Study Desk

"Sing, barren woman,^(a) you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy,^(b) you who were never in labor;^(c) because more are the children^(d) of the desolate^(e) woman than of her who has a husband,^(f)" says the Lord .

"Enlarge the place of your tent,^(g) stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.^(h)

For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants⁽ⁱ⁾ will dispossess nations^(j) and settle in their desolate^(k) cities.

"Do not be afraid;^(l) you will not be put to shame.^(m) Do not fear disgrace;⁽ⁿ⁾ you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth^(o) and remember no more the reproach^(p) of your widowhood.^(q)

For your Maker^(r) is your husband^(s)— the Lord Almighty is his name— the Holy One^(t) of Israel is your Redeemer;^(u) he is called the God of all the earth.^(v)

The Lord will call you back^(w) as if you were a wife deserted^(x) and distressed in spirit— a wife who married young,^(y) only to be rejected," says your God.

"For a brief moment^(z) I abandoned^(aa) you, but with deep compassion^(ab) I will bring you back.^(ac)

In a surge of anger^(ad) I hid^(ae) my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness^(af) I will have compassion^(ag) on you," says the Lord your Redeemer.^(ah)

"To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.^(ai) So now I have sworn^(aj) not to be angry^(ak) with you, never to rebuke^(al) you again.

Though the mountains be shaken^(am) and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love^(an) for you will not be shaken^(ao) nor my covenant^(ap) of peace^(aq) be removed," says the Lord , who has compassion^(ar) on you.

"Afflicted^(as) city, lashed by storms^(at) and not comforted,^(au) I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,^[a](av) your foundations^(aw) with lapis lazuli.^(ax)

I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates^(ay) of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.

All your children will be taught by the Lord ,^(az) and great will be their peace.^(ba)

In righteousness^(bb) you will be established:^(bc) Tyranny^(bd) will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear.^(be) Terror^(bf) will be far removed; it will not come near you.

If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender^(bg) to you.

"See, it is I who created the blacksmith^(bh) who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon^(bi) fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer^(bj) to wreak havoc;

no weapon forged against you will prevail,^(bk) and you will refute^(bl) every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants^(bm) of the Lord , and this is their vindication^(bn) from me," declares the Lord .

"Come, all you who are thirsty,^(a) come to the waters;^(b) and you who have no money, come, buy^(c) and eat! Come, buy wine and milk^(d) without money and without cost.^(e)

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?^(f) Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,^(g) and you will delight in the richest^(h) of fare.

Give ear and come to me; listen,⁽ⁱ⁾ that you may live.^(j) I will make an everlasting covenant^(k) with you, my faithful love^(l) promised to David.^(m)

See, I have made him a witness⁽ⁿ⁾ to the peoples, a ruler and commander^(o) of the peoples.

Surely you will summon nations^(p) you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you,^(q) because of the Lord your God, the Holy One^(r) of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor."^(s)

Seek^(t) the Lord while he may be found;^(u) call^(v) on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake^(w) their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.^(x) Let them turn^(y) to the Lord , and he will have mercy^(z) on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.^(aa)

"For my thoughts^(ab) are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,"^(ac) declares the Lord .

"As the heavens are higher than the earth,^(ad) so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.^(ae)

As the rain^(af) and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,^(ag) so that it yields seed^(ah) for the sower and bread for the eater,^(ai)

so is my word^(aj) that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty,^(ak) but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose^(al) for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy^(am) and be led forth in peace;^(an) the mountains and hills will burst into song^(ao) before you, and all the trees^(ap) of the field will clap their hands.^(aq)

Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers^(ar) the myrtle^(as) will grow. This will be for the Lord 's renown,^(at) for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever."

This is what the Lord says: "Maintain justice^(a) and do what is right,^(b) for my salvation^(c) is close at hand and my righteousness^(d) will soon be revealed.

Blessed^(e) is the one who does this— the person who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath^(f) without desecrating it, and keeps their hands from doing any evil."

Let no foreigner^(g) who is bound to the Lord say, "The Lord will surely exclude me from his people."^(h) And let no eunuch⁽ⁱ⁾ complain, "I am only a dry tree."

For this is what the Lord says: "To the eunuchs^(j) who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant^(k)—

to them I will give within my temple and its walls^(l) a memorial^(m) and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name⁽ⁿ⁾ that will endure forever.^(o)

And foreigners^(p) who bind themselves to the Lord to minister^(q) to him, to love the name^(r) of the Lord , and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath^(s) without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant—

these I will bring to my holy mountain^(t) and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices^(u) will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.^(v)"^(w)

The Sovereign Lord declares— he who gathers the exiles of Israel: "I will gather^(x) still others to them besides those already gathered."

