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Superscription
1 The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Rebellious Judah
- “I reared children
- and I brought them up,
- but they rebelled against me.
- 3 and a donkey the manger of its master.
- Israel does not know;
- my people do not understand.
- 4 a people heavy with iniquity,
- offspring of evildoers,
- children who deal corruptly.
- They have forsaken Yahweh;
- they have despised the holy one of Israel.
- They are estranged and gone backward.
- 5 You continue in rebellion.
- The whole of the head is sick,
- and the whole of the heart is faint.
- 6 the head there is no health in it;
- bruise and sore and bleeding wound have not been cleansed,
- and they have not been bound up
- and not softened with the oil.
- 7 is desolate, your cities are burned with fire;
- As for your land, aliens are devouring it in your presence,
- and it is desolate, like devastation by foreigners.
- 8 like a shelter in a cucumber field,
- like a city that is besieged.[fn]
- 9 [fn] we would have been as few as Sodom,
- we would have become like Gomorrah.
- 10 Listen to the teaching of our God, people of Gomorrah!
- 11 is the abundance of your sacrifices to me? says Yahweh. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
- and the fat of fattened animals
- and I do not delight in the blood of bulls
- 12 who asked for this from your hand:
- you trampling my courts?
- 13 [fn] to bring offerings[fn] of futility, incense—it is an abomination to me;
- new moon and Sabbath, the calling of a convocation—
- I cannot endure iniquity with solemn assembly.
- 14 they have become to me like a burden,
- I am not able to bear them.
- 15 I will hide my eyes from you;
- even though you make many prayers,[fn]
- Your hands are full of blood.
- 16 Remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes!
- Cease to do evil!
- 17 Seek justice! Rescue the oppressed!
- Defend the orphan! Plead for the widow!
- 18 “Even though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white like snow;
- even though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
- 19 you shall eat the good of the land.
20 by the sword.For the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.”
Purifying Jerusalem
- 21 Full of justice, righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.
- 22 as dross; Your wine is diluted with waters.
- 23 are rebels and companions of thieves.
- Every one loves a bribe
- They do not defend the orphan
- and the legal dispute of the widow does not come before them.
- 24 “Ah, I will be relieved of my enemies,
- and I will avenge myself on my foes.
- 25 I will purify your dross like lye,
- and I will remove all of your tin.
- 26 and your counselors, as at the beginning.
- After this[fn] the city of righteousness,
- faithful city.
- 27 and those of her who repent, by righteousness.
- 28 the destruction of rebels and sinners shall be together, and those who forsake Yahweh will perish.
- 29 [fn] will be ashamed of the oaks in which you delighted, and you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen.
- 30 and like a garden where there is no water for her.
- 31 man shall become like tinder, and his work like a spark.
- And both of them shall burn together,
- and there is not one to quench them.”
The Mountain of Yahweh
2 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
- 2 the mountain of the house[fn] of Yahweh shall be established;
- it will be among the highest[fn] of the mountains,
- and it shall be raised from the hills.
- All of the nations shall travel to him;
- 3 And they shall say,
- “Come, let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh,
- to the house[fn] of the God of Jacob,
- and may he teach us part of his ways,
- and let us walk in his paths.”
- For instruction shall go out from Zion,
- and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.
- 4 and he shall arbitrate for many peoples.
- They shall beat their swords into ploughshares
- and their spears into pruning hooks.
- A nation shall not lift up a sword against a nation,
- and they shall not learn war again.
The Day of Yahweh
5 - 6 because they are full[fn] from the east,
- and of soothsayers like the Philistines,
- and[fn] with the offspring of foreigners.
- 7 with silver and gold, and there is no end to its treasures;
- and its land is filled with horses,
- and there is no end to its chariots.
- 8 with idols; they bow down to the work of their[fn] hands,
- to what they made with their[fn] fingers.
- 9 everyone is humbled,
- and you must not forgive them.
- 10 and hide yourself in the dust
- from the presence of the terror of Yahweh
- and from the glory of his majesty.
- 11 [fn] of humanity will[fn] be brought low, and the pride of everyone will be humbled,
- and Yahweh alone will be exalted on that day.
- 12 there is a day for Yahweh of hosts against all of the proud and the lofty
- and against all that is lifted up and humble,[fn]
- 13 and against all the large trees of Bashan,
- 14 and against all the lofty hills,
- 15 and against every kind of fortified wall,
- 16 and against all the ships of desire.
- 17 and the pride of everyone shall be brought low,
- and Yahweh alone will be exalted on that day.
18
- 19 the caves of the rocks and into the holes of the ground
- from the presence of the terror of Yahweh
- and from the glory of his majesty
- [fn] to terrify the earth.
- 20 and its idols of gold,
- which they made for it to worship,
- to the rodents[fn] and to the bats—
- 21 and into the clefts of the crags
- from the presence of the terror of Yahweh
- and from the glory of his majesty,
- [fn] to terrify the earth.
- 22 who has breath in its nostrils,[fn]
- for by[fn] what is it esteemed?
Leaders of Judah and Jerusalem
- from Jerusalem and from Judah:
- all of the supplies of bread
- and all of the supplies of water,
- 2 judge and prophet,
- and diviner and elder,
- 3 and counselor and skillful magicians and skillful enchanter.
- 4 and children shall rule over them.
- 5 [fn] and a man by his neighbor.
- The boy will act arrogantly toward the elder,
- and the dishonorable toward the honorable.
- 6 in the house of his father:
- “[fn]
- you shall be a leader for us,
- and this heap of ruins shall be under your hand!”
- 7 his voice on that day, saying, “I will not be a healer;
- in my house there is no bread
- You shall not make me the leader of the people!”
- 8 and Judah has fallen
- because their speech and their deeds are against Yahweh,
- defying the eyes of his glory.
- 9 and they declare their sin like Sodom;
- Woe to their soul!
- For they have dealt out evil to themselves.
- 10 the innocent[fn] that it is good for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.
- 11 [fn] It is bad! For what is done by his hands will be done to him.
- 12 and women rule over them.
- My people, your leaders are misleading you,
- and they confuse the course of your paths.
- 13 and takes his stand to judge the peoples.
- 14 “And you! You have devoured the vineyard;
- the spoil of the poor is in your houses!
- 15 [fn] do you crush my people and grind the face of the poor?”
declares[fn] the Lord Yahweh of hosts.
The Pride of Jerusalem’s Women
- 16 [fn] the daughters of Zion are haughty, and they walk with outstretched neck,
- and they give flirting glances with their eyes,
- and[fn]
- 17 [fn] of the daughters of Zion scabby, and Yahweh will lay their foreheads bare.”
- 18 and the headbands and the crescent necklaces,
19 - 20 and the[fn] and the amulets,
21 - 22 and the cloaks and the handbags,
- 23 and the turbans and the wraps.
- 24 a stench instead of perfume,
- and a rope instead of a sash,
- and baldness instead of a well-set hairdo,
- and a clothing wrap of sackcloth instead of a rich robe,
- branding instead of beauty.
- 25 and your warriors in battle.
- 26 [fn] gates shall lament and mourn, and she shall be banished;
- she shall sit upon the ground.
“We will eat our own bread,
- and we will wear our own clothing;
- only[fn]
The Glory of the Branch of Yahweh
- 2 and the fruit of the land shall become the pride and glory of the survivors[fn] of Israel.
- 3 and he who remains in Jerusalem will be called holy,
- everyone written for life in Jerusalem,
- 4 and cleansed the blood of Jerusalem from her midst
- by a spirit of judgment
- and by a spirit of burning.
- 5 [fn] of [fn] and over her assembly a cloud by day
- and smoke and the brightness of flaming fire by night.
- Indeed, over all the glory there will be a canopy,
- 6 the heat by day, and a refuge and a hiding place from rainstorm and from rain.
The Song of the Vineyard
- a song of my love concerning his vineyard:
- [fn] on [fn]
- 2 and he planted it with choice vines,[fn]
- and he built a watchtower in the middle of it,
- and he even hewed out a wine vat in it,
- and he waited for it to yield grapes—
- but it yielded wild grapes.
- 3 and men[fn] of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.
- 4 was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? Why did I hope for it to yield grapes, and it yielded wild grapes?
- 5 And now let me tell you what I myself am about to do to my vineyard.I will remove its hedge, and it shall become a devastation.
- I will break down its wall, and it shall become a trampling.
- 6 it shall not be pruned and hoed,
- and it shall be overgrown with briers[fn] and thornbushes.[fn]
- And concerning the clouds, I will command[fn] rain down upon it.
- 7 is the house of Israel, and the man[fn] of Judah is the plantation of his delight.
- And he waited for justice,[fn]
- For righteousness,[fn]
- but look! A cry of distress![fn]
Woes on the Wicked
- 8 [fn] house with house, they join field together with field
- until[fn]
- and you are caused to dwell alone in the midst of the land.
- 9 Yahweh of hosts said in my ears:[fn] many houses shall become a desolation,
- large and beautiful ones without inhabitant.
- 10 [fn] and the seed of a homer will yield an ephah.[fn]
- 11 they pursue strong drink.
- Those who linger in the evening,
- wine inflames them.
- 12 there will be lyre and harp, tambourine and flute,
- and wine at their feasts,
- but they do not look at the deeds[fn] of Yahweh,
- and they do not see the work of his hands.
- 13 and their[fn] nobles[fn] will be men of hunger,
- and their[fn] multitude is parched with thirst.
- 14 and it has opened wide its mouth without limit,
- and her[fn] nobles[fn] will go down, and her multitude,
- her tumult and those who revel in her.
- 15 and man is brought low,
- and the eyes of the haughty are humiliated.
- 16 and the holy God shows himself holy by righteousness.
- 17 the lambs will graze as in their pasture, and[fn] will eat among the sites of ruins.[fn]
- 18 and sin as with rope of the cart,
- 19 “Let him make haste;
- and let it draw near
- and let the plan of the holy one of Israel come
- 20 those who put darkness for light and light for darkness,
- those who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
- 21 Those who are wise in their own eyes and have understanding[fn]
- 22 and men of capability at mixing strong drink!
- 23 and remove the justice of the innocent from him.
- 24 and dry grass sinks down in the flame,
- so their root will become like the stench,
- and their blossom will go up like the dust.
- For they have rejected the instruction of Yahweh of hosts,
- and they have treated the word of the holy one of Israel with contempt.
- 25 [fn] against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them[fn] and struck them,[fn]
- and the mountains quaked,
- and their corpses[fn] were like refuse in the middle of the streets.
Yahweh’s Outstretched Hand
- In all of this his anger has not turned back,
- and still his hand is stretched out.
- 26 [fn] from afar, and he will whistle for it from the end of the earth.
- And look! It comes quickly, swiftly!
- 27 is weary, and none among him stumbles;
- none slumbers and none sleeps.
- And no loincloth on his waist is opened,
- and no thong of his sandals is drawn away.
- 28 and all of his bows are bent.
- The hoofs of his horses are reckoned like flint,
- and his wheels like the storm wind.
- 29 is like the lion, and he roars like young lions.
- And he growls and seizes his prey,
- and he carries it off,
- and not one can rescue it.
- 30 like the roaring of the sea,
- and if one looks to the land, look! Darkness! Distress!
- And the light grows dark with its[fn] clouds.
Isaiah’s Commission
6 In the year of the death of Uzziah the king,I saw the Lord sitting on a high and raised throne,
and the hem of his robe was filling the temple.
2 Seraphs were standing above him. Each had six wings:[fn] with two he covered his face,
and with two he covered his feet,
and with two he flew.
- 3 And the one called to the other and said,“Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh of hosts!
- 4 And the pivots of the thresholds shook from the sound of those who called,and the house[fn] was filled with smoke.
- 5 And I said, “Woe to me! For I am destroyed![fn] For I am a man[fn]
- and I am living among[fn] a people [fn]
- for my eyes have seen the king, Yahweh of hosts!”
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me,and in his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs.
- 7 And he touched my mouth, and he said,“Look! This has touched your lips
- and has removed your guilt,
- and your sin is annulled.”
- 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,“Whom shall I send?
And I said,
9 And he said,“Go and say to this people,
- ‘Keep on listening and do not comprehend!
- And keep on looking and do not understand!’
- 10 and make its ears unresponsive,
- and shut its eyes
- so that it may not look with its eyes
- and listen with its ears
- and comprehend with its mind
- and turn back, and it may be healed for him.”
11 Then I said,“Until when, Lord?”
And he said,
- “Until the cities lie wasted without inhabitant,
- and houses without people,
- and the land is ruined and a waste,
- 12 and the abandonment is great in the midst of the land.
- 13 [fn] [fn] like a terebinth or like an oak,
- which although felled, a tree stump remains in them.
- The seed of holiness will be her tree stump.”
The Sign to Ahaz
7 This happened in the days of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah. Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went[fn] up to Jerusalem for warfare against it,[fn] but he was not able to fight against it.[fn] 2 When it was reported to the house of David, saying “Aram stands by Ephraim,” his heart and the heart of his people shook like the shaking of the trees of the forest because of the wind.
3 Then Yahweh said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway of the washer’s field. 4 And you must say to him, ‘Take heed and be quiet! You must not fear, and your heart must not be faint because of these two stumps of smoldering firebrands, because of the fierce anger of[fn] Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Aram has plotted evil against you with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and let us tear her apart, and let us lay it open and so bring it unto ourselves,[fn] and let us install the son of Tabeel as king in her midst.” 7 Thus says the Lord Yahweh, “It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass. 8 For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin, and in sixty-five years from now Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. 9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not believe then you will not endure.” ’ ”
10 And Yahweh continued to speak to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask for a sign for yourself from Yahweh God; make it deep as Sheol or make it high as above.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put Yahweh to the test.”
13 Then he said, “Hear, house of David! Is it too little for you to make men weary, that you should also make my God weary? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you[fn] a sign. Look! the virgin[fn] is with child and she is about to give birth to a son, and she shall call his name ‘God with us.’ 15 He shall eat curds and honey until he knows to reject the evil and to choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows to reject the evil and to choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be abandoned.[fn]
That Day
17 “Yahweh will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your ancestor[fn] days that have not come since the day Ephraim departed from Judah: the king of Assyria.” 18 And this shall happen: On that day, Yahweh will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the stream of Egypt and the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And all of them will come and settle in the rivers of the cliffs and in the clefts of the rocks and on all of the thornbushes and watering places. 20 On that day, the Lord will shave the head and the hair of the feet with a razor of the one hired from beyond the river—with the king of Assyria—and it will even take off the beard. 21 And this shall happen: on that day, a young man will keep a young cow of the herd and two sheep alive. 22 And this shall happen: because of the abundance of milk production, he will eat curds, for every one that is left in the midst of the land will eat curds and honey. 23 And this shall happen on that day: Every place where there are a thousand vines[fn] for a thousand silver pieces will become briers,[fn] and it will be thornbushes.[fn] 24 One will go there with arrows and bow, for all of the land will be briers[fn] and thornbushes.[fn] 25 And as for all of the hills that they hoed with the hoe, you will not go there, for fear of briers[fn] and thornbushes.[fn] And it will become like pastureland for cattle and overtrodden land for sheep.
Signs of the Assyrian Invasion
8 Then Yahweh said to me, “Take yourself a large tablet and write on it with a common stylus pen: Maher-Halal-Hash-Baz. 2 And I will require reliable witnesses as a witness for me: Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah.” 3 And I approached the prophetess, and she conceived, and she gave birth to a son. And Yahweh said to me, “Call his name Maher-Halal-Hash-Baz. 4 For before the boy knows to call ‘my father’ and ‘my mother,’ one will carry away the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria in the presence of the king of Assyria.”
Shiloah Waters and Euphrates Flood
5 And Yahweh continued to speak to me again, saying,
6 “Because this people has refused the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoices over Rezin and the son of Remaliah,
- 7 therefore look! The Lord is bringing up the waters of the great and mighty river against them, the king of Assyria and all his glory.And he will rise above all his channels,
- and he will flow over all his banks.
- 8 he will overflow and he will flood up to the neck.
- He will reach, and[fn] God with us.”
- 9 you peoples, and be dismayed. And listen, all distant parts of the earth;
- gird yourselves and be dismayed;
- gird yourselves and be dismayed!
- 10 [fn] but it will be frustrated! Speak a word, but it will not stand,
Wait for Yahweh
- 11 [fn] and he[fn] in the way of this people, saying,
- 12 and you must not[fn] and you must not be in dread.
- 13 and he is your[fn] fear, and he is your dread.
- 14 and like a stumbling-rock for the two houses of Israel,
- like a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
- 15 and they shall fall and they shall be broken,
- and they shall be ensnared and they shall be caught.”
- 16 Bind up the testimony;seal the teaching among my disciples.
- 17 and I will await him.
18 Look! I and the children whom Yahweh has given to me are like signs and portents in Israel from Yahweh of hosts, the one who dwells on the mountain of Zion. 19 Now if they tell you, “Consult the ghosts and the spirits, those who chirp and those who mutter. Should not a people consult its gods, the dead on behalf of the living, 20 for teaching and for testimony?” surely they who speak like this have no dawn.[fn]
21 And it[fn] will pass through it[fn] distressed and hungry, and this shall happen: when it is hungry, it will be enraged, and it will curse its king and its gods,[fn] and it will face upwar 22 or look to the earth. But look! Distress and darkness, the gloom of affliction! And it will be thrust into darkness!
New Light: The Birth of a King
9 [fn] But there will be no gloom for those who were in distress.[fn] In former times he[fn] treated the land of Zebulun and Naphtali with contempt, but in the future he will honor the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
- 2 light has shined on those who lived in a land of darkness.
- 3 you have not[fn] made the joy great.
- They rejoice in your presence as with joy at the harvest,
- as they rejoice when they divide plunder.
- 4 and the stick of its shoulder,
- the rod of its oppressor, on[fn] the day of Midian.
- 5 [fn] and garment rolled in blood
- [fn] be for burning—fire fuel.
- 6 a son has been given to us.
- And the dominion will be on his shoulder,
- and his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
- Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
- 7 and to peace there will be no end[fn]
- on[fn] the throne of David and over[fn] his kingdom,
- to establish it[fn] and sustain it
- with justice and righteousness
- The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will do this.
Yahweh’s Anger against Arrogance
- 8 and it fell on Israel.
- 9 Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria
- in pride and arrogance of heart, saying,
- 10 The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stone. The sycamore-fig trees were felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”
- 11 [fn] against him, and he provoked his enemies—
- 12 the east and Philistines[fn] from the west—
- and they devoured Israel with the whole mouth.
- He has not turned away his anger in all of this,
- and his hand is still stretched out.
- 13 [fn] and they did not seek Yahweh of hosts.
- 14 palm branch and reed in one day.
- 15 [fn] and [fn] are the head, and prophets[fn] who teach lies[fn] are the tail.
- 16 them, and those who were led were confused.
- 17 and he did not have compassion on its orphans and widows,
- for everyone was godless and an evildoer,
- and every mouth was speaking folly.
- In all of this his anger did not turn away,
- and still his hand is stretched out.
- 18 it consumed brier and thorn.
- And it kindled the thickets of the forest,
- and they swirled upward in a column of smoke.
- 19 and the people became like fire fuel.
- [fn]
- 20 the right but still were hungry and devoured on the left but they were not satisfied.
- Each one devoured the flesh of his arm,
- Manasseh devoured Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh;
- together they were against Judah.
- In all of this his anger has not turned away,
- and still his hand is stretched out.
Woes on the Wicked
- and writers who have written harm,
- 2 the needy away from legal claims,[fn] and to rob the justice from the poor of my people,
- to make widows their spoil;
- and they plunder orphans.
- 3 the day of punishment, and at calamity? It comes from afar!
- To whom will you flee for help,
- and where will you leave your wealth,
- 4 and fall under the slain[fn]
- In all of this his anger has not turned away,
- and still his hand is stretched out.
Judgment on Assyria’s Arrogance
- 5 and a staff is in their hand: my wrath!
- 6 and I command him against the people of my wrath,
- to capture spoil
- and to carry off plunder,
- and to make them[fn] a trampling place,
- like the clay of the streets.
- 7 [fn] and his heart does not plan this.
- For it is in his heart to destroy
- and to cut off not a few nations.
- 8 Are not my commanders altogether kings?
- 9 Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad?
- Is not Samaria like Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols[fn] —and their images were greater than those of[fn] Jerusalem and Samaria—
11 shall I not do to Jerusalem and its idolswhat I have done to Samaria and her idols?”
12 And this shall happen: when the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion[fn] and Jerusalem, “I will punish the arrogance[fn] of the king of Assyria andhis haughtiness.”[fn]
- 13 For he says,“I have done it by the strength of my hand
- and by my wisdom, for I have understanding,
- and I have removed the boundaries of peoples,
- and I have plundered their stores,
- and like a bull I have brought down[fn]
- 14 a nest, the wealth of the peoples, and like the gathering of forsaken eggs, I myself have gathered all the earth.
- And there was no fluttering wing or open mouth or chirp.”
- 15 or the saw magnify itself against the one who moves it to and fro?
- [fn]
- [fn]
- 16 and a burning like the burning of fire will burn under his glory.
- 17 and his holy one like a flame,
- and it will burn and devour his thorns[fn] and briers[fn] in one day.
- 18 [fn] and it will be like the wasting away of one who is sick.
- 19 [fn] of his forest will be a small number, and a boy can write them down.
The Return of the Remnant
- 20 [fn] of the house of Jacob will not continue to lean on the one who struck it but will lean on Yahweh, the holy one of Israel, in truth.
- 21 the remnant of Jacob—to the mighty God.
- 22 only a remnant of it will return.
- Annihilation is determined,
- overflowing with righteousness.
- 23 is about to make a complete destruction and a determined end in the midst of all the earth.
24 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh of hosts:“My people who live in Zion, you must not be afraid of Assyria.
- It beats you with the rod,
- and it lifts up its staff against you[fn]
- 25 My indignation will come to an end[fn] and my anger will be directed to their destruction.”
- 26 as when Midian was defeated at the rock of Oreb;
- and his staff will be over the sea,
- and he will lift him up[fn]
- 27 And this shall happen: on that day,he will remove his burden from your shoulder
- and his yoke from your neck,
- [fn]
- 28 he has passed through Migron;
- at Micmash he deposited his baggage.
- 29 the pass; Geba is a place of overnight lodging for us.
- Ramah trembles;
- Gibeah of Saul has fled.
- 30 with your voice; Laishah, listen!
- [fn]
- 31 The inhabitants of Gebim bring themselves into safety!
- 32 [fn] [fn] at Nob, he will shake his fist at the mountain of the daughter[fn] of Zion,
- at the hill of Jerusalem.
- 33 the branches[fn] with great power, and[fn] will be felled,
- and the[fn] will be brought low.
- 34 and Lebanon will fall by the mighty one.
The Branch’s Righteous Reign
- and a branch from its roots will bear fruit.
- 2 a spirit of wisdom and understanding,
- a spirit of counsel and might,
- a spirit of knowledge and the fear of Yahweh.
- 3 [fn] is in the fear of Yahweh. And he shall judge not by his eyesight,
- and he shall rebuke not by[fn] his ears.
- 4 the poor with righteousness, and he shall decide for the needy of the earth with rectitude.
- And he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
- and he shall kill the wicked person with the breath of his lips.
- 5 and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
- 6 [fn] with a lamb, and a leopard shall lie down with a kid,
- and a calf and a lion and a fatling together
- [fn] them.
- 7 their young shall lie down together.
- And a lion shall eat straw like the cattle.
- 8 [fn] shall play over a serpent’s hole, and[fn] shall put his hand on a viper’s hole.
- 9 [fn] for the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh,
- as the waters cover the sea.
- 10 And this shall happen on that day:the nations shall inquire of the root of Jesse,
- which shall be standing as a signal to the peoples,
- and his resting place shall be glorious.
The Regathered Remnant
- 11 And this shall happen on that day:The Lord will again extend his hand a second time
- to acquire the remnant of his people that is left,
- from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the coastlands of the sea,
- 12 And he will gather the outcasts of Israel,
- and he will gather the scattered ones of Judah together from the four[fn] of the earth.
- 13 and the enemies of Judah shall be cut off.
- Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah,
- and Judah shall not be an enemy of Ephraim.
- 14 [fn] upon the Philistine shoulder,[fn] [fn] Together they shall plunder the sons of the east.
- Edom and Moab[fn]
- and the sons of Ammon will be their subjugated people.
- 15 [fn] the tongue[fn] of the sea of Egypt,[fn] and he will wave his hand over the river[fn] with his scorching wind;
- and he will strike it into seven streams,
- and he will[fn]
- 16 as there was for Israel[fn] it went up from the land of Egypt.
A Song of Thanksgiving
- “I will give you thanks, Yahweh,
- for though you were angry with me,
- your anger turned away,
- and you comforted me.
- 2 is my salvation; I will trust, and I will not be afraid,
- for my strength and might is Yah, Yahweh;
- and he has become salvation for me.”
3 And you will draw water from the wells of salvation in joy.
- 4 And you will say on that day,“Give thanks to Yahweh;
- Make his deeds known among the peoples;
- bring to remembrance that his name is exalted.
- 5 to Yahweh, for he has done a glorious thing; this is known in all the earth.
- 6 for the holy one of Israel is great in your midst.”
An Oracle against Babylon
13 The oracle of Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw:
- 2 lift up your voice to them;
- wave the hand and may they enter the gateways of the noblemen.
- 3 I have also summoned my mighty warriors concerning my anger,
- the[fn] my majesty.
- 4 is on the mountains, the likeness of many people!
- A sound of the roar of the kingdoms,
- Yahweh of hosts is mustering an army for battle.
- 5 They are coming from a distant land, from the end of the heavens,
- Yahweh and the weapons of his indignation,
- to destroy[fn]
- 6 is near; it will come like destruction from Shaddai![fn]
- 7 and every human heart will melt,
- 8 Pangs and labor pains will seize them;
- they will tremble like a woman giving birth.
- [fn]
- [fn]
- 9 is coming, cruel and wrath and the burning of anger,
- to make the earth a desolation,
- and he will destroy its sinners from it.
- 10 the sun will keep back when it comes out,
- and the moon will not cause its light to shine.
- 11 the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity.
- And I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant,
- and I will bring the haughtiness of tyrants low.
- 12 and humankind more than the gold of Ophir.
- 13 the heavens tremble, and the earth will quake from its place
- because of the wrath of Yahweh of hosts,
- and in the day his anger burns.
- 14 And this shall happen:like a hunted gazelle or sheep[fn]
- they will each turn to his own people,
- and they will each flee to his own land.
- 15 and everyone who is carried away will fall by the sword.
- 16 their houses will be plundered, and their wives will be raped.[fn]
- 17 am stirring the Medes up against them, who do not value silver
- and do not delight in gold.
- 18 their bows will shatter young men. And they will not show mercy on the fruit of the womb;
- their eyes will not look compassionately on children.
19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be like when God overthrew[fn] Sodom and Gomorrah.
- 20 and it will not be dwelled in[fn]
- and no Arab will pitch a tent there,
- and shepherds will not allow their flocks to lie down there.
- 21 and their houses will be full of howling creatures,
- and the daughters of ostriches[fn] will live there,
- and goats will dance there.
- 22 and jackals in the pleasure palaces;
- and its time[fn]
- and its days will not be prolonged.
The Restoration of Israel
- and he will again choose Israel
- and set them on their land,
- and the immigrant will join himself to them,
- and they will attach themselves to the house of Jacob.
- 2 the nations will take them and bring them to their place,
- and the house of Israel will take possession of them[fn] in the land of Yahweh
- as slaves and female slaves.
And this will happen:
- they will take their captors captive
- and rule over their oppressors.
The Downfall of the King of Babylon
3 And it shall happen on the day Yahweh gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and hard labor which you had to perform,[fn]
- “How the oppressor has ceased!
- his insolence[fn] has ceased.
- 5 the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers,
- 6 the peoples in wrath, a blow without ceasing, that ruled the nations in anger
- [fn]
- 7 and is quiet; they break forth into singing.
- 8 the cypresses rejoice over you, the cedars of Lebanon:
- ‘Since you were laid down,
- no wood cutter comes up against us.’
- 9 to meet[fn]
- it arouses the dead spirits for you,
- all of the leaders of the earth.
- It raises all of the kings of the nations from their thrones.
- 10 ‘You yourself also were made weak like us!
- You have become the same as us!’
- 11 to Sheol, and the sound of your harps;
- maggots[fn] are spread out beneath you like a bed,
- and your covering is worms.[fn]
- 12 You are cut down to the ground, conqueror of nations!
- 13 And you yourself said in your heart,‘I will ascend to heaven;
- I will raise up my throne above the stars of God;
- and I will sit on the mountain of assembly
- on the summit of Zaphon;[fn]
- 14 the high places of the clouds,[fn] I will make myself like the Most High.’
- 15 to the depths of the pit.
- 16 they will look closely at you:
- ‘ Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
- who caused kingdoms to shake,
- 17 the world like the desert and destroyed its cities,
- who would not let his prisoners go home?’
- 18 the kings of the nations, all of them, lie in glory, each one in his house.
- 19 as for you, you are thrown away from your grave, like an abhorrent shoot,
- clothed with the slain,
- those pierced by the sword,
- those who go down to the stones of the pit,
- like a corpse that is trodden down.
- 20 because you have destroyed your land,
- you have killed your people.
The descendants[fn] of evildoers will not be mentioned for eternity!
- 21 because of the sin of their ancestors.[fn]
- Let them not rise and take possession of the earth
- or fill up the face of the world with cities.”
22 declares[fn] Yahweh of hosts,
- “and I will cut off name and a remnant from Babylon,
- and offspring and posterity,”
declares[fn] Yahweh.
- 23 the hedgehog, and pools of water,
- and I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction,”
declares[fn] Yahweh of hosts.
Oracle of Judgment on Assyria
- 24 Yahweh of hosts has sworn, saying,“[fn] just as I have intended, so it shall be.
- And just as I have planned, it shall stand:
- 25 and I will trample him down on my mountains;
- and he shall remove his yoke from them,
- and he shall remove his burden from his[fn] shoulders.”[fn]
- 26 is the plan that is planned concerning all of the earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out over all of the nations.
- 27 it? And his hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?
Oracle of Judgment on Philistia
28 In the year of the death of king Ahaz there was this oracle:
- 29 that the rod that struck you is broken,
- for a viper will come forth from the root of the snake,
- and its fruit will be a flying serpent.
- 30 the firstborn of the poor will graze, and the needy will lie down in security;
- but I will cause your root to die in famine,
- and it will kill your remnant.
- 31 Melt,[fn] Philistia, all of you!
- For smoke is coming from the north,
- and there is no straggler in his ranks.
- 32 And what will one answer the messengers of the nation?That Yahweh has founded Zion,
- and the needy of his people will take refuge in it.
Oracle of Judgment on Moab
- 15 An oracle of Moab:Because Ar is devastated in a night, Moab is destroyed;
- because Kir of Moab is devastated in a night, it is destroyed.
- 2 to the house,[fn] and Dibon to the high places
- for weeping over Nebo,
- and Moab wails over Medeba.
- [fn]
- every beard is shaved.
- 3 with sackcloth in its streets; on its roofs and public squares everyone wails,
- 4 [fn] out, their voice is heard as far as Jahaz;
- therefore the armed ones of Moab cry out;
- its soul quivers[fn] for him.
- 5 its fugitives flee up to Zoar,
- to Eglath-shelishiyah.
- For at the ascent of Luhith it goes up it with weeping;
- for on the road of Horonaim they raise up a cry of destruction.
- 6 for the grass has withered,
- the vegetation has vanished,
- there is no greenness.
- 7 the abundance it has made and their store of goods over the river of the poplars.
- 8 a cry for help has encircled the territory of Moab, her wailing is heard as far as Eglaim,
- and her wailing as far as Beer Elim.
- 9 [fn] are full of blood; but I will place added things upon Dimon:
- a lion for the survivors[fn] of Moab
- and for the remnant of the land.
