'Behold' in the Bible

Listen carefully, the Lord God of hosts is removing from Jerusalem and from JudahBoth supply and support, the whole supply of breadAnd the whole supply of water;

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house (nation) of IsraelAnd the men of Judah are His delightful planting [which He loves].So He looked for justice, but in fact, [He saw] bloodshed and lawlessness;[He looked] for righteousness, but in fact, [He heard] a cry of distress and oppression.

He will lift up a flag to [call] the distant nations [to bring His judgment on Judah],And will whistle for them from the ends of the earth;And indeed, they will come with great speed swiftly.

And in that day they will roar against them (Judah) like the roaring of the sea.And if one looks to the land, in fact, there is darkness and distress;Even the light will be darkened by its clouds.

He touched my mouth with it and said, “Listen carefully, this has touched your lips; your wickedness [your sin, your injustice, your wrongdoing] is taken away and your sin atoned for and forgiven.”

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Listen carefully, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will call his name Immanuel (God with us).

Now therefore, listen carefully, the Lord is about to bring on them the waters of the [Euphrates] River, strong and abundant—The king of Assyria and all his glory;And it will rise over all its channels and canals and go far beyond its banks.

Listen carefully, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for signs and wonders [that will occur] in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.

Then they will look to the earth, they will see only distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be driven away into darkness and overwhelming night.

Listen carefully, the Lord, the God of hosts, will lop off the [beautiful] boughs with terrifying force;The tall in stature will be cut downAnd the lofty will be abased and humiliated.

“Behold, God, my salvation!I will trust and not be afraid,For the Lord God is my strength and song;Yes, He has become my salvation.”

Listen carefully, the day of the Lord is coming,Cruel, with wrath and raging anger,To make the land a horror [of devastation];And He shall exterminate its sinners from it.

Listen carefully, I will put the Medes [in motion] against them,Who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold [and therefore cannot be bribed].

The [mournful, inspired] oracle (a burden to be carried) concerning Damascus [capital of Aram (Syria), and Israel’s defense against Assyria].“Listen carefully, Damascus will cease to be a cityAnd will become a fallen ruin.

At evening time, now look, sudden terror!Before morning the Assyrians are no more.This is the portion (fate) of those who plunder us,And the lot of those who pillage us.

The [mournful, inspired] oracle (a burden to be carried) concerning Egypt:Listen carefully, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt;The idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence,And the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.

‘Listen carefully, the Lord is about to hurl you away violently, O man;And He is about to grasp you firmly

Behold, the Lord lays waste to the earth, devastates it, twists and distorts its face and scatters its inhabitants.

It will be said in that day,“Indeed, this is our God for whom we have waited that He would save us.This is the Lord for whom we have waited;Let us shout for joy and rejoice in His salvation.”

Listen carefully, the Lord is about to come out of His [heavenly] placeTo punish the inhabitants of the earth for their wickedness [their sin, their injustice, their wrongdoing];The earth will reveal the [innocent] blood shed upon herAnd will no longer cover her slain.

Listen carefully, the Lord has a strong and mighty agent [the Assyrian];Like a tempest of hail, a disastrous storm,Like a tempest of mighty overflowing waters,He has cast it down to the earth with His hand.

Therefore the Lord God says this,“Listen carefully, I am laying in Zion a Stone, a tested Stone,A precious Cornerstone for the [secure] foundation, firmly placed.He who believes [who trusts in, relies on, and adheres to that Stone] will not be disturbed or give way [in sudden panic].

Therefore, listen carefully, I will again do marvelous and amazing things with this people, wonderful and astonishing things;And the wisdom of their wise men will perish,And the understanding of their discerning men will be hidden.”

Though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of oppression, yet your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will [constantly] see your Teacher.

Now look, the name of the Lord comes from far away,Burning with His anger, and heavy with smoke;His lips are full of indignation,And His tongue is like a consuming fire.

Behold, a King will reign in righteousness,And princes will rule with justice.

Now look, their brave men shout outside;The ambassadors [seeking a treaty] of peace weep bitterly.

Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;They will see a far-distant land.

For My sword is satiated [with blood] in heaven;Indeed, it will come down for judgment on EdomAnd on the people whom I have doomed for destruction.

Say to those with an anxious and panic-stricken heart,“Be strong, fear not!Indeed, your God will come with vengeance [for the ungodly];The retribution of God will come,But He will save you.”

Listen carefully, you rely on the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him.

Listen carefully, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”’”

Listen carefully, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, utterly destroying them. So will you be rescued?

And the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when the [surviving] men got up early the next morning, they saw all the dead.

“Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘For the Lord, the God of David your father says this, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; listen carefully, I will add fifteen years to your life.

Listen carefully, I will turn the shadow on the stairway [denoting the time of day] ten steps backward, the shadow on the stairway (sundial) of Ahaz.” And the sunlight went ten steps backward on the stairway where it had [previously] gone down.

I said, “I will not see the LordThe Lord in the land of the living;I will no longer see man among the inhabitants of the world.

“Indeed, it was for my own well-being that I had such bitterness;But You have loved back my life from the pit of nothingness (destruction),For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

‘Listen carefully, the days are coming when everything that is in your house and everything that your predecessors have stored up until this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the Lord.

O Zion, herald of good news,Get up on a high mountain.O Jerusalem, herald of good news,Lift up your voice with strength,Lift it up, do not fear;Say to the cities of Judah,“Here is your God!”

Listen carefully, the Lord God will come with might,And His arm will rule for Him.Most certainly His reward is with Him,And His restitution accompanies Him.

In fact, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales;Now look, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.

“Indeed, all those who are angry with you will be put to shame and humiliated;Those who strive against you will be as nothing and will perish.

“In fact, I have made of you a new, sharp threshing implement with sharp edges;You will thresh the mountains and crush them,And make the hills like chaff.

Tell us the things that are to come afterward,That we may know that you are gods;Indeed, you should do something good or do evil, that we may be afraid and fear [you] together [as we observe the miracle].

Hear this! You [idols] are less than nothing,And your work is worthless;The worshiper who chooses you [as a god] is repulsive.

“I was first to say to Zion, ‘Listen carefully, here they are [the Jews who will be restored to their own land].’And to Jerusalem, ‘I will provide a messenger (Isaiah) to bring the good news [that Cyrus will be stirred up and put into action to save them].’

“In fact, all of these [pagan prophets and priests] are false;Their works are worthless,Their cast images are [merely] wind and emptiness.

“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;My Chosen One in whom My soul delights.I have put My Spirit upon Him;He will bring forth justice to the nations.

“Indeed, the former things have come to pass,Now I declare new things;Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

“Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing,Now it will spring forth;Will you not be aware of it?I will even put a road in the wilderness,Rivers in the desert.

In fact, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble, let them stand up, let them be terrified, let them together be put to shame.

“In fact, they are like stubble;Fire burns them.They cannot save themselves from the power of the flame [much less save the nation],There is no blazing coal for warmingNor fire before which to sit!

“They are created now [called into being by the prophetic word] and not long ago;And before today you have not heard of them,So that you will not say, ‘Oh yes! I knew them.’

“Indeed, I have refined you, but not as silver;I have tested and chosen you in the furnace of affliction.

“In fact, these will come from far away;And, lo, these shall come from the north and from the west,And these from the land of Aswan (southern Egypt).”

“Indeed, I have inscribed [a picture of] you on the palms of My hands;Your city walls [Zion] are continually before Me.

“Then [Zion], you will say in your heart,‘Who has borne me these children,Since I have been bereaved of my childrenAnd am barren, an exile and a wanderer?And who has reared these?Indeed, I was left alone;From where then did these children come?’”

This is what the Lord God says,“Listen carefully, I will lift up My hand to the [Gentile] nationsAnd set up My banner to the peoples;And they will bring your sons in the fold of their garments,And your daughters will be carried on their shoulders.

The Lord declares this;“Where is the certificate of divorceBy which I have sent your mother away, [O Israel]?Or to which one of My creditors did I sell you [as slaves]?In fact, You were sold for your wickedness [your sin, your injustice, your wrongdoing],And for your transgressions your mother was sent away.

“Why, when I came, was there no man [to greet Me]?When I called, why was there no one to answer?Is My hand really so short that it cannot redeem [My servants]?Or have I no power to rescue?Listen carefully, with My rebuke I dry up the sea,I make the rivers into a desert;Their fish stink because there is no waterAnd die of thirst.

In fact, the Lord God helps Me;Who is he who condemns Me [as guilty]?Indeed, they will all wear out like a garment;The moth will eat them.

Listen carefully, all you who kindle your own fire [devising your own man-made plan of salvation],Who surround yourselves with torches,Walk by the light of your [self-made] fireAnd among the torches that you have set ablaze.But this you will have from My hand:You will lie down in [a place of] torment.

So says your Lord, the Lord, who is also your GodWho pleads the cause of His people,“Listen carefully, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering and intoxication,The cup of My wrath;You shall never drink it again.

Therefore My people shall know My Name and what it means. Therefore in that day I am the One who is speaking, ‘Here I am.’”

Indeed, My Servant (the Messiah) will act wisely and prosper;He will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted.

“O you afflicted [city], storm-tossed, and not comforted,Listen carefully, I will set your [precious] stones in mortar,And lay your foundations with sapphires.

“If anyone fiercely attacks you it will not be from Me.Whoever attacks you will fall because of you.

“Listen carefully, I have created the smith who blows on the fire of coalsAnd who produces a weapon for its purpose;And I have created the destroyer to inflict ruin.

“Listen carefully, I have appointed him [David, representing the Messiah] to be a witness to the nations [regarding salvation],A leader and commander to the peoples.

“In fact, you [Israel] will call a nation that you do not know,And a nation that does not know you will run to you,Because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel;For He has glorified you.”

Do not let the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,“The Lord will most certainly separate me from His people.”And do not let the eunuch say, “Look, I am a dry tree.”

‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You do not see it?Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’Hear this [O Israel], on the day of your fast [when you should be grieving for your sins] you find something you desire [to do],And you force your hired servants to work [instead of stopping all work, as the law teaches].

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so shortThat it cannot save,Nor His ear so impairedThat it cannot hear.

“For in fact, darkness will cover the earthAnd deep darkness will cover the peoples;But the Lord will rise upon you [Jerusalem]And His glory and brilliance will be seen on you.

The nations will see your righteousness and vindication [by God],And all kings [will see] your glory;And you will be called by a new nameWhich the mouth of the Lord will designate.

Listen carefully, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth,Say to the Daughter of Zion, “Look now, your salvation is coming [in the Lord];Indeed, His reward is with Him, and His restitution accompanies Him.”

You meet him who rejoices in doing that which is morally right,Who remembers You in Your ways.Indeed, You were angry, for we sinned;We have long continued in our sins [prolonging Your anger].And shall we be saved [under such circumstances]?

Do not be angry beyond measure, O Lord,Do not remember our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing] forever.Now look, consider, for we are all Your people.

“Indeed, it is written before Me,I will not keep silent, but I will repay;I will even repay it [directly] into their arms,

Therefore, the Lord God says this,“Listen carefully, My servants will eat, but you will be hungry;Indeed, My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty;Indeed, My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.

“Indeed, My servants will shout for joy from a happy heart,But you will cry out with a heavy heart,And you shall wail and howl from a broken spirit.

“Behold, I am creating new heavens and a new earth;And the former things [of life] will not be remembered or come to mind.

“But be glad and rejoice forever over what I create;Behold, I am creating Jerusalem to be a source of rejoicingAnd her people a joy.

For the Lord says this, “Behold, I extend peace to her (Jerusalem) like a river,And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;And you will be nursed, you will be carried on her hip and [playfully] rocked on her knees.

For indeed, the Lord will come in fireAnd His chariots will be like the stormy wind,To render His anger with rage,And His rebuke with flames of fire.