Study Desk

My eyes are worn out with tears, and my insides are upset. My heart feels like it has been poured on the ground; I feel this way because of the destruction of my people. Children and babies are fainting in the public squares of the city.

The Lord did what he planned to do. He did what he said he would do. He did what he commanded a long time ago. He destroyed, and he had no pity. He made your enemies happy because of what happened to you. He made your enemies strong.

We are still alive because the Lord 's faithful love never ends.

When he punishes, he also has mercy. He has mercy because of his great love and kindness.

Let us say to him, "We have sinned and have been stubborn. Because of this, you have not forgiven us.

My eyes flow with streams of tears. I cry because of the destruction of my people.

It was better for those who were killed by the sword than for those who died of hunger. Those starving people were sad and hurt. They died because they got no food from the field.

This happened because the prophets of Jerusalem sinned. This happened because the priests of Jerusalem did evil things. They were shedding the blood of good people in the city of Jerusalem.

The prophets and priests walked around like blind men in the streets. They had become dirty with blood. No one could even touch their clothes because they were dirty.

Our ancestors sinned against you, and now they are dead. And we are suffering because of their sins.

Our skin is hot like an oven. We have a high fever because of our hunger.

The crown has fallen from our head. Things have gone bad for us because we sinned.

They went wherever the spirit wanted them to go, and the wheels went with them, because the power that moved the living being was in the wheels.

So if the living beings moved, the wheels moved. If the living beings stopped, the wheels stopped. If the wheels went into the air, the living beings went with them, because the spirit was in the wheels.

If I say, ‘These evil people will die!' Then you must warn them. You must tell them to change their lives and stop doing evil. If you don't warn them, they will die because they sinned. But I will also make you responsible for their death, because you did not go to them and save their lives.

"If you warn them and tell them to change their lives and stop doing evil, but they refuse to listen, they will die because they sinned. But since you warned them, you will have saved your own life.

"If good people stop being good and begin to do evil, and I send something that makes them stumble and sin, they will die because they sinned. But since you did not warn them and remind them of the good things they had done, I will make you responsible for their death.

I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth—you will not be able to talk. So they will not have anyone to teach them that they are doing wrong, because they are always turning against me.

That is because there will not be enough food and water for everyone. They will be terrified as they watch each other wasting away because of their sins.

So the Lord God says, "I will do this because you did not obey my laws and commands. You broke more of my laws than the people who lived around you, and you did what even they know is wrong!"