Study Desk

For the Lord will comfort Zion. He will comfort all her waste places. He will make her desert like Eden, like the garden of the Lord. Joy and happiness will be found in her. There will be much giving of thanks and much singing.

My being right and good is near. My saving power has gone out, and My arms will judge the people. The islands will wait for Me. They will trust with hope for My arm.

Lift up your eyes to the sky, and look to the earth below. For the sky will go away like smoke. And the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing and those who live in it will die like flies. But My saving power will be forever. My being right and good will not come to an end.

For the moth will eat them like a piece of clothing. And the worm will eat them like wool. But My being right and good will be forever. My saving power will be to all children's children to come."

Was it not You Who dried up the sea, the deep waters, and Who made a path through the deep sea for Your saved people to cross over?

So the people, for whom the Lord paid the price to be saved, will return. They will come with songs of joy to Zion. Joy that lasts forever will be on their heads. They will receive joy and happiness, and sorrow and sad voices will hurry away.

that you have forgotten the Lord Who made you? He spread out the heavens and put the earth in its place. Why do you live in fear all day long because of the anger of the one who makes it hard for you as he makes ready to destroy? But where is his anger?

For I am the Lord your God, Who fills the sea with action so that its waves sound: The Lord of All is His name.

These two things have come upon you: Being laid waste and destroyed, hunger and the sword. Who will have sorrow for you? How can I comfort you?

Your Lord, the Lord your God Who fights for His people, says, "See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that makes you have trouble walking. You will never drink from the cup of My anger again.

I will put it into the hand of those who make it hard for you, who have said to you, ‘Lie down that we may walk over you.' You have made your back like the ground and like the street for them to walk over."

Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion. Put on your beautiful clothes, O Jerusalem, the holy city. For those who have not gone through the religious act of becoming a Jew and those who are unclean will not come into you any more.

For the Lord says, "You were sold for nothing, and you will be bought without money and made free."

For the Lord God says, "My people went down at first to Egypt to live there. Then the Assyrian made it hard for them without a reason.

So now what do I have here," says the Lord, "Seeing that My people have been taken away for no reason?" The Lord says, "Those who rule over them call out in a loud voice and My name is spoken against all day long.

Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices. They call out together for joy, for they will see with their own eyes the return of the Lord to Zion.

Break out together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem. For the Lord has comforted His people. He has saved Jerusalem.

But you will not go out in a hurry. You will not leave as if you were running for your lives. For the Lord will go before you. And the God of Israel will keep watch behind you.

For sure He took on Himself our troubles and carried our sorrows. Yet we thought of Him as being punished and hurt by God, and made to suffer.

But He was hurt for our wrong-doing. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so we would have peace. He was beaten so we would be healed.