Study Desk

There is no assuaging your hurt, your wound is grievous. All who hear the news of you clap their hands over you. For upon whom has not come your unceasing evil?

O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and thou wilt not hear? Or cry to thee "Violence!" and thou wilt not save?

So the law is slacked and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous, so justice goes forth perverted.

Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.

For lo, I am rousing the Chalde'ans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize habitations not their own.

They all come for violence; terror of them goes before them. They gather captives like sand.

At kings they scoff, and of rulers they make sport. They laugh at every fortress, for they heap up earth and take it.

Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them as a judgment; and thou, O Rock, hast established them for chastisement.

For thou makest men like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler.

Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his seine; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich.

Is he then to keep on emptying his net, and mercilessly slaying nations for ever?

For still the vision awaits its time; it hastens to the end--it will not lie. If it seem slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.

Moreover, wine is treacherous; the arrogant man shall not abide. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations, and collects as his own all peoples."

Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, in scoffing derision of him, and say, "Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own--for how long? --and loads himself with pledges!"

Will not your debtors suddenly arise, and those awake who will make you tremble? Then you will be booty for them.

Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you, for the blood of men and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell therein.

Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm!

For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond.

Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts that peoples labor only for fire, and nations weary themselves for nought?

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.