Study Desk

I clothe the heavens with gloom, And, of sackcloth, make I their covering.

Lift up - to the heavens - your eyes, And look around to the earth beneath Though, the heavens, like smoke, should have vanished And, the earth, like a garment, should fall to pieces, And, her inhabitants, in like manner, should die, Yet, my salvation, unto times age-abiding, shall continue, And, my righteousness, shall not be broken down.

That thou hast forgotten Yahweh thy maker, Who stretched out the heavens And founded the earth? That thou hast dreaded continually, all the day, by reason of the fury of the oppressor, in that he was ready to destroy? Where then is the fury of the oppressor?

Therefore have I put my words in thy mouth, And with the shadow of my hand, have I covered thee, - To plant the heavens, and To lay the foundations of the earth, and To say unto Zion My people, thou art!

For, higher, are the heavens than the earth, - So, higher, are My ways than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

For, as the rain and the snow descend from the heavens. And thither, do not return, Except they have watered the earth. And caused it to bring forth and bud, - And given seed to the sower, and bread to the eater,

Look thou down, out of the heavens and see, Out of the high abode of thy holiness and of thy majesty, - Where are thy jealousy, and thy mighty deeds? The resounding of thy yearning affection, and thy compassions towards me, are they restrained?

Would that thou hadst rent the heavens, hadst come down,

For, behold me! Creating new heavens, and a new earth, - And the former shall not be mentioned, neither shall they come up on the heart,

Thus, saith Yahweh, The, heavens, are my throne, and The earth, is my footstool: Where then is the house which ye can build me? Or where is my place of rest?

For, as the new heavens and the new earth, which I am about to make, are to remain before me, Declareth Yahweh, So, shall remain your seed and your name.

Be amazed, O ye heavens, at this, - And shudder, be dried up utterly, Urgeth Yahweh.

I beheld, The earth; and lo! it was waste and wild, - The heavens also and their light was not:

I beheld, And lo! there was no human being, - Yea, all the birds of the heavens! had fled:

For this cause, shall the land mourn, and the heavens above be overcast: Because I have spoken have purposed, and have not repented nor will I turn back therefrom.

The children, gather wood, and The fathers, kindle the fire, and The women, knead dough, - To make sacrificial cakes to the queen of the heavens, And to pour out drink-offerings to other gods, Provoking me to anger!

And the dead bodies of this people shall become food, For the bird of the heavens, and For the beast of the earth, - And there shall be none to drive them away.

And shall spread them out - To the sun, and To the moon, and To all the host of the heavens, Whom they have loved, And whom they have served, And after whom they have walked, And whom they have sought, And to whom they have bowed themselves down, - They shall not be gathered, Neither shall they be buried, As heaps of dung on the face of the ground, shall they be.

Even the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times, And the turtle and the swallow and the crane, observe the season for coming; But my people know not the just sentence of Yahweh.

Over the mountains, will I take up a weeping and wailing, And over the oases of the desert, a dirge, For they have been burned, so that no man passeth through, Neither have men heard the lowing of cattle, - Both the bird of the heavens and the beast have fled, have gone their way: