Study Desk

Arise and thresh, daughter of Tziyon; For I will make your horn iron, And I will make your hoofs brass; And you will beat in pieces many peoples: And I will devote their gain to the LORD, And their substance to the Lord of the whole eretz.

He shall stand, and shall shepherd in the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD his God: And they will live, for then he will be great to the ends of the eretz.

The remnant of Ya`akov will be in the midst of many peoples, Like dew from the LORD, Like showers on the grass, That don't wait for man, Nor wait for the sons of men.

Hear, you mountains, the LORD's controversy, And you enduring foundations of the eretz; For the LORD has a controversy with his people, And he will contend with Yisra'el.

For I brought you up out of the land of Mitzrayim, And redeemed you out of the house of bondage. I sent before you Moshe, Aharon, and Miryam.

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams? With tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my disobedience? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

For the statutes of `Omri are kept, And all the works of the house of Ach'av. You walk in their counsels, That I may make you a ruin, And her inhabitants a hissing; And you will bear the reproach of my people."

The godly man has perished out of the eretz, And there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; Every man hunts his brother with a net.

Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; And the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.

For the son dishonors the father, The daughter rises up against her mother, The daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man's enemies are the men of his own house.

But as for me, I will look to the LORD. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

I will bear the indignation of the LORD, Because I have sinned against him, Until he pleads my case, and executes judgment for me. He will bring me forth to the light. I will see his righteousness.

Yet the land will be desolate because of those who dwell therein, For the fruit of their doings.

For entangled like thorns, and drunken as with their drink, they are consumed utterly like dry stubble.

The LORD has commanded concerning you: "No more descendants will bear your name. Out of the house of your gods, will I cut off the engraved image and the molten image. I will make your grave, for you are vile."

Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes shalom! Keep your feasts, Yehudah! Perform your vows, for the wicked one will no more pass through you. He is utterly cut off.

For the LORD restores the excellency of Ya`akov, as the excellency of Yisra'el; for the destroyers have destroyed them, and ruined their vine branches.

Take the spoil of silver. Take the spoil of gold, for there is no end of the store, the glory of all goodly furniture.

The lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his caves with the kill, and his dens with prey.

It will happen that all those who look at you will flee from you, and say, 'Nineveh is laid waste Who will mourn for her?' Where will I seek comforters for you?"