Study Desk

"As a thief is disgraced^(bo) when he is caught, so the people of Israel are disgraced— they, their kings and their officials, their priests^(bp) and their prophets.^(bq)

They say to wood,^(br) ‘You are my father,' and to stone,^(bs) ‘You gave me birth.' They have turned their backs^(bt) to me and not their faces;^(bu) yet when they are in trouble,^(bv) they say, ‘Come and save^(bw) us!'

Where then are the gods^(bx) you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble!^(by) For you, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns.^(bz)

"Why do you bring charges against me? You have all^(ca) rebelled against me," declares the Lord .

"In vain I punished your people; they did not respond to correction.^(cb) Your sword has devoured your prophets^(cc) like a ravenous lion.

"You of this generation, consider the word of the Lord : "Have I been a desert to Israel or a land of great darkness?^(cd) Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam; we will come to you no more'?^(ce)

Does a young woman forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten^(cf) me, days without number.

How skilled you are at pursuing^(cg) love! Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.

On your clothes is found the lifeblood^(ch) of the innocent poor, though you did not catch them breaking in.^(ci) Yet in spite of all this

you say, ‘I am innocent;^(cj) he is not angry with me.' But I will pass judgment^(ck) on you because you say, ‘I have not sinned.'^(cl)

Why do you go about so much, changing^(cm) your ways? You will be disappointed by Egypt^(cn) as you were by Assyria.

You will also leave that place with your hands on your head,^(co) for the Lord has rejected those you trust; you will not be helped^(cp) by them.

"If a man divorces^(a) his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled?^(b) But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers^(c)— would you now return to me?"^(d) declares the Lord .

"Look up to the barren heights^(e) and see. Is there any place where you have not been ravished? By the roadside^(f) you sat waiting for lovers, sat like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land^(g) with your prostitution^(h) and wickedness.

Therefore the showers have been withheld,⁽ⁱ⁾ and no spring rains^(j) have fallen. Yet you have the brazen^(k) look of a prostitute; you refuse to blush with shame.^(l)

Have you not just called to me: ‘My Father,^(m) my friend from my youth,⁽ⁿ⁾

will you always be angry?^(o) Will your wrath continue forever?' This is how you talk, but you do all the evil you can."

During the reign of King Josiah,^(p) the Lord said to me, "Have you seen what faithless^(q) Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree^(r) and has committed adultery^(s) there.

I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister^(t) Judah saw it.^(u)

I gave faithless Israel^(v) her certificate of divorce^(w) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;^(x) she also went out and committed adultery.

Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land^(y) and committed adultery^(z) with stone^(aa) and wood.^(ab)

In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return^(ac) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,^(ad)" declares the Lord .^(ae)

The Lord said to me, "Faithless Israel is more righteous^(af) than unfaithful^(ag) Judah.^(ah)

Go, proclaim this message toward the north:^(ai) "‘Return,^(aj) faithless^(ak) Israel,' declares the Lord , ‘I will frown on you no longer, for I am faithful,'^(al) declares the Lord , ‘I will not be angry^(am) forever.

Only acknowledge^(an) your guilt— you have rebelled against the Lord your God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods^(ao) under every spreading tree,^(ap) and have not obeyed^(aq) me,'" declares the Lord .

"Return,^(ar) faithless people," declares the Lord , "for I am your husband.^(as) I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion.

Then I will give you shepherds^(at) after my own heart,^(au) who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.

In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land," declares the Lord , "people will no longer say, ‘The ark^(av) of the covenant of the Lord .' It will never enter their minds or be remembered;^(aw) it will not be missed, nor will another one be made.

At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne^(ax) of the Lord , and all nations^(ay) will gather in Jerusalem to honor^(az) the name of the Lord . No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.^(ba)

In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel,^(bb) and together^(bc) they will come from a northern^(bd) land to the land^(be) I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.

"I myself said, "‘How gladly would I treat you like my children and give you a pleasant land,^(bf) the most beautiful inheritance^(bg) of any nation.' I thought you would call me ‘Father'^(bh) and not turn away from following me.

But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you, Israel, have been unfaithful^(bi) to me," declares the Lord .

A cry is heard on the barren heights,^(bj) the weeping^(bk) and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten^(bl) the Lord their God.

"Return,^(bm) faithless people; I will cure^(bn) you of backsliding."^(bo) "Yes, we will come to you, for you are the Lord our God.

Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills^(bp) and mountains is a deception; surely in the Lord our God is the salvation^(bq) of Israel.

From our youth shameful^(br) gods have consumed the fruits of our ancestors' labor— their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.

Let us lie down in our shame,^(bs) and let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned^(bt) against the Lord our God, both we and our ancestors;^(bu) from our youth^(bv) till this day we have not obeyed^(bw) the Lord our God."

"If you, Israel, will return,^(a) then return to me," declares the Lord . "If you put your detestable idols^(b) out of my sight and no longer go astray,

and if in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear,^(c) ‘As surely as the Lord lives,'^(d) then the nations will invoke blessings^(e) by him and in him they will boast.^(f)"

This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem: "Break up your unplowed ground^(g) and do not sow among thorns.^(h)

Circumcise yourselves to the Lord , circumcise your hearts,⁽ⁱ⁾ you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or my wrath^(j) will flare up and burn like fire^(k) because of the evil^(l) you have done— burn with no one to quench^(m) it.

"Announce in Judah and proclaim⁽ⁿ⁾ in Jerusalem and say: ‘Sound the trumpet^(o) throughout the land!' Cry aloud and say: ‘Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities!'^(p)

Raise the signal^(q) to go to Zion! Flee for safety without delay! For I am bringing disaster^(r) from the north,^(s) even terrible destruction."

