Study Desk

"Solomon has a grape-field at Baal-hamon. He put the grape-field into the care of certain men. Each one was to bring 1,000 pieces of silver for its fruit.

My own grape-field is for myself. The 1,000 pieces of silver are for you, Solomon. And 200 are for those who take care of its fruit."

"O you who sit in the gardens, my friends are listening for your voice. Let me hear it."

Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken: "I have brought up and have taken care of sons, but they have turned against Me.

Learn to do good. Look for what is right and fair. Speak strong words to those who make it hard for people. Stand up for the rights of those who have no parents. Help the woman whose husband has died.

But if you are not willing and turn against Me, you will be destroyed by the sword." For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Your rulers have turned against what is right. They are the friends of robbers. Every one loves to get pay in secret for wrong-doing, and they run after gifts. They do not stand for the rights of those who have no parents. And they never hear the cry for help of the woman whose husband has died.

Zion will be saved by being fair. Those who are sorry for their sins and turn from them will be saved by being right and good.

For you will be ashamed of the oaks where you worshiped. You will be ashamed of the gardens you have chosen.

For you will be like an oak tree whose leaf dries up, or like a garden that has no water.

Many people will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. Then He will teach us about His ways, that we may walk in His paths. For the Law will go out from Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem."

He will judge between the nations, and will decide for many people. And they will beat their swords into plows, and their spears into knives for cutting vines. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and they will not learn about war anymore.

For You have left Your people, the family of Jacob, because they are filled with the sinful ways of the East. They use secret ways to tell the future like the Philistines. And they make agreements with the children of strangers.

In that day men will take their false gods of silver and gold which they made for themselves to worship and will throw them away to the moles and the bats.

The people will make it hard for each other. Each one will hurt the other, and each one will be hurt by his neighbor. The younger will show anger toward the older. And the man who is not respected will show anger toward the man of honor.

In that day he will call out, "I can not be of help to you. For in my house there is no bread or coat. You should not choose me to be ruler of the people."

For Jerusalem has no strength, and Judah has fallen, because their speaking and their actions are against the Lord. They have turned against His shining-greatness.

The look on their faces speaks against them. They show their sin like Sodom. They do not even hide it. It is bad for them! For they have brought trouble upon themselves.

Tell those who are right and good that it will go well for them. For they will enjoy the fruit of what they do.

It will be bad for the sinful man! It will not go well for him, for what he has done will be done to him.