Study Desk

All these things my hand has made, and so all these things are mine, says the LORD. But this is the man to whom I will look, he that is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.

As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

"For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me, says the LORD; so shall your descendants and your name remain.

"As a thief is shamed when caught, so the house of Israel shall be shamed: they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets,

"How well you direct your course to seek lovers! So that even to wicked women you have taught your ways.

Because harlotry was so light to her, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree.

Surely, as a faithless wife leaves her husband, so have you been faithless to me, O house of Israel, says the LORD.'"

And when your people say, 'Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?' you shall say to them, 'As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'"

the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?

As a well keeps its water fresh, so she keeps fresh her wickedness; violence and destruction are heard within her; sickness and wounds are ever before me.

"So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you.

"Take up weeping and wailing for the mountains, and a lamentation for the pastures of the wilderness, because they are laid waste so that no one passes through, and the lowing of cattle is not heard; both the birds of the air and the beasts have fled and are gone.

Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the LORD spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through?

Men deck it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move.

which I commanded your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Listen to my voice, and do all that I command you. So shall you be my people, and I will be your God,

that I may perform the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day." Then I answered, "So be it, LORD."

So I bought a waistcloth according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins.

So I went, and hid it by the Euphra'tes, as the LORD commanded me.

"Thus says the LORD: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.

For as the waistcloth clings to the loins of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the LORD, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen.