New Life

¹ A shoot will grow up from the stump of Jesse; a branch will sprout from his roots. ² The LORD’s spirit will rest upon him, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of planning and strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD. ³ He will delight in fearing the LORD. He won’t judge by appearances, nor decide by hearsay. ⁴ He will judge the needy with righteousness, and decide with equity for those who suffer in the land. He will strike the violent with the rod of his mouth; by the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked. ⁵ Righteousness will be the belt around his hips, and faithfulness the belt around his waist. ⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat; the calf and the young lion will feed together, and a little child will lead them. ⁷ The cow and the bear will graze. Their young will lie down together, and a lion will eat straw like an ox. ⁸ A nursing child will play over the snake’s hole; toddlers will reach right over the serpent’s den. ⁹ They won’t harm or destroy anywhere on my holy mountain. The earth will surely be filled with the knowledge of the LORD, just as the water covers the sea. ¹⁰ On that day, the root of Jesse will stand as a signal to the peoples. The nations will seek him out, and his dwelling will be glorious.