Study Desk

When I tell the wicked person, ‘Wicked person, you will certainly die'; and you fail to speak and warn the wicked person to leave his way; then that wicked person will die guilty; and I will hold you responsible for his death.

Say to them, ‘As I live,' swears Adonai Elohim , ‘I take no pleasure in having the wicked person die, but in having the wicked person turn from his way and live. So repent! Turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, house of Isra'el?'

So if, after I tell the righteous person that he will surely live, he begins trusting in his own [former] righteousness and starts committing crimes; then none of his [former] righteous actions will be remembered; on the contrary, he will die for the evil deeds he has committed.

So then they come to you, as people do, sit in front of you as my people, and hear your words; but they don't act on them. For with their mouths they flatter you, but their hearts are set on their own self-interest;

so for them you are like a love-song sung by someone with a nice voice who can play an instrument well — they hear your words, but they don't act on them.

So they were scattered, without a shepherd, and became food for every wild animal — they were scattered.

My sheep wandered around aimlessly on every mountain and hill; yes, my sheep were scattered all over the land, with no one to search for them or look after them.

"As I live," Adonai Elohim swears, "because my sheep have become prey, my sheep have become food for every wild animal, since there was no shepherd, since my shepherds didn't look for my sheep, and instead my shepherds fed themselves but not my sheep,"

Adonai Elohim says, "I am against the shepherds. I demand that they hand my sheep back to me. I will not allow them to feed the sheep, and they won't feed themselves either. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths; they will be food for them no longer."

"‘For here is what Adonai Elohim says: "I am taking over! I will search for my sheep and look after them, myself.

"‘As for you, my flock,' Adonai Elohim says this: ‘I will judge between sheep and other sheep, between rams and billy-goats.

Wasn't it enough for you to feed on the best pasture and drink from the clearest water? Did you have to trample the rest of the pasture and foul the remaining water with your feet?

No longer will they be prey for the Goyim, nor will the wild animals devour them; but they will live securely, with no one to make them afraid.

Therefore, as I live,' Adonai Elohim swears, ‘I will prepare you for blood. Blood will pursue you. You intensely hate your own blood [relatives]; therefore blood will pursue you.

But you, mountains of Isra'el, you will sprout your branches and bear your fruit for my people Isra'el, who will soon return.

I am here for you, and I will turn toward you; then you will be tilled and sown;

"Therefore tell the house of Isra'el that Adonai Elohim says this: ‘I am not going to do this for your sake, house of Isra'el, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have been profaning among the nations where you went.

For I will take you from among the nations, gather you from all the countries, and return you to your own soil.

Then you will remember your evil ways and your actions that were not good; as you look at yourselves, you will loathe yourselves for your guilt and disgusting practices.

Understand,' says Adonai Elohim , ‘that I am not doing this for your sake. Instead, be ashamed and dismayed for your ways, house of Isra'el.'