Study Desk

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help^(a) and who depend on horses! They trust in the abundance of chariots and in the large number of horsemen.^(b) They do not look^(c) to the Holy One of Israel and they do not seek the Lord 's help.

But He also is wise and brings disaster.^(d) He does not go back on what He says;^(e) He will rise up against the house of wicked men and against the allies of evildoers.

Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the Lord raises His hand to strike, the helper will stumble and the one who is helped will fall; both will perish together.

For this is what the Lord said to me: As a lion or young lion growls over its prey^(f) when a band of shepherds is called out against it, and is not terrified by their shouting or subdued by their noise, so the Lord of Hosts will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.^(g)

Like hovering birds, so the Lord of Hosts will protect Jerusalem^(h)— by protecting it, He will rescue it, by sparing it, He will deliver it.

Return to the One the Israelites have greatly rebelled against.⁽ⁱ⁾

For on that day, every one of you will reject the silver and gold idols that your own hands have sinfully made.^(j)

Then Assyria will fall, but not by human sword; a sword will devour him, but not one made by man.^(k) He will flee from the sword; his young men will be put to forced labor.^(l)

His rock^[a] will pass away because of fear,^(m) and his officers will be afraid because of the signal flag.⁽ⁿ⁾ This is the Lord 's declaration—whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.^(o)

Indeed, a king will reign righteously, and rulers will rule justly.^(a)

Each will be like a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the rain,^(b) like streams of water^(c) in a dry land and the shade of a massive rock in an arid land.

Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.^(d)

The reckless mind will gain knowledge, and the stammering tongue^(e) will speak clearly and fluently.

A fool will no longer be called a noble,^(f) nor a scoundrel said to be important.

For a fool speaks foolishness and his mind plots iniquity. He lives in a godless way and speaks falsely about the Lord . He leaves the hungry empty and deprives the thirsty of drink.^(g)

The scoundrel's weapons are destructive; he hatches plots to destroy the needy with lies, even when the poor says what is right.

But a noble person plans noble things; he stands up for noble causes.

Stand up, you complacent women;^(h) listen to me. Pay attention to what I say, you overconfident daughters.

In a little more than a year you overconfident ones will shudder, for the vintage will fail and the harvest will not come.

Shudder, you complacent ones; tremble, you overconfident ones! Strip yourselves bare⁽ⁱ⁾ and put sackcloth around your waists.

Beat your breasts in mourning^(j) for the delightful fields and the fruitful vines,^(k)

for the ground of my people growing thorns and briers,^(l) indeed, for every joyous house in the joyful city.

For the palace will be forsaken, the busy city abandoned. The hill and the watchtower will become barren places forever, the joy of wild donkeys, and a pasture for flocks,

until the Spirit from heaven is poured out on us.^(m) Then the desert will become an orchard, and the orchard will seem like a forest.⁽ⁿ⁾

Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the orchard.

The result of righteousness will be peace;^(o) the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.

Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place, in safe and secure dwellings.

But hail will level the forest,^[a](p) and the city will sink into the depths.^(q)

Those who sow seed are happy beside abundant waters;^(r) they let ox and donkey range freely.^(s)

Woe, you destroyer never destroyed, you traitor never betrayed! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you have finished betraying, they will betray you.^(a)

Lord , be gracious to us! We wait for You.^(b) Be our strength every morning and our salvation in time of trouble.^(c)

The peoples flee at the thunderous noise;^(d) the nations scatter when You rise in Your majesty.

Your spoil will be gathered as locusts are gathered; people will swarm over it like an infestation of locusts.

The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.

There will be times of security for you— a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure.^(e)

Listen! Their warriors cry loudly in the streets; the messengers of peace weep bitterly.^(f)

The highways are deserted; travel has ceased. An agreement has been broken,^(g) cities^[a] despised, and human life disregarded.

The land mourns and withers;^(h) Lebanon is ashamed and decayed. Sharon is like a desert; Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.

"Now I will rise up,"⁽ⁱ⁾ says the Lord . "Now I will lift Myself up. Now I will be exalted.

You will conceive chaff;^(j) you will give birth to stubble. Your breath is fire that will consume you.

The peoples will be burned to ashes, like thorns cut down and burned in a fire.

You who are far off, hear what I have done; you who are near,^(k) know My strength."

The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling seizes the ungodly: "Who among us can dwell with a consuming fire?^(l) Who among us can dwell with ever-burning flames?"

