Study Desk

For if you wash with natron, and you use much soap, your guilt is sticking as a stain before me," declares the Lord Yahweh.

A wild ass accustomed to the desert, in the desire of her soul. She gasps for wind in her rutting time. Who can quell her lust? All those who seek her will not grow weary, in her month they will find her.

Restrain your foot from being barefoot, and your throat from thirst. But you said, ‘It is hopeless. No! For I have loved strangers, and after them I will go.'

Those who say to the tree, ‘You are my father,' and to the stone, ‘You gave birth to me.' For they have turned their backs to me, and not their faces. But in the time of their trouble they say, ‘Arise and save us.'

But where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them arise if they can save you in the time of your trouble. For according to the number of your towns are your gods, O Judah.

"For in vain I have struck your children. They accepted no discipline. Your sword devoured your prophets, like a ravening lion.

Also from there you will come out with your hands on your head, for Yahweh has rejected those in whom you trust, and you will not prosper through them.

"Lift up your eyes at the barren heights, and see where you have not been ravished. Beside the roads you sat for them like an Arab in the desert, and you have defiled the land with your fornication and with your wickedness.

And I saw that for this very reason, that on account of apostate Israel committing adultery I divorced her and gave the letter of divorce to her. Yet her treacherous sister Judah was not afraid and she went and prostituted herself also.

Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, ‘Return, apostate Israel,' declares Yahweh. ‘I will not cause my anger to fall on you. For I am loyal,' declares Yahweh. ‘I will not be angry forever.

"Return, apostate children," declares Yahweh. "For I am your master, and I will take you one from a city and two from a clan, and I will bring you to Zion.

"A voice is heard on the barren heights, the weeping of the pleas for mercy of the children of Israel, because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten Yahweh their God.

Return, O apostate children, I will heal your backsliding. ‘Look, we come to you, for you are Yahweh our God.

Let us lie down in our shame, and let our disgrace cover us. For against Yahweh our God we have sinned, we and our ancestors, from our youth and until this day. and we have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh our God.'

For thus says Yahweh to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, "Break up for yourselves prepared virgin soil, and you must not sow among thornbushes.

Lift up a signal toward Zion, bring yourselves to safety; you must not remain standing, for I am bringing evil from the north, and a great destruction.

Because of this gird yourselves with sackcloth, lament and wail, for the burning anger of Yahweh has not turned back from us.

Then I said, "Ah, Lord Yahweh, surely you have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘It will be peace for you,' while the sword reaches up to the throat."

a wind too strong for these will come for me, now also I speak judgments against them."

Look, he comes up like the clouds, and his chariots are like the whirlwind, his horses are swifter than eagles, woe to us, for we are devastated.