Study Desk

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

"Say now to the ^(C1)rebellious house, 'Do you not ^(C2)know what these things mean?' Say, 'Behold, the ^(C3)king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and leaders, and brought them to him in Babylon.

'Then he took one of the royal ^(F1)(C1)family and made a covenant with him, ^(F2)putting him under ^(C2)oath. He also took away the ^(C3)mighty of the land,

so that the kingdom would ^(C1)be humbled, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant so that it might continue.

'But ^(F1)he ^(C1)revolted against ^(F2)him by sending his messengers to Egypt so that they might give him horses and many ^(F3)troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does these things ^(C2)escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape?

'As I live,' declares the Lord GOD, 'In the ^(F1)country of the king who ^(F2)put him on the throne, whose oath he ^(C1)despised and whose covenant he broke, ^(F3)(C2)in Babylon he shall certainly die.

'^(C1)Pharaoh with his mighty army and great contingent will not ^(F1)help him in the war, when they pile up assault ramps and build siege walls to eliminate many lives.

'Now he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and behold, he ^(F1)(C1)pledged his allegiance, yet did all these things; he shall not escape.'"

Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: "As I live, My oath which he despised and My covenant which he broke, I will certainly ^(F1)inflict on his head.

"And I will spread My ^(C1)net over him, and he will be ^(C2)caught in My net. Then I will bring him to Babylon and ^(C3)enter into judgment with him there regarding the unfaithful act which he has committed against Me.

"All the ^(F1)(C1)choice men in all his troops will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to every wind; and you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken."

This is what the Lord GOD says: "I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and ^(F1)set it out; I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on a ^(C1)high and lofty mountain.

"On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, so that it may bring forth branches and bear fruit, and become a stately ^(C1)cedar. And ^(F1)birds of every ^(F2)kind will ^(F3)nest under it; they will ^(F3)nest in the shade of its branches.

"All the ^(C1)trees of the field will know that I am the LORD; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree ^(C2)flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will perform it."