Study Desk

"You have been left and hated, with no one passing through. But I will make you a pride forever, a joy for all your children's children.

They will build the cities again that were destroyed long ago. They will raise up what had been torn down, and will build the cities that were destroyed, and have lain waste through the years of many families and their children's children.

Their children will be known among the nations. Their children's children will be known among the people. All who see them will know them, because they are the people to whom the Lord has brought honor.

I will bring children from Jacob, and one out of Judah who will have My mountains for a gift. They will be given to My chosen ones, and My servants will live there.

They will not work for nothing, or give birth to children and have trouble. For they will be the children of those who receive good from the Lord, and their children with them.

"As the new heavens and the new earth which I make will last before Me," says the Lord, "in the same way, your children's children and your name will last.

"So I will still fight with you," says the Lord. "And I will fight your children's children.

"I have punished your children for nothing, for they would not learn from it. Your sword has destroyed your men of God like a destroying lion.

"For My people are foolish. They do not know Me. They are children who do not think, and they have no understanding. They know a lot about how to do sinful things, but they do not know how to do good."

But I am full of the anger of the Lord. I am tired of holding it in. "Pour it out on the children in the street, and on the young men gathered together. For both husband and wife will be taken, the old and those who have lived a very long time.

I will send you away from My eyes, as I have sent away all your brothers, all the children of Ephraim.

The children gather wood. The fathers make the fire. And the women make bread and cakes for the queen of heaven. They pour out drink gifts to other gods to make Me angry.

For death has come in through our windows. It has come into our beautiful houses of kings. It has cut off the children from the streets, and the young men from the open spaces of the city.

I will throw them to the wind like straw at the gates of the land. I will take their children from them. I will destroy My people. For they did not turn from their ways.

Even their children remember their altars and their wooden female goddesses of Asherah by green trees and on the high hills.

So give their children over to hunger. Give them up to the power of the sword. Let their wives lose their children and husbands. Let their men be put to death. And let their young men be killed by the sword in battle.

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."

"Then I Myself will gather those who are left of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them back to their field. And they will have many children.

But they will say, ‘As the Lord lives, Who brought up and led the children of the people of Israel back from the north country and from all the countries where He had driven them.' Then they will live in their own land."