Study Desk

"You will sow but you will not harvest. You will tread the olive press but will not anoint yourself with oil; And tread out sweet wine, but you will not drink any wine.

The godly person has perished from the land, And there is no upright person among mankind. All of them lie in wait for bloodshed; Each of them hunts the other with a net.

Shepherd Your people with Your scepter, The flock of Your possession Which lives by itself in the woodland, In the midst of a fruitful field. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead As in the days of old.

But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of its site, And will pursue His enemies into darkness.

Like tangled thorns, And like those who are drunken with their drink, They are consumed Like stubble completely dried up.

The shields of his warriors are dyed red, The warriors are dressed in scarlet, The chariots are fitted with flashing steel When he is prepared to march, And the juniper spears are brandished.

Where is the den of the lions And the feeding place of the young lions, Where the lion, lioness, and lion's cub went With nothing to disturb them?

The lion tore enough for his cubs, Killed enough prey for his lionesses, And filled his lairs with prey And his dens with torn flesh.

Are you better than No-amon, Which was situated by the canals of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose rampart was the sea, Whose wall consisted of the sea?

Yet she became an exile, She went into captivity; Also her small children were smashed to pieces At the head of every street; They cast lots for her honorable men, And all her great men were bound with shackles.

All your fortifications are fig trees with ripe fruit— When shaken, they fall into the eater's mouth.

"They are terrifying and feared; Their justice and authority originate with themselves.

The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, Drag them away with their net, And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are joyful.

"Will all of these not take up a song of ridicule against him, Even a saying and insinuations against him And say, 'Woe to him who increases what is not his— For how long— And makes himself rich with debts!'

"Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed, And founds a town with violence!

"For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.

"You will be filled with disgrace rather than honor. Drink, you yourself, and expose your own foreskin! The cup in the LORD'S right hand will come around to you, And utter disgrace will come upon your glory.

"Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, 'Awake!' To a mute stone, 'Arise!' That is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, Yet there is no breath at all inside it.

You removed Your bow from its holder, The arrows of Your word were sworn. Selah You divided the earth with rivers.

You pierced with his own arrows The head of his leaders. They stormed in to scatter us; Their arrogance was like those Who devour the oppressed in secret.