A lion^(t) has come out of his lair;^(u) a destroyer^(v) of nations has set out. He has left his place to lay waste^(w) your land. Your towns will lie in ruins^(x) without inhabitant.

So put on sackcloth,^(y) lament^(z) and wail, for the fierce anger^(aa) of the Lord has not turned away from us.

"In that day," declares the Lord , "the king and the officials will lose heart,^(ab) the priests will be horrified, and the prophets will be appalled."^(ac)

Then I said, "Alas, Sovereign Lord ! How completely you have deceived^(ad) this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,'^(ae) when the sword is at our throats!"

At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, "A scorching wind^(af) from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse;

a wind^(ag) too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments^(ah) against them."

Look! He advances like the clouds,^(ai) his chariots^(aj) come like a whirlwind,^(ak) his horses^(al) are swifter than eagles.^(am) Woe to us! We are ruined!^(an)

Jerusalem, wash^(ao) the evil from your heart and be saved.^(ap) How long^(aq) will you harbor wicked thoughts?

A voice is announcing from Dan,^(ar) proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.^(as)

"Tell this to the nations, proclaim concerning Jerusalem: ‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land,^(at) raising a war cry^(au) against the cities of Judah.^(av)

They surround^(aw) her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled^(ax) against me,'" declares the Lord .

"Your own conduct and actions^(ay) have brought this on you.^(az) This is your punishment. How bitter^(ba) it is! How it pierces to the heart!"

Oh, my anguish, my anguish!^(bb) I writhe in pain.^(bc) Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds^(bd) within me, I cannot keep silent.^(be) For I have heard the sound of the trumpet;^(bf) I have heard the battle cry.^(bg)

Disaster follows disaster;^(bh) the whole land lies in ruins.^(bi) In an instant my tents^(bj) are destroyed, my shelter in a moment.

How long must I see the battle standard^(bk) and hear the sound of the trumpet?^(bl)

"My people are fools;^(bm) they do not know me.^(bn) They are senseless children; they have no understanding.^(bo) They are skilled in doing evil;^(bp) they know not how to do good."^(bq)

I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty;^(br) and at the heavens, and their light^(bs) was gone.

I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking;^(bt) all the hills were swaying.

I looked, and there were no people; every bird in the sky had flown away.^(bu)

I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert;^(bv) all its towns lay in ruins^(bw) before the Lord , before his fierce anger.^(bx)

This is what the Lord says: "The whole land will be ruined,^(by) though I will not destroy^(bz) it completely.

Therefore the earth will mourn^(ca) and the heavens above grow dark,^(cb) because I have spoken and will not relent,^(cc) I have decided and will not turn back.^(cd)"

At the sound of horsemen and archers^(ce) every town takes to flight.^(cf) Some go into the thickets; some climb up among the rocks.^(cg) All the towns are deserted;^(ch) no one lives in them.

What are you doing,^(ci) you devastated one? Why dress yourself in scarlet and put on jewels^(cj) of gold? Why highlight your eyes with makeup?^(ck) You adorn yourself in vain. Your lovers^(cl) despise you; they want to kill you.^(cm)

I hear a cry as of a woman in labor,^(cn) a groan as of one bearing her first child— the cry of Daughter Zion^(co) gasping for breath,^(cp) stretching out her hands^(cq) and saying, "Alas! I am fainting; my life is given over to murderers."^(cr)

"Go up and down^(a) the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider,^(b) search through her squares. If you can find but one person^(c) who deals honestly^(d) and seeks the truth, I will forgive^(e) this city.

Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,'^(f) still they are swearing falsely.^(g)"

Lord , do not your eyes^(h) look for truth? You struck⁽ⁱ⁾ them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction.^(j) They made their faces harder than stone^(k) and refused to repent.^(l)

I thought, "These are only the poor; they are foolish,^(m) for they do not know⁽ⁿ⁾ the way of the Lord , the requirements of their God.

So I will go to the leaders^(o) and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord , the requirements of their God." But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds.^(p)

Therefore a lion from the forest^(q) will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage^(r) them, a leopard^(s) will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many.^(t)

"Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me and sworn^(u) by gods that are not gods.^(v) I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery^(w) and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.^(x)

They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man's wife.^(y)

Should I not punish them for this?"^(z) declares the Lord . "Should I not avenge^(aa) myself on such a nation as this?

"Go through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not destroy them completely.^(ab) Strip off her branches, for these people do not belong to the Lord .

The people of Israel and the people of Judah have been utterly unfaithful^(ac) to me," declares the Lord .

They have lied^(ad) about the Lord ; they said, "He will do nothing! No harm will come to us;^(ae) we will never see sword or famine.^(af)

The prophets^(ag) are but wind^(ah) and the word is not in them; so let what they say be done to them."

Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says: "Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth^(ai) a fire^(aj) and these people the wood it consumes.^(ak)

People of Israel," declares the Lord , "I am bringing a distant nation^(al) against you— an ancient and enduring nation, a people whose language^(am) you do not know, whose speech you do not understand.

Their quivers^(an) are like an open grave; all of them are mighty warriors.

They will devour^(ao) your harvests and food, devour^(ap) your sons and daughters; they will devour^(aq) your flocks and herds, devour your vines and fig trees.^(ar) With the sword^(as) they will destroy the fortified cities^(at) in which you trust.^(au)

"Yet even in those days," declares the Lord , "I will not destroy^(av) you completely.

And when the people ask,^(aw) ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?' you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods^(ax) in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners^(ay) in a land not your own.'