Study Desk

"But now listen, Jacob, My ^(C1)servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen:

This is what the LORD says, He who made you And ^(C1)formed you from the womb, who ^(C2)will help you: '^(C3)Do not fear, Jacob My servant, And ^(F1)(C4)Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

-'For ^(C1)I will pour water on ^(F1)the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will ^(C2)pour out My Spirit on your ^(C3)offspring, And My blessing on your descendants;

And they will spring up ^(F1)among the grass Like ^(C1)poplars by streams of water.'

-"This one will say, 'I am the LORD'S'; And that one ^(F1)will call on the name of Jacob; And another will ^(C1)write ^(F2)on his hand, 'Belonging to the LORD,' And will give himself Israel's name with honor.

"This is what the LORD says, He who is the ^(C1)King of Israel and his ^(C2)Redeemer, the LORD of armies: 'I am the ^(C3)first and I am the last, And there is no God ^(C4)besides Me.

-'Who is like Me? ^(C1)Let him proclaim and declare it; And, let him confront Me ^(F1)Beginning with My establishing of the ancient ^(F2)nation. Then let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place.

-'Do not tremble and do not be afraid; ^(C1)Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And ^(C2)you are My witnesses. Is there any God ^(C3)besides Me, Or is there any other ^(C4)Rock? I know of none.'"

Those who fashion an idol are all futile, and their treasured things are of no benefit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be ^(C1)put to shame.

Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to ^(C1)no benefit?

Behold, all his companions will be ^(C1)put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them be put to shame together.

The ^(C1)craftsman of iron shapes a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, ^(F1)fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and ^(F2)his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary.

^(C1)The craftsman of wood extends a measuring line; he outlines it with a marker. He works it with carving knives and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of ^(C2)mankind, so that it may sit in a ^(C3)house.

He will cut cedars for himself, and he takes a holm-oak or another oak and lets it grow strong for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel tree, and the rain makes it grow.

Then it becomes something for a person to burn, so he takes one of them and gets warm; he also makes a fire and bakes bread. He also ^(C1)makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image and ^(C2)bows down before it.

Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat, he roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, "Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire."

Yet the rest of it he ^(C1)makes into a god, his carved image. He bows down before it and worships; he also ^(C2)prays to it and says, "Save me, for you are my god."

They do not ^(C1)know, nor do they understand, for He has ^(C2)smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see, and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend.

No one ^(F1)remembers, nor is there ^(C1)knowledge or understanding to say, "I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then ^(F2)I make the rest of it into an ^(C2)abomination, ^(F3)I bow down before a block of wood!"

He ^(F1)(C1)feeds on ashes; a ^(C2)deceived heart has misled him. And he cannot save ^(F2)himself, nor say, "^(C3)Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

"^(C1)Remember these things, Jacob, And Israel, for you are ^(C2)My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, Israel, you will ^(C3)not be forgotten by Me.

-"I have ^(C1)wiped out your wrongdoings like a thick cloud And your sins like a ^(F1)heavy mist. ^(C2)Return to Me, for I have ^(C3)redeemed you."

^(C1)Shout for joy, you heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; ^(C2)Break into a shout of jubilation, you mountains, Forest, and every tree in it; For ^(C3)the LORD has redeemed Jacob, And in Israel He ^(C4)shows His glory.

This is what the LORD says, He who is your ^(C1)Redeemer, and the One who ^(C2)formed you from the womb: "I, the LORD, am the Maker of all things, ^(C3)Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth ^(F1)alone,

^(C1)Causing the ^(F1)omens of diviners to fail, ^(F2)Making fools of fortune-tellers; ^(C2)Causing wise men to turn back And ^(F3)making their knowledge ridiculous,

^(C1)Confirming the word of His servant And ^(F1)carrying out the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited!' And of the ^(C2)cities of Judah, '^(C3)They shall be built.' And I will raise her ruins again.

-"I am the One who says to the depth of the sea, 'Dry up!' And I will make your rivers ^(C1)dry up.

