Study Desk

This is what the LORD says: "^(C1)Heaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool for My feet. Where then is a ^(C2)house you could build for Me? And where is a place that ^(F1)I may rest?

-"For ^(C1)My hand made all these things, So all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But I will look to this one, At one who is humble and ^(C2)contrite in spirit, and who ^(C3)trembles at My word.

"But the one who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a person; The one who sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog's neck; One who offers a grain offering is like one who offers ^(C1)pig's blood; One who ^(F1)(C2)burns incense is like one who blesses an idol. As they have chosen their ^(C3)own ways, And their souls delight in their ^(C4)abominations,

So I will ^(C1)choose their ^(F1)punishments And ^(C2)bring on them what they dread. Because I called, but ^(C3)no one answered; I spoke, but they did not listen. Instead, they did ^(C4)evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight."

Hear the word of the LORD, you who ^(C1)tremble at His word: "Your brothers who ^(C2)hate you, who ^(C3)exclude you on account of My name, Have said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, so that we may see your joy.' But ^(C4)they will be put to shame.

-"A sound of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple, The voice of the LORD who is ^(C1)dealing retribution to His enemies.

"Before she was in labor, ^(C1)she delivered; Before her pain came, ^(C2)she gave birth to a boy.

-"^(C1)Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be ^(F1)born in one day? Can a nation be given birth all at once? As soon as Zion was in labor, she also delivered her sons.

-"Shall I bring to the point of birth but ^(C1)not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?" says your God.

"Be ^(C1)joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who ^(C2)love her; Be exceedingly ^(C3)glad with her, all you who mourn over her,

So that you may nurse and ^(C1)be satisfied with her comforting breasts, So that you may drink fully and be delighted with her ^(C2)bountiful breasts."

For this is what the LORD says: "Behold, I extend ^(C1)peace to her like a river, And the ^(C2)glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you will ^(F1)be nursed, you will be ^(C3)carried on the ^(F2)hip and rocked back and forth on the knees.

-"As one whom his mother comforts, so I will ^(C1)comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem."

Then you will ^(C1)see this, and your ^(C2)heart will be glad, And your ^(C3)bones will flourish like the new grass; And the ^(C4)hand of the LORD will be made known to His servants, But He will be ^(C5)indignant toward His enemies.

For behold, the LORD will come in ^(C1)fire, And His ^(C2)chariots like the whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire.

For the LORD will execute judgment by ^(C1)fire And by His ^(C2)sword on ^(F1)humanity, And those put to death by the LORD will be many.

"Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the ^(C1)gardens, ^(F1)Following one in the center, Who eat ^(C2)pig's flesh, detestable things, and mice, Will ^(C3)come to an end altogether," declares the LORD.

"For I ^(F1)know their works and their ^(C1)thoughts; ^(F2)the time is coming to ^(C2)gather all the nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory.

"And I will put a ^(C1)sign among them and send survivors from them to the nations: ^(C2)Tarshish, ^(F1)Put, ^(C3)Lud, ^(F2)Meshech, ^(C4)Tubal, and ^(F3)Javan, to the distant ^(C5)coastlands that have neither heard of My fame nor seen My glory. And they will ^(C6)declare My glory among the nations.

"Then they shall ^(C1)bring all your countrymen from all the nations as a grain offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to My ^(C2)holy mountain Jerusalem," says the LORD, "just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a ^(C3)clean vessel to the house of the LORD.

"I will also take some of them as ^(C1)priests and Levites," says the LORD.

"For just as the ^(C1)new heavens and the new earth, Which I make, will endure before Me," declares the LORD, "So will your ^(C2)descendants and your ^(C3)name endure.

-"And it shall be from ^(C1)new moon to new moon And from Sabbath to Sabbath, All ^(F1)mankind will come to ^(C2)bow down before Me," says the LORD.

"Then they will go out and look At the ^(C1)corpses of the people Who have ^(C2)rebelled against Me. For their ^(C3)worm will not die ^(C4)And their fire will not be extinguished; And they will be an ^(C5)abhorrence to all ^(F1)mankind."