Study Desk

So He poured out upon Israel the heat of His anger and the power of battle. It set him on fire all around. Yet he did not understand. It burned him, but he did not think about it.

This one will say, ‘I am the Lord's.' And that one will call on the name of Jacob. Another will write on his hand, ‘I belong to the Lord,' and will name Israel's name with honor."

See, all his friends will be put to shame, for the workmen themselves are only men. Let them all gather, let them stand up, let them shake with fear, and let them together be put to shame.

The one who works with iron makes a sharp tool for cutting, working over a fire. He makes it by beating it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry and has no strength. He drinks no water and becomes tired.

But he makes the rest of it into a god, his object of worship. He bows down in front of it and worships. He prays to it and says, "Bring me out of my trouble, for you are my god."

He eats ashes! A false idea in his heart has led him the wrong way. And he cannot save himself or say, "Is not what I have here in my right hand a lie?"

Call out for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done it! Call out for joy, you deep places of the earth. Break out into singing, you mountains and every tree. For the Lord has bought Jacob and set him free and has shown His shining-greatness in Israel!

This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, whom He has chosen, whose right hand He has held, "I send him to put nations under his power, and to take away the power of kings. And I will open doors in front of him so that gates will not be shut.

"It is bad for the one who works against His Maker. He is just a clay pot among the other pots of earth. Will the clay say to the pot-maker, ‘What are you doing?' or, your work say, ‘He has no hands'?

It is bad for him who says to his father, ‘To what are you giving life?' or to a woman, ‘To what are you giving birth?'"

The Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, says, "Will you ask Me about the things to come for My children? Will you tell Me about the work of My hands?

I have sent Cyrus to do what is right and good. And I will make all his ways smooth. He will build My city and without any money will set My people free who were taken away," says the Lord of All.

They lift it upon their shoulders and carry it. They set it in its place and it stands there. It does not move from its place. When one cries to it, it cannot answer. It cannot take him away from his trouble.

The One Who bought us and saves us, the Lord of All is His name, the Holy One of Israel.

This is how those are to you, with whom you have worked since you were young. Each one has gone on in his own wrong way. There is no one who can save you.

For they call themselves people of the holy city, and trust in the God of Israel. The Lord of All is His name.

Gather together, all of you, and listen! Who among them has made these things known? The Lord loves him. He will do to Babylon what pleases him, and his arm will be against the Babylonians.

Come near to Me and listen to this: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret. From the time it came to be, I was there. And now the Lord God has sent me and His Spirit."

Go out from Babylon! Run from the Babylonians! Call out for joy and let this be known to the end of the earth, saying, "The Lord has bought and set free His servant Jacob!"

He has made My mouth like a sharp sword. He has hidden Me in the shadow of His hand. He has made Me a shining arrow, keeping Me in His secret place.