Study Desk

"No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor will the moon give you light for brightness; But you will have the LORD as an everlasting light, And your God as your glory.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD anointed me To bring good news to the humble; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim release to captives And freedom to prisoners;

To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,

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

I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a groom puts on a turban, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth produces its sprouts, And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise To spring up before all the nations.

You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, And a royal headband in the hand of your God.

For as a young man marries a virgin, So your sons will marry you; And as the groom rejoices over the bride, So your God will rejoice over you.

For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of one who waits for Him.

Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: "Behold, My servants will eat, but you will be hungry. Behold, My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty. Behold, My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.

"You will leave your name as a curse to My chosen ones, And the Lord GOD will put you to death. But My servants will be called by another name.

"Because the one who is blessed on the earth Will be blessed by the God of truth; And the one who swears an oath on the earth Will swear by the God of truth; Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My sight!

"Shall I bring to the point of birth but not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?" says your God.

Then I said, "Oh, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth."

"Have you not done this to yourself By your abandoning the LORD your God When He led you in the way?

"Your own wickedness will correct you, And your apostasies will punish you; Know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter For you to abandon the LORD your God, And the fear of Me is not in you," declares the Lord GOD of armies.

"Although you wash yourself with lye And use much soap, The stain of your guilt is before Me," declares the Lord GOD.

God says, "If a husband divorces his wife And she leaves him And becomes another man's wife, Will he return to her again? Would that land not be completely defiled? But you are a prostitute with many lovers; Yet you turn to Me," declares the LORD.

'Only acknowledge your wrongdoing, That you have revolted against the LORD your God, And have scattered your favors to the strangers under every leafy tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,' declares the LORD.

A voice is heard on the bare heights, The weeping, the pleading of the sons of Israel. Because they have perverted their way, They have forgotten the LORD their God.