Study Desk

Hear now what the Lord is saying, "Arise, plead your case ^[a]before the mountains, And let the hills hear your voice.

"Listen, you mountains, to the indictment of the Lord , And you enduring ^(a)foundations of the earth, Because the ^(b) Lord has a case against His people; Even with Israel He will dispute.

"^(c)My people, ^(d)what have I done to you, And ^(e)how have I wearied you? Answer Me.

"Indeed, I ^(f)brought you up from the land of Egypt And ^(g)ransomed you from the house of slavery, And I sent before you ^(h)Moses, Aaron and ⁽ⁱ⁾Miriam.

"My people, remember now What ^(j)Balak king of Moab counseled And what Balaam son of Beor answered him, And from ^(k)Shittim to ^(l)Gilgal, So ^[b]that you might know the ^(m)righteous acts of the Lord ."

⁽ⁿ⁾With what shall I come to the Lord And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with ^(o)burnt offerings, With yearling calves?

Does the Lord take delight in ^(p)thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my ^(q)firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has ^(r)told you, O man, what is good; And ^(s)what does the Lord require of you But to ^(t)do justice, to ^(u)love ^[c]kindness, And to walk ^[d](v)humbly with your God?

The voice of the Lord will call to the city— And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name: "Hear, O tribe. Who has appointed ^[e]its time?

"Is there yet a man in the wicked house, Along with treasures of ^(w)wickedness And a ^[f](x)short measure that is cursed?

"Can I justify wicked ^(y)scales And a bag of deceptive weights?

"For the rich men of the ^[g]city are full of ^(z)violence, Her residents speak ^(aa)lies, And their ^(ab)tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

"So also I will make you ^(ac)sick, striking you down, ^(ad)Desolating you because of your sins.

"You will eat, but you will ^(ae)not be satisfied, And your ^[h]vileness will be in your midst. You will try to remove for safekeeping, But you will ^(af)not preserve anything, And what you do preserve I will give to the sword.

"You will sow but you will ^(ag)not reap. You will tread the olive but will not anoint yourself with oil; And the grapes, but you will ^(ah)not drink wine.

"The statutes of ^(ai)Omri And all the works of the house of ^(aj)Ahab are observed; And in their devices you ^(ak)walk. Therefore I will give you up for ^(al)destruction And ^[i]your inhabitants for ^(am)derision, And you will bear the ^(an)reproach of My people."

Woe is me! For I am Like the fruit pickers, like the ^(a)grape gatherers. There is not a cluster of grapes to eat, Or a ^(b)first-ripe fig which ^[a]I crave.

The ^[b]godly person has ^(c)perished from the land, And there is no upright person among men. All of them lie in wait for ^(d)bloodshed; Each of them hunts the other with a ^(e)net.

Concerning evil, both hands do it ^(f)well. The prince asks, also the judge, for a ^(g)bribe, And a great man speaks the desire of his soul; So they weave it together.

The best of them is like a ^(h)briar, The most upright like a ⁽ⁱ⁾thorn hedge. The day when you post your watchmen, Your ^(j)punishment will come. Then their ^(k)confusion will occur.

Do not ^(l)trust in a neighbor; Do not have confidence in a friend. From her who lies in your bosom Guard ^[c]your lips.

For ^(m)son treats father contemptuously, Daughter rises up against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; ⁽ⁿ⁾A man's enemies are the men of his own household.

But as for me, I will ^(o)watch expectantly for the Lord ; I will ^(p)wait for the God of my salvation. My ^(q)God will hear me.

^(r)Do not rejoice over me, O ^(s)my enemy. Though I fall I will ^(t)rise; Though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a ^(u)light for me.

I will bear the indignation of the Lord Because I have sinned against Him, Until He ^(v)pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the ^(w)light, And I will see His ^[d](x)righteousness.

Then my enemy will see, And shame will cover her who ^(y)said to me, "Where is the Lord your God?" My eyes will look on her; ^[e]At that time she will ^[f]be ^(z)trampled down Like mire of the streets.

It will be a day for ^(aa)building your walls. On that day will your boundary be extended.

It will be a day when ^[g]they will ^(ab)come to you From Assyria and the cities of Egypt, From Egypt even to the ^[h]Euphrates, Even from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.

And the earth will become ^(ac)desolate because of her inhabitants, On account of the ^(ad)fruit of their deeds.

^(ae)Shepherd Your people with Your ^(af)scepter, The flock of Your ^[i]possession Which dwells by itself in the woodland, In the midst of ^[j]a fruitful field. Let them feed in ^(ag)Bashan and Gilead ^(ah)As in the days of old.

"As in the days when you came out from the land of Egypt, I will show ^[k](ai)you miracles."

Nations ^(aj)will see and be ashamed Of all their might. They will ^(ak)put their hand on their mouth, Their ears will be deaf.

They will ^(al)lick the dust like a serpent, Like ^(am)reptiles of the earth. They will come ^(an)trembling out of their ^[l]fortresses; To the Lord our God they will come in ^(ao)dread And they will be afraid before You.

Who is a God like You, who ^(ap)pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the ^(aq)remnant of His ^[m]possession? He does not ^(ar)retain His anger forever, Because He ^(as)delights in ^[n]unchanging love.

He will again have compassion on us; ^(at)He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will ^(au)cast all ^[o]their sins Into the depths of the sea.

You will give ^[p](av)truth to Jacob And ^[q]unchanging love to Abraham, Which You ^(aw)swore to our forefathers From the days of old.