Study Desk

Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from all the nations of every language will take hold of the hem of a Judean man, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you!"'"

An oracle. The word of Yahweh is against the land of Hadrach, and Damascus is its resting place. For to Yahweh belongs the eye of humankind, and all the tribes of Israel,

Tyre has built a fortification for itself, and it heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the mud of the streets.

I will remove its blood from its mouth, and its abominations from between its teeth. And it too will be a remnant for our God; and it will be like a tribal chief in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusite.

But I will encamp at my temple like a guard, against those crossing through and returning; no oppressor will cross through them again, for now I have seen with my own eyes.

As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit.

For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have set Ephraim as an arrow. I will set in motion your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Javan. I will wield you like the sword of a warrior.

And Yahweh their God will save them on that day, as the flock of his people; for they are like the stones of a diadem, glittering on his land.

For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women.

And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and the house of Joseph I will save. And I will bring them back, because I have compassion on them, and they will be as if I had not rejected them, for I am Yahweh their God, and I will answer them.

I will whistle to them and gather them, for I have redeemed them, and they will become numerous as they have been numerous before.

And I will bring them back from the land of Egypt, and from Assyria I will gather them. To the land of Gilead and Lebanon I will bring them, until no room will be found for them there.

Wail, O juniper, for the cedar has fallen, for the magnificent trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan, for the impenetrable forest has come down!

Listen to the wailing of the shepherds, for their splendor is ruined! Listen to the roar of the young lions, for the thickets of the Jordan are ruined!

The ones buying them kill them and go unpunished, and the ones selling them say, ‘Blessed be Yahweh, for I have become rich.' Their own shepherds have no compassion for them.

For I will no longer have compassion on the inhabitants of the land," declares Yahweh. "Look, I am going to cause humankind to fall, each into the hand of his neighbor, and into the hand of his king; and they will devastate the land, and I will not deliver anyone from their hand."

And I got rid of three shepherds in one month, for I grew impatient with them, and they also became tired of me.

For look, I am raising up a shepherd in the land who will not attend to the ones that are perishing; he will not seek the young man, he will not heal the ones that are crushed and he will not sustain the healthy ones; he will devour the flesh of the fattened ones and tear apart even their hoofs.

‘Look, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup of reeling for all the surrounding nations; it will also be against Judah in the siege against Jerusalem.

And then on that day I will make Jerusalem a stone weight for all the peoples. All those lifting it up will grievously hurt themselves, and all the nations of the earth will assemble against it.