Study Desk

My eyes fail from weeping; I am churning within. My heart is poured out in grief over the destruction of the daughter of my people, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city.

I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of God's wrath.

I am a laughingstock to all my people; they mock me in song all day long.

"Son of man," He said to me: "I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me. To this very day the Israelites and their fathers have transgressed against Me.

They are obstinate and hardhearted children. I am sending you to them, and you are to say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says.'

"Son of man," He said to me, "eat and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you." So I ate, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.

Then He told me, "Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. They will anxiously eat bread rationed by weight, and in despair they will drink water by measure.

Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Behold, I Myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations.

You are to say: 'O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD! This is what the Lord GOD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places.

The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the LORD.

And they will know that I am the LORD; I did not declare in vain that I would bring this calamity upon them.

Then you will know that I am the LORD, when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, and under every green tree and leafy oak-the places where they offered fragrant incense to all their idols.

I will stretch out My hand against them, and wherever they live I will make the land a desolate waste, from the wilderness to Diblah. Then they will know that I am the LORD.'"

I will not look on you with pity, nor will I spare you, but I will punish you for your ways and for the abominations among you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'

The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will deal with them according to their conduct, and I will judge them by their own standards. Then they will know that I am the LORD.'"

You will fall by the sword, and I will judge you to the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

Then you will know that I am the LORD. For you have neither followed My statutes nor practiced my ordinances, but you have conformed to the ordinances of the nations around you."

You are to say, 'I am a sign for you. Just as I have done, so will it be done to them; they will go into exile as captives.'

And they will know that I am the LORD when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them throughout the countries.

But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine, and plague, so that they can tell of all their abominations among the nations to which they go. Then they will know that I am the LORD."