Study Desk

The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One will become a flame; it will burn and consume the Assyrian king's briers and his thorns in one day.

The splendor of his forest and his orchard will be completely destroyed, as when a sick man's life ebbs away.

There will be so few trees left in his forest, a child will be able to count them.

The Lord who commands armies is about to beat them with a whip, similar to the way he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will use his staff against the sea, lifting it up as he did in Egypt.

A shoot will grow out of Jesse's root stock, a bud will sprout from his roots.

He will treat the poor fairly, and make right decisions for the downtrodden of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and order the wicked to be executed.

Justice will be like a belt around his waist, integrity will be like a belt around his hips.

A baby will play over the hole of a snake; over the nest of a serpent an infant will put his hand.

At that time a root from Jesse will stand like a signal flag for the nations. Nations will look to him for guidance, and his residence will be majestic.

At that time the sovereign master will again lift his hand to reclaim the remnant of his people from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the seacoasts.

The Lord will divide the gulf of the Egyptian Sea; he will wave his hand over the Euphrates River and send a strong wind, he will turn it into seven dried-up streams, and enable them to walk across in their sandals.

There will be a highway leading out of Assyria for the remnant of his people, just as there was for Israel, when they went up from the land of Egypt.

At that time you will say: "Praise the Lord ! Ask him for help! Publicize his mighty acts among the nations! Make it known that he is unique!

They come from a distant land, from the horizon. It is the Lord with his instruments of judgment, coming to destroy the whole earth.

So I will shake the heavens, and the earth will shake loose from its foundation, because of the fury of the Lord who commands armies, in the day he vents his raging anger.

Like a frightened gazelle or a sheep with no shepherd, each will turn toward home, each will run to his homeland.

The Lord will certainly have compassion on Jacob; he will again choose Israel as his special people and restore them to their land. Resident foreigners will join them and unite with the family of Jacob.

you will taunt the king of Babylon with these words: "Look how the oppressor has met his end! Hostility has ceased!

Is this the one who made the world like a desert, who ruined its cities, and refused to free his prisoners so they could return home?"'

As for all the kings of the nations, all of them lie down in splendor, each in his own tomb.