Study Desk

"Indeed, because he transgresses by wine,He is a proud man,And he does not stay at home.Because he enlarges his desire as hell, [fn] And he is like death, and cannot be satisfied,He gathers to himself all nationsAnd heaps up for himself all peoples.

"Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house, That he may set his nest on high, That he may be delivered from the power of disaster!

For the stone will cry out from the wall, And the beam from the timbers will answer it.

For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.

For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you, And the plunder of beasts which made them afraid, Because of men's blood And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it.

You went forth for the salvation of Your people, For salvation with Your Anointed. You struck the head from the house of the wicked, By laying bare from foundation to neck. Selah

Be silent in the presence of the Lord God;For the day of the Lord is at hand,For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice;He has invited [fn] His guests.

Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh! [fn] For all the merchant people are cut down;All those who handle money are cut off.

Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them In the day of the LORD's wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured By the fire of His jealousy, For He will make speedy riddance Of all those who dwell in the land.

For Gaza shall be forsaken, And Ashkelon desolate; They shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, And Ekron shall be uprooted.

The seacoast shall be pastures,With shelters [fn] for shepherds and folds for flocks.

The coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; They shall feed their flocks there; In the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the LORD their God will intervene for them, And return their captives.

This they shall have for their pride, Because they have reproached and made arrogant threats Against the people of the LORD of hosts.

The LORD will be awesome to them, For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; People shall worship Him, Each one from his place, Indeed all the shores of the nations.

The herds shall lie down in her midst, Every beast of the nation. Both the pelican and the bittern Shall lodge on the capitals of her pillars; Their voice shall sing in the windows; Desolation shall be at the threshold; For He will lay bare the cedar work.

This is the rejoicing city That dwelt securely, That said in her heart, "I am it, and there is none besides me." How has she become a desolation, A place for beasts to lie down! Everyone who passes by her Shall hiss and shake his fist.

I said, "Surely you will fear Me, You will receive instruction'-- So that her dwelling would not be cut off, Despite everything for which I punished her. But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds.

"Therefore wait for Me," says the Lord,"Until the day I rise up for plunder; [fn] My determination is to gather the nationsTo My assembly of kingdoms,To pour on them My indignation,All my fierce anger;All the earth shall be devouredWith the fire of My jealousy.

"For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, That they all may call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him with one accord.

In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds In which you transgress against Me; For then I will take away from your midst Those who rejoice in your pride, And you shall no longer be haughty In My holy mountain.