Study Desk

O Lord, have mercy on us; for we have been waiting for your help: be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of trouble.

See, the men of war are sorrowing outside the town: those who came looking for peace are weeping bitterly.

The highways are waste, no man is journeying there: the agreement is broken, he has made sport of the towns, he has no thought for man.

Never again will you see the cruel people, a people whose tongue has no sense for you; whose language is strange to you.

But there the Lord will be with us in his glory, Three dots are used where it is no longer possible to be certain of the true sense of the Hebrew words, and for this reason no attempt has been made to put them into Basic English. wide rivers and streams; where no boat will go with blades, and no fair ship will be sailing.

For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our law-giver, the Lord is our king; he will be our saviour.

And the men of Zion will not say, I am ill: for its people will have forgiveness for their sin.

For the Lord is angry with all the nations, and his wrath is burning against all their armies: he has put them to the curse, he has given them to destruction.

For my sword in heaven is full of wrath: see, it is coming down on Edom, in punishment on the people of my curse.

The sword of the Lord is full of blood, it is fat with the best of the meat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the best parts of the sheep: for the Lord has a feast in Bozrah, and much cattle will be put to death in the land of Edom.

For it is the day of the Lord's punishment, when he gives payment for the wrongs done to Zion.

It will not be put out day or night; its smoke will go up for ever: it will be waste from generation to generation; no one will go through it for ever.

But the birds of the waste land will have their place there; it will be a heritage for the bittern and the raven: and it will be measured out with line and weight as a waste land.

And thorns will come up in her fair houses, and waste plants in her strong towers: and foxes will make their holes there, and it will be a meeting-place for ostriches.

And he has given them their heritage, and by his hand it has been measured out to them: it will be theirs for ever, their resting-place from generation to generation.

Then will the feeble-footed be jumping like a roe, and the voice which was stopped will be loud in song: for in the waste land streams will be bursting out, and waters in the dry places.

No lion will be there, or any cruel beast; they will not be seen there; but those for whom the Lord has given a price,

Even those whom he has made free, will come back again; they will come with songs to Zion; on their heads will be eternal joy; delight and joy will be theirs, and sorrow and sounds of grief will be gone for ever.

You say you have a design and strength for war, but these are only words: now to whom are you looking for support, that you have gone against my authority?

See, you are basing your hope on that broken rod of Egypt, which will go into a man's hand if he makes use of it for a support; for so is Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to all who put their faith in him.