Study Desk

This is what the LORD says to ^(C1)Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right ^(C2)hand, To ^(C3)subdue nations before him And ^(F1)to ^(C4)undo the weapons belt on the waist of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:

"I will go before you and ^(C1)make the ^(F1)rough places smooth; I will ^(C2)shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron ^(C3)bars.

-"I will give you the ^(F1)(C1)treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who ^(C2)calls you by your name.

-"For the sake of ^(C1)Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also ^(C2)called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have ^(C3)not known Me.

-"I am the LORD, and ^(C1)there is no one else; ^(C2)There is no God except Me. I will ^(F1)(C3)arm you, though you have not known Me,

So that ^(C1)people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is ^(C2)no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no one else,

The One ^(C1)forming light and ^(C2)creating darkness, Causing ^(F1)well-being and ^(C3)creating disaster; I am the LORD who does all these things.

"^(C1)Drip down, heavens, from above, And let the clouds pour down righteousness; Let the ^(C2)earth open up and salvation bear fruit, ^(C3)And righteousness sprout with it. I, the LORD, have created it.

"Woe to the one who ^(C1)quarrels with ^(F1)his Maker— A piece of pottery ^(F2)among the other earthenware pottery pieces! Will the ^(C2)clay say to the ^(F3)potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands'?

-"Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you fathering?' Or to a woman, 'To what are you ^(F1)giving birth?'"

This is what the ^(C1)LORD says, the Holy One of Israel and ^(F1)his ^(C2)Maker: "^(F2)(C3)Ask Me about the things to come ^(F3)concerning My ^(C4)sons, And you shall commit to Me ^(C5)the work of My hands.

-"It is I who ^(C1)made the earth, and created mankind upon it. I ^(C2)stretched out the heavens with My hands, And I ^(F1)ordained ^(C3)all their ^(F2)lights.

-"I have stirred him in ^(C1)righteousness, And I will ^(C2)make all his ways smooth. He will ^(C3)build My city and let My exiles go ^(C4)free, Without any payment or reward," says the LORD of armies.

This is what the LORD says: "The ^(F1)products of ^(C1)Egypt and the merchandise of ^(F2)(C2)Cush And the Sabeans, men of stature, Will ^(C3)come over to you and will be yours; They will walk behind you, they will come over in ^(C4)chains And will ^(C5)bow down to you; They will plead with you: '^(F3)(C6)God certainly is ^(F4)with you, and ^(C7)there is no one else, No other God.'"

Truly, You are a God who ^(C1)hides Himself, God of Israel, ^(C2)Savior!

They will be ^(C1)put to shame and even humiliated, all of them; The ^(C2)manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation.

Israel has been saved by the LORD With an ^(C1)everlasting salvation; You ^(C2)will not be put to shame or humiliated To all eternity.

For this is what the LORD says, He who ^(C1)created the heavens (He is the God who ^(C2)formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it ^(F1)as a ^(C3)waste place, but formed it to be ^(C4)inhabited): "I am the LORD, and ^(C5)there is no one else.

-"^(C1)I have not spoken in secret, In ^(F1)some dark land; I did not say to the ^(F2)(C2)offspring of Jacob, '^(C3)Seek Me in ^(F3)a wasteland'; I, the LORD, ^(C4)speak righteousness, ^(C5)Declaring things that are right.

"^(C1)Gather yourselves and come; Come together, you survivors of the nations! ^(C2)They have no knowledge, Who ^(C3)carry around ^(F1)their wooden idol And ^(C4)pray to a god who cannot save.

-"^(C1)Declare and present your case; Indeed, let them consult together. ^(C2)Who has announced this long ago? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is ^(C3)no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a ^(C4)Savior; There is none except Me.

-"^(C1)Turn to Me and ^(C2)be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.

-"^(C1)I have sworn by Myself; The ^(C2)word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me ^(C3)every knee will bow, every tongue will ^(C4)swear allegiance.

-"They will say of Me, 'Only ^(C1)in the LORD are righteousness and strength.' People will come to Him, And ^(C2)all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.

-"In the LORD all the offspring of Israel Will be ^(C1)justified and will ^(C2)boast."

^(C1)Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over; Their idols have become loads for the animals and the cattle. The things ^(F1)that you carry are burdensome, A load for the weary animal.

They stooped over, they have bowed down together; They could not rescue the burden, But ^(F1)have themselves ^(C1)gone into captivity.

"^(C1)Listen to Me, house of Jacob, And all ^(C2)the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been ^(C3)carried by Me from ^(F1)birth And have been carried from the womb;

Even to your old age ^(C1)I ^(F1)will be the same, And even to your ^(F2)(C2)graying years I will ^(F3)carry you! I have ^(F4)done it, and I will bear you; And I will ^(F3)carry you and I will save you.

"^(C1)To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal, and compare Me, That we would be alike?

-"Those who ^(C1)lavish gold from the bag And weigh silver on the scale, Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; They ^(C2)bow down, indeed they worship it.

-"They ^(C1)lift it on the shoulder, carry it, And set it in its place, and it stands there. ^(C2)It does not move from its place. Though one may shout to it, it ^(C3)cannot answer; It ^(C4)cannot save him from his distress.

"^(C1)Remember this, and be ^(F1)assured; ^(C2)Recall it to ^(F2)mind, you ^(C3)wrongdoers.

-"Remember the ^(C1)former things long past, For I am God, and there is ^(C2)no other; I am God, and there is ^(C3)no one like Me,

Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, '^(C1)My plan will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';

Calling a ^(C1)bird of prey from the ^(C2)east, The man of ^(F1)My purpose from a distant country. Truly I have ^(C3)spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, I will certainly do it.

"^(C1)Listen to Me, you ^(C2)stubborn-minded, Who are ^(C3)far from righteousness.

-"I ^(C1)bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; And My salvation will not delay. And I will grant ^(C2)salvation in Zion, And My ^(C3)glory for Israel.