Study Desk

The grass withers, the flower fades,But the word of our God stands forever.

Get yourself up on a high mountain,O Zion, bearer of good news,Raise up your voice powerfully,O Jerusalem, bearer of good news;Raise it up, do not fear.Say to the cities of Judah,"Behold your God!"

To whom then will you liken God?Or what likeness will you compare with Him?

Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel,"My way is hidden from Yahweh,And the justice due me passes by my God"?

Do you not know? Have you not heard?The Everlasting God, Yahweh, the Creator of the ends of the earth,Does not become weary or tired.His understanding is unsearchable.

For I am Yahweh your God, who strongly takes hold of your right hand,Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.'

"The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none,And their tongue is parched with thirst;I, Yahweh, will answer them Myself,As the God of Israel I will not forsake them.

Thus says the God, Yahweh,Who created the heavens and stretched them out,Who spread out the earth and its offspring,Who gives breath to the people on itAnd spirit to those who walk in it,

For I am Yahweh your God,The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;I have given Egypt as your ransom,Ethiopia and Seba in your place.

"You are My witnesses," declares Yahweh,"And My servant whom I have chosen,So that you may know and believe MeAnd understand that I am He.Before Me there was no god formed,And there will be none after Me.

It is I who have declared and saved and caused it to be heard,And there was no strange god among you;So you are My witnesses," declares Yahweh,"And I am God.

"Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts:‘I am the first, and I am the last,And there is no God besides Me.

Do not be in dread and do not be afraid;Have I not long since caused it to be heard to you and declared it?And you are My witnesses.Is there any God besides Me,Or is there any other Rock?I know of none.'"

Who has formed a god or cast a graven image to no profit?

Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also kindles a fire to bake bread. He also works to produce a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and falls down before it.

But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god."

I will give you the treasures of darknessAnd hidden wealth of secret places,So that you may know that it is I,Yahweh, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

Thus says Yahweh,"The fruit of the labor of Egypt and the profit of EthiopiaAnd the Sabeans, men of stature,Will come over to you and will be yours;They will walk behind you; they will come over in chainsAnd will bow down to you;They will make supplication to you:‘Surely, God is with you, and there is none else,No other God.'"

Truly, You are a God who hides Himself,O God of Israel, Savior!

For thus says Yahweh, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it; He established it and did not create it a formless place, but formed it to be inhabited),"I am Yahweh, and there is none else.