Study Desk

It was because of their flagrant greed that I was angry and struck them; I hid myself and was angry, but they continued on their own rebellious way.

But the wicked are like the restless sea — unable to be still, its waters toss up mud and dirt.

This is why justice is far from us, and righteousness doesn't catch up with us; we look for light, but see only darkness, for brightness, but we walk in gloom.

We growl, all of us, like bears and moan pitifully like doves; we look for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us.

Foreigners will rebuild your walls, their kings will be at your service; for in my anger I struck you, but in my mercy I pity you.

"In the past you were abandoned and hated, so that no one would even pass through you; but now I will make you the pride of the ages, a joy for many generations.

but you will be called cohanim of Adonai , spoken of as ministers to our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and revel in their riches.

but those who harvest the grain will eat it with praises to Adonai ; those who gathered the wine will drink it in the courtyards of my sanctuary."

I looked, but there was no one to help, and I was appalled that no one upheld me. Therefore my own arm brought me salvation, and my own fury upheld me.

But then his people remembered the days of old, the days of Moshe: "Where is he who brought them up from the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he who put his Holy Spirit right there among them,

No one has ever heard, no ear perceived, no eye seen, any God but you. You work for him who waits for you.

You favored those who were glad to do justice, those who remembered you in your ways. When you were angry, we kept sinning; but if we keep your ancient ways, we will be saved.

But now, Adonai , you are our father; we are the clay, you are our potter; and we are all the work of your hands.

class="poetry"> It would be like fire kindling the brush, and the fire then makes the water boil. Then your enemies would know your name, the nations would tremble before you! When you did tremendous things that we were not expecting, we wished that you would come down, so that the mountains would shake at your presence! No one has ever heard, no ear perceived, no eye seen, any God but you. You work for him who waits for you. You favored those who were glad to do justice, those who remembered you in your ways. When you were angry, we kept sinning; but if we keep your ancient ways, we will be saved. All of us are like someone unclean, all our righteous deeds like menstrual rags; we wither, all of us, like leaves; and our misdeeds blow us away like the wind. No one calls on your name or bestirs himself to take hold of you, for you have hidden your face from us and caused our misdeeds to destroy us. But now, Adonai , you are our father; we are the clay, you are our potter; and we are all the work of your hands. Do not be so very angry, Adonai ! Don't remember crime forever. Look, please, we are all your people. Your holy cities have become a desert, Tziyon a desert, Yerushalayim a ruin. Our holy, beautiful house, where our ancestors used to praise you, has been burned to the ground; all we cherished has been ruined. Adonai , after all this, will you still hold back? Will you still stay silent and punish us past endurance?

"But as for you who abandon Adonai , who forget my holy mountain, who prepare a table for a Gad, a god of luck, and fill bowls of mixed wine for Meni, a god of destiny —

I will destine you to the sword, you will all bow down to be slaughtered; because when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not hear, but did what was evil from my point of view and chose what did not please me."

Yes, my servants will sing for joy from their hearts, but you will cry out from the pain in your heart and howl from an anguished spirit.

My chosen will use your name as a curse — ‘May Adonai Elohim strike you dead!' But to his servants he will give another name.

The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion eat straw like an ox (but the serpent — its food will be dust). They will not hurt or destroy anywhere on my holy mountain," says Adonai .

Hear the word of Adonai , you who tremble at his word: "Your brothers, who hate you and reject you because of my name, have said: ‘Let Adonai be glorified, so we can see your joy.' But they will be put to shame."