The one who lives righteously and speaks rightly,^(m) who refuses gain from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears from listening to murderous plots^[b] and shuts his eyes to avoid endorsing evil^[c](n)—

he will dwell on the heights; his refuge will be the rocky fortresses, his food provided, his water assured.

Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;^(o) you will see a vast land.^(p)

Your mind will meditate on the past terror: "Where is the accountant?^[d] Where is the tribute collector?^[e] Where is the one who spied out our defenses?"^[f]

You will no longer see the barbarians, a people whose speech is difficult to comprehend— who stammer in a language that is not understood.^(q)

Look at Zion, the city of our festival times. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful pasture,^(r) a tent that does not wander; its tent pegs will not be pulled up nor will any of its cords be loosened.^(s)

For the majestic One, our Lord , will be there,^(t) a place of rivers and broad streams where ships that are rowed will not go, and majestic vessels will not pass.^(u)

For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our lawgiver,^(v) the Lord is our King. He will save us.^(w)

Your ropes are slack; they cannot hold the base of the mast or spread out the flag. Then abundant spoil will be divided, the lame will plunder it,

and none there will say, "I am sick." The people who dwell there will be forgiven^(x) their iniquity.^(y)

You nations, come here and listen; you peoples, pay attention!^(a) Let the earth hear, and all that fills it, the world and all that comes from it.^(b)

The Lord is angry with all the nations— furious with all their armies.^(c) He will set them apart for destruction,^(d) giving them over to slaughter.

Their slain will be thrown out, and the stench of their corpses will rise;^(e) the mountains will flow^[a] with their blood.^(f)

All^[b] the heavenly bodies^(g) will dissolve. The skies will roll up like a scroll,^(h) and their stars will all wither as leaves wither on the vine, and foliage on the fig tree.⁽ⁱ⁾

When My sword has drunk its fill^[c](j) in the heavens, it will then come down on Edom^(k) and on the people I have set apart for destruction.

The Lord 's sword is covered with blood. It drips with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams.^(l) For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah,^(m) a great slaughter in the land of Edom.

The wild oxen will be struck^[d] down with them, and young bulls with the mighty bulls. Their land will be soaked with^[e] blood, and their soil will be saturated with fat.

For the Lord has a day of vengeance,⁽ⁿ⁾ a time of paying back Edom for its hostility against Zion.

Edom's streams will be turned into pitch, her soil into sulfur;^(o) her land will become burning pitch.

It will never go out—day or night. Its smoke will go up forever.^(p) It will be desolate, from generation to generation; no one will pass through it forever and ever.^(q)

The desert owl^[f] and the screech owl^[g] will possess it, and the great owl and the raven will dwell there.^(r) The Lord will stretch out a measuring line and a plumb line over her for her destruction and chaos.^(s)

No nobles will be left to proclaim a king, and all her princes will come to nothing.

Her palaces will be overgrown with thorns; her fortified cities, with thistles and briers.^(t) She will become a dwelling for jackals, an abode^[h] for ostriches.^(u)

The desert creatures will meet hyenas, and one wild goat will call to another. Indeed, the screech owl will stay there and will find a resting place for herself.

The sand partridge^[i] will make her nest there; she will lay and hatch her eggs and will gather her brood under her shadow. Indeed, the birds of prey will gather there, each with its mate.^(v)

Search and read the scroll of the Lord :^(w) Not one of them will be missing, none will be lacking its mate, because He has ordered it by my^[j] mouth, and He will gather them by His Spirit.

He has ordained a lot for them; His hand allotted their portion with a measuring line. They will possess it forever;^(x) they will dwell in it from generation to generation.

The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.^[a][b](a)

It will blossom abundantly and will also rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.^(b) They will see the glory of the Lord ,^(c) the splendor of our God.^(d)

Strengthen the weak hands, steady the shaking knees!^(e)

Say to the cowardly: "Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God; vengeance is coming.^(f) God's retribution is coming; He will save you."^(g)

Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.^(h)

Then the lame will leap like a deer,⁽ⁱ⁾ and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy,^(j) for water will gush in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;^(k)

the parched ground will become a pool of water, and the thirsty land springs of water.^(l) In the haunt of jackals,^(m) in their lairs, there will be grass, reeds, and papyrus.

A road will be there and a way;⁽ⁿ⁾ it will be called the Holy Way.^(o) The unclean will not travel on it,^(p) but it will be for the one who walks the path.^(q) Even the fool will not go astray.

There will be no lion there, and no vicious beast will go up on it; they will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk on it,

and the redeemed of the Lord will return^(r) and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.^(s)