Study Desk

For her hurt cannot be cured. It has come to Judah. It has come to the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.

Those who live in Maroth become weak waiting for good, because trouble has come down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.

Tie the war-wagons to the horses, you people of Lachish. You were the beginning of sin to the people of Zion, for the sins of Israel were found in you.

Cut off all your hair in sorrow for the children you love. Let no hair be on your head like the eagle, for your children will be taken away from you.

It is bad for those who make plans to do wrong, who lie on their beds thinking of something sinful to do! When morning comes, they do it, because it is in their power.

So the Lord says, "I am planning trouble against this family, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk in pride, for it will be a time of much trouble.

So you will have no one among the Lord's people to divide the land in a right way for you.

Get up and go away, for this is no place of rest, because it is made unclean. It is destroyed with much suffering.

If a man comes speaking lies and says, ‘I will speak to you about wine and strong drink,' he would be the one for these people!

You eat my people's flesh, pull their skin off, break their bones, and cut them up like meat for the pot."

But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, with what is fair, and with strength. I am able to make known to Jacob his wrong-doing, and to Israel his sin.

Her leaders take pay in secret for doing wrong. Her religious leaders teach for a price. Her men who tell what is going to happen in the future do it for money. Yet they rest upon the Lord and say, "Is not the Lord among us? No trouble will come to us."

Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about His ways, so 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 many people. He will decide for strong nations that are far away. Then they will beat their swords into plows, and their spears into cutting hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and they will never learn war any more.

Every man will sit under his vine and under his fig tree, with no one to make him afraid. For the mouth of the Lord of All has spoken.

As for you, O watch-tower of the flock, the strong-place of the people of Zion, the power you had to rule will come to you again. The nation will come to Jerusalem.

Suffer in pain, O people of Zion, like a woman giving birth. For now you will go out of the city and live in the field, and go to Babylon. There you will be saved and He will make you free from the power of those who hate you.

But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord. They do not understand His plan. For He has gathered them like grain to the crushing-floor.

Get up and crush the grain, O people of Zion. For I will give you horns of iron and feet of brass, and you will break many nations to pieces. You will give to the Lord what they received by hurting others. You will give their riches to the Lord of all the earth.

"Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are too little to be among the family groups of Judah. But from you One will come who will rule for Me in Israel. His coming was planned long ago, from the beginning."