Study Desk

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.

^(F1)Oh, that You would tear open the heavens and ^(C1)come down, That the mountains would ^(C2)quake at Your presence—

^(F1)As fire kindles brushwood, as fire causes water to boil— To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the ^(C1)nations may tremble at Your presence!

When You did ^(C1)awesome things which we did not expect, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence.

For from days of old ^(C1)they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of one who ^(C2)waits for Him.

You ^(C1)meet him who rejoices in ^(C2)doing righteousness, Who ^(C3)remembers You in Your ways. Behold, ^(C4)You were angry, for we sinned, We continued in ^(F1)our sins for a long time; Yet shall we be saved?

For all of us have become like one who is ^(C1)unclean, And all our ^(C2)righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us ^(C3)wither like a leaf, And our ^(C4)wrongdoings, like the wind, take us away.

There is ^(C1)no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself to take hold of You; For You have ^(C2)hidden Your face from us And have ^(F1)surrendered us to the power of our wrongdoings.

But now, LORD, ^(C1)You are our Father; We are the ^(C2)clay, and You our potter, And all of us are the ^(C3)work of Your hand.

Do not be ^(C1)angry beyond measure, LORD, ^(C2)Nor remember wrongdoing forever. Behold, please look, all of us are ^(C3)Your people.

Your ^(C1)holy cities have become a ^(C2)wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Our holy and beautiful ^(C1)house, Where our fathers praised You, Has been burned by fire; And ^(C2)all our precious things have become a ruin.

Will You ^(C1)restrain Yourself at these things, LORD? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?

"I permitted Myself to be sought by ^(C1)those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here am I, here am I,' To a nation which ^(C2)did not call on My name.

-"^(C1)I have spread out My hands all day long to a ^(C2)rebellious people, Who walk in the way which is not good, ^(F1)following their own ^(C3)thoughts,

A people who continually ^(C1)provoke Me to My face, Offering sacrifices in ^(C2)gardens and ^(C3)burning incense on bricks;

Who sit among graves and spend the night in secret places; Who ^(C1)eat pig's flesh, And the broth of unclean meat is in their pots.

-"Who say, '^(C1)Keep to yourself, do not come near me, For I am holier than you!' These are smoke in My ^(F1)nostrils, A fire that burns all the day.

-"Behold, it is written before Me: I will ^(C1)not keep silent, but ^(C2)I will repay; I will even repay ^(F1)into their laps,

Both your own ^(C1)wrongdoings and the wrongdoings of your fathers together," says the LORD. "Because they have ^(C2)burned incense on the mountains And ^(C3)scorned Me on the hills, Therefore I will ^(C4)measure their former work ^(F1)into their laps."

This is what the LORD says: "Just as the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, 'Do not destroy it, for there is ^(F1)benefit in it,' So I will act in behalf of My servants In order ^(C1)not to destroy ^(F2)all of them.

-"I will bring forth ^(F1)(C1)offspring from Jacob, And an ^(C2)heir of My mountains from Judah; ^(C3)My chosen ones shall inherit it, And ^(C4)My servants will live there.

-"^(C1)Sharon will be a pasture land for flocks, And the ^(C2)Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, For My people who ^(C3)seek Me.

-"But as for you who ^(C1)abandon the LORD, Who forget My ^(C2)holy mountain, Who set a table for ^(F1)Fortune, And fill a jug of mixed wine for ^(F2)Destiny,

I will destine you for the ^(C1)sword, And all of you will bow down to the ^(C2)slaughter. Because I called, but you ^(C3)did not answer; I spoke, but you did not listen. Instead, you did evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight."

Therefore, this is what the Lord ^(F1)GOD says: "Behold, My servants will ^(C1)eat, but you will be ^(C2)hungry. Behold, My servants will ^(C3)drink, but you will be ^(C4)thirsty. Behold, My servants will ^(C5)rejoice, but you will be ^(C6)put to shame.

-"Behold, My servants will ^(C1)shout joyfully with a glad heart, But you will ^(C2)cry out from a painful heart, And you will wail from a broken spirit.

-"You will leave your name as a ^(C1)curse to My chosen ones, And the Lord ^(F1)GOD will put you to death. But ^(F2)My servants will be called by ^(C2)another name.

-"Because the one who ^(F1)is blessed on the earth Will ^(F1)be blessed by the ^(C1)God of truth; And the one who swears an oath on the earth Will ^(C2)swear by the God of truth; Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My sight!

"For behold, I create ^(C1)new heavens and a new earth; And the ^(C2)former things will not be remembered or come to ^(F1)mind.

-"But be ^(C1)glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness.

-"I will also ^(C1)rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of ^(C2)weeping and the sound of crying.

-"No longer will there be ^(F1)in it an infant who lives only a few days, Or an old person who does ^(C1)not ^(F2)live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of a hundred, And the ^(F3)(C2)one who does not reach the age of a hundred Will be thought accursed.

