Study Desk

"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.