Study Desk

Therefore justice is far from us, Nor does righteousness overtake us; We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness!

We all growl like bears, And moan sadly like doves; We look for justice, but there is none; For salvation, but it is far from us.

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.

"The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls, And their kings shall minister to you; For in My wrath I struck you, But in My favor I have had mercy on you.

Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation, And your gates Praise.

"The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory.

But you shall be named the priests of the LORD, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast.

You shall no longer be termed Forsaken,Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate;But you shall be called Hephzibah, [fn] and your land Beulah; [fn] For the Lord delights in you,And your land shall be married.

But those who have gathered it shall eat it, And praise the LORD; Those who have brought it together shall drink it in My holy courts."

I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me.

But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them.

Your holy people have possessed it but a little while; Our adversaries have trodden down Your sanctuary.

But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.

"Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silence, but will repay-- Even repay into their bosom--

"But you are those who forsake the Lord,Who forget My holy mountain,Who prepare a table for Gad, [fn] And who furnish a drink offering for Meni. [fn]

Therefore I will number you for the sword, And you shall all bow down to the slaughter; Because, when I called, you did not answer; When I spoke, you did not hear, But did evil before My eyes, And chose that in which I do not delight."

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, My servants shall eat, But you shall be hungry; Behold, My servants shall drink, But you shall be thirsty; Behold, My servants shall rejoice, But you shall be ashamed;

Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, But you shall cry for sorrow of heart, And wail for grief of spirit.

But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy.