Study Desk

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"Son of man, if a country sins against Me by ^(C1)being unfaithful, and I stretch out My hand against it, ^(F1)destroy its ^(C2)supply of bread, send famine against it, and eliminate from it both human and animal life,

even ^(C1)though these three men, ^(C2)Noah, ^(C3)Daniel, and ^(C4)Job, were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only save ^(C5)themselves," declares the Lord GOD.

"If I were to cause ^(C1)vicious animals to pass through the land and they ^(F1)depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the animals,

though these three men were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not save either their sons or their daughters. ^(C1)They alone would be saved, but the country would be desolate.

"Or if I were to ^(C1)bring a sword on that country and say, 'A sword is to pass through the country,' and I ^(C2)eliminated human and animal life from it,

even though these three men were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not save either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be saved.

"Or if I were to send a ^(C1)plague against that country and pour out My wrath on it in blood to eliminate man and animal from it,

even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not save either their son or their daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness."

For this is what the Lord GOD says: "How much more when ^(C1)I send My four ^(F1)severe judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, vicious animals, and plague to eliminate human and animal life from it!

"Yet, behold, ^(F1)survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come out to you, and you will ^(C1)see their conduct and actions; then you will be ^(C2)comforted for the disaster which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it.

"Then they will comfort you when you see their conduct and actions, for you will know that I have not done ^(C1)without reason whatever I did ^(F1)to it," declares the Lord GOD.