Study Desk

'This is what the Lord GOD says: "I will also make the hordes of Egypt cease By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

'This is what the Lord GOD says: "I will also destroy the idols And make the images cease from Memphis. And there will no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt; And I will put fear in the land of Egypt.

"Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break his arms, both the strong and the broken; and I will make the sword fall from his hand.

'Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: "Because it is tall in stature and has put its top among the clouds, and its heart is haughty in its loftiness,

'This is what the Lord GOD says: "On the day when it went down to Sheol I caused mourning; I closed the deep over it and held back its rivers. And its many waters were stopped up, and I made Lebanon mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted away on account of it.

This is what the Lord GOD says: "Now I will spread My net over you With a contingent of many peoples, And they will lift you up in My net.

For the Lord GOD says this: "The sword of the king of Babylon will attack you.

"Therefore say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "You eat meat with the blood in it, raise your eyes to your idols as you shed blood. Should you then possess the land?

"You shall say this to them: 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "As I live, those who are in the places of ruins certainly will fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the animals to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves will die of plague.

"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should the shepherds not feed the flock?

'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them stop tending sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will save My sheep from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them."'"

For the Lord GOD says this: "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and look after them.

"As for you, My flock, this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Behold, I am going to judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats.

Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says to them: "Behold, I, I Myself will also judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.

and say to it, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, And I will reach out with My hand against you And make you a desolation and a waste.

'This is what the Lord GOD says: "As all the earth rejoices, I will make you a desolation.

'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Since the enemy has spoken against you, 'Aha!' and, 'The everlasting heights have become our possession,'

therefore prophesy and say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "For good reason they have made you desolate and harassed you from every side, so that you would become a possession of the rest of the nations; and you have been taken up in the talk and the rumor of the people."'"

'Therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD. This is what the Lord GOD says to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate ruins and to the abandoned cities which have become plunder and an object of ridicule to the rest of the nations which are all around—

therefore the Lord GOD says this: "Certainly in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with contempt of soul, in order to make its pastureland plunder."