Study Desk

Don't be afraid of anyone, because I am with you to protect you," says the Lord .

The Lord said to me, "You have seen correctly, because I am watching to make sure my words come true."

And I will announce my judgments against my people because of their evil in turning away from me. They offered sacrifices to other gods and worshiped idols they had made with their own hands.

They will fight against you, but they will not defeat you, because I am with you to protect you!" says the Lord .

but you say, ‘I am innocent. God is not angry with me.' But I will judge you guilty of lying, because you say, ‘I have not sinned.'

You will eventually leave that place with your hands on your head, like captives. You trusted those countries, but you will not be helped by them, because the Lord has rejected them.

"Look up to the bare hilltops, Judah. Is there any place where you have not been a prostitute? You have sat by the road waiting for lovers, like an Arab in the desert. You made the land unclean, because you did evil and were like a prostitute.

Judah saw that I divorced unfaithful Israel because of her adultery, but that didn't make Israel's wicked sister Judah afraid. She also went out and acted like a prostitute!

And she didn't care that she was acting like a prostitute. So she made her country unclean and was guilty of adultery, because she worshiped idols made of stone and wood.

Go and speak this message toward the north: ‘Come back, unfaithful people of Israel,' says the Lord . ‘I will stop being angry at you, because I am full of mercy,' says the Lord . ‘I will not be angry with you forever.

"Come back to me, you unfaithful children," says the Lord , "because I am your master. I will take one person from every city and two from every family group, and I will bring you to Jerusalem.

"Come back to me, you unfaithful children, and I will forgive you for being unfaithful." "Yes, we will come to you, because you are the Lord our God.

Give yourselves to the service of the Lord , and decide to obey him, people of Judah and people of Jerusalem. If you don't, my anger will spread among you like a fire, and no one will be able to put it out, because of the evil you have done.

Raise the signal flag toward Jerusalem! Run for your lives, and don't wait, because I am bringing disaster from the north There will be terrible destruction."

The enemy has surrounded Jerusalem as men guard a field, because Judah turned against me,'" says the Lord .

Oh, how I hurt! How I hurt! I am bent over in pain. Oh, the torture in my heart! My heart is pounding inside me. I cannot keep quiet, because I have heard the sound of the trumpet. I have heard the shouts of war.

So the people in the land will cry loudly, and the sky will grow dark, because I have spoken and will not change my mind. I have made a decision, and I will not change it."

So a lion from the forest will attack them. A wolf from the desert will kill them. A leopard is waiting for them near their towns. It will tear to pieces anyone who comes out of the city, because the people of Judah have sinned greatly. They have wandered away from the Lord many times.

"Go along and cut down Judah's vineyards, but do not completely destroy them. Cut off all her people as if they were branches, because they do not belong to the Lord .

Their houses will be turned over to others, along with their fields and wives, because I will raise my hand and punish the people of Judah," says the Lord .