Study Desk

But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth, and you will say to them, ‘The Lord God says this.' Those who will listen, let them listen. Those who refuse, let them refuse, because they are a people who turn against me.

This is because bread and water will be hard to find. The people will be shocked at the sight of each other, and they will become weak because of their sin.

I will do things among you that I have not done before and that I will never do anything like again, because you do the things I hate.

So the Lord God says: You have made my Temple unclean with all your evil idols and the hateful things you do. Because of this, as surely as I live, I will cut you off. I will have no pity, and I will show no mercy.

Then those who have escaped will remember me, as they live among the nations where they have been taken as captives. They will remember how I was hurt because they were unfaithful to me and turned away from me and desired to worship their idols. They will hate themselves because of the evil things they did that I hate.

"‘This is what the Lord God says: Clap your hands, stamp your feet, and groan because of all the hateful, evil things the people of Israel have done. They will die by war, hunger, and disease.

The time has come; the day has arrived. Don't let the buyer be happy or the seller be sad, because my burning anger is against the whole crowd.

Sellers will not return to the land they have sold as long as they live, because the vision against all that crowd will not be changed. Because of their sins, they will not save their lives.

They have blown the trumpet, and everything is ready. But no one is going to the battle, because my anger is against all that crowd.

The people will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be like trash. Their silver and gold will not save them from the Lord 's anger. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, because it caused them to fall into sin.

"Make chains for captives, because the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence.

When the living creatures stopped, the wheels stopped. When the creatures went up, the wheels went up also, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

"Human, you are living among a people who refuse to obey. They have eyes to see, but they do not see, and they have ears to hear, but they do not hear, because they are a people who refuse to obey.

Lift them onto your shoulders with the people watching, and carry them out in the dark. Cover your face so you cannot see the ground, because I have made you a sign to the people of Israel."

Then say to the people of the land: ‘This is what the Lord God says about the people who live in Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They will eat their food with fear and drink their water in shock, because their land will be stripped bare because of the violence of the people who live in it.

You said, "This is the message of the Lord ," but that is a false vision. Your prophecies are lies, because I have not spoken.

"‘So this is what the Lord God says: Because you prophets spoke things that are false and saw visions that do not come true, I am against you, says the Lord God .

"‘It is because they lead my people the wrong way by saying, "Peace!" when there is no peace. When the people build a weak wall, the prophets cover it with whitewash to make it look strong.

Then I will win back my people Israel, who have left me because of all their idols.'

"‘But if the prophet is tricked into giving a prophecy, it is because I, the Lord , have tricked that prophet to speak. Then I will use my power against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.