-"It is I who says of ^(C1)Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd, And he will carry out all My desire.' And ^(F1)he says of Jerusalem, '^(C2)She will be built,' And of the temple, '^(F2)Your foundation will be laid.'"

This is what the LORD says to ^(C1)Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right ^(C2)hand, To ^(C3)subdue nations before him And ^(F1)to ^(C4)undo the weapons belt on the waist of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:

"I will go before you and ^(C1)make the ^(F1)rough places smooth; I will ^(C2)shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron ^(C3)bars.

-"I will give you the ^(F1)(C1)treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who ^(C2)calls you by your name.

-"For the sake of ^(C1)Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also ^(C2)called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have ^(C3)not known Me.

-"I am the LORD, and ^(C1)there is no one else; ^(C2)There is no God except Me. I will ^(F1)(C3)arm you, though you have not known Me,

So that ^(C1)people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is ^(C2)no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no one else,

The One ^(C1)forming light and ^(C2)creating darkness, Causing ^(F1)well-being and ^(C3)creating disaster; I am the LORD who does all these things.

"^(C1)Drip down, heavens, from above, And let the clouds pour down righteousness; Let the ^(C2)earth open up and salvation bear fruit, ^(C3)And righteousness sprout with it. I, the LORD, have created it.

"Woe to the one who ^(C1)quarrels with ^(F1)his Maker— A piece of pottery ^(F2)among the other earthenware pottery pieces! Will the ^(C2)clay say to the ^(F3)potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands'?

-"Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you fathering?' Or to a woman, 'To what are you ^(F1)giving birth?'"

This is what the ^(C1)LORD says, the Holy One of Israel and ^(F1)his ^(C2)Maker: "^(F2)(C3)Ask Me about the things to come ^(F3)concerning My ^(C4)sons, And you shall commit to Me ^(C5)the work of My hands.

-"It is I who ^(C1)made the earth, and created mankind upon it. I ^(C2)stretched out the heavens with My hands, And I ^(F1)ordained ^(C3)all their ^(F2)lights.

-"I have stirred him in ^(C1)righteousness, And I will ^(C2)make all his ways smooth. He will ^(C3)build My city and let My exiles go ^(C4)free, Without any payment or reward," says the LORD of armies.

This is what the LORD says: "The ^(F1)products of ^(C1)Egypt and the merchandise of ^(F2)(C2)Cush And the Sabeans, men of stature, Will ^(C3)come over to you and will be yours; They will walk behind you, they will come over in ^(C4)chains And will ^(C5)bow down to you; They will plead with you: '^(F3)(C6)God certainly is ^(F4)with you, and ^(C7)there is no one else, No other God.'"

Truly, You are a God who ^(C1)hides Himself, God of Israel, ^(C2)Savior!

They will be ^(C1)put to shame and even humiliated, all of them; The ^(C2)manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation.

Israel has been saved by the LORD With an ^(C1)everlasting salvation; You ^(C2)will not be put to shame or humiliated To all eternity.

For this is what the LORD says, He who ^(C1)created the heavens (He is the God who ^(C2)formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it ^(F1)as a ^(C3)waste place, but formed it to be ^(C4)inhabited): "I am the LORD, and ^(C5)there is no one else.

-"^(C1)I have not spoken in secret, In ^(F1)some dark land; I did not say to the ^(F2)(C2)offspring of Jacob, '^(C3)Seek Me in ^(F3)a wasteland'; I, the LORD, ^(C4)speak righteousness, ^(C5)Declaring things that are right.

"^(C1)Gather yourselves and come; Come together, you survivors of the nations! ^(C2)They have no knowledge, Who ^(C3)carry around ^(F1)their wooden idol And ^(C4)pray to a god who cannot save.

-"^(C1)Declare and present your case; Indeed, let them consult together. ^(C2)Who has announced this long ago? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is ^(C3)no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a ^(C4)Savior; There is none except Me.

-"^(C1)Turn to Me and ^(C2)be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.

