Study Desk

Will the fast I choose be like this:A day for a person to deny himself,to bow his head like a reed,and to spread out sackcloth and ashes?Will you call this a fastand a day acceptable to the Lord?

But your iniquities are separating youfrom your God,and your sins have hidden his face from youso that he does not listen.

He saw that there was no man—he was amazed that there was no one interceding;so his own arm brought salvation,and his own righteousness supported him.

He put on righteousness as body armor,and a helmet of salvation on his head;he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,and he wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.

So he will repay according to their deeds:fury to his enemies,retribution to his foes,and he will repay the coasts and islands.

They will fear the name of the Lord in the westand his glory in the east;for he will come like a rushing streamdriven by the wind of the Lord.

For look, darkness will cover the earth,and total darkness the peoples;but the Lord will shine over you,and his glory will appear over you.

For as a young man marries a young woman,so your sons will marry you;and as a groom rejoices over his bride,so your God will rejoice over you.

The Lord has sworn with his right handand his strong arm:I will no longer give your grainto your enemies for food,and foreigners will not drink the new winefor which you have labored.

Look, the Lord has proclaimedto the ends of the earth,“Say to Daughter Zion:Look, your salvation is coming,his wages are with him,and his reward accompanies him.”

I will make known the Lord’s faithful loveand the Lord’s praiseworthy acts,because of all the Lord has done for us—even the many good thingshe has done for the house of Israel,which he did for them based on his compassionand the abundance of his faithful love.

In all their suffering, he suffered,and the angel of his presence saved them.He redeemed thembecause of his love and compassion;he lifted them up and carried themall the days of the past.

But they rebelledand grieved his Holy Spirit.So he became their enemyand fought against them.

Then he remembered the days of the past,the days of Moses and his people.Where is he who brought them out of the seawith the shepherds of his flock?Where is he who put his Holy Spirit among the flock?

He made his glorious strengthavailable at the right hand of Moses,divided the water before themto make an eternal name for himself,

You will leave your name behindas a curse for my chosen ones,and the Lord God will kill you;but he will give his servants another name.

In her, a nursing infant will no longer liveonly a few days,or an old man not live out his days.Indeed, the one who dies at a hundred years oldwill be mourned as a young man,and the one who misses a hundred yearswill be considered cursed.

You who tremble at his word,hear the word of the Lord:“Your brothers who hate and exclude youfor my name’s sake have said,‘Let the Lord be glorifiedso that we can see your joy!’But they will be put to shame.”

A sound of uproar from the city!A voice from the temple—the voice of the Lord,paying back his enemies what they deserve!

You will see, you will rejoice,and you will flourish like grass;then the Lord’s power will be revealed to his servants,but he will show his wrath against his enemies.