Study Desk

"^(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.