Study Desk

Behold, a ^(C1)king will reign righteously, And officials will rule justly.

Each will be like a ^(C1)refuge from the wind And a shelter from the storm, Like ^(F1)(C2)streams of water in a dry country, Like the ^(C1)shade of a ^(F2)huge rock in an exhausted land.

Then ^(C1)the eyes of those who see will not be ^(F1)blinded, And the ears of those who hear will listen.

The ^(F1)mind of the ^(C1)rash will discern the ^(F2)truth, And the tongue of the stammerers will hurry to speak clearly.

No longer will the ^(C1)fool be called noble, Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.

For a fool speaks nonsense, And his heart ^(F1)(C1)inclines toward wickedness: To practice ^(C2)ungodliness and to speak error against the LORD, To ^(F2)(C3)keep the hungry person unsatisfied And ^(F3)to withhold drink from the thirsty.

As for a rogue, his weapons are evil; He ^(C1)devises wicked schemes To ^(C2)destroy the poor with ^(F1)slander, ^(C3)Even though the needy one speaks ^(F2)what is right.

But ^(C1)the noble person devises noble plans; And by noble plans he stands.

Rise up, you ^(C1)women who are at ease, And hear my voice; ^(C2)Listen to my word, You complacent daughters.

Within a year and a few days You will be troubled, you complacent daughters; ^(C1)For the vintage is ended, And the fruit gathering will not come.

Tremble, you women who are at ease; ^(C1)Be troubled, you complacent daughters; ^(C2)Strip, undress, and put sackcloth on your waist,

^(C1)Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine,

^(C1)For the land of my people in which thorns and briars will come up; Indeed, for all the joyful houses and for the ^(C2)jubilant city.

For ^(C1)the palace has been neglected, the ^(F1)populated ^(C2)city abandoned. ^(F2)Hill and watch-tower have become ^(C3)caves forever, A delight for ^(C4)wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks,

Until the ^(C1)Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a ^(C2)fertile field, And the fertile field is considered as a forest.

Then ^(C1)justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness will remain in the fertile field.

And the ^(C1)work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, ^(C2)quietness and ^(F1)confidence forever.

Then my people will live in a ^(C1)peaceful settlement, In secure dwellings, and in undisturbed ^(C2)resting places;

And it will ^(C1)hail when the ^(C2)forest comes down, And ^(C3)the city will be utterly laid low.

How ^(C1)blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters, Who ^(F1)let the ox and the donkey out freely.

Woe ^(C1)to you, destroyer, While you were not destroyed; And he ^(C2)who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him. As soon as you finish destroying, ^(C3)you will be destroyed; As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will ^(C4)deal treacherously with you.

LORD, ^(C1)be gracious to us; we have ^(C2)waited for You. Be ^(F1)their ^(F2)(C3)strength every morning, Our salvation also in the ^(C4)time of distress.

At the sound of a roar, ^(C1)peoples flee; At the ^(C2)lifting up of Yourself, nations disperse.

Your plunder is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; Like an infestation of locusts, people storm it.

The LORD is ^(C1)exalted, for He dwells on high; He has ^(C2)filled Zion with justice and righteousness.

And He will be the ^(F1)(C1)stability of your times, A ^(C2)wealth of salvation, wisdom, and ^(C3)knowledge; The ^(C4)fear of the LORD is his treasure.

Behold, their brave men cry out ^(F1)in the streets, The ^(F2)(C1)ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.

The highways are desolate, ^(F1)the ^(C1)traveler has ceased, He has ^(C2)broken the covenant, he has despised the cities, He has no regard for mankind.

^(C1)The land mourns and wastes away, ^(C2)Lebanon is shamed and withers; ^(C3)Sharon is like a desert plain, And Bashan and Carmel ^(F1)lose their foliage.

"Now ^(C1)I will arise," says the LORD, "Now I will be exalted, now I will be lifted up.

-"You have ^(C1)conceived ^(F1)chaff, you will give birth to stubble; ^(F2)My ^(C2)breath will consume you like a fire.

-"The peoples will be burned to lime, ^(C1)Like cut thorns which are burned in the fire.

"You who are far away, ^(C1)hear what I have done; And you who are near, ^(F1)acknowledge My might."

^(C1)Sinners in Zion are terrified; ^(C2)Trembling has seized the godless. "Who among us can live with ^(C3)the consuming fire? Who among us can live with everlasting ^(C4)burning?"

One who ^(C1)walks righteously and speaks with integrity, One who rejects ^(F1)unjust gain And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; One who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed And ^(C2)shuts his eyes from looking at evil;

He will dwell on the heights, ^(C1)His refuge will be the ^(F1)impregnable rock; ^(C2)His bread will be given him, His water will be sure.

Your eyes will see ^(C1)the King in His beauty; They will see ^(C2)a distant land.

Your heart will meditate on ^(C1)terror: "Where is ^(C2)one who counts? Where is one who weighs? Where is one who counts the towers?"

You will no longer see a fierce people, A people of ^(F1)(C1)unintelligible speech ^(F2)which no one comprehends, Of a stammering tongue ^(F3)which no one understands.

^(C1)Look at Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an ^(C2)undisturbed settlement, ^(C3)A tent which will not be folded; Its stakes will never be pulled up, Nor any of its ropes be torn apart.

But there the majestic One, the LORD, will be for us A place of ^(C1)rivers and wide canals On which no boat with oars will go, And on which no mighty ship will pass—

For the LORD is our ^(C1)judge, The LORD is ^(C2)our lawgiver, The LORD is ^(C3)our king; ^(C4)He will save us—

Your ship's tackle hangs slack; It cannot hold the base of its mast firmly, Nor spread out the sail. Then the ^(C1)prey of an abundant spoil will be divided; ^(C2)Those who limp will take the plunder.

And no resident will say, "I am ^(C1)sick"; The people who live ^(F1)there will be ^(C2)forgiven their wrongdoing.