Study Desk

"Rejoice, childless one, who did not give birth; burst into song and shout, you who have not been in labor!^(a) For the children of the forsaken one will be more than the children of the married woman,"^(b) says the Lord .

"Enlarge the site of your tent, and let your tent curtains be stretched out;^(c) do not hold back; lengthen your ropes, and drive your pegs deep.

For you will spread out to the right and to the left,^(d) and your descendants will dispossess nations and inhabit the desolate cities.

"Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame;^(e) don't be humiliated, for you will not be disgraced. For you will forget the shame of your youth, and you will no longer remember the disgrace of your widowhood.^(f)

Indeed, your husband is your Maker^(g)— His name is Yahweh of Hosts— and the Holy One of Israel^(h) is your Redeemer;⁽ⁱ⁾ He is called the God of all the earth.

For the Lord has called you, like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit,^(j) a wife of one's youth^(k) when she is rejected," says your God.

"I deserted you for a brief moment,^(l) but I will take you back with great compassion.

In a surge of anger I hid My face^(m) from you for a moment, but I will have compassion on you with everlasting love,"⁽ⁿ⁾ says the Lord your Redeemer.

"For this is like the days^[a] of Noah to Me: when I swore that the waters of Noah would never flood the earth again,^(o) so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you.^(p)

Though the mountains move and the hills shake, My love will not be removed from you and My covenant of peace^(q) will not be shaken," says your compassionate Lord .

"Poor Jerusalem, storm-tossed, and not comforted, I will set your stones in black mortar,^[b] and lay your foundations in sapphires.^[c](r)

I will make your fortifications^[d] out of rubies, your gates out of sparkling stones, and all your walls out of precious stones.

Then all your children will be taught by the Lord ,^(s) their prosperity will be great,

and you will be established on a foundation of righteousness. You will be far from oppression, you will certainly not be afraid; you will be far from terror, it will certainly not come near you.

If anyone attacks you, it is not from Me; whoever attacks you will fall before you.

Look, I have created the craftsman who blows on the charcoal fire and produces a weapon suitable for its task; and I have created the destroyer to cause havoc.

No weapon formed against you will succeed, and you will refute any accusation^[e] raised against you in court. This is the heritage of the Lord 's servants,^(t) and their righteousness is from Me."^(u) This is the Lord 's declaration.

"Come, everyone who is thirsty,^(a) come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!

Why do you spend money on what is not food, and your wages on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and you will enjoy the choicest of foods.^[a]

Pay attention and come to Me; listen, so that you will live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you,^(b) the promises assured to David.^(c)

Since I have made him a witness to the peoples,^(d) a leader and commander for the peoples,^(e)

so you will summon a nation you do not know,^(f) and nations who do not know you will run to you.^(g) For the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel,^(h) has glorified you."⁽ⁱ⁾

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call to Him while He is near.^(j)

Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts;^(k) let him return to the Lord , so He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will freely forgive.^(l)

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways." This is the Lord 's declaration.

"For as heaven is higher than earth,^(m) so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,⁽ⁿ⁾

so My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do."^(o)

You will indeed go out with joy and be peacefully guided; the mountains and the hills will break into singing before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.^(p)

Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will come up, and instead of the brier, a myrtle will come up;^(q) it will make a name for Yahweh^(r) as an everlasting sign that will not be destroyed.

This is what the Lord says: Preserve justice and do what is right,^(a) for My salvation is coming soon, and My righteousness will be revealed.^(b)

Happy is the man who does this, anyone who maintains this, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.^(c)

No foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord should say, "The Lord will exclude me from His people";^(d) and the eunuch should not say, "Look, I am a dried-up tree."^(e)

For the Lord says this: "For the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold firmly to My covenant,

I will give them, in My house and within My walls, a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters. I will give each of them an everlasting name that will never be cut off.^(f)

And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord minister to Him, love the name of Yahweh and become His servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold firmly to My covenant—

I will bring them to My holy mountain^(g) and let them rejoice in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar,^(h) for My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."⁽ⁱ⁾

This is the declaration of the Lord God , who gathers the dispersed of Israel: "I will gather to them still others besides those already gathered."^(j)

All you animals of the field and forest, come and eat!

Israel's^[a] watchmen are blind, all of them, they know nothing; all of them are mute dogs, they cannot bark; they dream, lie down, and love to sleep.