-"^(C1)I have sworn by Myself; The ^(C2)word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me ^(C3)every knee will bow, every tongue will ^(C4)swear allegiance.

-"They will say of Me, 'Only ^(C1)in the LORD are righteousness and strength.' People will come to Him, And ^(C2)all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.

-"In the LORD all the offspring of Israel Will be ^(C1)justified and will ^(C2)boast."

^(C1)Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over; Their idols have become loads for the animals and the cattle. The things ^(F1)that you carry are burdensome, A load for the weary animal.

They stooped over, they have bowed down together; They could not rescue the burden, But ^(F1)have themselves ^(C1)gone into captivity.

"^(C1)Listen to Me, house of Jacob, And all ^(C2)the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been ^(C3)carried by Me from ^(F1)birth And have been carried from the womb;

Even to your old age ^(C1)I ^(F1)will be the same, And even to your ^(F2)(C2)graying years I will ^(F3)carry you! I have ^(F4)done it, and I will bear you; And I will ^(F3)carry you and I will save you.

"^(C1)To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal, and compare Me, That we would be alike?

-"Those who ^(C1)lavish gold from the bag And weigh silver on the scale, Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; They ^(C2)bow down, indeed they worship it.

-"They ^(C1)lift it on the shoulder, carry it, And set it in its place, and it stands there. ^(C2)It does not move from its place. Though one may shout to it, it ^(C3)cannot answer; It ^(C4)cannot save him from his distress.

"^(C1)Remember this, and be ^(F1)assured; ^(C2)Recall it to ^(F2)mind, you ^(C3)wrongdoers.

-"Remember the ^(C1)former things long past, For I am God, and there is ^(C2)no other; I am God, and there is ^(C3)no one like Me,

Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, '^(C1)My plan will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';

Calling a ^(C1)bird of prey from the ^(C2)east, The man of ^(F1)My purpose from a distant country. Truly I have ^(C3)spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, I will certainly do it.

"^(C1)Listen to Me, you ^(C2)stubborn-minded, Who are ^(C3)far from righteousness.

-"I ^(C1)bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; And My salvation will not delay. And I will grant ^(C2)salvation in Zion, And My ^(C3)glory for Israel.

"^(C1)Come down and sit in the dust, ^(C2)Virgin ^(C3)daughter of Babylon; Sit on the ground without a throne, Daughter of the Chaldeans! For you will no longer be called ^(C4)tender and delicate.

-"Take the ^(C1)millstones and ^(C2)grind flour. Remove your ^(C3)veil, ^(C4)strip off the skirt, Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.

-"Your ^(C1)nakedness will be uncovered, Your shame will also be exposed; I will ^(C2)take vengeance and will not spare anyone."

Our ^(C1)Redeemer, the LORD of armies is His name, The Holy One of Israel.

"^(C1)Sit silently, and go into ^(C2)darkness, Daughter of the Chaldeans; For you will no longer be called The ^(C3)queen of ^(C4)kingdoms.

-"I was angry with My people, I profaned My heritage And handed them over to you. You did not show mercy to them, On the ^(C1)aged you made your yoke very heavy.

-"Yet you said, 'I will be a ^(C1)queen forever.' These things you did not ^(C2)consider Nor remember the ^(C3)outcome of ^(F1)them.

"Now, then, hear this, you ^(C1)luxuriant one, Who ^(C2)lives securely, Who says in her heart, '^(C3)I am, and there is no one besides me. I will ^(C4)not sit as a widow, Nor know the loss of children.'

-"But these ^(C1)two things will come on you ^(C2)suddenly in one day: Loss of children and widowhood. They will come on you in full measure In spite of your many ^(C3)sorceries, In spite of the great power of your spells.

-"You felt ^(C1)secure in your wickedness and said, '^(C2)No one sees me,' Your ^(C3)wisdom and your knowledge, ^(F1)they have led you astray; For you have said in your heart, '^(C4)I am, and there is no one besides me.'

