Study Desk

The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they trespassed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant.

For thus it will be in the midst of the earth among the peoples,As the shaking of an olive tree,As the gleanings when the grape harvest is over.

They lift up their voices, they shout for joy;They cry out from the west concerning the majesty of Yahweh.

Then it will be that he who flees the sound of panic will fall into the pit,And he who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the pitfall;For the windows above are opened, and the foundations of the earth quake.

The earth reels to and fro like a drunkardAnd it totters like a shack,For its transgression is heavy upon it,And it will fall, never to rise again.

Then the moon will be humiliated and the sun ashamed,For Yahweh of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,And His glory will be before His elders.

O Yahweh, You are my God;I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name;For You have worked wonders,Counsels formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.

For You have made a city into a heap,A fortified town into a ruin;A palace of strangers is a city no more,It will never be rebuilt.

For You have been a strong defense for the poor,A strong defense for the needy in his distress,A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat;For the breath of the ruthlessIs like a rain storm against a wall.

And Yahweh of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain;A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow,And refined, aged wine.

He will swallow up death for all time,And Lord Yahweh will wipe tears away from all faces,And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth;For Yahweh has spoken.

For the hand of Yahweh will rest on this mountain,And Moab will be trodden down in his placeAs straw is trodden down in the water of a manure pile.

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:"We have a strong city;He sets up walls and ramparts for salvation.

Trust in Yahweh forever,For in Yah—Yahweh Himself—we have an everlasting Rock.

For He has laid low those who settle on high, the exalted city;He brings it low, He brings it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.

Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O Yahweh,We have hoped for You eagerly;Your name—the memory of You—is the desire of our souls.

At night my soul longs for You,Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You earnestly;For when the earth experiences Your judgments,The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

O Yahweh, Your hand is raised up high, yet they do not behold it.They behold Your zeal for the people and are put to shame;Indeed, fire will devour Your adversaries.

Yahweh, You will establish peace for us,Since You have also performed for us all our works.

We were with child, we writhed in labor;We gave birth, as it seems, only to wind.We could not accomplish salvation for the earth,And the inhabitants of the world were not born.