Come, all you beasts of the field,^(y) come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!

Israel's watchmen^(z) are blind, they all lack knowledge;^(aa) they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep.^(ab)

They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds^(ac) who lack understanding;^(ad) they all turn to their own way,^(ae) they seek their own gain.^(af)

"Come," each one cries, "let me get wine!^(ag) Let us drink our fill of beer! And tomorrow will be like today, or even far better."^(ah)

The righteous perish,^(a) and no one takes it to heart;^(b) the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.^(c)

Those who walk uprightly^(d) enter into peace; they find rest^(e) as they lie in death.

"But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,^(f) you offspring of adulterers^(g) and prostitutes!^(h)

Who are you mocking? At whom do you sneer and stick out your tongue? Are you not a brood of rebels,⁽ⁱ⁾ the offspring of liars?

You burn with lust among the oaks^(j) and under every spreading tree;^(k) you sacrifice your children^(l) in the ravines and under the overhanging crags.

The idols^(m) among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion; indeed, they are your lot. Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings⁽ⁿ⁾ and offered grain offerings. In view of all this, should I relent?^(o)

You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;^(p) there you went up to offer your sacrifices.^(q)

Behind your doors and your doorposts you have put your pagan symbols. Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed, you climbed into it and opened it wide; you made a pact with those whose beds you love,^(r) and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.^(s)

You went to Molek^[a](t) with olive oil and increased your perfumes.^(u) You sent your ambassadors^[b](v) far away; you descended to the very realm of the dead!^(w)

You wearied^(x) yourself by such going about, but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.'^(y) You found renewal of your strength,^(z) and so you did not faint.

"Whom have you so dreaded and feared^(aa) that you have not been true to me, and have neither remembered^(ab) me nor taken this to heart?^(ac) Is it not because I have long been silent^(ad) that you do not fear me?

I will expose your righteousness and your works,^(ae) and they will not benefit you.

When you cry out^(af) for help, let your collection of idols save^(ag) you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow^(ah) them away. But whoever takes refuge^(ai) in me will inherit the land^(aj) and possess my holy mountain."^(ak)

And it will be said: "Build up, build up, prepare the road!^(al) Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people."^(am)

For this is what the high and exalted^(an) One says— he who lives forever,^(ao) whose name is holy: "I live in a high^(ap) and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite^(aq) and lowly in spirit,^(ar) to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.^(as)

I will not accuse^(at) them forever, nor will I always be angry,^(au) for then they would faint away because of me— the very people^(av) I have created.

I was enraged by their sinful greed;^(aw) I punished them, and hid^(ax) my face in anger, yet they kept on in their willful ways.^(ay)

I have seen their ways, but I will heal^(az) them; I will guide^(ba) them and restore comfort^(bb) to Israel's mourners,

creating praise on their lips.^(bc) Peace, peace,^(bd) to those far and near,"^(be) says the Lord . "And I will heal them."

But the wicked^(bf) are like the tossing sea,^(bg) which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire^(bh) and mud.

"There is no peace,"^(bi) says my God, "for the wicked."^(bj)

"Shout it aloud,^(a) do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet.^(b) Declare to my people their rebellion^(c) and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.^(d)

For day after day they seek^(e) me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken^(f) the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near^(g) them.

‘Why have we fasted,'^(h) they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled⁽ⁱ⁾ ourselves, and you have not noticed?'^(j) "Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please^(k) and exploit all your workers.

Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,^(l) and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard^(m) on high.

Is this the kind of fast⁽ⁿ⁾ I have chosen, only a day for people to humble^(o) themselves? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed^(p) and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?^(q) Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord ?

"Is not this the kind of fasting^(r) I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice^(s) and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed^(t) free and break every yoke?^(u)

Is it not to share your food with the hungry^(v) and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter^(w)— when you see the naked, to clothe^(x) them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?^(y)

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,^(z) and your healing^(aa) will quickly appear; then your righteousness^[a](ab) will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.^(ac)

Then you will call,^(ad) and the Lord will answer;^(ae) you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger^(af) and malicious talk,^(ag)

and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,^(ah) then your light^(ai) will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.^(aj)

The Lord will guide^(ak) you always; he will satisfy your needs^(al) in a sun-scorched land^(am) and will strengthen^(an) your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden,^(ao) like a spring^(ap) whose waters never fail.

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins^(aq) and will raise up the age-old foundations;^(ar) you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,^(as) Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath^(at) and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight^(au) and the Lord 's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,^(av)

then you will find your joy^(aw) in the Lord , and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights^(ax) of the land and to feast on the inheritance^(ay) of your father Jacob." For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.^(az)