Study Desk

For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the LORD, and there is no other.

"Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,

I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, For Israel My glory.

"Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; Sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no more be called Tender and delicate.

As for our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel.

"Sit in silence, and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; For you shall no longer be called The Lady of Kingdoms.

But these two things shall come to you In a moment, in one day: The loss of children, and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their fullness Because of the multitude of your sorceries, For the great abundance of your enchantments.

"For you have trusted in your wickedness; You have said, "No one sees me'; Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you; And you have said in your heart, "I am, and there is no one else besides me.'

For they call themselves after the holy city, And lean on the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is His name:

Surely you did not hear, Surely you did not know; Surely from long ago your ear was not opened. For I knew that you would deal very treacherously, And were called a transgressor from the womb.

"For My name's sake I will defer My anger, And for My praise I will restrain it from you, So that I do not cut you off.

For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.

And they did not thirst When He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow from the rock for them; He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out.

"There is no peace," says the LORD, "for the wicked."

Then I said, "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the LORD, And my work with my God."'

"And now the Lord says,Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,To bring Jacob back to Him,So that Israel is gathered to Him [fn] (For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord,And My God shall be My strength),

They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them.

Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted.

"For your waste and desolate places, And the land of your destruction, Will even now be too small for the inhabitants; And those who swallowed you up will be far away.