroy.

Of deaths from diseases, shall they die, They shall not be lamented, Neither shall they be buried, As heaps of dung on the face of the ground, shall riley serve, - Yea by sword and by famine, shall they be consumed, And, their dead bodies shall become, food - To the bird of the heavens, and To the beast of the earth.

And I will give their dead bodies for food, to the bird of the heavens and to the beast of the earth; And I will make this city a desolation and a hissing, - every one that passeth by it, shall be astonished and hiss over all her wounds;

Yea, the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall like the place of Topheth, be places defiled, - even all the houses upon whose roofs they burned incense to all the host of the heavens, and poured out drink-offerings to other gods.

Can any hide himself in secret places that I, shall not see him? Demandeth Yahweh, - The heavens and the earth, do I not fill? Demandeth Yahweh.

Thus, saith Yahweh - If the heavens above can be measured, Or the foundations of the earth beneath, be searched out I also, may reject all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, Declareth Yahweh.

Alas! My Lord, Yahweh! Lo! thou thyself, didst make the heavens, and the earth, by thy great might, and by thine outstretched arm, - There is nothing, too wonderful for thee:

As, the host of the heavens, cannot be recorded, Nor the sand of the sea, be measured, So, will I multiply, The seed of David my servant, And the Levites who attend upon me.

Thus, saith Yahweh, If my covenant of day and night, the ordinances of the heavens and the earth, I did not appoint,

yea I will give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them who are seeking their life, - and their dead bodies shall become food for the birds of the heavens, and for the beasts of the earth.

but, we will certainly do, the whole thing that hath gone forth out of our own mouth, by burning incense to the queen of the heavens, and pouring out to her drink-offerings, just as we and our fathers, and our kings and our princes, did, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, then were we filled with bread and became prosperous, and calamity, saw we none;

whereas, from the very time we ceased burning incense to the queen of the heavens and pouring out to her drink-offerings, we have lacked everything, - and by sword and by famine, have we been consumed.

And, though we are burning incense to the queen of the heavens and pouring out to her drink-offerings, is it, without our men that we have made to her sacrificial cakes as images of her and poured out to her, drink-offerings?

Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, saying, Ye and your wives, have both spoken with your mouth and with your hands, have ye fulfilled saying, We will, certainly perform, our vows which we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of the heavens, and to pour out to her drink-offerings: the women will certainly confirm, your vows, and, certainly perform, your vows.

Then will I bring in against Elam four winds from the four quarters of the heavens, And will scatter them to all these winds, - And there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam, shall not come;