Study Desk

Then I heard God say to the other men, "I want you to follow the first man. You must kill all those who do not have the mark on their foreheads. It doesn't matter if they are elders, young men or young women, children or mothers—you must use your weapon and kill everyone who does not have the mark on their forehead. Don't show any mercy. Don't feel sorry for anyone. Start here at my Temple." So they started with the elders in front of the Temple.

"You and I had children together, but you took our children. You killed them and gave them to those false gods! But that is only some of the evil things you did when you were unfaithful to me and went to those false gods.

This is what the Lord God says: "You have spent your money and let your lovers and filthy gods see your naked body and have sex with you. You have killed your children and poured out their blood. This was your gift to those false gods.

You are your mother's daughter. You don't care about your husband or your children. You are like your sister. Both of you hated your husband and your children. You are like your parents. Your mother was a Hittite and your father was an Amorite.

"Why do you people say this proverb: ‘The parents ate the sour grapes, but the children got the sour taste'?"

I spoke to their children and told them, "Don't be like your parents. Don't make yourselves filthy with their filthy idols. Don't follow their laws or obey their commands.

"‘But the children turned against me and did not obey my laws. They did not keep my commands—even though people who obey my laws live because of them. They treated my special days of rest as though they were not important. So I decided to destroy them completely in the desert—to let them feel the full force of my anger.

I let them make themselves filthy with their gifts. They even began to sacrifice their own firstborn children. In this way I would destroy them. Then they would know that I am the Lord .'

You are giving the same kind of gifts. You are putting your children in the fire as a gift to your false gods. You are still making yourself filthy with these filthy idols today! Do you really think that I should let you come to me and ask me for advice? I am the Lord God . By my life, I swear that I will not answer your questions or give you advice!

The older daughter was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They became my wives, and we had children. I am using the name Oholah to mean Samaria and the name Oholibah to mean Jerusalem.

They raped her. They took her children and killed her. They punished her, and women still talk about her.

I will show you how jealous I am. They will become angry and hurt you. They will cut off your nose and ears. They will kill you with a sword. Then they will take your children and burn whatever is left of you.

They committed the sin of adultery. They are guilty of murder. They acted like prostitutes—they left me to be with their filthy idols. They had my children, but they forced them to pass through fire. They did this to give food to their filthy idols.

They killed their children for their idols, and then they went into my holy place and made it filthy too! They did this inside my Temple!

They will throw stones at these women and kill them. They will cut the women to pieces with their swords. They will kill their children and burn their houses.

to speak to the family of Israel. The Lord God said, ‘Look, I will destroy my holy place. You are proud of that place and sing songs of praise about it. You love to see it. You really love that place. But I will destroy it, and your children that you left behind will be killed in battle.

The Lord said, "Son of man, I will take away the place that makes the people feel safe—Jerusalem, that beautiful city that makes them so happy. They really love that place. They love to look at it. But I will take it away from them, and I will also take their children. On that day one of the survivors will come to you with the bad news about Jerusalem.

I will give you many people and animals, and they will grow and have many children. I will bring people to live on you as in the past. I will make it better for you than before. Then you will know that I am the Lord .

Yes, I will lead many people—my people, Israel—to your land. You will be their property, and you will not take away their children again."

This is what the Lord God says: "Land of Israel, people say bad things to you. They say you destroyed your people. They say you took the children away from your people.