Study Desk

Israel sinned and refused to obey the Lord or follow his instructions. So the Lord let them be robbed of everything they owned.

A metalworker shapes an idol by using a hammer and heat from the fire. In his powerful hand he holds a hammer, as he pounds the metal into the proper shape. But he gets hungry and thirsty and loses his strength.

Tell the heavens and the earth to start singing! Tell the mountains and every tree in the forest to join in the song! The Lord has rescued his people; now they will worship him.

The Lord said to Cyrus, his chosen one: I have taken hold of your right hand to help you capture nations and remove kings from power. City gates will open for you; not one will stay closed.

Come closer and listen! I have never kept secret the things I have said, and I was here before time began. By the power of his Spirit the Lord God has sent me

Now leave Babylon! Celebrate as you go. Be happy and shout for everyone to hear, "The Lord has rescued his servant Israel!

He made my words pierce like a sharp sword or a pointed arrow; he kept me safely hidden in the palm of his hand.

He will make those cruel people dine on their own flesh and get drunk from drinking their own blood. Then everyone will know that the Lord is our Savior; the powerful God of Israel has rescued his people.

The Lord God gives me the right words to encourage the weary. Each morning he awakens me eager to learn his teaching;

None of you respect the Lord or obey his servant. You walk in the dark instead of the light; you don't trust the name of the Lord your God.

Go ahead and walk in the light of the fires you have set. But with his own hand, the Lord will punish you and make you suffer.

Jerusalem, rise from the ruins! Join in the singing. The Lord has given comfort to his people; he comes to your rescue.

The Lord has shown all nations his mighty strength; now everyone will see the saving power of our God.

He was hated and rejected; his life was filled with sorrow and terrible suffering. No one wanted to look at him. We despised him and said, "He is a nobody!"

He suffered and endured great pain for us, but we thought his suffering was punishment from God.

He was condemned to death without a fair trial. Who could have imagined what would happen to him? His life was taken away because of the sinful things my people had done.

The Lord decided his servant would suffer as a sacrifice to take away the sin and guilt of others. Now the servant will live to see his own descendants. He did everything the Lord had planned.

The Lord will reward him with honor and power for sacrificing his life. Others thought he was a sinner, but he suffered for our sins and asked God to forgive us.

Foreigners who worship me must not say, "The Lord won't let us be part of his people." Men who are unable to become fathers must no longer say, "We are dried-up trees."

Day after day, you worship him and seem eager to learn his teachings. You act like a nation that wants to do right by obeying his laws. You ask him about justice, and say you enjoy worshiping the Lord .