Study Desk

"The sun will no longer be your light by day, Nor shall the bright glow of the moon give light to you, But the LORD will be an everlasting light for you; And your God will be your glory and splendor.

But you shall be called the priests of the LORD; People will speak of you as the ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations, And you will boast of their riches.

It will no longer be said of you [Judah], "Azubah (Abandoned)," Nor will it any longer be said of your land, "Shemamah (Desolate)"; But you will be called, "Hephzibah (My Delight is in Her)," And your land, "Married"; For the LORD delights in you, And to Him your land will be married [owned and protected by the LORD].

But they who have harvested it will eat it and praise the LORD, And they who have gathered it will drink it [at the feasts celebrated] in the courtyards of My sanctuary.

"I looked, but there was no one to help, And I was amazed and appalled that there was no one to uphold [truth and right]. So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath sustained Me.

But they rebelled And grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore He changed into their enemy, And He fought against them.

"Indeed, it is written before Me, I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will even repay it [directly] into their arms,

"But you who abandon (turn away from) the LORD, Who forget and ignore My holy mountain (Zion), Who set a table for Gad [the Babylonian god of fortune], And who fill a jug of mixed wine for Meni [the god of fate],

I will destine you for the sword, [says the LORD], And all of you will bow down to the slaughter, Because when I called, you did not answer; When I spoke, you did not listen or obey. But you did [what was] evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight."

Therefore, the Lord GOD says this, "Listen carefully, My servants will eat, but you will be hungry; Indeed, My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty; Indeed, My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.

"Indeed, My servants will shout for joy from a happy heart, But you will cry out with a heavy heart, And you shall wail and howl from a broken spirit.

"And you will leave your name behind to My chosen ones [who will use it] as a curse, And the Lord GOD will put you to death, But He will call His servants by another name [a much greater name, just as the name Israel was greater than the name Jacob].

"But be glad and rejoice forever over what I create; Behold, I am creating Jerusalem to be a source of rejoicing And her people a joy.

"For all these things My hand has made, So all these things came into being [by and for Me]," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look [graciously], To him who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who [reverently] trembles at My word and honors My commands.

So I will choose their punishments, And will bring the things they dread upon them Because I called, but no one answered; I spoke, but they did not listen or obey. But they did evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight."

Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble [with awe-filled reverence] at His word: "Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My Name's sake, Have said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy.' But they will be put to shame.

When you see this, your heart will rejoice; Your bones will flourish like new grass. And the [powerful] hand of the LORD will be revealed to His servants, But His indignation will be toward His enemies.

But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am [only] a young man,' Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And whatever I command you, you shall speak.

"But you [Jeremiah], gird up your loins [in preparation]! Get up and tell them all which I command you. Do not be distraught and break down at the sight of their [hostile] faces, or I will bewilder you before them and allow you to be overcome.

"They will fight against you, but they will not [ultimately] prevail over you, for I am with you [always] to protect you and deliver you," says the LORD.