-"But ^(C1)evil will come on you Which you will not know how to charm away; And disaster will fall on you For which you cannot atone; And ^(C2)destruction about which you do not know Will come on you ^(C3)suddenly.

"Persist now in your ^(C1)spells And in your many sorceries With which you have labored from your youth; Perhaps you will be able to benefit, Perhaps you may cause trembling.

-"You are ^(C1)wearied with your many counsels; Let now the ^(C2)astrologers, Those who prophesy by the stars, Those who predict by the new moons, Stand up and ^(C3)save you from what will come upon you.

-"Behold, they have become ^(C1)like stubble, ^(C2)Fire burns them; They cannot save themselves from the power of the flame; There will be ^(C3)no coal to warm by Nor a fire to sit before!

-"So have those become to you with whom you have labored, Those who have ^(C1)done business with you from your youth; Each has wandered in his own ^(F1)way; There is ^(C2)no one to save you.

"^(C1)Hear this, house of Jacob, who are named Israel And who came from the ^(C2)waters of Judah, Who ^(C3)swear by the name of the LORD And invoke the God of Israel, But not in truth nor in ^(C4)righteousness.

-"For they name themselves after the ^(C1)holy city, And ^(C2)lean on the God of Israel; The LORD of armies is His name.

-"I ^(C1)declared the former things long ago, And they went out of My mouth, and I proclaimed them. ^(C2)Suddenly I acted, and they ^(C3)came to pass.

-"Because I know that you are ^(F1)(C1)obstinate, And your ^(C2)neck is an iron tendon And your ^(C3)forehead bronze,

Therefore I declared them to you long ago, Before ^(F1)they took place I proclaimed them to you, So that you would not say, 'My ^(C1)idol has done them, And my carved image and my cast metal image have commanded them.'

-"You have heard; look at all this. And you, will you not declare it? I proclaim to you ^(C1)new things from this time, Hidden things which you have not known.

-"They are created now and not long ago; And before today you have not heard them, So that you will not say, 'Behold, I knew them.'

-"You have not ^(C1)heard, you have not known. Even from long ago your ear has not been open, Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously; And you have been called a ^(F1)(C2)rebel from ^(F2)birth.

-"^(C1)For the sake of My name I ^(C2)delay My wrath, And for My praise I restrain it for you, In order not to cut you off.

-"Behold, I have refined you, but ^(C1)not as silver; I have tested you in the ^(C2)furnace of affliction.

-"^(C1)For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And I will not give My ^(C2)glory to another.

"Listen to Me, Jacob, Israel ^(F1)whom I called; ^(C1)I am He, ^(C2)I am the first, I am also the last.

-"Assuredly My hand ^(C1)founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I ^(C2)call to them, they stand together.

-"^(C1)Assemble, all of you, and listen! ^(C2)Who among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him; he will ^(C3)carry out His good pleasure against ^(C4)Babylon, And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.

-"I, yes I, have spoken; indeed I have ^(C1)called him, I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.

-"^(C1)Come near to Me, listen to this: From the beginning I have ^(C2)not spoken in secret, ^(C3)From the time it took place, I was there. And now ^(C4)the Lord ^(F1)GOD has sent Me, and His Spirit."

This is what the LORD says, He who is your ^(C1)Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to benefit, Who ^(C2)leads you in the way you should go.

-"If only you had ^(C1)paid attention to My commandments! Then your ^(F1)(C2)well-being would have been like a river, And your ^(C3)righteousness like the waves of the sea.

-"Your ^(F1)(C1)descendants would have been like the sand, And ^(F2)your offspring like its grains; ^(C2)Their name would never be eliminated or destroyed from My presence."

^(C1)Go out from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare with the sound of ^(C2)joyful shouting, proclaim this, ^(C3)Send it out to the end of the earth; Say, "^(C4)The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob."

They did not ^(C1)thirst when He led them through the deserts. He ^(C2)made the water flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock and ^(C3)the water gushed out.

"^(C1)There is no peace for the wicked," says the LORD.