Study Desk

Behold, ^(C1)the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; ^(C2)Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.

But your ^(C1)wrongdoings have caused a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His ^(F1)face from you so that He does ^(C2)not hear.

For your ^(C1)hands are defiled with blood, And your fingers with wrongdoing; Your lips have spoken ^(C2)deceit, Your tongue mutters wickedness.

^(C1)No one sues righteously and ^(C2)no one pleads ^(F1)honestly. They ^(C3)trust in confusion and speak lies; They ^(C4)conceive trouble and give birth to disaster.

They hatch vipers' eggs and ^(C1)weave the spider's web; The one who eats of their eggs dies, And from what is crushed, a snake breaks out.

Their webs will not become clothing, Nor will they ^(C1)cover themselves with their works; Their ^(C2)works are works of wrongdoing, And an ^(C3)act of violence is in their ^(F1)hands.

^(C1)Their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed innocent blood; ^(C2)Their thoughts are thoughts of wrongdoing, Devastation and destruction are in their paths.

They do not know the ^(C1)way of peace, And there is ^(C2)no justice in their tracks; They have made their paths crooked, ^(C3)Whoever walks on ^(F1)them does not know peace.

Therefore ^(C1)justice is far from us, And righteousness does not reach us; We ^(C2)hope for light, but there is darkness, For brightness, but we walk in gloom.

We ^(C1)grope for the wall like people who are blind, We grope like those who have no eyes. We ^(C2)stumble at midday as in the twilight; Among those who are healthy we are ^(C3)like the dead.

All of us growl like bears, And ^(C1)moan sadly like doves; We hope for ^(C2)justice, but there is none; For salvation, but it is far from us.

For our ^(C1)wrongful acts have multiplied before You, And our ^(C2)sins have testified against us; For our wrongful acts are with us, And ^(F1)we know our wrongdoings:

^(F1)Offending and ^(C1)denying the LORD, And turning away from our God, Speaking ^(C2)oppression and revolt, Conceiving and ^(C3)uttering lying words from the heart.

^(C1)Justice is turned back, And ^(C2)righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot enter.

Truth is lacking, And one who turns aside from evil ^(C1)makes himself a prey. Now the LORD saw, And it was ^(F1)displeasing in His sight ^(C2)that there was no justice.

And He saw that there was ^(C1)no one, And was amazed that there was not one to intercede; Then His ^(C2)own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him.

He put on ^(C1)righteousness like a breastplate, And a ^(C2)helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on ^(C3)garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with ^(C4)zeal as a cloak.

^(C1)According to their deeds, ^(F1)so will He repay: Wrath to His adversaries, ^(F2)retribution to His enemies; To the coastlands He will ^(F3)deal ^(F2)retribution.

So they will fear the name of the LORD from the ^(C1)west And His glory from the ^(C2)rising of the sun, For He will ^(C3)come like a ^(F1)rushing stream Which the wind of the LORD drives.

"A ^(C1)Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those in Jacob who ^(C2)turn from wrongdoing," declares the LORD.

"As for Me, this is My ^(C1)covenant with them," says the LORD: "My ^(C2)Spirit who is upon you, and My ^(C3)words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your ^(F1)offspring, nor from the mouth of your ^(F1)offspring's offspring," says the LORD, "from now and forever."

"^(C1)Arise, shine; for your ^(C2)light has come, And the ^(C3)glory of the LORD has risen upon you.

-"For behold, ^(C1)darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His ^(C2)glory will appear upon you.

-"^(C1)Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.

"^(C1)Raise your eyes all around and see; They all gather together, they ^(C2)come to you. Your sons will come from afar, And your ^(C3)daughters will be ^(F1)carried on the hip.

-"Then you will see and be ^(C1)radiant, And your heart will ^(F1)thrill and rejoice; Because the ^(F2)(C2)abundance of the sea will be turned to you, The ^(C3)wealth of the nations will come to you.

-"A multitude of camels will cover you, The young camels of Midian and ^(C1)Ephah; All those from ^(C2)Sheba will come; They will bring ^(C3)gold and frankincense, And ^(C4)proclaim good news of the praises of the LORD.

-"All the flocks of ^(C1)Kedar will be gathered to you, The rams of Nebaioth will serve you; They will go up on My ^(C2)altar with acceptance, And I will ^(C3)glorify My glorious house.

