Study Desk

There is [false] swearing of oaths, deception (broken faith), murder, stealing, and adultery; They employ violence, so that one [act of] bloodshed follows closely on another.

For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces [and pagan temples], And Judah has built many fortified cities; But I will send a fire upon their cities so that it may consume their palaces and fortresses.

Take the words [confessing your guilt] with you and return to the LORD. Say to Him, "Take away all our wickedness; Accept what is good and receive us graciously, So that we may present the fruit of our lips (gratitude).

and have sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem to the Greeks, so that you may send them far away from their territory,

"These who pant after (long to see) the dust of the earth on the head of the helpless [as sign of their grief and distress] Also turn aside the way of the humble; And a man and his father will go to the same girl So that My holy name is profaned.

For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, "Seek Me [search diligently for Me and regard Me as more essential than food] so that you may live.

"Seek the LORD [search diligently for Him and long for Him as your most essential need] so that you may live, Or He will rush down like a [devouring] fire, O house of Joseph, And there will be no one to quench the flame for [idolatrous] Bethel,

It is He who causes [sudden] destruction to flash forth on the strong So that destruction comes on the fortress.

saying, "When will the New Moon [festival] be over So that we may sell grain, And the Sabbath ended so that we may open the wheat market, Making the ephah [measure] smaller and the shekel bigger [that is, selling less for a higher price] And to cheat by falsifying the scales,

So that we may buy the poor [as slaves] for silver [since they are unable to support themselves] And the needy for a pair of sandals, And that we may sell the leftovers of the wheat [as if it were a good grade of grain]?"

I saw [in a vision] the Lord standing at the altar, and He said, "Destroy the capitals (tops) of the pillars so that the thresholds will shake, And break them on the heads of all of the people! Then I will kill the rest of them with the sword; They will not have a fugitive who will get away, Or a survivor who will escape.

"And your mighty men shall be dismayed and demoralized, O Teman, So that everyone from the mountain of Esau may be cut off in the slaughter.

"Then the house of Jacob shall be a fire And the house of Joseph a flame [in executing God's wrath]; But the house of Esau will be like stubble. They (Jacob) shall set them on fire and consume them (the Edomites), So that there shall be no survivor of the house of Esau," For the LORD has spoken.

But the LORD hurled a great wind toward the sea, and there was a violent tempest on the sea so that the ship was about to break up.

So the captain came up to him and said, "How can you stay asleep? Get up! Call on your god! Perhaps your god will give a thought to us so that we will not perish."

Then they said to him, "What should we do to you, so that the sea will become calm for us?"—for the sea was becoming more and more violent.

"Who knows, God may turn [in compassion] and relent and withdraw His burning anger (judgment) so that we will not perish."

Then Jonah went out of the city and sat east of it. There he made himself a shelter and sat under its shade so that he could see what would happen in the city.

When the sun came up God prepared a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he fainted and he wished to die, and said, "It is better for me to die than to live."

And He will judge between many peoples And render decisions for strong and distant nations. Then they shall hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks [so that the implements of war may become the tools of agriculture]; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Nor shall they ever again train for war.