-"They will ^(C1)build houses and inhabit them; They will also ^(C2)plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

-"They will not build and ^(C1)another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For ^(C2)as the ^(F1)lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will ^(C3)fully enjoy the work of their hands.

-"They will ^(C1)not labor in vain, Or give birth to children for disaster; For they are the ^(F1)(C2)descendants of those blessed by the LORD, And their descendants with them.

"It will also come to pass that before they call, I will ^(C1)answer; while they are still speaking, I will listen.

"The ^(C1)wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the ^(C2)lion will eat straw like the ox; and ^(C3)dust will be the serpent's food. They will ^(C4)do no evil or harm on all My ^(C5)holy mountain," says the LORD.

This is what the LORD says: "^(C1)Heaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool for My feet. Where then is a ^(C2)house you could build for Me? And where is a place that ^(F1)I may rest?

-"For ^(C1)My hand made all these things, So all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But I will look to this one, At one who is humble and ^(C2)contrite in spirit, and who ^(C3)trembles at My word.

"But the one who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a person; The one who sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog's neck; One who offers a grain offering is like one who offers ^(C1)pig's blood; One who ^(F1)(C2)burns incense is like one who blesses an idol. As they have chosen their ^(C3)own ways, And their souls delight in their ^(C4)abominations,

So I will ^(C1)choose their ^(F1)punishments And ^(C2)bring on them what they dread. Because I called, but ^(C3)no one answered; I spoke, but they did not listen. Instead, they did ^(C4)evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight."

Hear the word of the LORD, you who ^(C1)tremble at His word: "Your brothers who ^(C2)hate you, who ^(C3)exclude you on account of My name, Have said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, so that we may see your joy.' But ^(C4)they will be put to shame.

-"A sound of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple, The voice of the LORD who is ^(C1)dealing retribution to His enemies.

"Before she was in labor, ^(C1)she delivered; Before her pain came, ^(C2)she gave birth to a boy.

-"^(C1)Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be ^(F1)born in one day? Can a nation be given birth all at once? As soon as Zion was in labor, she also delivered her sons.

-"Shall I bring to the point of birth but ^(C1)not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?" says your God.

"Be ^(C1)joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who ^(C2)love her; Be exceedingly ^(C3)glad with her, all you who mourn over her,

So that you may nurse and ^(C1)be satisfied with her comforting breasts, So that you may drink fully and be delighted with her ^(C2)bountiful breasts."

For this is what the LORD says: "Behold, I extend ^(C1)peace to her like a river, And the ^(C2)glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you will ^(F1)be nursed, you will be ^(C3)carried on the ^(F2)hip and rocked back and forth on the knees.

-"As one whom his mother comforts, so I will ^(C1)comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem."

Then you will ^(C1)see this, and your ^(C2)heart will be glad, And your ^(C3)bones will flourish like the new grass; And the ^(C4)hand of the LORD will be made known to His servants, But He will be ^(C5)indignant toward His enemies.

For behold, the LORD will come in ^(C1)fire, And His ^(C2)chariots like the whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire.

For the LORD will execute judgment by ^(C1)fire And by His ^(C2)sword on ^(F1)humanity, And those put to death by the LORD will be many.

"Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the ^(C1)gardens, ^(F1)Following one in the center, Who eat ^(C2)pig's flesh, detestable things, and mice, Will ^(C3)come to an end altogether," declares the LORD.

"For I ^(F1)know their works and their ^(C1)thoughts; ^(F2)the time is coming to ^(C2)gather all the nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory.

"And I will put a ^(C1)sign among them and send survivors from them to the nations: ^(C2)Tarshish, ^(F1)Put, ^(C3)Lud, ^(F2)Meshech, ^(C4)Tubal, and ^(F3)Javan, to the distant ^(C5)coastlands that have neither heard of My fame nor seen My glory. And they will ^(C6)declare My glory among the nations.

"Then they shall ^(C1)bring all your countrymen from all the nations as a grain offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to My ^(C2)holy mountain Jerusalem," says the LORD, "just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a ^(C3)clean vessel to the house of the LORD.

"I will also take some of them as ^(C1)priests and Levites," says the LORD.

"For just as the ^(C1)new heavens and the new earth, Which I make, will endure before Me," declares the LORD, "So will your ^(C2)descendants and your ^(C3)name endure.

-"And it shall be from ^(C1)new moon to new moon And from Sabbath to Sabbath, All ^(F1)mankind will come to ^(C2)bow down before Me," says the LORD.

"Then they will go out and look At the ^(C1)corpses of the people Who have ^(C2)rebelled against Me. For their ^(C3)worm will not die ^(C4)And their fire will not be extinguished; And they will be an ^(C5)abhorrence to all ^(F1)mankind."