Study Desk

But if any of them manage to escape, they will head for the mountains like doves from the valleys, all of them moaning, each for his sin.

I looked and saw what seemed like a man made of fire. From what appeared to be his waist downward was fire, and from his waist upward was what appeared to be a gleaming amber-colored brilliance.

The form of a hand was put out, which took me by a lock of my hair; and a spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me, in these visions from God, to Yerushalayim, to the entrance of the inner [courtyard] gate that faces north. There stood the idol that [arouses God's] jealousy and provokes [his] zealous indignation.

Standing in front of them were seventy of the leading men of the house of Isra'el — in the center stood Ya'azanyahu the son of Shafan. Each man had his incense-burner in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up.

Then he said to me, "Human being, did you see what the leaders of the house of Isra'el are doing in the dark, each one in the room of his own carved image, because they say, ‘ Adonai can't see us; Adonai has left the land.'?"

Then he cried loudly right in my ears: "Summon the commanders of the city, each holding his weapon of destruction."

At once, six men approached on the path from the upper gate, to the north, each man holding his weapon of destruction. Among them was a man clothed in linen, with a scribe's writing equipment at his waist. They entered and stood by the bronze altar.

Then the glory of the God of Isra'el was made to go up from over the keruv, where it had been, to the threshold of the house. He called to the man clothed in linen, who had the scribe's writing equipment at his waist.

At this point the man clothed in linen with the writing equipment at his waist returned and reported, "I have done everything you ordered me to do."

and a keruv put out his hand from between the k'ruvim into the fire between the k'ruvim, took some of it, and put it in the hands of the one clothed in linen, who took it and went out.

The prince who is with them will shoulder his pack and leave in the dark. They will dig holes through the wall to carry out their supplies. He will cover his face, so that he won't be able to see the ground with his eyes.

I will scatter to every wind all who are in attendance on him to help him, along with all his troops; and I will pursue them with the sword.

Therefore speak to them, and tell them that Adonai Elohim says, ‘Everyone in the house of Isra'el who takes his idols into his heart, thus setting in front of himself the stumblingblock that leads to sin, and then comes to the prophet, I myself, Adonai , will answer him in a manner suited to his many idols,

For everyone, whether from the house of Isra'el or a foreigner living in Isra'el, who separates himself from me and takes his idols into his heart, thus setting in front of himself the stumblingblock that leads to sin, and then comes to the prophet, asking him to consult me for him, I myself, Adonai , will answer him.

so that this kingdom of his would stay humble and not develop aspirations of its own; rather, it would keep his covenant and live accordingly.

"‘As I live,' says Adonai Elohim , ‘in the place where the king who gave him his throne lives, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, there with him in Bavel I swear that he will die.

Pharaoh with his mighty army and numerous troops will give him no help in the war, when they raise siege-works and build fortified towers to destroy many people;

Therefore Adonai Elohim says: ‘As I live, I swear that it is my oath he has despised and my covenant he has broken, and I will bring this on his own head.

The elite troops among his forces will die by the sword, and those who survive will be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I, Adonai , said it.'

He doesn't eat on the mountains or raise his eyes toward the idols of the house of Isra'el; he doesn't defile his neighbor's wife or touch a woman during her time of menstrual impurity;