Study Desk

"Oh no! Oh no! Run away from Babylon, because I have scattered you like the four winds of heaven," says the Lord .

This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: "After he has honored me and sent me against the nations who took your possessions—because whoever touches you hurts what is precious to me—

This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: "Old men and old women will again sit along Jerusalem's streets, each carrying a cane because of age.

Before that time there was no money to hire people or animals. People could not safely come and go because of the enemies; I had turned everyone against his neighbor.

This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: "At that time, ten men from different countries will come and take hold of a Judean by his coat. They will say to him, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'"

I will protect my Temple from armies who would come or go. No one will hurt my people again, because now I am watching them.

As for you, because of the blood of the agreement with you I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

Idols tell lies; fortune-tellers see false visions and tell about false dreams. The comfort they give is worth nothing. So the people are like lost sheep. They are abused, because there is no shepherd.

"I will strengthen the people of Judah and save the people of Joseph. I will bring them back, because I care about them. It will be as though I had never left them, because I am the Lord their God, and I will answer them.

Cry, pine trees, because the cedar has fallen, because the tall trees are ruined. Cry, oaks in Bashan, because the mighty forest has been cut down.

Listen to the shepherds crying because their rich pastures are destroyed. Listen to the lions roaring because the lovely land of the Jordan River is ruined.

because I am going to get a new shepherd for the country. He will not care for the dying sheep, or look for the young ones, or heal the injured ones, or feed the healthy. But he will eat the best sheep and tear off their hoofs.

Then the leaders of Judah will say to themselves, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord All-Powerful is their God.'

"You have shown it by bringing unclean food to my altar. "But you ask, ‘What makes it unclean?' "It is unclean because you don't respect the altar of the Lord .

"From the east to the west I will be honored among the nations. Everywhere they will bring incense and clean offerings to me, because I will be honored among the nations," says the Lord All-Powerful.

Listen to me. Pay attention to what I say. Honor my name," says the Lord All-Powerful. "If you don't, I will send a curse on you and on your blessings. I have already cursed them, because you don't pay attention to what I say.

"A priest should teach what he knows, and people should learn the teachings from him, because he is the messenger of the Lord All-Powerful.

This is another thing you do. You cover the Lord 's altar with your tears. You cry and moan, because he does not accept your offerings and is not pleased with what you bring.

You ask, "Why?" It is because the Lord sees how you treated the wife you married when you were young. You broke your promise to her, even though she was your partner and you had an agreement with her.

So a curse is on you, because the whole nation has robbed me.