- from Sela across the desert to the mountain of[fn]
- 2 And this shall be:like a bird fleeing from a thrust away nest
- shall be the daughters of Moab at the fords of Arnon.
- 3 make a decision;
- make your shade like the night
- in the middle of noonday.
- Hide the outcasts;
- you must not betray the fugitive.
- 4 of Moab dwell as aliens among you; be a hiding place for them from the presence of the destroyer.”
- When the oppressor is no more, destruction has stopped,
- the[fn] disappeared from the land,
- 5 and one shall sit on it in faithfulness, in the tent of David,
- judging and seeking justice
- and zealous for righteousness.
- 6 of the pride of Moab—exceedingly proud— of his arrogance, pride, and insolence;[fn]
- 7 all of it wails for Moab,
- for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth you moan,[fn]
- 8 rulers of nations have broken down her tendrils,
- they reached up to Jazer,
- they wandered to the desert;
- her shoots spread abroad,
- they crossed over the sea.
- 9 for the vine of Sibmah. I drench you with my tears,[fn] Heshbon and Elealeh,
- for a jubilant shout has fallen over your summer fruit and harvest.
- 10 [fn] taken away from the fruitful land, and in the vineyards no one exults,
- no one shouts for joy;
- no treader treads wine in the presses;
- I have put to an end to the jubilant shout.
- 11 [fn] like a harp for Moab and my inner parts for Kir-heres.
- 12 And this shall happen:when Moab appears, when it is weary upon the high place
- and it comes to its sanctuary to pray, it will not prevail.
13 This was the word that Yahweh spoke to Moab in the past.[fn] 14 But now Yahweh speaks, saying, “In three years, like the years of a hired worker, the glory of Moab will become contemptible, with all of the great multitude, and the remnant will be a few, small, not strong.
Oracle of Judgment on Damascus
- 17 An oracle of Damascus:“Look! Damascus will cease being a city
- and will become a heap of ruins.
- 2 [fn] they will be for the flocks,
- and they will lie down and[fn] them.
- 3 the fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus;
- and the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the children of Israel,”
declares[fn] Yahweh of hosts.
- 4 “And this shall happen:On that day, the glory of Jacob will be brought low,
- and the fat of his flesh will become lean.
- 5 [fn] standing grain and he reaps grain with his arm,
- and it shall be like one who gathers ears of grain
- in the valley of Rephaim.
- 6 And gleanings will be left over in it, as when an olive tree is beaten,[fn] two or three ripe olive berries in the top of a branch,
- four or five on its fruitful branches,”
declares[fn] Yahweh, the God of Israel.
- 7 and its eyes will look to the holy one of Israel;
- 8 the work of its hands,
- and it will not see what its fingers made
- and the poles of Asherah worship and the incense altars.
9 On that day, its fortified cities[fn] will be like the abandonment of the wooded place and the summit,[fn] which they deserted because of the children of Israel; and there will be desolation.
- 10 and you have not remembered the rock of your refuge;
- therefore you plant plants of pleasantness,
- and you[fn] a vine of a foreigner.
- 11 them grow, and in the morning of your sowing you bring them into bloom,
- yet the harvest will flee[fn] in a day of sickness and incurable pain.
The Roar of the Peoples
- 12 The noise of many peoples, they make a noise like the noise of the seas! And the roar of nations, they roar like the roar of mighty waters!
- 13 The nations roar like the roar of many waters, but he will rebuke him, and he will flee far away.
- And they are chased like chaff of the mountains before the wind
- and like tumbleweed before the storm.
- 14 the time of evening, and look, terror! Before morning he is no more.
- This is the fate of those who plunder us
- and the lot of those who plunder us.
Oracle of Judgment on Cush
- which is beyond the rivers of Cush,
- 2 and in vessels of papyrus on the surface of the waters!
- Go, swift messengers, to a[fn] and [fn] nation,
- a[fn] and trampling[fn] nation,
- whose land rivers divide.
- 3 you inhabitants of the world and dwellers of the earth,
- [fn] mountains, you must look,
- 4 For Yahweh said this to me:“I will be quiet,
- and I will look from my dwelling place
- like[fn]
- like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”
- 5 the harvest,[fn] and a blossom becomes ripening fruit,
- and one cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks,
- and one removes, tears away the tendrils.
- 6 [fn] for birds[fn] of prey of the mountains and for the animals[fn] of the earth.
- And the birds[fn] of prey will pass the summer on it,
- and every animal of the earth will winter on it.
- 7 At that time, a gift[fn] will be brought to Yahweh of hosts from a[fn] and [fn] people,
- and from a people feared near and far,
- a mighty, mighty and trampling nation,
- whose land the rivers divide,
- to the place of the name of Yahweh of hosts,
Oracle of Judgment on Egypt
- 19 An oracle of Egypt:Look! Yahweh is riding on a swift cloud
- And the idols of Egypt will tremble in front of him,
- and the heart of Egypt melts in his inner parts.
- 2 [fn] against [fn] and each one will fight against his brother
- and each one against his neighbor,
- city against city, kingdom against kingdom.
- 3 [fn] will be disturbed in his midst, and I will[fn] his plans,[fn]
- and they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead,
- and the ghosts and the spiritists.
- 4 [fn] into the hand of a hard master, and a powerful king will rule over them,”
- [fn] the Lord Yahweh of hosts.
- 5 the waters will be dried up from the sea, and the river will be parched and dry.
- 6 the rivers will become foul-smelling; the branches of the Nile of Egypt will become little and dry up;
- reed and rush will wither.
- 7 the Nile will be dried up, by the edge of the Nile and all the sown land of the Nile;
- it will be driven about, and[fn]
- 8 and all of those who cast fishhooks[fn] in the Nile will lament,
- and those who spread out fishing nets[fn] on the[fn] of the water will languish.
- 9 the workers of combed flax will be ashamed, and those who weave white linen.
- 10 all the[fn] will be grieved of heart.
- 11 are foolish; the wise of the counselors of Pharaoh give senseless counsel.
- How can you say to Pharaoh,
- “I myself am a son of sages,
- a[fn] of ancient kings”?
- 12 are your sages then? Now, let them tell you,
- and let them know what Yahweh of hosts has planned against Egypt.
- 13 the princes of Memphis are deceived;
- the leaders of her tribes have led Egypt astray.
- 14 and they have caused Egypt to stagger in all of its doings,
- 15 [fn] head or tail, palm branch or reed.
The Future Blessing of Egypt, Assyria, and Egypt
- 16 and will tremble and be afraid
- before the waving hand of Yahweh of hosts
- that he is waving against it.
- 17 everyone to whom one mentions it will be afraid in himself
- because of the plan of Yahweh of hosts that he is planning against him.
- 18 there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the[fn] of Canaan
- and swear an oath to Yahweh of hosts.
- One will be called “City of the Sun.”
- 19 On that day,there will be an altar for Yahweh in in the middle of the land of Egypt,
- and a stone pillar for Yahweh at her border.
20 And it will be a sign and a witness to Yahweh of hosts in the land of Egypt;when they cry out to Yahweh because of oppressors,
- he will send them a savior and a[fn]
- and he will deliver them.
- 21 and Egypt will know Yahweh on that day,
- and they will worship with sacrifice and offering,
- and they will make vows[fn] to Yahweh,
- and they will fulfill them.
- 22 striking and healing;
- and they will return to Yahweh,
- and he will respond to their prayer,
- 23 On that day,there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria,
- and Assyria will come into Egypt,
- and Egypt into Assyria,
- and Egypt will worship together with Assyria.
- 24 On that day,Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria,
- a blessing in the midst of the earth,
- 25 whom Yahweh of hosts blessed, saying,“May Egypt my people be blessed,
- and Assyria, the work of my hands,
- and my inheritance, Israel.”
A Sign regarding Egypt and Cush
20 In the year the commander-in-chief came[fn] to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and he took it,
- 2 at that time, Yahweh had spoken by the hand of Isaiah son of Amoz, saying,“Go and loosen the sackcloth from your loins,
- and take off your sandals[fn] from your feet,”
and he had done so, walking naked and barefoot.
3 Then[fn] Yahweh said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, 4 so shall the king of Assyria lead the captives[fn] of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot, with bared buttocks,[fn] the shame of Egypt.
- 5 and they shall be ashamed
- because of Cush, their hope,
- and because of Egypt, their pride.
6 And the inhabitant[fn] of the coastland will say this on that day:‘Look! This is our hope to whom we fled for help, to be delivered from[fn] the king of Assyria, and how shall we escape?’ ”
The Fall of Babylon
21 The oracle of the wilderness of the sea:As storm winds passing over in the Negev,
- [fn] from the desert,
- 2 A hard revelation is told to me;the treacherous deals treacherously,
- and the destroyer destroys.
- Go up, Elam;
I put an end to all of her sighing.
- 3 with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman giving birth.
- I am[fn]
- I am[fn]
- 4 [fn] staggers; fear terrifies me; the twilight[fn] [fn] me fear.
- 5 Spread out the rugs![fn]
- Eat! drink!
- Rise up, commanders;
- 6 For the Lord said this to me:“Go, set a watchman in position.
- He must announce what he sees.
- 7 [fn] he sees riders,[fn] a pair of horsemen,
- riders[fn] of donkeys,[fn]
- riders[fn] of camels,[fn]
- [fn] he must listen attentively,
- paying attention, paying[fn] attention.”
- 8 Then[fn] the watchman[fn] called, “Lord, I am standing on the watchtower continually by day,
- and I am standing at my post[fn] the night.
- 9 at this! A man’s a chariot is coming, a pair of horsemen!”
Then[fn] he responded and said,
- “It has fallen! Babylon has fallen!
- And all the images of her gods are[fn] smashed on the ground!”
- 10 and the son of my threshing floor,
I will announce to you what I have heard from Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel.
Oracle regarding Dumah
11 The oracle of Dumah:One is calling to me from Seir,
- “Watchman, what[fn] the night?
- Watchman, what[fn] the night?”
- 12 The watchman says,“Morning comes,
If you will inquire, inquire;
come back again.”[fn]
Oracle against Arabia
13 An oracle concerning[fn] Arabia: You will spend the night in the thicket in a desert-plateau,[fn]
caravans of Dedanites.
- 14 [fn] the thirsty, bring water. Inhabitants of the land of Tema came to meet the fugitive with his bread.
- 15 the swords, from the drawn sword and the bent bow,
- and from the heaviness of the battle.
16 For the Lord said this to me:“In one more year,[fn] like the years of a hired worker,
- all the glory of Kedar will come to an end.
17 [fn] of the warriors of the sons of Kedar will be few.” For Yahweh, the God of Israel, has spoken.
Oracle against Jerusalem
22 The oracle of the valley of vision:What business do you have going[fn] up, all of you, to the roofs,
- 2 [fn] tumultuous city, exultant town?
- Your slain are not slain by the sword,
- nor are they dead from battle.
- 3 all of[fn] were captured.
- They were captured together;
- 4 Therefore I said,“Look away from me,
you must not insist on comforting me
for the destruction of the daughter of my people.”
- 5 [fn] in the valley of vision, a tearing down of walls[fn] and a cry for help to the mountains.[fn]
- 6 the quiver, with chariots[fn] of men[fn] and cavalry.
- And Kir uncovered the shield.
- 7 And this happened:the choicest of your valleys were full of chariots,[fn]
- and the cavalry confidently stood at the gate.
- 8 And you looked, on that day, to the weapons[fn] of the House of the Forest,
- 9 and you gathered the waters of the lower pool.
- 10 and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.
- 11 but you did not look to its maker,
- 12 And the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, called on that dayfor weeping and mourning,
- and for baldness and girding[fn] sackcloth.
- 13 the killing of oxen[fn] and the slaughtering of sheep,
- the eating of meat and the drinking of wine!
- “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
14 And it was revealed in my ears by Yahweh of hosts:“Surely this sin will not be atoned for you until you die!”
says the Lord, Yahweh of hosts.
Oracle regarding Shebna
15 The Lord, Yahweh of hosts, says this:“Go! Go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the house:
- 16 [fn] here, and who[fn] here,
- that you have cut a grave cutting here for yourself,
- carving his grave on the height,
- a dwelling place for him in the rock?
- 17 is about to[fn] you, man! And he is about to grasp you firmly;
- 18 a ball, to a[fn] There you shall die,
- and there the chariots of your splendor will be,
- disgrace to your master’s house!
- 19 and he will throw you down from your position.
- 20 And this shall happen:On that day I will call to my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah,
- 21 with your tunic, and I will bind your sash firmly about him,
- and I will put your authority into his hand,
- and he shall be like a father to the inhabitants[fn] of Jerusalem
- and to the house of Judah.
- 22 and he shall open and no one will be able to shut;
- and he shall shut and no one will be able to open.
- 23 like a peg into a secure place, and he will become like a throne of glory to the house of his father.
- 24 the offspring and the offshoot,
- all of the small vessels,
25 On that day, declares[fn] Yahweh of hosts, the peg that was driven will move away into a secure place,
and it will be cut down and fall,
and the load that was on her will be cut off.
For Yahweh has spoken.’ ”
Oracle against Tyre
- 23 The oracle of Tyre:Wail, ships of Tarshish, for[fn]
- it is announced to them from the land of Cyprus.
- 2 the coast, merchant of Sidon, who travels over the sea, they filled you.
- 3 the great waters is the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile is its produce,
- and she was the merchandise of the nations.
- 4 the sea, the fortress of the sea said, saying,
- “I was not in labor,
- and I have not given birth,
- and I have not reared young men,
- brought[fn] up young women.”
5 When the report comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report about[fn] Tyre.
- 6 to Tarshish! Wail, inhabitants of the coast!
- 7 [fn] her origin from the days of long ago? Her feet brought her to dwell afar as an alien.
- 8 Who has planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns,[fn] whose merchants were princes,
- her traders the honored ones of the earth?
- 9 Yahweh of hosts has planned it:to defile the pride of all glory,
- to humble all the honored ones of the earth.
10 Cross over your own land like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish;there is no longer a harbor.[fn]
- 11 he has made kingdoms shake.
Yahweh has commanded concerning Canaan to destroy her fortresses.
- 12 And he said,“You will not[fn] to exult, crushed one, [fn] daughter of Sidon.
- Arise, cross over to Cyprus! There will be no rest for you even there.”
13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans! This people no longer exists.Assyria destined[fn] it for wild animals.
- They erected its siege towers;
- they demolished its citadel fortresses.
- It made her like a ruin.
14 Wail, ships of Tarshish! For your fortress is destroyed.
15 And this will happen on that day:And Tyre will be forgotten seventy years,[fn]
like the days of one king.
At the end of seventy years,[fn] it will be for Tyre like the song of the prostitute:
- 16 go around the city, forgotten prostitute!
- Do it well, playing a stringed instrument!
- Make numerous songs,[fn] that you may be remembered.”
17 And this shall happen:at the end of seventy years,[fn] Yahweh will visit Tyre,
- and she will return to her harlot’s wages,
- and she will commit fornication
- with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth.
18 And this shall happen:her merchandise and her harlot’s wages will be set apart for Yahweh;
- it will not be stored up,
- and it will not be hoarded,
- but her merchandise will be for those who live before the[fn] of Yahweh,
- for eating to satiation and for fine clothing.
The Judgment on the Earth
- and is about to devastate it,
- and he will twist her surface,
- and he will scatter her inhabitants.
- 2 with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master;
- as with the female slave, so with her mistress;
- as with the buyer, so with the seller;
- as with the lender, so with the borrower;
- as with the creditor, so with the one to whom he lends.
- 3 and it shall be utterly plundered,
for Yahweh has spoken this word.
- 4 the world languishes, it withers.
- The elevated of the people of the earth languish,
- 5 For they have transgressed laws;
- they have passed by statutes;[fn]
- they have broken the everlasting covenant.
- 6 the earth, and the inhabitants in it suffer for their guilt.
- Therefore the inhabitants of the earth burn,
- and[fn]
- 7 The new wine dries up; the vine languishes.
- All the merry of heart sigh;
- 8 the joy of the tambourine has stopped. The noise of the jubilant has ceased;
- the joy of the lyre has stopped.
