Study Desk

This is how the once-proud city will end up— the city that was so secure. She thought to herself, "I am unique! No one can compare to me!" What a heap of ruins she has become, a place where wild animals live! Everyone who passes by her taunts her and shakes his fist.

The just Lord resides within her; he commits no unjust acts. Every morning he reveals his justice. At dawn he appears without fail. Yet the unjust know no shame.

The Lord your God is in your midst; he is a warrior who can deliver. He takes great delight in you; he renews you by his love; he shouts for joy over you."

‘You expected a large harvest, but instead there was little, and when you brought it home it disappeared right away. Why?' asks the Lord who rules over all. ‘Because my temple remains in ruins, thanks to each of you favoring his own house!

If someone carries holy meat in a fold of his garment and that fold touches bread, a boiled dish, wine, olive oil, or any other food, will that item become holy?'" The priests answered, "It will not."

Speak up again with the message of the Lord who rules over all: ‘My cities will once more overflow with prosperity, and once more the Lord will comfort Zion and validate his choice of Jerusalem.'"

I looked again, and there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.

For the Lord who rules over all says to me that for his own glory he has sent me to the nations that plundered you—for anyone who touches you touches the pupil of his eye.

The Lord will take possession of Judah as his portion in the holy land and he will choose Jerusalem once again.

Be silent in the Lord 's presence, all people everywhere, for he is being moved to action in his holy dwelling place.

Next I saw Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord , with Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

The angel spoke up to those standing all around, "Remove his filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "I have freely forgiven your iniquity and will dress you in fine clothing."

Then I spoke up, "Let a clean turban be put on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood nearby.

In that day,' says the Lord who rules over all, ‘everyone will invite his friend to fellowship under his vine and under his fig tree.'"

"The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this temple, and his hands will complete it." Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me to you.

"I will send it out," says the Lord who rules over all, "and it will enter the house of the thief and of the person who swears falsely in my name. It will land in the middle of his house and destroy both timber and stones."

Then say to him, ‘The Lord who rules over all says, "Look—here is the man whose name is Branch, who will sprout up from his place and build the temple of the Lord .

Indeed, he will build the temple of the Lord , and he will be clothed in splendor, sitting as king on his throne. Moreover, there will be a priest with him on his throne and they will see eye to eye on everything.

You must not oppress the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, or the poor, nor should anyone secretly plot evil against his fellow human being.'

Indeed, they made their heart as hard as diamond, so that they could not obey the Torah and the other words the Lord who rules over all had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore, the Lord who rules over all had poured out great wrath.