"He foundhim in a desertland,And in the howlingwasteof a wilderness;He encircledhim, He caredfor him, He guardedhim as the pupilof His eye.
Hamanrecountedto Zereshhis wifeand allhis friendseverythingthat had happenedto him. Then his wisemenand Zereshhis wifesaidto him, "IfMordecai,beforewhomyou have begunto fall,is of Jewishorigin,you will not overcomehim, but will surelyfallbeforehim."
He pourscontemptupon princesAnd makes them wanderin a pathlesswaste.
Keepme as the appleof the eye;Hideme in the shadowof Your wings
Keepmy commandmentsand live,And my teachingas the appleof your eye.
"Whois thiscomingup from the wildernessLeaningon her beloved?""Beneaththe appletreeI awakenedyou; Thereyour motherwas in laborwith you, Thereshe was in labor[and] gaveyou birth.
In alltheir afflictionHe was afflicted,And the angelof His presencesavedthem; In His loveand in His mercyHe redeemedthem, And He liftedthem and carriedthem allthe daysof old.
For as the waistbandclingsto the waistof a man,soI made the wholehouseholdof Israeland the wholehouseholdof Judahclingto Me,' declaresthe LORD,'that they might be for Me a people,for renown,for praiseand for glory;but they did not listen.'
"Have you not donethisto yourself By your forsakingthe LORDyour GodWhenHe ledyou in the way?
"They did not say,'Whereis the LORDWho broughtus up out of the landof Egypt,Who ledus through the wilderness,Through a landof desertsand of pits,Through a landof droughtand of deepdarkness,Through a landthat noonecrossedAnd wherenomandwelt?'
"Noeyelookedwith pityon you to doanyof thesethingsfor you, to havecompassionon you. Rather you were thrownout into the openfield,for you were abhorredon the dayyou were born.
"As I enteredinto judgmentwith your fathersin the wildernessof the landof Egypt,soI will enterinto judgmentwith you," declaresthe LordGOD.
Yet it is I who taughtEphraimto walk,I tookthem in My arms;But they did not knowthat I healedthem.
I caredfor you in the wilderness,In the landof drought.
"The LORDwill possessJudahas His portionin the holyland,and will againchooseJerusalem.
For thussaysthe LORDof hosts,"AftergloryHe has sentme againstthe nationswhich plunderyou, for he who touchesyou, touchesthe appleof His eye.
and know[His] willand approvethe things that are essential,being instructedout of the Law,
Greatin everyrespect.First of all,that they were entrustedwith the oraclesof God.
"Then we setout from Horeb,and wentthrough allthat greatand terriblewildernesswhichyou sawon the wayto the hillcountryof the Amorites,justas the LORDour Godhad commandedus; and we cameto Kadesh-barnea.
and in the wildernesswhereyou sawhowthe LORDyour Godcarriedyou, justas a mancarrieshis son,in allthe waywhichyou have walkeduntilyou cameto thisplace.'
"Out of the heavensHe let you hearHis voiceto disciplineyou; and on earthHe let you seeHis greatfire,and you heardHis wordsfrom the midstof the fire.
