Study Desk

How long must I see the war flags? How long must I hear the war trumpets?

The Lord says, "Walk the streets of Jerusalem. Look around and think about these things. Search the public squares of the city. See if you can find one good person, one who does honest things and who searches for the truth. If you find one good person, I will forgive Jerusalem.

"Those people lied about the Lord . They said, ‘He will not do anything to us. Nothing bad will happen to us. We will never see an army attack us. We will never starve.'

Hear this message, you foolish people who have no sense. You have eyes, but you don't see! You have ears, but you don't listen!

As a well keeps its water fresh, so Jerusalem keeps its wickedness fresh. I hear about the robbing and violence in this city all the time. I see nothing but pain and sickness there all the time.

"‘You people of Judah, go now to the town of Shiloh. Go to the place where I first made a house for my name. The people of Israel also did evil things. Go and see what I did to that place because of the evil they did.

I know you see what they are doing in the towns of Judah. You can see what they are doing in the streets of the city of Jerusalem.

So the Lord All-Powerful says, "A worker heats metal in a fire to test it and see if it is pure. I will test the people of Judah like that. I have no other choice. My people have sinned.

This is what the Lord says: "Don't live like people from other nations. Don't be afraid of special signs in the sky. The other nations are afraid of what they see in the sky. But you must not be afraid of them.

But you know my heart, Lord . You see me and test my mind. Drag the evil people away like sheep to be killed. Choose them for the day of slaughter.

How much longer will the land be dry? How long will the grass be dry and dead? The birds and the animals of this land have all died, and it is the fault of the wicked. But they are saying, "Jeremiah will not live long enough to see what happens to us."

Jerusalem, I will pull your skirt up over your face. Everyone will see you, and you will be ashamed.

If I go into the country, I see the bodies of those killed in war. If I go into the city, I see people sick from hunger. The priests and prophets continue their work, but they don't understand what is happening.'"

I see everything they do. The people of Judah cannot hide the things they do. Their sin is not hidden from me.

The people of Judah continue to ask me questions. They say, "Jeremiah, what about the message from the Lord ? Let's see that message come true."

Lord, I did not run away from you. I followed you. I became the shepherd you wanted. I did not want the terrible day to come. You know what I said. You see all that is happening.

But if I see that nation doing evil things and not obeying me, I will think again about the good I had planned to do for them.

So their land will become an empty desert, a place for people from now on to make fun of. All who pass by there will be shocked by what has happened. They will just shake their heads at what they see.

Like a strong east wind, I will scatter my people. I will use their enemies to scatter them like dust. When disaster comes upon them, they will see me leaving, not coming to help."

I will completely destroy this city. People will whistle and shake their heads when they pass by Jerusalem. They will be shocked when they see how the city was destroyed.