Study Desk

"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His times of coming forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity."

Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has given birth. Then the remainder of His kinsmen Will return to the sons of Israel.

And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth.

"Listen, you mountains, to the indictment by the LORD, And you enduring foundations of the earth, Because the LORD has a case against His people; And He will dispute with Israel.

As for evil, both hands do it well. The leader asks for a bribe, also the judge, And the great one speaks the capricious desire of his soul; So they plot it together.

For son disavows father, Daughter rises up against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A person's enemies are the people of his own household.

I will endure the rage of the LORD Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, And I will look at His righteousness.

Who is a God like You, who pardons wrongdoing And passes over a rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy.

A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies.

The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In the gale and the storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.

Mountains quake because of Him, And the hills come apart; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants in it.

Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger? His wrath gushes forth like fire, And the rocks are broken up by Him.

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

"So now, I will break his yoke from upon you, And I will tear your shackles to pieces."

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.

He remembers his officers; They stumble in their advance, They hurry to her wall, And the mantelet is set up.

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.

"Behold, as for the impudent one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous one will live by his faith.

"Furthermore, wine betrays an arrogant man, So that he does not achieve his objective. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all the nations And collects to himself all the peoples.

"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!'