Study Desk

Adonai , God, prepared a castor-bean plant and made it grow up over Yonah to shade his head and relieve his discomfort. So Yonah was delighted with the castor-bean plant.

Listen, peoples, all of you! Pay attention, earth, and everything in it! Adonai Elohim will witness against you, Adonai, from his holy temple.

For — look! — Adonai is coming out of his place, coming down to tread on the high places of the land.

is this what the house of Ya‘akov says? Adonai has not grown impatient, and these things are not his doings. "Rather, my words do only good to anyone living uprightly.

Then they will call to Adonai , but he will not answer them; when that time comes, he will hide his face from them, because their deeds were so wicked.

On the other hand, I am full of power by the Spirit of Adonai , full of justice and full of might, to declare to Ya‘akov his crime, to Isra'el his sin.

Many Gentiles will go and say, "Come, let's go up to the mountain of Adonai , to the house of the God of Ya‘akov! He will teach us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Tziyon will go forth Torah, the word of Adonai from Yerushalayim.

Instead, each person will sit under his vine and fig tree, with no one to upset him, for the mouth of Adonai -Tzva'ot has spoken.

But they don't know the thoughts of Adonai , they don't understand his plan; for he has gathered them like sheaves on the threshing-floor.

Therefore he will give up [Isra'el] only until she who is in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his kinsmen will return to the people of Isra'el.

He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of Adonai , in the majesty of the name of Adonai his God; and they will stay put, as he grows great to the very ends of the earth;

class="poetry"> But you, Beit-Lechem near Efrat, so small among the clans of Y'hudah, out of you will come forth to me the future ruler of Isra'el, whose origins are far in the past, back in ancient times. Therefore he will give up [Isra'el] only until she who is in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his kinsmen will return to the people of Isra'el. He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of Adonai , in the majesty of the name of Adonai his God; and they will stay put, as he grows great to the very ends of the earth; and this will be peace. If Ashur invades our land, if he overruns our fortresses, we will raise seven shepherds against him, eight leaders of men. They will shepherd the land of Ashur with the sword, the land of Nimrod at its gates; and he will rescue us from Ashur when he invades our land, when he overruns our borders. Then the remnant of Ya‘akov, surrounded by many peoples, will be like dew from Adonai , like showers on the grass, which doesn't wait for a man or expect anything from mortals. The remnant of Ya‘akov among the nations, surrounded by many peoples, will be like a lion among forest animals, like a young lion among flocks of sheep — if it passes through, tramples and tears to pieces, there is no one to rescue them. Your hand will be raised over your enemies; all your adversaries will be destroyed. "When that day comes," says Adonai , "I will cut off your horses from among you and destroy your chariots. I will cut off the cities of your land and lay waste your strongholds. I will cut off sorceries from your land; you will no longer have soothsayers. I will cut off your carved images and standing-stones from among you; no longer will you worship what your own hands have made. I will pull up your sacred poles from among you and destroy your enemies. I will wreak vengeance in anger and fury on the nations, because they would not listen."

Listen, mountains, to Adonai 's case; also you enduring rocks that support the earth! Adonai has a case against his people; he wants to argue it out with Isra'el:

The godly have been destroyed from the land, there is no one upright among humankind. They all lie in wait for blood, each hunts his brother with a net.

Their hands do evil well. The prince makes his request, the judge grants it for a price, and the great man expresses his evil desires — thus they weave it together.

For a son insults his father, a daughter rises against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law — a person's enemies are the members of his own household.

I will endure Adonai 's rage, because I sinned against him; until he pleads my cause and judges in my favor. Then he will bring me out to the light, and I will see his justice.

Who is a God like you, pardoning the sin and overlooking the crimes of the remnant of his heritage? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in grace.

Adonai is a jealous and vengeful God. Adonai avenges; he knows how to be angry. Adonai takes vengeance on his foes and stores up wrath for his enemies.

Adonai is slow to anger, but great in power; and he does not leave the guilty unpunished. Adonai 's path is in the whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.