These dogs have fierce appetites; they never have enough. And they are shepherds who have no discernment; all of them turn to their own way, every last one for his own gain.^(k)

"Come, let me get some wine, let's guzzle some beer; and tomorrow will be like today, only far better!"^(l)

The righteous one perishes, and no one takes it to heart; faithful men are swept away, with no one realizing that the righteous one is swept away from the presence^[a] of evil.

He will enter into peace— they will rest on their beds^[b]— everyone who lives uprightly.

But come here, you sons of a sorceress, offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute!^[c]

Who is it you are mocking? Who is it you are opening your mouth and sticking out your tongue at? Isn't it you, you rebellious children,^(a) you race of liars,

who burn with lust among the oaks, under every green tree,^(b) who slaughter children in the wadis below the clefts of the rocks?^(c)

Your portion is among the smooth stones of the wadi; indeed, they are your lot. You have even poured out a drink offering to them; you have offered a grain offering; should I be satisfied with these?

You have placed your bed on a high and lofty mountain;^(d) you also went up there to offer sacrifice.

You have set up your memorial behind the door and doorpost. For away from Me, you stripped, went up, and made your bed wide,^(e) and you have made a bargain^[d] for yourself with them. You have loved their bed; you have gazed on their genitals.^[e][f]

You went to the king with oil and multiplied your perfumes; you sent your couriers far away^(f) and sent them down even to Sheol.

You became weary on your many journeys, but you did not say, "I give up!"^(g) You found a renewal of your strength;^[g] therefore you did not grow weak.

Who was it you dreaded and feared, so that you lied and didn't remember Me or take it to heart? Have I not kept silent for such a long time^[h](h) and you do not fear Me?

I will expose your righteousness, and your works—they will not profit you.

When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you! The wind will carry all of them off, a breath will take them away. But whoever takes refuge in Me will inherit the land⁽ⁱ⁾ and possess My holy mountain.^(j)

He said, "Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle from My people's way."^(k)

For the High and Exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy^(l) says this: "I live in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit,^(m) to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed.⁽ⁿ⁾

For I will not accuse you forever, and I will not always be angry;^(o) for then the spirit would grow weak before Me, even the breath of man, which I have made.

Because of his sinful greed I was angry,^(p) so I struck him; I was angry and hid;^[i] but he went on turning back to the desires of his heart.

I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,^(q)

creating words of praise."^[j](r) The Lord says, "Peace, peace to the one who is far or near,^(s) and I will heal him.

But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea,^(t) for it cannot be still, and its waters churn up mire and muck.

There is no peace for the wicked," says my God.^(u)

"Cry out loudly,^[a] don't hold back! Raise your voice like a trumpet. Tell My people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins.

They seek Me day after day and delight to know My ways, like a nation that does what is right and does not abandon the justice of their God. They ask Me for righteous judgments; they delight in the nearness of God."^(a)

"Why have we fasted, but You have not seen?^(b) We have denied ourselves, but You haven't noticed!"^[b] "Look, you do as you please on the day of your fast, and oppress all your workers.^(c)

You fast with contention and strife to strike viciously with your fist. You cannot fast as you do today, hoping to make your voice heard on high.

Will the fast I choose be like this: A day for a person to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes?^(d) Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the Lord ?

Isn't the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness,^(e) to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke?^(f)

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,^(g) to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him,^(h) and not to ignore^[c] your own flesh and blood?⁽ⁱ⁾

Then your light will appear like the dawn, and your recovery will come quickly.^(j) Your righteousness will go before you,^(k) and the Lord 's glory will be your rear guard.^(l)

At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer;^(m) when you cry out, He will say, ‘Here I am.' If you get rid of the yoke among you,^[d] the finger-pointing and malicious speaking,⁽ⁿ⁾

and if you offer yourself^[e] to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted one, then your light will shine in the darkness,^(o) and your night will be like noonday.

The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden^(p) and like a spring whose waters never run dry.^(q)

Some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins;^(r) you will restore the foundations laid long ago;^[f](s) you will be called the repairer of broken walls, the restorer of streets where people live.

"If you keep from desecrating^[g] the Sabbath,^(t) from doing whatever you want on My holy day; if you call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways,^(u) seeking your own pleasure, or talking too much;^[h]

then you will delight yourself in the Lord ,^(v) and I will make you ride over the heights of the land,^(w) and let you enjoy the heritage of your father Jacob." For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.^(x)