Study Desk

Woe, ^(F1)Ariel, ^(F1)Ariel the city where David once ^(C1)camped! Add year to year, ^(F2)(C2)keep your feasts on schedule.

I will bring distress to Ariel, And she will be a city of grieving and ^(C1)mourning; And she will be like an ^(F1)Ariel to me.

I will ^(C1)camp against you ^(F1)encircling you, And I will set up siegeworks against you, And I will raise up battle towers against you.

Then you will ^(C1)be brought low; From the earth you will speak, And from the dust where you are prostrate Your words will come. Your voice will also be like that of a ^(F1)spirit from the ground, And your speech will whisper from the dust.

But the multitude of your ^(F1)enemies will become like fine ^(C1)dust, And the multitude of the ^(C2)ruthless ones like the chaff which ^(F2)blows away; And it will happen ^(C3)instantly, suddenly.

From the LORD of armies you will be ^(C1)punished with ^(C2)thunder and earthquake and loud noise, With whirlwind and tempest and the flame of a consuming fire.

And the ^(C1)multitude of all the nations who wage war against ^(F1)Ariel, Even all who wage war against her and her stronghold, and who distress her, Will be like a dream, a ^(C2)vision of the night.

It will be as when a hungry person dreams— And behold, he is eating; But when he awakens, his ^(F1)hunger is not satisfied, Or as when a thirsty person dreams— And behold, he is drinking, But when he awakens, behold, he is faint And his ^(F1)thirst is not quenched. ^(C1)So will the multitude of all the nations be Who wage war against Mount Zion.

^(C1)Be delayed and horrified, Blind yourselves and be blind; They ^(C2)become drunk, but not with wine, They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink.

For the LORD has poured over you a spirit of deep ^(C1)sleep, He has ^(C2)shut your eyes—the prophets; And He has covered your heads—the seers.

The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed ^(F1)(C1)book, which, when they give it to the one who ^(F2)is literate, saying, "Please read this," he will say, "I cannot, because it is sealed."

Then the ^(F1)book will be given to the one who ^(F2)is illiterate, saying, "Please read this." And he will say, "I ^(F3)cannot read."

Then the Lord said, "Because ^(C1)this people approaches Me with their ^(F1)words And honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me, And their ^(F2)reverence for Me ^(F3)consists of the commandment of men that is taught;

Therefore behold, I will once again deal ^(C1)marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And ^(C2)the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the understanding of their men who have understanding will be concealed."

Woe to those who deeply ^(C1)hide their ^(F1)plans from the LORD, And whose ^(C2)deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, "^(C3)Who sees us?" or "Who knows us?"

You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered ^(F1)as equal with the clay, That ^(C1)what is made would say to its maker, "He did not make me"; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, "He has no understanding"?

Is it not yet just a little while ^(F1)Before Lebanon will be turned into a ^(C1)fertile field, And the fertile field will be considered as a forest?

On that day those who are ^(C1)deaf will hear ^(C2)words of a book, And out of their gloom and darkness the ^(C3)eyes of those who are blind will see.

The ^(C1)afflicted also will increase their joy in the LORD, And the ^(C2)needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

For the ^(C1)ruthless will come to an end and the ^(C2)scorner will be finished, Indeed ^(C3)all who ^(F1)are intent on doing evil will be eliminated,

Who ^(F1)cause a person to be indicted by a word, And ^(C1)set a trap for the arbitrator at the gate, And ^(F2)(C2)defraud the one in the right with ^(F3)meaningless arguments.

Therefore this is what the LORD, who redeemed ^(C1)Abraham, says concerning the house of Jacob: "Jacob ^(C2)will not be ashamed now, nor will his face turn pale now;

But when ^(F1)he sees his ^(C1)children, the ^(C2)work of My hands, in his midst, They will sanctify My name; Indeed, they will ^(C3)sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, And will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

-"Those who ^(C1)err in ^(F1)mind will ^(C2)know ^(F2)the truth, And those who ^(F3)criticize will ^(F4)(C3)accept instruction.