- 9 strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
- 10 The city of emptiness is broken; every house is shut[fn]
- 11 there is an outcry over the wine in the streets. All joy turns into[fn]
- the joy of the earth disappears.
- 12 the gate is crushed into a state of ruin.
- 13 among the nations,
- like the beating of an olive tree,
- like gleanings when a grape harvest is at an end.
- 14 [fn] they sing for joy; they shout out from the west over the majesty of Yahweh.
- 15 the name of Yahweh the God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea.
- 16 [fn] of the earth: “Glory to the righteous one!”
- But I say, “Ruin to me!
- The treacherous ones deal treacherously,
- and the treacherous ones deal treacherously with treachery!”
17 Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you, inhabitants[fn] of the earth!
- 18 And this shall happen:The one who flees from the sound of the terror shall fall into the pit,
- and the one who goes up from[fn] shall be caught in the snare,
- for the windows from heaven are opened,
- and the foundations of the earth tremble.
- 19 the earth is torn asunder;
- the earth is shaken violently.
- 20 The earth staggers to and fro like the drunkard, and it sways like a hut,
- and its transgression is heavy upon it,
- and it falls and does not rise again.
- 21 And this shall happen on that day:Yahweh will punish the host of heaven in heaven,
- and the kings of the earth on the earth.
- 22 in a gathering, like a prisoner[fn] a pit. And they will be shut[fn] a prison and be punished [fn] many days.
- 23 and the sun will be ashamed,
- for Yahweh of hosts will rule on[fn] and in Jerusalem,
- and before his elders in glory.
Praise for Salvation
- for you have done wonderful things,[fn]
- plans[fn] [fn] in faithfulness, trustworthiness.
- 2 [fn] the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin,
- the palace of foreigners[fn] a city;
- it will[fn] be rebuilt.
- 3 a city of ruthless nations, they will fear you.
- 4 a refuge to the needy in his distress,
- a shelter from the rainstorm,
- For the breath of the ruthless was like a rainstorm against a wall,[fn]
- 5 the noise of foreigners like heat in a dry land. You subdued the heat with the shade of a cloud;
- the song of the ruthless was silenced.
- 6 [fn] a feast of aged wines, fat filled with marrow, filtered aged wine.
- 7 [fn] the face of the shroud, the shroud over all peoples,
- and the woven covering over all nations.
- 8 [fn] death forever, and the Lord Yahweh will wipe off the tears from all faces,
- and he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth,
for Yahweh has spoken.
- 9 And one will say, on that day,“Look! This is our God! We have waited for him and he saved us!
- This is Yahweh; we waited for him!
- Let us be glad,
- and let us rejoice in his salvation.”
- 10 and Moab shall be trampled down under him
- as[fn] in [fn] a dung heap.
- 11 [fn] will spread out its hands in the midst of it, just as the swimmer spreads out to swim,
- and its pride will be brought low with the movement[fn] of its hands.
- 12 he will bring it low;
- he will[fn] to the ground,
Judah’s Song of Praise
- 26 On that day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah:“[fn]
- he sets up victory like walls and ramparts![fn]
2 Open the gates so that[fn] the righteous nation who keeps faithfulness may enter!
- 3 in peace, in peace because he trusts in you.
- 4 for in Yah, Yahweh you have an everlasting rock.
- 5 the inhabitants of the height, he lays low the lofty city.
- He lays it low to the ground;
- he throws her to the dust.
- 6 The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy.”
Yahweh’s People Vindicated
- 7 The way of the righteous is a straight path;[fn]
- 8 in the path of your judgments, Yahweh, for your name and renown are the desire of the soul.
- 9 with all my soul in the night; also I seek you with my spirit within me,
- for when your judgments are[fn] the earth,
- the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
- 10 Though the wicked person is shown compassion, he does not learn righteousness;he acts unjustly in the land of uprightness,
- and he does not see the majesty of Yahweh.
- 11 Yahweh, though your hand reaches high, they do not see it.Let them see, and let them be ashamed of the zeal of people.
- Indeed, let the fire of your enemies consume them.
- 12 for you have done even all of our works for us.
- 13 [fn]
- 14 The dead do not live; dead spirits do not rise
- because you have punished and destroyed them,
- and you have destroyed all memory of them.
- 15 You have added to the nation; you are honored.
- You have extended all the ends of the land.
- 16 they poured out an[fn]
your discipline was on them.
- 17 a pregnant woman on the point of giving birth, she writhes; she cries in her labor pains.
So we were because of your presence, Yahweh.
- 18 we gave birth to wind.
- We cannot bring about deliverance on the earth,
- and no inhabitants of the world are born.
- 19 [fn] shall rise. Wake up and sing for joy, dwellers of the dust,
- for your dew is[fn]
- and the earth will give birth to dead spirits.[fn]
- 20 and shut your doors[fn] behind you;
- hide for[fn] while,
- until the wrath has passed over.
21 For look! Yahweh is about to come out from his placeto punish the iniquity of the inhabitants[fn] of the earth against him,
- and the earth will disclose her blood
- and will no longer cover her slain.
Israel Rescued
27 On that day, Yahweh will punish with his cruel, great and strong sword Leviathan, the fleeing serpent, and Leviathan, the twisting serpent, and he will kill the sea monster that is in the sea.
2 On that day:“A vineyard of beauty! Sing in praise of it!
- 3 am her keeper; I water it[fn] Lest one afflict harm on it, I guard it night and day;
4 I have no wrath.[fn] Whatever gives me thorns and briers,
- I will step forth against in battle.
- I will set it on fire altogether.
- 5 let it make peace with me;
- peace let it make with me.”
- 6 [fn] let Jacob take root; Israel will blossom and send out shoots,
- and they will fill the face of the world with fruit.
- 7 [fn] Or is he killed[fn]
- 8 [fn] her, by her sending away, you argue with her. He removed them with his strong wind,
- in the day of the east wind.
- 9 for the guilt of Jacob, and this will be all of the fruit of the removal of his sin:
- [fn] all the stones of the altar like crushed stones of chalk,
- no poles of Asherah worship or incense altars will stand.
- 10 the fortified city is solitary, a settlement deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness;
- the calf grazes there,
- lies down there and destroys its branches.
- 11 [fn] they are broken; women are coming and setting light to it.
For it is not a people of understanding;
- therefore his maker will not have compassion on him,
- and his creator will not show him favor.
12 And this shall happen:on that day, Yahweh will thresh from the floodwaters of the Euphrates to the wadi[fn] of Egypt, and as for you, you will be gathered one by one, sons of Israel.
13 And this shall happen:on that day, a great trumpet will be blown,
- and those who were lost in the land of Assyria will come,
- and those who were scattered in the land of Egypt,
and they will bow down to Yahweh on the holy mountain[fn] at Jerusalem.
Judgment against the Leaders of Ephraim
- and the withering flower of the glory of his beauty,
which is at the head of the rich valley,[fn] ones overcome[fn] with wine!
- 2 a mighty and strong one, like a rainstorm of hail, a wind storm of destruction,
- like a rainstorm of mighty overflowing waters,
he will put them to the earth with his hand.
4 the withering flower of the glory of its beauty which is at the head of[fn] will be like its early fig before summer, which the one who sees it swallows[fn] while it is still in his hand.
- 5 and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of his people,
- 6 and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
- 7 and stagger because of strong drink;
- priest and prophet stagger because of strong drink;
- they are confused[fn] because of wine.
- They stagger because of strong drink;
- They stagger in the rendering of a decision,
- 8 the tables are full of disgusting vomit,[fn]
- 9 To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message?
- Those who are weaned from milk,
- those taken from the breast?
- 10 it is blah-blah upon blah-blah, blah-blah upon blah-blah,
- gah-gah upon gah-gah,
- gah-gah upon gah-gah,[fn]
- a little here, a little there.
11 For he will speak with stammering[fn] and another tongue to this people,
- 12 to whom he has said,“This is rest; give rest to the weary;
- and this is repose”; yet[fn] they were not willing to hear.
- 13 And to them the word of Yahweh will beblah-blah upon blah-blah
- gah-gah upon gah-gah
- gah-gah upon gah-gah,[fn]
- a little here, a little there,
- so that they may go and stumble backward
- and be broken and ensnared and captured.
The Cornerstone of Zion
- 14 rulers of these people in Jerusalem:
- 15 Because you have said,“We have[fn] a covenant with death,
- and we have made an agreement with Sheol.
The overwhelming flood, when it passes through, will not come to us,
- for we have made lies[fn] our refuge,
- and we have hidden ourselves in falsehood.”
- 16 Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this:“Look! I am laying a stone in Zion,
- a precious cornerstone,
‘The one who trusts will not panic.’[fn]
- 17 the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line;
- and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,[fn]
- and waters will flood over the hiding place.
- 18 and your agreement with Sheol will not stand;
- you will become a trampling place for the overwhelming flood when it passes through.
- 19 [fn] it will take you, for[fn] it will pass through,
- in the day and in the night,
and understanding the message will be only terror.”
- 20 [fn] and the covering is too narrow when wrapping oneself.
- 21 at Mount Perazim; he will rave as in the valley at Gibeon
- to do his deed—his deed is strange—
- and to work his work—his work is alien!
- 22 or your bonds will be strong,
for I have heard from the Lord, Yahweh of hosts:
- complete destruction
- decreed upon all the land.
A Parable of Yahweh’s Work
- 23 Listen attentively, and hear my word!
- 24 that the plowman plows, opens to sow seed, harrows his ground?
- 25 [fn] does he not scatter dill, and sow cumin seed,
- and[fn] wheat in planted rows,[fn]
- and barley in an appointed place,
- and spelt grain as its border?
- 26 [fn] he teaches him.
- 27 a threshing sledge, nor is a wheel of a utility cart[fn] over cumin,
- but dill is beaten out with a stick,
- and cumin with a rod.
- 28 but certainly one does not thresh it forever;
- and one drives the wheel of his cart,
- but his horses do not crush it.
- 29 This also comes forth from Yahweh of hosts.He is wonderful in advice;
Woe to Jerusalem
- 29 Ah! Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped!Add year to year,
- let festivals recur.
- 2 [fn] I will inflict Ariel, and there shall be mourning and lamentation,
- and it shall be to me like an altar hearth.[fn]
- 3 [fn] against you, and I will lay siege to you with towers[fn]
- and I will raise up siegeworks against you.
- 4 [fn] you shall be low; you shall speak from the earth,
- and your words[fn] will be low, from dust.
- And your voice will be from the earth, like a ghost,
- and your word will whisper from the dust.
- 5 [fn] the multitude of your strangers shall be like fine dust, and the multitude of tyrants like chaff that passes by.
And it will happen in an instant, suddenly.
- 6 You will be punished by Yahweh of hostswith thunder and earthquake and great sound,
- storm wind and tempest and the flame of a devouring fire.
- 7 all those who fight against her and her stronghold,
- and those who inflict her shall be like a dream, a vision of the night.
- 8 he is eating! And he wakes up and his inner self is empty. Or[fn] as when the thirsty person dreams—look, he is drinking! And he wakes up and look, he is faint, and his inner self is longing for water.
So shall be the multitude of all the nations who fight against Mount Zion.
- 9 Blind yourselves and be blinded!
- They are drunk but[fn] not from wine;
- they stagger but[fn] not from strong drink.
- 10 and he has shut your eyes, the prophets,
- and he has covered your heads, the seers.
- 11 And the vision of all this has become for you like the words of a sealed document.When they give it to one who knows the[fn] document, saying, “[fn] this now!” He says, “I am not able, for it is sealed.”
- 12 if the document is given to one who does not[fn] saying, “[fn] this now!” he says, “I do not [fn]
- 13 And the Lord said,“Because this people draw near with its mouth,
- and with its lips it honors me,
- and its heart is far from me,
- and their fear of me is a commandment of men that has been taught,
- 14 therefore look, I am again doing something spectacular and a spectacle with this spectacular people.And the wisdom of its wise men shall perish,
- and the discernment of its discerning ones shall keep itself hidden.”
- 15 it from Yahweh, and their deeds are[fn] in a dark place.
- And they say, “Who sees us?
- 16 Your perversity!As if[fn] shall be regarded as the clay! That the product of its maker says, “He did not make me,”
- and the thing made into shape says of its[fn] “He has no understanding.”
Blessing after Punishment
- 17 [fn] shall not Lebanon change into a fruitful land, and the fruitful land be regarded as a forest?
- 18 the words of a scroll, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of gloom and darkness.
- 19 the meek[fn] in Yahweh, and the needy of the people shall rejoice in the holy one of Israel.
- 20 the tyrant shall be no more, and the scoffer shall come to an end.
- And all those lying in wait for evil shall be cut off;
- 21 and set a trap for the[fn] in the gate
- and guide away the righteous by emptiness.
- 22 Therefore Yahweh, who redeemed Abraham, says this to the house of Jacob:“Jacob will no longer be ashamed,
- and his face will no longer grow pale.
- 23 the work of my hands, in his midst,
- they will treat my name as holy,
- and they will treat the holy one of Jacob as holy,
- and they will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
- 24 in spirit will[fn] understanding, and those who grumble will learn instruction.
Warning against Alliance with Egypt
- 30 “Oh rebellious children!” declares[fn] Yahweh, “to make a plan, but[fn] not from me,
- and pour out a libation, but[fn] not from my spirit,
so as to add[fn] sin to sin.
- 2 to Egypt, but[fn] they do not ask of my mouth,
- to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh
- and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt.
- 3 and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt, humiliation.
- 4 and his envoys reach to Hanes.
- 5 Everyone will start to stink because of a people that cannot profit them,not for help and not for profiting,
- but for shame and also for disgrace.”
Oracle regarding the Negev
6 An oracle of the animals of the Negev:Through a land of trouble and distress,
- of lioness and lion,
- [fn] them are snake and flying serpent;
- they carry their wealth on the[fn] of male donkeys
- and their treasures on the humps[fn] of camels,
to a people that cannot profit them.
- 7 [fn] [fn] help with vanity and emptiness, therefore I have called this one “Rahab, they are sitting.”
- 8 and inscribe it on a scroll,
- [fn] it may be [fn]
- forever, forever.
- 9 is a people of rebellion, deceitful children, children who are not willing to hear the instruction of Yahweh,
- 10 and to the seers, “You must not see truth for us;
- speak smooth things to us,
- see illusions,
- 11 the way, turn aside from the path,
put an end to the holy one of Israel from our face.”
- 12 Therefore the holy one of Israel says this:“Because you are rejecting this word
- and you trust in oppression and[fn]
- and you rely on it,
- 13 bulging out on a high wall[fn] suddenly, in an instant.
- 14 [fn] breaks, that is crushed; he has no compassion,
- and no potsherd is found among its fragments[fn] [fn] from the hearth,
- or[fn] water from the cistern.”
- 15 For the Lord Yahweh, the holy one of Israel, said this:“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
- your strength shall be in quietness and in trust.”
But[fn] you were not willing,
- 16 and you said,“No! For we will flee on horses!”[fn] Therefore you shall flee!
- And, “We will ride on swift horses!”[fn] Therefore your pursuers shall be swift!
- 17 [fn] a threat of one, [fn] of a threat of five you shall flee,
- until you are left like a flagstaff on[fn] of a mountain,
- and like a signal on a hill.
Yahweh Will Show Mercy
- 18 to you, and therefore he will rise up to show you mercy,
- for Yahweh is a God of justice;
- blessed are all those who wait for him.
- 19 in Jerusalem, you will surely not weep.
- Surely he will be gracious to you;
- when he hears the sound of your cry, he will answer you.
- 20 the bread of distress and the water of oppression,
- but[fn] your teachers will not hide themselves[fn] any longer.
- And your eyes[fn] your teachers.
- 21 “this is the way; walk in it,”
- when you go to your right
- and when you go to your left.
- 22 and the covering of your gold image.
- You will scatter them like contaminated things;[fn]
- you will say to it, “Filth!”[fn]
- 23 with which you sow the ground, and grain, the produce of the ground, and it will be rich and[fn]
- On that day, your cattle will graze in broad pastures;[fn]
- 24 [fn] the ground will eat fodder, sorrel that has been winnowed with shovel and pitchfork.
