Study Desk

This is what the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: "For your sake I have sent to Babylon, And will bring them all down as fugitives, Even the Chaldeans, into the ships over which they rejoice.

Who brings out the chariot and the horse, The army and the mighty man (They will lie down together and not rise again; They have been extinguished, and have gone out like a wick):

And they will spring up among the grass Like poplars by streams of water.'

Those who fashion an idol are all futile, and their treasured things are of no benefit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame.

They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see, and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend.

Confirming the word of His servant And carrying out the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited!' And of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be built.' And I will raise her ruins again.

This is what the LORD says: "The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush And the Sabeans, men of stature, Will come over to you and will be yours; They will walk behind you, they will come over in chains And will bow down to you; They will plead with you: 'God certainly is with you, and there is no one else, No other God.'"

They will be put to shame and even humiliated, all of them; The manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation.

"Gather yourselves and come; Come together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge, Who carry around their wooden idol And pray to a god who cannot save.

"They will say of Me, 'Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.' People will come to Him, And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.

"Those who lavish gold from the bag And weigh silver on the scale, Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; They bow down, indeed they worship it.

"They lift it on the shoulder, carry it, And set it in its place, and it stands there. It does not move from its place. Though one may shout to it, it cannot answer; It cannot save him from his distress.

"But these two things will come on you suddenly in one day: Loss of children and widowhood. They will come on you in full measure In spite of your many sorceries, In spite of the great power of your spells.

"You felt secure in your wickedness and said, 'No one sees me,' Your wisdom and your knowledge, they have led you astray; For you have said in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one besides me.'

"For they name themselves after the holy city, And lean on the God of Israel; The LORD of armies is His name.

"I declared the former things long ago, And they went out of My mouth, and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

Therefore I declared them to you long ago, Before they took place I proclaimed them to you, So that you would not say, 'My idol has done them, And my carved image and my cast metal image have commanded them.'

"They are created now and not long ago; And before today you have not heard them, So that you will not say, 'Behold, I knew them.'

"Assuredly My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand together.

They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts. He made the water flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock and the water gushed out.