Study Desk

They will be so terrified of Judah that they will be frightened by the very mention of its name. This will happen because of what the Lord All-Powerful is planning against Egypt.

I'm in terrible pain like a woman giving birth. I'm shocked and hurt so much that I can't hear or see.

Then I said, "Leave me alone! Let me cry bitter tears. My people have been destroyed, so don't try to comfort me."

You counted the houses in Jerusalem and tore down some of them, so you could get stones to repair the city wall.

Not a fortress will be left standing, so tell all the seagoing ships to mourn.

You're gone and forgotten, you evil woman! So strut through the town, singing and playing your favorite tune to be remembered again.

And so, everyone in the east and those on the islands should praise the Lord , the God of Israel.

From all over the world songs of praise are heard for the God of justice. But I feel awful, terribly miserable. Can anyone be trusted? So many are treacherous!

So always trust the Lord because he is forever our mighty rock.

When broken branches fall to the ground, women pick them up to feed the fire. But these people are so stupid that the God who created them will show them no mercy.

So, the Lord will speak to his people in strange sounds and foreign languages.

And so the Lord says, "I'm laying a firm foundation for the city of Zion. It's a valuable cornerstone proven to be trustworthy; no one who trusts it will ever be disappointed.

So you had better stop sneering or you will be in worse shape than ever before. I heard the Lord All-Powerful threaten the whole country with destruction.

So once again I will do things that shock and amaze them, and I will destroy the wisdom of those who claim to know and understand."

You trust Egypt for protection. So you refuse my advice and send messengers to Egypt to beg their king for help.

The Lord told me to write down his message for his people, so that it would be there forever.

The Assyrian commander told them: I have a message for Hezekiah from the great king of Assyria. Ask Hezekiah why he feels so sure of himself.

Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said, "Sir, we don't want the people listening from the city wall to understand what you are saying. So please speak to us in Aramaic instead of Hebrew."

The Assyrian army commander answered, "My king sent me to speak to everyone, not just to you leaders. These people will soon have to eat their own body waste and drink their own urine! And so will the three of you!"

Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah had been warned by King Hezekiah not to answer the Assyrian commander. So they tore their clothes in sorrow and reported to Hezekiah everything the commander had said.