-"^(C1)Who are these who fly like a cloud And like the doves to their windows?

-"Certainly the ^(C1)coastlands will wait for Me; And the ^(C2)ships of Tarshish will come first, To ^(C3)bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, For the name of the LORD your God, And for the Holy One of Israel because He has ^(C4)glorified you.

"^(C1)Foreigners will build up your walls, And their ^(C2)kings will serve you; For in My ^(C3)wrath I struck you, And in My favor I have had compassion on you.

-"Your ^(C1)gates will be open continually; They will not be closed day or night, So that people may ^(C2)bring you the wealth of the nations, With ^(C3)their kings led in procession.

-"For the ^(C1)nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, And the nations will be utterly ruined.

-"The ^(C1)glory of Lebanon will come to you, The ^(C2)juniper, the elm tree and the ^(F1)cedar together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I will make the ^(C3)place of My feet glorious.

-"The ^(C1)sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you, And all those who despised you will bow down at the soles of your feet; And they will call you the ^(C2)city of the LORD, The ^(C3)Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

"Whereas you have been ^(C1)forsaken and ^(C2)hated With no one passing through, I will make you an ^(C3)object of pride forever, A joy from generation to generation.

-"You will also ^(C1)suck the milk of nations, And suck the breast of kings; Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your ^(C2)Savior And your ^(C3)Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

-"Instead of bronze I will bring gold, And instead of iron I will bring silver, And instead of wood, bronze, And instead of stones, iron. And I will make peace your administrators, And righteousness your overseers.

-"^(C1)Violence will not be heard again in your land, Nor ^(C2)devastation or destruction within your borders; But you will call your ^(C3)walls salvation, and your ^(C4)gates praise.

-"No longer will you have the ^(C1)sun for light by day, Nor will the moon give you light for brightness; But you will have the ^(C2)LORD as an everlasting light, And your ^(C3)God as your ^(F1)glory.

-"Your ^(C1)sun will no longer set, Nor will your moon wane; For you will have the LORD as an everlasting light, And the days of your ^(C2)mourning will be over.

-"Then all your ^(C1)people will be righteous; They will ^(C2)possess the land forever, The branch of ^(F1)My planting, The ^(C3)work of My hands, That I may be ^(C4)glorified.

-"The ^(C1)smallest one will become a thousand, And the least one a mighty nation. I, the LORD, will bring it about quickly in its time."

The ^(C1)Spirit of the Lord ^(F1)GOD is upon me, Because the LORD anointed me To ^(C2)bring good news to the ^(C3)humble; He has sent me to ^(C4)bind up the brokenhearted, To ^(C5)proclaim ^(F2)release to captives And ^(F3)freedom to prisoners;

To ^(C1)proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the ^(C2)day of vengeance of our God; To ^(C3)comfort all who mourn,

To ^(C1)grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The ^(C2)oil of gladness instead of mourning, The cloak of praise instead of a disheartened spirit. So they will be called ^(F1)(C3)oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Then they will ^(C1)rebuild the ancient ruins, They will raise up the former devastations; And they will repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations.

^(C1)Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks, And ^(F1)foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.

But you will be called the ^(C1)priests of the LORD; You will be spoken of as ^(C2)ministers of our God. You will eat the ^(C3)wealth of nations, And you will boast in their ^(F1)riches.

Instead of your ^(C1)shame you will have a ^(C2)double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, ^(C3)Everlasting joy will be theirs.

For I, the LORD, ^(C1)love justice, I hate robbery ^(F1)in the burnt offering; And I will faithfully give them their reward, And make an ^(C2)everlasting covenant with them.

Then their offspring will be known among the nations, And their descendants in the midst of the peoples. All who see them will recognize them Because they are the ^(C1)offspring whom the LORD has blessed.

I will ^(C1)rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will be joyful in ^(C2)my God; For He has ^(C3)clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a groom puts on a turban, And ^(C4)as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the ^(C1)earth produces its sprouts, And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, So the Lord ^(F1)GOD will ^(C2)cause ^(C3)righteousness and praise To spring up before all the nations.

For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, And for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quiet, Until her ^(C1)righteousness goes forth like brightness, And her ^(C2)salvation like a torch that is burning.

The ^(C1)nations will see your righteousness, And all kings your glory; And you will be called by a new ^(C2)name Which the mouth of the LORD will designate.

