Study Desk

Your God will defend his people. This is what the Lord your God says: "The punishment I gave you is like a cup of wine. You drank it and could not walk straight. But I am taking that cup of my anger away from you, and you will never be punished by my anger again.

Wake up, wake up, Jerusalem! Become strong! Be beautiful again, holy city of Jerusalem. The people who do not worship God and who are not pure will not enter you again.

This is what the Lord God says: "First my people went down to Egypt to live. Later Assyria made them slaves.

How beautiful is the person who comes over the mountains to bring good news, who announces peace and brings good news, who announces salvation and says to Jerusalem, "Your God is King."

The Lord will show his holy power to all the nations. Then everyone on earth will see the salvation of our God.

You will not be forced to leave Babylon quickly; you will not be forced to run away, because the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will guard you from behind.

But he took our suffering on him and felt our pain for us. We saw his suffering and thought God was punishing him.

"After his soul suffers many things, he will see life and be satisfied. My good servant will make many people right with God; he will carry away their sins.

The God who made you is like your husband. His name is the Lord All-Powerful. The Holy One of Israel is the one who saves you. He is called the God of all the earth.

You were like a woman whose husband left her, and you were very sad. You were like a wife who married young and then her husband left her. But the Lord called you to be his," says your God.

God says, "I left you for a short time, but with great kindness I will bring you back again.

You will call for nations that you don't yet know. And these nations that do not know you will run to you because of the Lord your God, because of the Holy One of Israel who honors you."

The wicked should stop doing wrong, and they should stop their evil thoughts. They should return to the Lord so he may have mercy on them. They should come to our God, because he will freely forgive them.

The Lord God says— he who gathers the Israelites that were forced to leave their country: "I will bring together other people to join those who are already gathered."

Those who are right with God may die, but no one pays attention. Good people are taken away, but no one understands. Those who do right are being taken away from evil

and are given peace. Those who live as God wants find rest in death.

Of whom are you making fun? Whom are you insulting? At whom do you stick out your tongue? You turn against God, and you are liars.

And this is the reason: God lives forever and is holy. He is high and lifted up. He says, "I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are sad and humble. I give new life to those who are humble and to those whose hearts are broken.

"There is no peace for evil people," says my God.

The Lord says, "Shout out loud. Don't hold back. Shout out loud like a trumpet. Tell my people what they have done against their God; tell the family of Jacob about their sins.