- 25 watercourses of water, on a day of great slaughter, when towers fall.
- 26 and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of seven days,
- on the day when Yahweh binds up the breakage of his people,
- and he heals the wound of his blow.
Judgment against Assyria
- 27 burning with his anger and heaviness of cloud.
- His lips are full of indignation,
- and his tongue is like a devouring fire.
- 28 is like an overflowing river; it reaches up to the neck
- to shake the nations with the sieve of worthlessness;
- and a bridle that leads astray is on the jawbones of the peoples.
- 29 [fn] as in the night when a holy festival is kept, and a gladness of heart like one who goes with the flute,
- to go to the mountain of Yahweh, to the rock of Israel.
- 30 and he will cause the descent of his arm to be seen,
- in furious anger and a flame of devouring fire,
- with a cloudburst and a rainstorm and stones[fn] of hail.
- 31 he strikes with the rod.
- 32 the staff of foundation[fn] that Yahweh lays will be on it with timbrels and lyres, and he will fight against it[fn] with battles of brandishing.
- 33 indeed, it is made ready for the king.
- He makes its pile of wood deep and wide;
- he makes fire and wood[fn]
- The breath of Yahweh burns in it like a stream of sulfur.
The Egyptians are No Help
31 Ah! Those who go down to Egypt for help!They rely on horses
- and trust in chariots because they are many,
- and in horsemen because they are very numerous,
- and they do not look to the holy one of Israel,
- and they do not consult Yahweh.
- 2 is wise, and he brings disaster, and he does not remove his words,
- and he will rise against the house of evildoers
- and against the help of workers of iniquity.
- 3 are human and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit.
- And Yahweh stretches out his hand,
- and the helper will stumble,
- and the one being helped will fall,
- and together all of them will come to an end.[fn]
- 4 For Yahweh said this to me:“As which a lion growls
- and a young lion over its prey
when a full group[fn] of shepherds is called against him,
- it is not terrified by their voice,
- and to their noise it does not respond,
- so Yahweh of hosts will come down to fight upon Mount Zion
- 5 Like birds flying overhead, so Yahweh of hosts will protect Jerusalem;he will protect and deliver it;
- he will pass over and rescue it.
6 Turn back to the one against whom the sons of Israel have made deep rebellion.
- 7 and his idols of gold which your hands have made in sin for you.
- 8 of a man, and a sword not of a human shall devour him;
- and he shall flee from the sword,
- and his young men shall be put to forced labor.
- 9 and his officers will be terrified because of the flag,”
- [fn] Yahweh,
- who has a fire in Zion
- and has a furnace in Jerusalem.
The Kingdom of Righteousness
- and princes will rule according to justice.
- 2 the wind and a covering from the rainstorm,
- like streams of water in a dry region,
- like the shade of a large rock in a weary land.
- 3 the eyes of those who see will not gaze,[fn] and the ears of those who hear will listen.
- 4 the[fn] of the rash will understand[fn] and the tongues[fn] of stammerers will hasten to speak clearly.
- 5 and a scoundrel will not be said to be eminent.
- 6 and his[fn] does iniquity:
- to[fn]
- and to speak error concerning Yahweh,
- to leave the throat of the hungry empty,
- and he deprives the thirsty of drink.
- 7 are evil; he plans evil devices
- to ruin the poor with words of deception
- even[fn] when the speech of the needy is right.
- 8 [fn] the nobleman plans noble things, and he stands upon noble things.
Against the Carefree Women
- 9 who are at ease, rise up; hear my voice! Carefree daughters, listen to my word!
- 10 In a year[fn] you will tremble, carefree ones, for the vintage will come to an end;
- the harvest will not come.
- 11 you who are at ease; tremble, carefree ones;
- strip, and strip yourself,
- and gird yourself on your loins,[fn]
- 12 over fields of delight,
- over the fruitful vine,
- 13 It goes up in thorns[fn] and briers,[fn]
- indeed over all of the houses of joy in the jubilant city.
- 14 the palace will be forsaken, the[fn] deserted;
- the hill and the watchtower will become[fn] a cave forever,
- the joy of wild asses, a pasture[fn] flocks.
- 15 Until a spirit is poured out on us from on high,and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
- and the fruitful field is reckoned as the forest.
- 16 [fn] justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness will live in the fruitful field.
- 17 and the work of righteousness, quietness and security forever.
- 18 and in a dwelling place of security
- and in undisturbed resting places.
- 19 [fn] and the city will become low in humiliation.
- 20 are you who sow by all waters, who let the foot of the ox and the donkey go free.
Yahweh’s Judgment and Help
- And treacherous one, and no one has dealt treacherously with him![fn]
- When you[fn] destroying, you will be destroyed.
- When you stop dealing treacherously, one will deal treacherously with you.
- 2 Be our[fn] arm in the mornings,
- indeed our salvation in the time of trouble.
- 3 the sound of tumult, peoples fled; because of your exaltation, nations scattered.
- 4 as the gathering of the locust,
- as a swarm of locusts storming on it.
- 5 is exalted, for he dwells on high; he filled Zion with justice and righteousness,
- 6 an abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.
The fear of Yahweh is his treasure.
- 7 in the street; the messengers of peace weep bitterly.
- 8 the traveler on the road ceases.
- One breaks a treaty,
- he rejects the cities,[fn]
- he does not hold man in high regard.
- 9 The land mourns; it languishes. Lebanon feels abashed; it withers.
- Sharon is like the desert,
- and Bashan and Carmel[fn]
- 10 “Now I will lift myself up proudly;
- now I will raise myself.
- 11 your breath is a fire; it will consume you.
- 12 the peoples will be burning to lime— they are burned like thorns that have been cut down in the fire.
- 13 You who are far away, hear what I have done; and you who are near, know my might!”
- 14 trembling has seized the godless:
- “Who of us can[fn] with devouring fire?
- Who of us can[fn] with everlasting consuming hearths?”
- 15 in righteousness and speaks uprightness,
- who rejects the gain of extortion,
- who stops up his ears[fn] from hearing [fn]
- and shuts his eyes from seeing evil.
- 16 on the heights; the fortresses of rocks will be his refuge.
- His food will be given;
- his waters[fn] will endure.
- 17 the king in his beauty; they will see a[fn]
- 18 [fn] will meditate on the terror: “Where is the one who counted?
- Where is the one who weighed out?
- Where is the one who counted the towers?”
- 19 the insolent people, the people[fn]
- whose stammering of tongue[fn]
- 20 on Zion, the city of our appointed festivals! Your eyes will see Jerusalem,
- an undisturbed settlement,
- No one will ever pull out its tent pegs,
- and none of its ropes will be torn in two.
- 21 will be mighty for us, a place of rivers and[fn]
- a galley ship with[fn] oars[fn] cannot go in it,
- and a mighty ship cannot pass through it.
- 22 is our judge; Yahweh is our lawgiver. Yahweh is our king; he is the one who will save us.
- 23 they do not hold the base of their mast firm,
- they do not spread out the sail.
- Then the prey of spoil in abundance will be divided;
- the lame will take plunder.
- 24 the people who live in it, their iniquity will be taken away.
Judgment on the Nations
- and peoples, listen attentively!
- Let the earth hear, and that which fills it;
- the world and all its offspring.
- 2 the anger of Yahweh is against all the nations, and his wrath is against all their armies;
- he has put them under a ban,
- he has given them up for slaughter.
- 3 as for[fn] their corpses, their stench shall go up.
- And the mountains shall melt with[fn] their blood,
- 4 And the skies shall roll up like a scroll,
- and all their host shall wither
- like the withering of a leaf from a vine,
- or[fn] like the withering from a fig tree.
- 5 When my sword is drenched in the heavens,look! It will descend upon Edom,
- and upon the people of my ban, for judgment.
- 6 Yahweh has a sword;[fn] it is full of blood.
- It is covered with[fn] fat,
- with[fn] the blood of lambs and goats,
- with[fn] the fat of the kidneys of rams,
- for[fn] in Bozrah
- and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
- 7 and steers with strong bulls.
- And their land shall be drenched with[fn] blood,
- and their soil shall be fattened with[fn] fat.
- 8 [fn] a year of retribution for the strife of Zion.
- 9 and its land shall become like burning pitch.
- 10 its smoke shall go up forever.
- From generation to generation it shall be in ruins;
- forever and ever there will be no one who passes through her.
- 11 [fn] the large bird and the hedgehog shall take possession of it, and the owl and the raven shall live in it.
- And he shall stretch the measuring line of confusion out over it,
- and the plumb line of emptiness.
- 12 and all its princes shall be nothing.
- 13 weeds[fn] and thistle plants[fn] in her fortresses;
- and it shall be the settlement of jackals,
- green grass for the daughters of an ostrich.
- 14 and a goat-demon shall call to his neighbor;
- surely there Lilith[fn] shall repose,
- and she shall find a resting place for herself.
- 15 the owl shall nest and lay and hatch and care for her chicks in her shadow;
- surely there the birds of prey shall be gathered,
- 16 Seek from the book of Yahweh and read;[fn] none of these shall be missing;
- none shall miss her mate.
- For my[fn] mouth [fn] has commanded,
- and his spirit[fn] has gathered them.
- 17 [fn] has cast the lot for them, and his hand has apportioned it to them with the measuring line;
- they shall take possession of it forever,
- they shall live in it[fn]
The Ransomed Return to Zion
- and desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus.
- 2 and it shall rejoice indeed with rejoicing and exulting.
- The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
- the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
- [fn] shall see the glory of Yahweh,
- the majesty of our God.
- 3 the weak hands and make the staggering knees firm.
- 4 Say to those who are hasty of heart,“Be strong; you must not fear!
- Look! your God will come with vengeance,
- with[fn]
- He[fn] will come and save you.”
- 5 the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be opened.
- 6 the lame shall leap like the deer, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing for joy,
- for waters shall break forth in the wilderness
- and streams in the desert.
- 7 a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water.
- Her resting place is in a settlement of jackals;
- the grass shall become like reeds[fn] and rushes.[fn]
- 8 and it shall be called the way of holiness.
- The unclean shall not travel through it,
- but[fn] it is for them, he who walks on the way;
- and fools shall not wander about.
- 9 and no ferocious wild beast shall go up it.
- It shall not be found there,
- but[fn] the redeemed shall walk there.
- 10 and they shall come to Zion with rejoicing.
- And everlasting joy shall be on their head;
- joy and gladness shall overtake them,
- and sorrow and sighing shall flee.
Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem
36 And this happened: In the fourteenth year[fn] of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria went up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and he captured them. 2 And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh[fn] from Lachish to Jerusalem, to King Hezekiah, with a large army, and he stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway of the field of the washer. 3 And Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace,[fn] came out to him, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the reminder.
4 And Rabshakeh said to them, “Now say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: “What is this confidence in which you trust? 5 I said, ‘Only a word of lips! War has power and a plan!’[fn] Now, in whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me? 6 Look, you trust in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt, which if a man leans on it, goes into his hand and bores through it! Such is Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to all those who trust in him. 7 And if you say to me, ‘We trust in Yahweh our God,’ was it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed? And he said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall bow down in the presence[fn] of this altar.’ ” 8 And now please make a wager with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, that is, if you are able put[fn] riders for yourself on them! 9 But how can you drive back one governor among the least of my master’s servants,[fn] when[fn] you trust in Egypt for chariots[fn] and horsemen? 10 And now was it without Yahweh that I have come up against this land to destroy it? Yahweh said to me, “Go up against this land and destroy it!” ’ ”
11 And Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we can understand[fn] it, and you must not speak to us in Judean in the hearing[fn] of the people who are on the wall.”
12 But[fn] Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your masters and you? Was it not for the people who sit on the wall, to eat their dung and drink their urine[fn] with you?”
13 Then[fn] Rabshakeh stood and called in a great voice in Judean and said, “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. 14 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you! 15 And do not let Hezekiah make you rely on Yahweh, saying, “Surely Yahweh will deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria!” 16 You must not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: “Make a blessing[fn] with me, and come out to me, and each one will eat from his vine and from his fig tree and drink water from[fn] his cistern, 17 until I come[fn] and take you to a land like your land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, 18 lest Hezekiah mislead you, saying, ‘Yahweh will save us!’ Did the gods of the nations each save his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Indeed, have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 20 Who are there among all the gods of these countries who have saved their land from my hand, that Yahweh should save Jerusalem from my hand?” ’ ”
21 But[fn] they were silent and did not answer him a word, for the command of the king was, “You must not answer him.” 22 Then[fn] Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the palace,[fn] Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the reminder, came to Hezekiah with torn garments and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
Hezekiah Consults Isaiah
37 And this happened: When King Hezekiah heard, he tore his garments, covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the temple[fn] of Yahweh. 2 And he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of[fn] the palace,[fn] and Shebna the secretary, and the elders of the priests covered[fn] with sackcloth to Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet. 3 And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace, for children have come to the cervical opening, and there is no strength to give birth. 4 Maybe Yahweh your God heard the words of Rabshakeh whom the king of Assyria, his master, has sent to taunt the living God, and he will rebuke the words that Yahweh your God hears. And you must lift up a prayer for the benefit of the remnant that is found.’ ”
5 When[fn] the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, 6 Isaiah said to them, “You must say this to your master: ‘Thus says Yahweh: “You must not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. 7 Look! I am about to put[fn] a spirit in him so that[fn] he shall hear a rumor and he shall return to his land, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his land.” ’ ”
8 And Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that he had left from Lachish.
9 Now[fn] he[fn] heard concerning Tirhakah the king of Cush, saying, “He has set out to fight against[fn] you.” When[fn] he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “You shall say this to Hezekiah, king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust in him deceive you by saying, “Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 11 Look! you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands to destroy them, and you—shall you be delivered? 12 Did the gods of the nations that my predecessors[fn] destroyed deliver them—Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, or[fn] Ivvah?’ ”
Hezekiah’s Prayer
14 And Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers, and he read[fn] it. Then[fn] he went up to the temple[fn] of Yahweh, and Hezekiah spread it out before the presence[fn] of Yahweh. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to Yahweh, saying, 16 “Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel who is enthroned on[fn] the cherubim, you are the one, God by yourself, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you are the one who made the heavens and the earth. 17 Yahweh, extend your ear and hear! Yahweh, open your eyes and see, and hear all the words of Sennacherib that he has sent to taunt the living God! 18 Truly, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the lands[fn] and their land, 19 to set[fn] their gods in the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of human hands, wood and stone, and they destroyed them. 20 So[fn] now, Yahweh, our God, save us from his hand so that[fn] all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you are Yahweh, you alone!”
God’s Answer
21 And Isaiah son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: ‘Because you have prayed to me concerning[fn] Sennacherib, king of Assyria,
- 22 this is the word that Yahweh has spoken concerning him:She shows contempt for you; she derides you, virgin daughter of Zion;
- she shakes her head behind you, daughter of Jerusalem.
- 23 and against whom have you raised up your voice and lifted your eyes upward?
To the holy one of Israel!
- 24 and you have said, “With my many chariots,[fn]
- I myself have gone up the height of the mountains,
- to the remote areas of Lebanon.
- And I cut off[fn]
- the choicest of its junipers.
- And I came to the height of its limit,
- the forest of its orchard.[fn]
- 25 and I caused all the streams of Egypt to dry up by the sole of my feet.”
- 26 [fn] I have made it from days of primeval time, and I formed it.
Now I have brought it about,
and it is for fortified cities to collapse into heaps of destroyed stones.
- 27 are[fn] they are dismayed, and they are ashamed;
- they have become like plants[fn] of the field,
- and like greens of grass,
- like grass on[fn] the roofs
- and a cultivated field[fn] the standing grain.
- 28 and your coming in, and your raging[fn] me.
- 29 [fn] me, and your noise[fn] has come up to[fn] my ears,
- I will put my hook in your nose
- and my bridle on your lips,
and I will turn you back on the way by which you came.
30 And this shall be the sign for you: the eating of volunteer plants[fn] this[fn] year, and in the second year self-seeded plants,[fn] and in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 31 And the remnant of the house of Judah that remain shall grow[fn] roots[fn] downwards and make fruit upwards.
- 32 and survivors[fn] from mountain Zion.