You will also be a ^(C1)crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, And a royal headband in the hand of your God.

It will no longer be said to you, "^(F1)(C1)Forsaken," Nor to your land will it any longer be said, "^(F2)Desolate"; But you will be called, "^(F3)My delight is in her," And your land, "^(F4)(C2)Married"; For the ^(C3)LORD delights in you, And to Him your land will be married.

For as a young man marries a virgin, So your sons will marry you; And as the ^(F1)groom rejoices over the bride, So your ^(C1)God will rejoice over you.

On your walls, Jerusalem, I have appointed ^(C1)watchmen; All day and all night they will never keep silent. You who ^(C2)profess the LORD, take no rest for yourselves;

And ^(C1)give Him no rest until He establishes And makes ^(C2)Jerusalem an object of praise on the earth.

^(C1)The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by His mighty arm: "I will ^(C2)never again give your grain as food for your enemies, Nor will ^(F1)foreigners drink your new wine for which you have labored."

But those who ^(C1)harvest it will eat it and praise the LORD; And those who gather it will drink it in the courtyards of My sanctuary.

Go through, ^(C1)go through the gates, Clear a way ^(F1)for the people! ^(C2)Build up, build up the ^(C3)highway, Remove the stones, lift up a ^(C4)flag over the peoples.

Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the ^(C1)end of the earth: ^(C2)Say to the daughter of Zion, "Behold, your ^(C3)salvation is coming; ^(C4)Behold His reward is with Him, and His compensation before Him."

And they will call them, "^(C1)The holy people, The ^(C2)redeemed of the LORD"; And you will be called, "Sought Out, A City ^(C3)Not Abandoned."

Who is this who comes from ^(C1)Edom, With ^(C2)garments of ^(F1)glowing colors from ^(C3)Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, ^(F2)Marching in the greatness of His strength? "It is I, the One who speaks in righteousness, ^(C4)mighty to save."

Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who ^(C1)treads in the wine press?

"^(C1)I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no one with Me. I also ^(C2)trod them in My anger And ^(C3)trampled them in My wrath; And ^(C4)their ^(F1)lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I ^(F2)stained all My clothes.

-"For the ^(C1)day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come.

-"I looked, but there was ^(C1)no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My ^(C2)own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld Me.

-"I ^(C1)trampled down the peoples in My anger And made them ^(C2)drunk with My wrath, And I ^(F1)poured out their lifeblood on the earth."

I will make mention of the ^(C1)mercies of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, According to all that the LORD has granted us, And the great ^(C2)goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has granted them according to His ^(C3)compassion And according to the abundance of His mercies.

For He said, "Certainly they are ^(C1)My people, Sons who will not deal falsely." So He became their ^(C2)Savior.

In all their distress ^(F1)(C1)He was distressed, And the ^(C2)angel of His presence saved them; In His ^(C3)love and in His mercy He ^(C4)redeemed them, And He ^(C5)lifted them and carried them all the days of old.

But they ^(C1)rebelled And grieved His ^(C2)Holy Spirit; Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them.

Then ^(C1)His people remembered the days of old, of Moses. Where is ^(C2)He who brought them up out of the sea with the ^(F1)shepherds of His flock? Where is He who ^(C3)put His Holy Spirit in the midst of ^(F2)them,

Who caused His ^(C1)glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, Who ^(C2)divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name,

Who led them through the depths? Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not ^(C1)stumble;

Like the cattle which go down into the valley, The Spirit of the ^(C1)LORD gave ^(F1)them rest. So You ^(C2)led Your people, To make for Yourself a glorious name.

^(C1)Look down from heaven and see from Your holy and glorious ^(C2)lofty habitation; Where are Your ^(C3)zeal and Your mighty deeds? The ^(C4)stirrings of Your heart and Your compassion are restrained toward me.

For You are our ^(C1)Father, though ^(C2)Abraham does not know us And Israel does not recognize us. You, LORD, are our Father, Our ^(C3)Redeemer from ancient times is Your name.

Why, LORD, do You ^(C1)cause us to stray from Your ways And ^(C2)harden our heart from fearing You? ^(C3)Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.

Your holy people possessed Your sanctuary for a little while, Our adversaries have ^(C1)trampled it down.

We have become like those over whom You have never ruled, Like those who were not called by Your name.