Study Desk

Above Him seraphim (heavenly beings) stood; each one had six wings: with two wings he covered his face, with two wings he covered his feet, and with two wings he flew.

And one called out to another, saying, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is filled with His glory."

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.

The LORD has removed [His] people far away, And there are many deserted places in the midst of the land.

When the house of David (Judah) was told, "Aram is allied with Ephraim (Israel)," the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind.

"And the head (capital) of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son [King Pekah]. If you will not believe [and trust in God and His message], be assured that you will not be established."'"

"Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God [one that will convince you that God has spoken and will keep His word]; make your request as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven."

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Listen carefully, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will call his name Immanuel (God with us).

Now therefore, listen carefully, the Lord is about to bring on them the waters of the [Euphrates] River, strong and abundant— The king of Assyria and all his glory; And it will rise over all its channels and canals and go far beyond its banks.

For in this way the LORD spoke to me with His strong hand [upon me] and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people [behaving as they do], saying,

And I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; and I will look eagerly for Him.

For to us a Child shall be born, to us a Son shall be given; And the government shall be upon His shoulder, And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

There shall be no end to the increase of His government and of peace, [He shall rule] on the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From that time forward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

The Arameans on the east and the Philistines on the west; And they devour Israel with gaping jaws. In spite of all this, God's anger does not turn away But His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].

Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, Nor does He have compassion on their fatherless or their widows; For every one of them is godless and an evildoer, And every mouth is speaking foolishness. In spite of all this, God's anger does not turn away But His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].

By the wrath of the LORD of hosts the land is burned up, And the people are like fuel for the fire; No man spares his brother.

They slice off [in discord] what is on the right hand but are still hungry, And they eat what is on the left hand but they are not satisfied; Each eats the flesh of his own arm.

[The tribe of] Manasseh devours [the tribe of his brother] Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, And together they are against Judah (the southern kingdom, the house of David). In spite of all this, God's anger does not turn away But His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].

Nothing remains but to crouch among the captives Or fall [dead] among the slain [on the battlefield]. In spite of all this, God's anger does not turn away, But His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].

So when the Lord has completed all His work [of judgment] on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, "I will punish the fruit [the thoughts, the declarations, and the actions] of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the haughtiness of his pride."