Study Desk

Am I pleased with the death of a sinful man?" says the Lord God. "No, instead I would like him to turn from his sinful ways and live.

But when a sinful man turns away from his sin and does what is right and good, he will save his life.

She brought up one of her little ones, and he became a lion. He learned to catch his food. He ate men.

He walked up and down among the lions. He became a young lion and learned to catch his food. He ate men.

They put him in a prison with chains and brought him to the king of Babylon. They put him in prison so that his voice would never be heard again on the mountains of Israel.

"Son of man, make two ways for the king of Babylon to come with his sword. Both of them will come from the same land. Mark the way where the road divides and goes to the city.

In his right hand is the arrow marked for Jerusalem. It tells him to set up objects to knock down the city walls, to call out the battle cry, to set up objects to break down the gates, and to build a wall of dirt and battle towers.

See, each of the rulers of Israel who are in you has used his power to kill.

One has done sex sins with his neighbor's wife. Another has done sex sins with his daughter-in-law. And another has put his own sister to shame, his father's daughter.

The people of the land have made it hard for others and have stolen. They have done wrong to the poor and those in need. And they have made it hard for the stranger who lives among them, taking away his rights.

"Son of man, put down in writing this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has shut Jerusalem in with his army this very day.

The feet of his horses will run all over your streets. He will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars will fall to the ground.

Tell them, ‘The Lord God says, "I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt. You are the big animal that lies in his rivers and says, ‘The Nile is mine. I made it.'

"Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army work hard against Tyre. Every head lost its hair, and skin was rubbed off every shoulder. But he and his army did not receive anything from Tyre to pay for the work he had done against it."

So the Lord God says, "I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And he will carry away her riches. He will take all her good things, and they will be pay for his army.

I have given him the land of Egypt for the work he has done, because he and his army worked for Me," says the Lord God.

He and his people show the least pity of all the nations, and they will be brought in to destroy the land. They will use their swords against Egypt and fill the land with dead bodies.

So the Lord God says, ‘I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt and will break his arms, both the strong one and the one already broken. And I will make the sword fall from his hand.

For I will give strength to the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand, and I will break the arms of Pharaoh, so that he will cry in pain in front of him like a dying man in battle.

"Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his people, ‘Who can be compared with you in greatness?