Study Desk

"But now hear, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.

They stoop; they bow down together. They are not able to save the burden, but they themselves go in captivity.

Hear this, house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel and came out from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of Yahweh, and invoke the God of Israel, but not in truth and not in righteousness.

Look! I have refined you, but not like silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of misery.

But I myself said, "I have labored in vain; I have used up my strength for nothing and vanity! Nevertheless, my justice is with Yahweh, and my reward is with my God."

But Zion said, "Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me!"

Can a woman forget her suckling, refrain from having compassion on the child of her womb? Indeed, these may forget, but I, I will not forget you!

But thus says Yahweh: "Indeed a captive of the mighty shall be taken, and the war-booty of the tyrant shall be rescued, for I myself will dispute with your opponent, and I myself will save your children.

Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah; she brought you forth. For I called him alone, but I blessed him and made him numerous."

Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look to the earth beneath, for the heavens will be torn to pieces like smoke, and the earth will be worn out like a garment, and those who inhabit her will die like gnats. But my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will not be broken to pieces.

For a moth will eat them like garments; a moth will devour them like wool, but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation for generation after generation."

And you have forgotten Yahweh, your maker, who stretched out the heavens, and founded the earth. And you tremble continually, all day, because of the wrath of the oppressor when he takes aim to destroy. But where is the wrath of the oppressor?

Therefore hear now this afflicted one and drunken one but not from wine.

But he was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his wounds we were healed.

I abandoned you for a short moment, but I will gather you with great compassion.

I hid my face from you for a moment, in the flowing of anger, but I will have compassion on you with everlasting faithfulness" says your redeemer, Yahweh.

For the mountains may depart, and the hills may sway, but my faithfulness shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not sway," says Yahweh, who has compassion on you,

so shall be my word that goes out from my mouth. It shall not return to me without success, but shall accomplish what I desire and be successful in the thing for which I sent it.

"But you, come near here, you children of a soothsayer, offspring of an adulterer and she who commits fornication.

You grow weary by the greatness of your way, but you did not say, ‘Despairing!' You found the renewal of your strength, therefore you do not grow weak.