The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will do this.’
- 33 Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning[fn] the king of Assyria: ‘He shall not come to this city,
- and he shall not shoot an arrow there,
- and he shall not meet it with a shield,
- and he shall not heap a siege ramp up against her.
- 34 and he shall not come to this city,’
declares[fn] Yahweh.
35 ‘And I will defend this city, to save it for my sake and for the sake of David, my servant.’ ”
Sennacherib’s Defeat
36 And the angel of Yahweh set out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. When[fn] they rose in the morning, look! All of them were dead corpses. 37 Then[fn] Sennacherib king of Assyria left, went, and returned and lived at Nineveh. 38 And this happened: he was bowing in worship in the house of Nisroch his god, and Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him with the sword. And they themselves escaped to the land of Ararat, and Esar-haddon his son reigned as king in his place.
Hezekiah’s Illness
38 In those days, Hezekiah became sick to death, and Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, came to him and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Order your house, for you are about to die, and you shall not recover.’ ” 2 Then[fn] Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh, 3 and he said, “O Yahweh, please remember how[fn] I have walked before your presence[fn] in faithfulness with a whole heart, and I have done the good in your eyes!” And Hezekiah wept with great weeping.
4 Then[fn] the word of Yahweh came[fn] to Isaiah, saying, 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of David your ancestor:[fn] “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I am going to[fn] add fifteen years to your days. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.” ’
7 And this is the sign to you from Yahweh, that Yahweh will do this thing that he has spoken: 8 Look! I will cause the shadow of the steps, which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz with the sun, to turn backwards ten steps.” And the sun turned back ten steps on the steps which it had gone down.
9 A writing of Hezekiah, king of Judah, when he was sick and had recovered from his sickness:
- 10 I am summoned through the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years.”
- 11 I shall no more look at humankind among the inhabitants of the world.
- 12 I have rolled up my life like a weaver.
- He cuts me off from the thrum;
- from day to night you bring me to an end.
- 13 [fn] until morning; like a lion, so he breaks all my bones;
- from day to night you bring me to an end.
- 14 I moan like a dove.
- My eyes are weak toward the height.
- Lord, I have oppression; lend me support!
- 15 [fn] he has spoken to me, and he himself has done it.
- I will walk slowly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.
- 16 And restore me to health and keep me alive!
- 17 And you were the one who loved[fn] my life from the pit of destruction,
- for you have cast all my sins behind your back.
- 18 cannot praise you. Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.
- 19 The living, the living one praises you like me today; a father will make your faithfulness known to children.
- 20 on stringed instruments all the days of our lives at the temple[fn] of Yahweh.”
21 And Isaiah said, “Let them take[fn] a lump of figs, and let them rub it on the boil so that[fn] he may recover.” 22 And Hezekiah said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the temple[fn] of Yahweh?”
The Delegation from Babylon
39 At that time, Merodach-Baladan, son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for[fn] he heard that he had been sick and recovered. 2 And Hezekiah rejoiced over them and showed them his house of aromatic gum, the silver, gold, spices, good oil, all the house of his weapons, and all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing that Hezekiah had not shown them in his house or in all his dominion. 3 And Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?” And Hezekiah answered,[fn] “They came to me from a distant country, from Babylon.” 4 And he[fn] said, “What have they seen in your house?” And Hezekiah answered,[fn] “They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing that I have not shown them in my storehouses.”
5 And Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of Yahweh of hosts: 6 ‘Look! days are coming, and all that is in your house and that which your ancestors[fn] have stored up to this day shall be carried off to Babylon. Nothing shall be left,’ says Yahweh. 7 ‘And some of your sons who go out from you, whom you fathered, shall be taken, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ ” 8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of Yahweh that you have spoken is good,” for[fn] he thought,[fn] “Surely there will be peace and security in my days.”
Comfort for God’s People
- 2 “Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her,that her compulsory labor is fulfilled, that her sin is paid for,
- that she has[fn] from the hand of Yahweh double for all her sins.”
- 3 is calling in the wilderness, “Clear the way of Yahweh! Make a highway smooth in the desert for our God!
- 4 and every mountain and hill shall become low,
- And the rough ground shall be like a plain,
- and the rugged ground like a valley-plain.
- 5 and all[fn] together shall see it,
for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.”
- 6 is saying, “Call!” And he said, “What shall I call?”
- All[fn] are grass,
- and all his loyalty is like the flowers of the field.
- 7 the flower withers when the breath of Yahweh blows on it.
- Surely the people are grass.
- 8 the flower withers, but[fn] the word of our God will stand forever.
- 9 [fn] up to a high mountain, Zion, bringer of good news! Lift up your voice with strength, Jerusalem, bringer of good news!
- Lift it up; you must not fear!
- Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”
- 10 [fn] and his arm rules for him.
- Look! His reward is with him,
- and his recompense[fn]
- 11 he will gather the lambs in his arm,
- and he will carry them in his bosom;
- he will lead those who nurse.
- 12 the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span,
- comprehended the dust of the earth in a third of a measure
- and weighed out the mountains in the scales,[fn] and the hills in a balance?
- 13 or informed him as[fn]?
- 14 [fn] he enlightened him[fn] and taught him the path of justice,
- and taught him knowledge,
- and made the way of understanding known to him?
- 15 The nations are like a drop from a bucket, and they are counted like dust of the balances!
- Look! He weighs the islands like a thin covering.
- 16 is not enough to light a fire, and its animals[fn] not enough for a burnt offering.
- 17 are like nothing before him; they are counted by him as[fn] nothing and emptiness.
- 18 And to what likeness will you compare him?
- 19 and a[fn] overlays it with gold,
- and he smelts chains of silver.
- 20 too impoverished for a gift chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks a skillful artisan for himself to set up an image that will not be knocked over.
- 21 Have you not heard?
- Has it not been told to you from the[fn]
- Have you not understood from the foundation of the earth?
- 22 He is the one who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
- the one who stretches out the heavens like a veil
- and spreads them out like a tent to live in,
- 23 [fn] princes to nothing; he makes rulers of the earth like nothing.
- 24 are they sown; indeed, hardly has their shoot taken root in the earth
- when[fn] he blows on them and they wither,
- and the tempest carries them like stubble.
25 “And to whom you will compare me, and am I equal?” says the holy one.
- 26 on high, and see! Who created these? The one who brings out their host by number.
- He calls all them by name.
- Because he is great of power
- and mighty of power, no man is missing.
- 27 [fn] do you say, Jacob, and you speak, Israel,
- “My way is hidden from Yahweh,
- and my judgment is passed over by my God?”
- 28 or have you not heard?
- Yahweh is the God of eternity,
- the creator of the ends of the earth!
- He is not faint, and he does not grow weary!
- There is no searching his understanding.
29 He gives power to the weary,and he increases power for the powerless.[fn]
30 Even[fn] young people will be faint and grow weary, and the young will stumble, exhausted.
31 But[fn] those who wait for Yahweh shall renew their strength.They shall go up with wings[fn] like eagles;
they shall run and not grow weary;
they shall walk and not be faint.
God Helps Israel
- and let nations renew their strength.
- Let them approach, then let them speak;
- let us draw near together for judgment.
- 2 summoned[fn] him to his foot,
- gives nations[fn]
- He makes[fn] them like the dust with his sword,
- like scattered stubble with his bow.
- 3 and passes on in peace; he does not enter the path with his feet.
- 4 this, calling the generations from the[fn]
- I, Yahweh, am first;
- and I am the one with the last.
- 5 The coastlands have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble.
- They have drawn near,
- and they have come.
- 6 [fn] his neighbor; he says to his brother, “Take courage!”
- 7 the artisan encourages the[fn] the one who makes smooth with the hammer encourages the one who strikes the anvil,
- saying of the soldering, “It is good!”
- And they strengthen it with nails so it cannot be knocked over.
- 8 [fn] you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you, the[fn] of Abraham my [fn]
- 9 and called from its remotest parts
- and told, “You are my servant;
- I have chosen you and I have not rejected you.”
- 10 am with you; you must not be afraid, for I am your God.
- I will strengthen you, indeed I will help you,
- indeed I will take hold of you with the right hand of my salvation.
- 11 [fn] shall be like nothing and shall become lost.
- 12 but[fn] you shall not find them;
- [fn] shall be like nothing,
- and the men of your war like nothing.
- 13 am grasping your right hand;[fn] to you,
- “You must not fear;
- I myself, I will help you.
- 14 people of Israel, I myself, I will help you,”
declares[fn] Yahweh,
“and your redeemer is the holy one of Israel.
- You shall thresh and crush the mountains,
- and you shall make the hills like chaff.
- 16 the wind shall carry them, and the tempest shall scatter them.
- And you yourself shall rejoice in Yahweh;
- you shall boast in the holy one of Israel.
- 17 are seeking water and there is none; their tongue is dried up with thirst.
- I, Yahweh, will answer them;
- I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
- 18 the barren heights and fountains in the midst of the valleys.
- I will make the wilderness like a pool of water
- and the land of dryness like springs of water.
- 19 [fn] the cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive oil tree in the wilderness; I will set the cypress, elm, and box tree together in the desert
- 20 and take to heart and understand together
- that the hand of Yahweh has done this,
- and the holy one of Israel has created it.”
- 21 “Bring your evidence,” says the king of Jacob.
- 22 them, and let them tell us what will happen.
- Tell us what the former things are
- [fn] we may take them to our heart
- and know their outcome.[fn]
- Declare to us the things to come;
- 23 us the things coming[fn] that[fn] we may know that you are gods.
- Indeed, do good or[fn] do evil,
- that[fn] we may be afraid and see[fn] together.
- 24 are nothing, and your work is something worthless;
- whoever chooses you is an abomination.
- 25 one from the north, and he has come from the rising of the sun.
He shall call on my name,
- and he shall come on officials as on mortar,
- and as the[fn] treads clay.
- 26 it from the[fn] [fn] we might know, and[fn] [fn] we might say, “ He is[fn]
- Indeed, there was no one who declared it;
- Indeed, there was no one who proclaimed it.
- Indeed there was no one who heard your words.
27 First to Zion, look! Look at them!And I give a herald[fn] of good tidings to Jerusalem.
- 28 [fn] I look and there is no man, and I look among these and there is no counselor,
- that[fn] I might ask them and they might answer a word.
- 29 are deception; their works are nothing;
- their images are wind and emptiness.
The Mission of Yahweh’s Servant
- my chosen one, in whom my soul delights.
- I have[fn] my spirit on him;
- he will bring justice forth to the nations.
- 2 and make his voice heard in the street.
- 3 and he not will extinguish a dim wick.
- He will bring justice forth in[fn] faithfulness.
- 4 and he will not be broken
- until he has established justice in the earth.
- And the coastlands wait for his teaching.
- 5 who created the heavens
- and stretched them out,
- who spread out the earth and its offspring,
- who gives breath to the people upon it
- and spirit to those who walk in it.
- 6 am Yahweh; I have called you in righteousness, and I have grasped your hand and watched over you;
- and I have given you as a covenant of the people,
- as a light of the nations,
- 7 the blind eyes, to bring the prisoner out from the dungeon,
- those who sit in darkness from the house of imprisonment.
- 8 I am Yahweh; that is my name,and I do not give my glory to another,
- nor[fn] my praise to the idols.
- 9 and I declare new things.
- I[fn] them to you before they sprout up.”
A Song of Praise to Yahweh
- 10 praise him from the end of the earth,
- you[fn] who go down to the sea and that which fills it,
- the coastlands and their inhabitants.
- 11 the desert and its towns lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits.
- Let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy;
- let them shout loudly from the[fn] of the mountains.
- 12 [fn] glory to Yahweh and declare his praise in the coastlands.
- 13 he stirs up zeal like a man of war.
- He raises the war cry, indeed he raises the battle shout;
- he prevails against his foes.
- 14 I have kept silent;
- I have restrained myself like one giving birth;
- I will moan, pant, and gasp together.
- 15 and I will cause all their herbage to wither;
- and I will make rivers like islands,
- and I will cause pools to dry up.
- 16 I will cause them to tread on paths they have not known.
- I will make darkness[fn] into light
- and rough places into level ground.
- These are the things I will do,
- and I will not forsake them.
- 17 they shall be[fn]
- those who trust in an image,
- who say to a cast image, “You are our gods.”
Blind and Deaf Israel
- 18 And blind people, look to see!
- 19 is blind but my servant or[fn] deaf like my messenger whom I sent?
- Who is blind like the one who is repaid
- or[fn] blind like the servant of Yahweh?
- 20 things, but[fn] you do not observe. His ears are open, but[fn] he does not hear.
- 21 he showed his teaching to be great and proved it to be glorious.
- 22 [fn] this is a people plundered and looted; all of them are trapped in holes, and they are kept hidden in houses of imprisonment.
- They have become like plunder, and there is no one who saves;
- like booty, and there is no one who says, “Restore!”
- 23 will listen attentively and listen, for[fn]
- 24 [fn] and Israel to those who plunder?
Was it not Yahweh, against whom[fn] we have sinned?
- And they were not willing to walk in his ways,
- and they would not[fn] his law.
- 25 [fn] he poured the wrath of his anger upon him and the strength of war.
- And it set him afire all around, but[fn] he did not understand;[fn]
- and it burned him, but[fn] he did not take it to heart.
The Restorer of Israel
- 43 But now thus says Yahweh,he who created you, Jacob,
- and he who formed you, Israel:
- “You must not fear, for I have redeemed you.
- I have called you by your name;[fn]
- 2 will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not flow over you.
- When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned,
- and the flame shall not scorch[fn] you.
- 3 am Yahweh, your God, the holy one of Israel, your savior.
- I give you Egypt as ransom,
- Cush and Seba in place of you.
- 4 you are honored, and I myself love you,
- and I give people in place of you,
- and nations in place of your life.
- 5 for I am with you.
- I will bring your[fn] from the east,
- and I will gather you from the west.
- 6 and to the south, ‘You must not withhold!’
- Bring my sons from far away,
- and my daughters from the end of the earth—
- 7 and whom I created for my glory,
- whom I formed,
- indeed whom I made.”
- 8 the people blind yet[fn] with eyes, and deaf, though[fn] they have ears.
- 9 and let the peoples assemble.
- Who among them has declared this,
- and[fn] the former things to us?
- Let them bring[fn] their witnesses, that[fn] they may be in the right,
- and let them hear and say, “ It is true!”
- 10 are my witnesses,”[fn] Yahweh, “and my servant whom I have chosen
- so that you may know and believe[fn] me
- and understand that I am he.
- No god was formed before[fn],
- and none shall be after me.
- 11 am Yahweh, and there is no savior besides me!
- 12 and I[fn] And there was no [fn] among you.
- And you are my witnesses,”[fn] Yahweh,
- “and I am God.
- 13 this day I am the one, and no one can deliver from my hand.
- I perform,[fn] and who can [fn]
Yahweh Rescues His People
- 14 the holy one of Israel:
- “For your sake I will send to Babylon,
- and I will cause all of them to fall down as fugitives,
- and[fn] their rejoicing on the ships.
- 15 am Yahweh, your holy one, the creator of Israel, your king.”
- 16 [fn] a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters,
- 17 army and mighty one.
- Together they lie down;
- They are extinguished,
- quenched like a wick.
- 18 the former things, and you not must consider the former things.
- 19 am about to do a new thing! Now it sprouts! Do you not perceive[fn] it?
- Indeed, I will[fn] a way in the wilderness,
- rivers in the desert.
- 20 jackals and daughters of the ostrich,
- for I give water in the wilderness,
- to give a drink to my chosen people,
21 so they might make known[fn] my praise.
- 22 [fn] you did not call me, Jacob; for you have become weary of me, Israel.
- 23 nor[fn] honored me with your sacrifice.
- I have not made you serve with offerings,[fn]
- nor have I made you weary with frankincense.
- 24 or[fn] satisfied me with the fat of sacrifices.
- But you have burdened me with your sins;
- you have made me weary with your iniquities.
- 25 and I will not remember your sins.
- 26 You,[fn] so that you may be in the right.
- 27 [fn] sinned, and your[fn] transgressed against me.
