Study Desk

"It is bad for him who builds his house by wrong-doing, and his upper rooms by not being fair, who has his neighbor serve him for nothing and does not pay him,

Is this man Coniah a hated, broken jar? Is he a pot that no one cares for? Why have he and his children been thrown out into a land that they had not known?

The Lord says, "Write this man down as one who has no children, a man who will not do well in his days. For none of his children or children's children will do well sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah."

In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will be safe. And this is the name He will be called by: ‘The Lord Who makes us right and good.'

As for the men who speak for God, my heart is broken within me. All my bones shake. I have become like a drunk man, like a man who has had too much wine, because of the Lord and because of His holy words.

In Jerusalem I have seen a very sinful thing among the men of Jerusalem who tell what is going to happen in the future. They do sex sins and tell lies, and give help to those who do sinful things, so that no one turns from his sin. All of them have become like Sodom to Me. The people of Jerusalem have become like Gomorrah."

They keep saying to those who hate Me, ‘The Lord has said, "You will have peace."' To every one who walks in the strong-will of his own heart, they say, ‘Trouble will not come to you.'

But who among them has listened to the Lord, that he should see and hear His Word? Who has given thought to His Word and listened?

The anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has done all that He has planned in His heart. In the last days you will understand.

The one who has a dream may tell about his dream, but let him who has My Word speak My Word in truth. How can straw be compared with grain?" says the Lord.

As for the man who speaks in My name, or the religious leader, or anyone of the people, who say, ‘The heavy load of the Lord,' I will punish that man and those of his house.

Each of you say to his neighbor and to his brother, ‘What has the Lord answered?' or, ‘What has the Lord said?'

"But the Lord says, ‘Like the bad figs which are so bad they cannot be eaten, so I will give up Zedekiah king of Judah and his captains. And I will give up those left of Jerusalem who stay in this land, and those who live in the land of Egypt.

The Lord has sent to you all his servants who have spoken for Him again and again, but you have not listened or turned your ear to hear.

I was sent to Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his sons, and to all his people.

"So you should speak all these words against them. Tell them, ‘The Lord will sound from on high. His voice will be heard from His holy place. He will call out in a loud voice against his flock. He will call out like those who crush the grapes, against all the people of the earth.

He has left His hiding place like a lion. For their land has become a cause of much fear because of the sword of the one who makes it hard for them, and because of the Lord's burning anger."

It may be they will listen and everyone will turn from his sinful way. Then I may change My mind about the trouble I plan to put on them because of the sinful things they have done.'

So now change your ways and your works, and obey the voice of the Lord your God. Then the Lord will change His mind about the trouble He has said would come to you.

Did King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and pray for the Lord's favor? And the Lord changed His mind about the trouble He had said would come to them. But we are about to bring a very bad thing on ourselves."