Study Desk

Then you became famous among the nations, because you were so beautiful. Your beauty was perfect, because of the glory I gave you, says the Lord God .

"‘But you trusted in your beauty. You became a prostitute, because you were so famous. You had sexual relations with anyone who passed by.

You also took your beautiful jewelry, made from my gold and silver I had given you, and you made for yourselves male idols so you could be a prostitute with them.

You built a place of worship at the beginning of every street. You made your beauty hateful, offering your body for sex to anyone who passed by, so your sexual sins became worse and worse.

So then, I used my power against you and took away some of your land. I let you be defeated by those who hate you, the Philistine women, who were ashamed of your evil ways.

So you are different from other prostitutes. No man asks you to be a prostitute, and you pay money instead of having money paid to you. Yes, you are different.

"‘So, prostitute, hear the word of the Lord .

So I will gather all your lovers with whom you found pleasure. Yes, I will gather all those you loved and those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around, and I will strip you naked in front of them so they can see your nakedness.

So Sodom and her daughters were proud and did things I hate in front of me. So I got rid of them when I saw what they did.

Also, Samaria did not do half the sins you do; you have done more hateful things than they did. So you make your sisters look good because of all the hateful things you have done.

so you may suffer disgrace and feel ashamed for all the things you have done. You even gave comfort to your sisters in their sins.

It sprouted and became a low vine that spread over the ground. The branches turned toward the eagle, but the roots were under the eagle. So the seed became a vine, and its branches grew, sending out leaves.

"‘But there was another giant eagle with big wings and many feathers. The vine then bent its roots toward this eagle. It sent out its branches from the area where it was planted toward the eagle so he could water it.

It had been planted in a good field by plenty of water so it could grow branches and give fruit. It could have become a fine vine.'

to make the kingdom weak so it would not be strong again. Then the kingdom of Judah could continue only by keeping its agreement with the king of Babylon.

The king of Judah showed that he hated the promise by breaking the agreement. He promised to support Babylon, but he did all these things. So he will not escape.

"‘So this is what the Lord God says: As surely as I live, this is true: I will pay back the king of Judah for hating my promise and breaking my agreement.

He lends money for too much interest and profit. Will this son live? No, he will not live! He has done all these hateful things, so he will surely be put to death. He will be responsible for his own death.

But his father took other people's money unfairly and robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people. So he will die for his own sin.

"But you ask, ‘Why is the son not punished for the father's sin?' The son has done what is fair and right. He obeys all my rules, so he will surely live.