- 28 the princes of the sanctuary, and I gave Jacob to destruction, and Israel to reviling.
Yahweh Blesses Chosen Israel
- and Israel, whom I have chosen.
- 2 and who formed you in[fn] the womb and will help you:
- you must not fear, my servant Jacob,
- and Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
- 3 land and streams on dry ground.
- I will pour my spirit out on your descendants[fn]
- and my blessing on your offspring.
- 4 [fn] the grass like willows by a watercourse of water.
- 5 one will say, ‘I belong to Yahweh!’ And that one will be called by the name of Jacob,
- and another will write on his hand ‘Yahweh’s’
Yahweh the Only God
- 6 and its redeemer, Yahweh of hosts:
- “I am the first, and I am the last,
- and there is no god besides me.
- 7 is like me? Let him proclaim[fn] it! And let him declare it and set it in order for me
- [fn] and things that are to come,
- and let them tell them the things that are coming.
- 8 [fn] and you must not be paralyzed with fear.
- Have I not made you hear from of old[fn]
- and declared it, and you are my witnesses?
- Is there a god besides me?
- And there is no rock! I know none!”
Idolatry Is Ridiculous
- 9 are nothing, and their delightful things do not profit.
- And their witnesses do not see or know,
- so they will be ashamed.
- 10 and cast an image of which he cannot profit?
- 11 and the artisans are human!
- Let all of them assemble;
- They shall tremble;[fn]
- they shall be ashamed together.
- 12 The[fn] works in the coals with his tool and forms it with hammers.
- And he makes it with[fn]
- indeed, he becomes hungry, and[fn] strength;
- he does not drink water, and he is faint.
- 13 The[fn] stretches out a line; he makes an outline of it with a marker.
- He makes it with a knife
- and makes an outline of it with a compass.
- He makes it like the image of a man,
- like the beauty of a human, to dwell in a temple.[fn]
- 14 he[fn] a holm tree and an oak,
- and he lets it grow strong for him among the trees of the forest.
- He plants a cedar, and the rain makes it grow.
- 15 [fn] and he takes some of it and grows warm;
- also, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
- Also, he makes a god and bows in worship;
- he makes himself an image and bows down to it!
- 16 the fire; he eats meat over half of it;
- he roasts a roast and is satisfied.
- Also he grows warm and says, “Ah!
- I am warm! I see the fire!”
- 17 And he makes the remainder of it into a god!He bows down to his idol,
- and he bows in worship and prays to him,
- and he says, “Save me, for you are my god!”
- 18 and they do not understand,
- for their eyes are besmeared[fn]
- their[fn] [fn]
- 19 [fn] and there is no knowledge and no understanding to say, “I burned half of it in the fire
- and also I baked bread on its coals;
- I roasted meat, and I have eaten.
- And I shall make the rest of it into an abomination!
- I shall bow down to a block of wood!”
- 20 He feeds on ashes; a[fn] misleads him. And he cannot save[fn] and he cannot say,
- “Is this not an illusion in my right hand?”
Yahweh Remembers Israel
- 21 and Israel, for you are my servant:
- I formed you; you are my servant;
- Israel, you will not be forgotten by me!
- 22 a cloud and your sins like mist.
Return to me, for I have redeemed you!
- 23 it! Shout, depths of the earth!
- Break forth, mountains, in rejoicing,
- forest and every tree in it,
- for Yahweh has redeemed Jacob,
- and he will show his glory in Israel!
Jerusalem Restored through Cyrus
- 24 and he who formed you in[fn] the womb:
- “I am Yahweh, who made everything,
- who stretched out the heavens alone,
- who spread out the earth—who was with me?—
- 25 [fn] the signs of oracle priests and makes a fool of diviners,
- who drives the wise men back
- and makes their knowledge foolish,
- 26 [fn] the word of his servant and carries out the plan of his messengers,
- who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’
- and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,
- and I will restore its ruins’;
- 27 And I will cause your rivers to dry up’;
- 28 and he shall carry out all my wishes[fn];
- and saying of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be rebuilt,’
- and the temple, ‘It shall be founded.’ ”
- to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped
- to subjugate nations before him,
- and I uncover[fn] the loins of kings
- to open doors before him,
- and the gates shall not be shut:
- 2 and I will level the[fn]
- I will break the doors of bronze
- and cut through the bars of iron.
- 3 the treasures of darkness and treasures of secret places
- so that you may know that I am Yahweh,
- the one who calls you by your name, the God of Israel,
- 4 and Israel my chosen one.
- And I call you by your name;
- I give you a name of honor, though[fn] you do not know me.
- 5 am Yahweh, and there is none besides me; besides me there is no god.
- I gird you though[fn] you do not know me,
- 6 the rising of the sun and from the west that there is none besides me;
- I am Yahweh and there is none besides me.
- 7 I form light and I create darkness; I make peace and I create evil;
- I am Yahweh; I do all these things.
- 8 and let clouds trickle with righteousness;
- let the earth open so that[fn] salvation may be fruitful,
- and let it cause righteousness to sprout along with it.[fn]
- I myself, Yahweh, have created it.
- 9 to the one who strives with his[fn] a potsherd among[fn] potsherds of earth!
- Does the clay say to the one who fashions it,
- ‘What are you making?’
- and ‘Your work has no hands’?
- 10 to the one who says to a father, ‘What you are begetting?’ or[fn] to a woman, ‘ With what are you in labor?’ ”
- 11 and its[fn]
- “Ask me of the things to come[fn] my children,
- and you command me about the work of my hands.
- 12 the earth, and I created humankind upon it.
- I, my hands, stretched out the heavens,
- and I commanded all their host.
- 13 and I will make all his paths smooth.
- He himself shall build my city,
- and he shall set my exiles free,
not for price or a gift,” says Yahweh of hosts.
Yahweh the Only Savior
- 14 “The acquisition of Egypt
- and the merchandise of Cush
- and the Sabeans, tall men,
- shall pass over to you;
- and they shall walk behind you.
- They shall pass over in chains,
- and they shall bow down to you;
- ‘Surely God is with you, and there is no other.
- Besides him there is no God.’ ”
- 15 are a God who keeps yourself hidden, God of Israel, the savior.
- 16 the craftsmen of idols go together in insult.
- 17 with everlasting salvation; you shall not be ashamed,
- and you shall not be humiliated[fn]
- 18 [fn] the heavens, he is God,[fn] the earth
- and[fn] it.
- He himself established it;
- he did not create it as emptiness—
- he formed it for inhabiting.
“I am Yahweh and there is none besides me.
- 19 I have not said to the descendants of Jacob, ‘Seek me[fn]
- I, Yahweh, am speaking righteousness,
- declaring uprightness.
- 20 draw near together, survivors of the nations!
- They do not know, those who carry[fn]
- and pray to a god who cannot save.
- 21 your case, also let them consult together!
- Who[fn] from [fn]
- Was it not I, Yahweh?
- And there is no other god besides me,
- a righteous God besides me,
- and no savior besides me.
- 22 the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none besides me.
- 23 a word that[fn] shall not return has gone forth from my mouth in righteousness:
- ‘Every knee shall kneel down to me;
- every tongue shall swear.’
- 24 are righteousness and strength.’ He shall come to him, and all those who were angry with him shall be ashamed.
- 25 and they shall boast.”
Babylon’s Idols
- Their idols are[fn] animals[fn] and [fn] cattle;
- your[fn] is carried as a burden[fn] weary animals.
- 2 they bow down together.
- They are not able to save the burden,
- but[fn] [fn] in captivity.
- 3 and all the remnant of the house of Israel
- who have been carried from the belly,
- who have been carried from the womb:
- 4 [fn] to your old age I am he; even[fn] to your advanced age I myself will support you.
- I myself have made you,
- and I myself will carry you,
- and I myself will support you,
- and I will save you.
- 5 and count as equal,
- and compare with me,
- as though[fn] we were alike?
- 6 the purse and weigh out silver in the balance scales;
- hire[fn]
- they bow down,
- indeed they bow in worship.
- 7 their shoulder; they support it and they set it in its place,
- and it stands in position.
- It cannot be removed from its place;
- even when he cries out to it, it does not answer.
- It does not save him from his trouble.
- 8 Call to[fn] you transgressors!
- 9 the former things from[fn] for I am God and there is none besides me,
- God and there is none like me,
- 10 the beginning declares the end, and from before, things that have not been done,
- who says, ‘My plan shall stand,’
- and, ‘I will accomplish[fn] all my wishes,’[fn]
- 11 the east, the man of his[fn] plan from a country from afar.
- Indeed I have spoken; indeed I will bring it to being.
- I have formed it; indeed I will do it.
- 12 far from righteousness!
- 13 it is not far. And my salvation will not delay;
- and I will put[fn] salvation in Zion,
Babylon’s Fall
- Sit on the ground without a throne, daughter of Chaldea!
- For[fn] you tender and delicate.
- 2 the pair of mill stones and grind flour! Uncover your veil,
- uncover your thigh,
- pass through the rivers!
- 3 indeed, your shame shall become visible.
- I will take vengeance
- and I will not[fn] a person.
4 Our redeemer, Yahweh of hosts is his name, the holy one of Israel.
5 Sit silently and go into the darkness, daughter of Chaldea,for they shall no longer call[fn] you mistress of kingdoms.
- 6 I profaned my inheritance,
- and I gave them into your hand.
- You did not[fn] them mercy;
- on the aged you made your yoke very heavy.
- 7 You did not set these things upon your heart;
- you did not remember its end.
- 8 one who sits[fn] in security, who says[fn] in her heart, “I am, and besides me there is no one.
- I shall not sit as a widow,
- and I shall not know the loss of children.”
- 9 in a moment, in one day: the loss of children and widowhood shall come on you[fn]
- in spite of your many sorceries,
- in spite of the power of your great enchantments.
- 10 you said, “[fn] sees[fn] me.”
- Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray,
- and you said in your heart, “I am, and besides me there is no one.”
- 11 it will be on the lookout for her.
- And disaster shall fall upon you; you will not be able to[fn] it.
- And ruin shall come on you suddenly; you do not know.
- 12 and in your many sorceries with which you have labored from your youth.
- Perhaps you may be able to benefit;
- perhaps you may[fn]
- 13 [fn] let them stand, now, and save you—
- those who see the stars, divide the[fn]
- who inform by new moons—
- from those things that are coming upon you.
- 14 the fire burns them completely.
- They cannot deliver[fn] from the[fn] of the flame;
- there is no coal[fn]
- no fire before which to sit.
- 15 those with whom you have labored, your traders from your youth.
- They wander, each to his side;
- there is no one who can save you.
Yahweh Refines Stubborn Israel
- who are called by the name of Israel
- and came out from the waters of Judah,
- who swear by the name of Yahweh,
- and[fn] the God of Israel,
- but not in truth
- and not in righteousness.
- 2 [fn] and they lean on the God of Israel—
- Yahweh of hosts is his name.
- 3 [fn] and they went out from my mouth.
- And I[fn] them suddenly;
- I acted,[fn] and they came to pass,
- 4 [fn] that you are obstinate, and your neck an iron sinew,
- and your forehead bronze.
- 5 them to you from of old; I[fn] them to you before they came to pass
- so that you would not say, ‘My idol did them,
- and my image and my cast image commanded them.’
- 6 And will you not declare it?
- I[fn] new things to you from this time
- and hidden things that[fn] you have not known.
- 7 [fn] and before today, and you have not heard them
- so that you could not say, “Look! I knew them.”
- 8 nor from[fn] has your ear been opened.
- For I knew you would deal treacherously, very treacherously,
- and you are called a rebel from the womb.
- 9 [fn] my anger, and for my praise I restrain it for you
- so as not to cut you off.
- 10 [fn] not like[fn] silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of misery.
- 11 it; for why should it[fn] be defiled?
- And I will not give my glory to another.”
Yahweh Frees Israel
- I am he. I am the first;
- also I am the last.
- 13 the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens;
- when I summon[fn] them, they stand in position together.
14 Assemble, all of you, and hear!Who among them declared these things?
Yahweh loves him;
- he shall perform[fn] his wish against Babylon
- and his arm against[fn]
- 15 Indeed, I have called him.
- I have brought him,
- and he will be successful in his way.
- 16 the[fn] from the time[fn] there I have been;
- And now the Lord Yahweh has sent me and his Spirit.”
- 17 Thus says Yahweh, your redeemer, the holy one of Israel:“I am Yahweh your God,[fn] you to profit,
- leads you in the way you should go.
- 18 O that you had listened attentively to my commandments!Then[fn] your prosperity would have been like a river,
- and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
- 19 and the descendants of your[fn] like its grains.[fn]
- It would not be cut off,
- and its name would not be destroyed from my presence.”
- 20 Flee from Chaldea!
- Proclaim[fn] it with a shout[fn] of rejoicing; proclaim[fn] this!
- [fn] to the end of the earth;
- say, “Yahweh has redeemed his servant Jacob!”
- 21 when he led them through the deserts, they were not thirsty; he made water flow from the rock for them,
- and he split the rock,
- and the water gushed out.
22 “There is no peace,” says Yahweh, “for the wicked.”
Yahweh’s Servant Brings Salvation
- and listen attentively, peoples from far away!
- Yahweh called me from the womb;
- from the[fn] of my mother he made my name known.
- 2 [fn] my mouth like a sharp sword; he hid me in the shadow of his hand,
- and he[fn] me like an sharpened arrow;
- he hid me in his quiver.
- 3 are my servant, Israel, in whom I will show my glory.”
- 4 [fn] I myself said, “I have labored in[fn] vain; I have used up my strength for nothing and vanity!
- Nevertheless, my justice is with Yahweh,
- and my reward is with my God.”
- 5 who formed me from the womb as a servant for him,
- to bring Jacob back to him,
- and that Israel might not[fn] be gathered,
- for[fn] I am honored in the eyes of Yahweh,
- and my God has become my strength.
- 6 And he says, “It is trivial for you to be[fn] a servant for me, to raise up the tribes of Jacob
- and to bring back the preserved of Israel.
- I will give you as a light to the nations,
- to be my salvation to the end of the earth.”
- 7 Thus says Yahweh, the redeemer of Israel, his holy one,to the one who despises[fn] life,
- to the one who abhors the nation,
- to the slave of rulers:
- “Kings shall see and stand up;
- princes, and they shall bow down,
- for the sake of Yahweh, who is faithful,
- the holy one of Israel, and he has chosen you.”
Yahweh Restores the Afflicted
- 8 Thus says Yahweh:“I have answered you in a time of favor,
- and helped you on a day of salvation,
- and watched over you,
- and given you as a covenant of the people,
- to raise up the land,
- to give the desolate hereditary property as an inheritance,
- 9 [fn] “Come out!” to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves!”
- they shall feed[fn] the ways,
- and their pasturage shall be on all the barren heights.
- 10 and heat and sun shall not strike them,
- for he who takes pity on them will lead them,
- and he will guide them to springs of water.
- 11 [fn] all my mountains like a road, and my highways shall lead up.[fn]
- 12 And look! These from the north and from the west
- and these from the land of Sinim.”
- 13 Mountains must break forth in rejoicing!
- For Yahweh has comforted his people,
- and he will take pity on his afflicted ones.
Yahweh Remembers Zion
- 14 [fn] Zion said, “Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me!”
- 15 refrain from having compassion on the child of her womb?
- Indeed, these may forget,
- but[fn] I, I will not forget you!
- 16 my hands; your walls are continually before me.
- 17 your destroyers and those who laid you waste depart[fn] from you.
- 18 all of them gather; they come to you.
- [fn]
- surely you shall put on all of them like an ornament,
- and you shall bind them on like a bride.
- 19 Surely your sites of ruins and desolate places and land of ruins,[fn] surely now you will be[fn] inhabitants,[fn]
- and those who engulfed you will be far away.
- 20 Yet the children born when you were bereaved[fn] will say in your hearing,[fn] “The place is too cramped for me;
- [fn] for me so that I can dwell.”
- 21 Then[fn] you will say in your heart, “Who has borne me these?”
- And, “I was bereaved and barren,
- exiled and thrust away;
- Look at me! I was left alone;
- 22 Thus says the Lord Yahweh:“Look! I will lift my hand up to the nations,
- and I will raise my signal to the peoples,
- and they shall bring your sons in their bosom,
- and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.[fn]
- 23 [fn] and their queens your nurses.
