Study Desk

"Now, why do you ^(C1)cry out loudly? Is there no king among you, Or has your ^(C2)counselor perished, That agony has gripped you like a woman in childbirth?

-"^(C1)Writhe and scream, Daughter of Zion, Like a woman in childbirth; For now you will ^(C2)go out of the city, Live in the field, And go to Babylon. ^(C3)There you will be rescued, ^(C4)There the LORD will redeem you From the hand of your enemies.

-"And now ^(C1)many nations have been assembled against you Who say, 'Let her be defiled, And let our eyes ^(F1)gloat over Zion!'

-"But they do not ^(C1)know the thoughts of the LORD, And they do not understand His plan; For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.

-"Arise and ^(C1)thresh, daughter of Zion, For I will make your horn iron, And I will make your hoofs bronze, So that you may ^(C2)pulverize many peoples, And ^(C3)dedicate to the LORD their unjust profit, And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

"^(F1)Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops; ^(F2)They have laid siege against us; With a rod they will ^(C1)strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.

-"^(F1)But as for ^(C1)you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From ^(C2)you One will come forth for Me to be ^(C3)ruler in Israel. His times of coming forth are ^(C4)from long ago, From the days of eternity."

Therefore He will ^(C1)give them up until the time When she ^(C2)who is in labor has given birth. Then the ^(C3)remainder of His kinsmen Will return to the sons of Israel.

And He will arise and ^(C1)shepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will ^(F1)remain, Because ^(F2)at that time He will be great To the ^(C2)ends of the earth.

This One ^(C1)will be our peace. When the ^(C2)Assyrian invades our land, When he tramples on our ^(F1)citadels, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight leaders of people.