Study Desk

Hear now what the LORD is saying, "Arise, plead your case ^(F1)before the mountains, And let the hills hear your voice.

-"Listen, you mountains, to the indictment by the LORD, And you enduring ^(C1)foundations of the earth, Because the ^(C2)LORD has a case against His people; And He will dispute with Israel.

-"^(C1)My people, ^(C2)what have I done to you, And ^(C3)how have I wearied you? Answer Me.

-"Indeed, I ^(C1)brought you up from the land of Egypt, I ^(C2)redeemed you from the house of slavery, And I sent before you ^(C3)Moses, Aaron, and ^(C4)Miriam.

-"My people, remember now What ^(C1)Balak king of Moab planned And what Balaam son of Beor answered him, And what happened from ^(C2)Shittim to ^(C3)Gilgal, ^(F1)So that you might know the ^(C4)righteous acts of the LORD."

^(C1)With what shall I come to the LORD And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with ^(C2)burnt offerings, With yearling calves?

Does the LORD take pleasure in ^(C1)thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of ^(F1)oil? Shall I give Him my ^(C2)firstborn for my wrongdoings, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has ^(C1)told you, mortal one, what is good; And ^(C2)what does the LORD require of you But to ^(C3)do justice, to ^(C4)love ^(F1)kindness, And to walk ^(F2)(C5)humbly with your God?

The voice of the LORD will call to the city— And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name: "^(F1)Hear, you tribe. Who has designated ^(F2)its time?

-"Is there still a person in the wicked house, Along with treasures of ^(C1)wickedness, And a ^(F1)(C2)short measure that is cursed?

-"Can I justify dishonest ^(C1)balances, And a bag of fraudulent weights?

-"For the rich people of ^(F1)the city are full of ^(C1)violence, Her residents speak ^(C2)lies, And their ^(C3)tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

-"So also I will make you ^(C1)sick, striking you down, ^(C2)Making you desolate because of your sins.

-"You will eat, but you will ^(C1)not be satisfied, And your filth will be in your midst. You will try to remove valuables for safekeeping, But you will ^(C2)not save it all, And what you do save I will turn over to the sword.

-"You will sow but you will ^(C1)not harvest. You will tread the olive press but will not anoint yourself with oil; And tread out sweet wine, but you will ^(C2)not drink any wine.

-"The statutes of ^(C1)Omri And every work of the house of ^(C2)Ahab are maintained, And you ^(C3)walk by their plans. Therefore I will give you up for ^(C4)destruction, And ^(F1)your inhabitants for ^(F2)(C5)derision, And you will suffer the ^(C6)taunting of My people."

Woe to me! For I am Like harvests of summer fruit, like gleanings of ^(C1)grapes. There is not a cluster of grapes left to eat, Nor an ^(C2)early fig, which ^(F1)I crave.

The ^(F1)godly person has ^(C1)perished from the land, And there is no upright person among mankind. All of them lie in wait for ^(C2)bloodshed; Each of them hunts the other with a ^(C3)net.

As for evil, both hands do it ^(C1)well. The leader asks for a ^(C2)bribe, also the judge, And the great one speaks the capricious desire of his soul; So they plot it together.

The best of them is like a ^(C1)thorn bush, The most upright like a ^(C2)thorn hedge. The day ^(F1)when you post your watchmen, Your ^(C3)punishment is coming. Then their ^(C4)confusion will occur.

Do not ^(C1)trust in a neighbor; Do not have confidence in a close friend. Guard ^(F1)your lips From her who lies ^(F2)in your arms.

For ^(C1)son disavows father, Daughter rises up against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; ^(C2)A person's enemies are the people of his own household.

But as for me, I will ^(C1)be on the watch for the LORD; I will ^(C2)wait for the God of my salvation. My ^(C3)God will hear me.

^(C1)Do not rejoice over me, ^(C2)enemy of mine. Though I fall I will ^(C3)rise; Though I live in darkness, the LORD is a ^(C4)light for me.

I will endure the rage of the LORD Because I have sinned against Him, Until He ^(C1)pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the ^(C2)light, And I will look at His ^(F1)(C3)righteousness.

Then my enemy will see, And shame will cover her who ^(C1)said to me, "Where is the LORD your God?" My eyes will look at her; ^(F1)At that time she will ^(F2)be ^(C2)trampled down Like mud of the streets.

It will be a day for ^(C1)building your walls. On that day your boundary will be extended.

It will be a day when ^(F1)they will ^(C1)come to you From Assyria and the cities of Egypt, From Egypt even to the Euphrates River, Even from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.

And the earth will become a ^(C1)wasteland because of her inhabitants, On account of the ^(C2)fruit of their deeds.

^(C1)Shepherd Your people with Your ^(C2)scepter, The flock of Your ^(F1)possession Which lives by itself in the woodland, In the midst of ^(F2)a fruitful field. Let them feed in ^(C3)Bashan and Gilead ^(C4)As in the days of old.

"As in the days when you went out from the land of Egypt, I will show ^(F1)(C1)you miracles."

Nations ^(C1)will see and be ashamed Of all their might. They will ^(C2)put their hand on their mouth, Their ears will be deaf.

They will ^(C1)lick up dust like a snake, Like ^(F1)(C2)reptiles of the earth. They will come ^(C3)trembling out of their ^(F2)fortresses; To the LORD our God they will come in ^(C4)trepidation, And they will be afraid of You.

Who is a God like You, who ^(C1)pardons wrongdoing And passes over a rebellious act of the ^(C2)remnant of His ^(F1)possession? He does not ^(C3)retain His anger forever, Because He ^(C4)delights in mercy.

He will again take pity on us; ^(C1)He will trample on our wrongdoings. Yes, You will ^(C2)cast all ^(F1)their sins Into the depths of the sea.

You will give ^(F1)(C1)truth to Jacob And favor to Abraham, Which You ^(C2)swore to our forefathers From the days of old.