- They shall bow down,[fn] to the ground, to you,
- and they will lick up the dust of your feet.
- Then[fn] you will know that I am Yahweh;
- those who await me shall not be ashamed.
- 24 the mighty? or can a captive of a righteous[fn] person be rescued?
- 25 But thus says Yahweh:“Indeed a captive of the mighty shall be taken,
- and the war-booty of the tyrant shall be rescued,
- for[fn] I myself will dispute with your opponent,
- and I myself will save your children.
- 26 own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their blood as with wine.
- Then[fn] all flesh shall know that I am Yahweh,
- your savior and redeemer, the strong one of Jacob.”
- 50 Thus says Yahweh:“Where is this divorce document of your mother’s divorce, with which I dismissed her?
- or to whom of my creditors did I sell you?
- Look! you were sold because of your sin,
- and your mother was dismissed because of your transgressions.
- 2 no one who answered when I called?
- [fn]
- Or is there no power in me to deliver?
- Look! by my rebuke I dry up the sea;
- I[fn] the rivers a desert;
- their fish stink because there is no water,
- and they[fn] die because of thirst.
- 3 the heavens with darkness, and I[fn] their covering sackcloth.”
The Servant’s Vindication
- 4 the tongue of a pupil, to know how to help the weary with a word.
- He awakens[fn]
- awakens an ear for me to listen as do the pupils.
- 5 and I, I was not rebellious.
- I did not turn backwards;
- 6 me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out my[fn]
- I did not hide my face from insults and spittle.
- 7 And the Lord Yahweh helps me,therefore I have not been put to shame;
- therefore I have set my face like flint.
- And I know that I shall not be ashamed;
- 8 is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand together.
- Who is the master of my judgment? Let him approach me.
- 9 Who is the one who will declare me guilty?
- Look! All of them will be worn out like a garment;
- the moth will eat them.
- 10 is in fear of Yahweh, obeys[fn] the voice of his servant?
- Who walks in darkness
- trusts in the name of Yahweh
- and depends on his God?
- 11 are kindlers of fire, who gird yourselves with flaming arrows.
- Walk in the light of your fire,
- and among the flaming arrows you have kindled!
- You shall have this from my hand:
- you shall lie down in[fn] a place of torment.
Yahweh Comforts Zion
- Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
- and to the excavation of the pit from which you were quarried.
- 2 and to Sarah; she brought you forth.
- For I called him[fn]
- but[fn] I blessed him and made him numerous.”
- 3 he will comfort all its sites of ruins.
- And he will[fn] its wilderness like Eden,
- and its desert like the garden of Yahweh.
- Joy and gladness will be found in it,
- thanksgiving and the[fn] of song.
- 4 and my nation, listen to me!
- For a teaching will go out from me,
- and I will cause my justice to rest for a light to the peoples.
- 5 is near; my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples.
- The coastlands wait for me,
- and for my arm they wait.
- 6 and look to the earth beneath,
- for the heavens will be torn to pieces like smoke,
- and the earth will be worn out like a garment,
- and those who inhabit her will die like gnats.
- But[fn] my salvation will be forever,
- and my righteousness will not be broken to pieces.
- 7 people who have my teaching in their heart;
- you must not fear the reproach of men,
- or be terrified because of their abuse.
- 8 a moth will devour[fn] them like wool,
- but[fn] my righteousness will be forever,
- and my salvation for[fn]”
- 9 Awake as in days of long ago,
- the generations of a long time back!
- Are you not the one who cut Rahab in pieces,
- the one who pierced the sea-dragon?
- 10 the sea, the waters of the great deep,
- the one who[fn] the depths of the sea a way
- for those who are redeemed to cross over?
- 11 [fn] the redeemed ones of Yahweh shall return, and they shall come to Zion with singing,
- and everlasting joy shall be on their heads.[fn]
- Joy and gladness shall[fn]
- sorrow and sighing shall flee away!
- 12 “I, I am he who comforts you;who are you that[fn] you are afraid of man? He dies!
- And of the son of humankind? He is[fn] as grass!
- 13 who stretched out the heavens,
- and founded the earth.
- And you tremble continually, all day,
- because of the wrath of the oppressor
- when he[fn] to destroy.
- But[fn] where is the wrath of the oppressor?
- 14 The fettered one shall make haste to be freed. And he shall not die in[fn] the pit,
- and he shall not lack his bread.
- 15 For[fn] I am Yahweh, your God,who stirs up[fn] the sea,
- Yahweh of hosts is his name.
- 16 and I have covered you in the shadow of my hand,
- to plant the heavens
- and to found the earth,
- saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’ ”
- 17 Stand up, Jerusalem, who have drunk from the hand of Yahweh the cup of his wrath;
- you have drunk the goblet, the cup of staggering;
- you have drained it out.
- 18 [fn] all the children she has borne, and there is no one who grasps her by the hand among[fn] all the children she raised.
- 19 things here have happened to you—who will[fn] for you?— devastation and destruction, famine and sword—who will comfort you?
- 20 they lie at the head of all the streets, like an antelope in[fn] a snare,
- those who are full of the wrath of Yahweh,
- the rebuke of your God.
- 21 one and drunken one but[fn] not from wine.
- 22 and your God pleads the cause of his people:
- “Look! I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering.
- You shall not[fn] to drink the goblet, the cup of my wrath, any longer.
- 23 who have said to[fn] ‘Bow down that[fn] we may [fn] over you!’
- And you have[fn] your back like the ground,
- and like the street for those who[fn] over you.”
Yahweh Redeems Zion
- Put on the garments of your beauty, Jerusalem,[fn]
- For the uncircumcised and the unclean shall not[fn] enter you any longer.
- 2 the dust! Rise up; sit, Jerusalem! Free yourselves from the bonds of your neck, captive daughter of Zion!
- 3 For thus says Yahweh:“You were sold for nothing,
- and you shall be redeemed without money.”
4 For thus says the Lord Yahweh:“My people went down to Egypt in the beginning, to dwell as aliens there, and Assyria oppressed him without cause.[fn] 5 And now what do I have here?”declares[fn] Yahweh, “for my people is taken without cause. Its rulers howl,” declares[fn] Yahweh—“and my name is reviled continually, all day. 6 Therefore my people shall know my name, therefore in that day, that I am the one who speaks. Here am I.”[fn]
- 7 who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation,
- who says to Zion, “Your God reigns as a king.”
- 8 [fn] of your watchmen! They lift up their voices;[fn] together they sing for joy;
- for they[fn] see Yahweh’s return to Zion.
- 9 sing for joy together, ruins of Jerusalem,
- for Yahweh has comforted his people;
- he has redeemed Jerusalem.
- 10 [fn] to the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends[fn] of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
- 11 Go out from the midst of it, keep clean, you who carry the vessels of Yahweh.
- 12 and you shall not go in flight,
- for Yahweh is going before you,
- and your rear guard is the God of Israel.
The Servant’s Suffering and Exaltation
- and he shall be lifted up,
- and he shall be very high.
- 14 such was his appearance beyond human disfigurement,
- and his form beyond the sons of mankind—
- 15 because of him, kings shall shut their mouths.[fn]
- For they shall see what has not been told them,
- and they shall consider with full attention what they have not heard.
- and to whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed?
- 2 [fn] he went[fn] up like a shoot before him, and like a root from dry ground.
- He had no form and no majesty that[fn] we should see him,
- and no appearance that[fn] we should take pleasure in him.
- 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering, and acquainted with[fn] sickness,
- and like[fn] he was despised,
- and we did not hold him in high regard.
- 4 and he carried our pain,
- yet[fn] we ourselves assumed him stricken,
- struck down by God and afflicted.
- 5 [fn] he was pierced[fn] because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities;
- the chastisement for[fn] our peace[fn] was upon him,
- and by his wounds[fn] [fn]
- 6 we each have turned to his own way;
- and Yahweh let fall on him
- the iniquity of us all.
- 7 yet[fn] he did not open his mouth;
- he was brought like a lamb to the slaughter,
- and like a sheep is dumb before its shearers,
- so[fn] he did not open his mouth.
- 8 He was taken by restraint of justice,and who concerned himself with his generation?
- For he was cut off from the land of the living;
- he received a blow because of the transgression of my people.
- 9 [fn] his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death,
- although he had done no violence,
- and there was no deceit in his mouth.
- 10 [fn] Yahweh was pleased to crush him; he[fn]
- If she[fn] places[fn] his life a guilt offering,[fn]
- He will prolong days,
- and the will of Yahweh will succeed in his hand.
- 11 [fn] he will see;[fn] he will be satisfied.
- In his knowledge, the righteous one, my servant, shall declare many righteous,[fn]
- and he is the one who will bear their iniquities.
- 12 a portion among the many,[fn] and with the strong ones he will divide bounty,
- [fn] he poured his life out to death
- and was counted with the transgressors;
- and[fn] he was the one who bore the sin of many
- and will intercede for the transgressors.
The Fertile Wife of Yahweh
- Burst forth into rejoicing and rejoice, she who has not been in labor!
- For the children of the desolate woman are more than the children of the married woman,” says Yahweh.
- 2 and let them stretch out the tent curtains of your dwelling place.
- You must not spare; make your tent cords long
- and strengthen your pegs,
- 3 to the right and to the left. And your descendants[fn] will be heir to the nations,
- and they will inhabit desolate towns.
- 4 and you must not be confounded, for you will not feel abashed,
- for you will forget the shame of your youth,
- and you will no longer remember the disgrace of your widowhood.
- 5 [fn] is your maker,[fn] his name is Yahweh of hosts; and your redeemer is the holy one of Israel, he is called the God of all of the earth.
- 6 like[fn] the wife of childhood when she is rejected, says your God.
- 7 [fn] moment, but[fn] I will gather you with great compassion.
- 8 for a moment, in the flowing of anger, but[fn] I will have compassion on you with everlasting faithfulness” says your redeemer, Yahweh.
- 9 “For this is like the waters of Noah to me,when I swore[fn] over the earth,
- so I swore[fn] angry at you and rebuke you.
- 10 and the hills may sway,
- but[fn] my faithfulness shall not depart from you,
- and my covenant of peace shall not sway,”
- says Yahweh, who has compassion on you,
- 11 one, driven away, who is not consoled. Look! I am about to set your stones in hard mortar,
- and I will lay your foundation with sapphires.
- 12 [fn] your battlements of ruby, and your gates of stones of beryl,
- and all your wall of precious stones.
- 13 shall be pupils of Yahweh, and the peace of your children shall be great.
- 14 In righteousness you shall be established.Be far from oppression, for you shall not fear,
- and from terror, for it shall not come near you.
- 15 it is not from me; whoever attacks you shall fall because of you.
- 16 the craftsman who blows[fn] the fire of coals, and who produces[fn] a weapon for his work;
- also[fn] I myself have created the destroyer to destroy.
- 17 and you shall declare guilty every tongue that rises against you for judgment.
- This is the inheritance of the servants of Yahweh,
declares[fn] Yahweh.
Invitation to True Rewards
- And whoever has no money, come, buy and eat,
- and come, buy without money,
- wine and milk without price!
- 2 what is not food, and your labor for[fn]
- Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
- and let your soul take pleasure in[fn] food.
- 3 Listen so that[fn] your soul may live,
- and I will[fn] an everlasting covenant with[fn] you,
- the enduring proofs of[fn] David.
- 4 [fn] him a witness to the peoples, a leader and a commander for the peoples.
- 5 that you do not know, and a nation that does not know you shall run to you,
- because of Yahweh your God,
- and the holy one of Israel, for he has glorified you.”
- 6 [fn] call him[fn] near.
- 7 the wicked forsake his way, and the man of sin his thoughts.
- And let him return to Yahweh, that[fn] he may take pity on him,
- and to our God, for he will[fn]
- 8 are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,”
declares[fn] Yahweh.
- 9 as the heavens are[fn] than the earth, so my ways are[fn] than your ways,
- and my thoughts than your thoughts.
- 10 and they do not return there
- except they have watered the earth thoroughly
- and cause it to bring forth and sprout,
- and give seed to the sower
- and bread to the eater,
- 11 It shall not return to me without success,
- but shall accomplish[fn] what I desire
- and be successful in the thing for which I sent it.
- 12 and you shall be led in peace.
- The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you, rejoicing
- and all the trees of the field shall clap hands.[fn]
- 13 the juniper shall go up; instead of the brier, the myrtle shall go up,
- and it shall serve as a memorial to Yahweh,
- for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
Salvation for All Who Obey
- 56 Thus says Yahweh:“Observe justice
- for my salvation is close to coming,
- and my justice to being revealed.
- 2 is the man who does this, and the son of humankind who keeps hold of it,
- who keeps the Sabbath[fn] it,
- and who keeps his hand from doing any[fn] evil.”
- 3 [fn] who joins himself to Yahweh say, “Surely Yahweh will separate me from his people.” And do not let the eunuch say, “Look! I am a dry tree!”
- 4 and choose that in which I delight,
- and who keep hold of my covenant.
- 5 better than sons and daughters;
- I will give him an everlasting name
- that shall not be cut off.
- 6 [fn] who join themselves to Yahweh to serve him and to love the name of Yahweh, to become his servants,
- every one who keeps the Sabbath,[fn] it,
- and those who keep hold of my covenant,
- 7 [fn] I will make them merry in my house of prayer.
- their burnt offerings and their sacrifices[fn] on my altar,
- for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples,”
8 declares[fn] the Lord Yahweh, who gathers[fn] the scattered ones of Israel (still I will gather to[fn] him, to his gathered ones).
Wicked Leaders
- 9 in the field, come, to devour,[fn] all wild animals in the forest!
- 10 are blind, none of them know.
- They are all dumb dogs;
- panting, lying down,
- loving to slumber.
- 11 [fn] they[fn]
- And they are the shepherds!
- They do not have[fn] understanding.
- They all turn to their own way,
- each one for his own gain,[fn]
- 12 and let us carouse with intoxicating drink,
- and tomorrow will be like today,
Idolatry is Adultery
- And men of faithfulness are gathered, while there is no one who understands,
- for the righteous is gathered from the presence of wickedness.
- 2 into peace; they will rest on their beds,
- walking straight ahead of him.
- 3 [fn] you, come near here, you children of a soothsayer, offspring of an adulterer and she who commits fornication.
- 4 At whom do you[fn] your mouth and[fn] your tongue?
- Are you not children of transgression,
- offspring of deception,
- 5 under every leafy tree,
- who slaughter children in the valleys,
- under the clefts of the rocks?
- 6 is among the smooth stones of the valley; they, they are your lot;
- indeed, to them you have poured out a drink offering,
- you have brought a food offering.
Shall I relent concerning these things?
- 7 indeed, you went up there to slaughter sacrifice.
- 8 for you depart[fn] from me, and you go up;
- you make your bed wide, and you[fn] them,
- you have loved their bed; you have seen their[fn]
- 9 and you made your perfumes numerous,
- and you sent your envoys[fn]
- and you[fn] to Sheol.
- 10 but you did not say, ‘Despairing!’
- You found the[fn] of your [fn]
- therefore you do not grow weak.
- 11 and did not remember me?
- Did you not place it on your heart?
- Have I not been silent, even from long ago,
- and so you do not fear me?
- 12 but[fn] they will not benefit you.
- 13 [fn] let your collection deliver you, and the wind will carry all of them away;
- a breath will take them away.
- But[fn] he who takes refuge in me shall take possession of the land,
- and he shall inherit my[fn]
Peace for the Contrite
- 14 the way! Remove the obstacles[fn] from the way of my people!”
- 15 For thus says the high and lofty one who resides forever, and whose name is holy:“I reside in a high and holy place,
- and with the[fn] and humble of spirit,
- to revive the spirit of the humble,
- and to revive the heart of the[fn]
- 16 and I will not be angry forever,
- for the spirit will grow faint before me,
- and the breaths that I myself I have made.
- 17 I hid and I was angry, but[fn] he walked apostate, in the ways[fn] of his heart.
- 18 but[fn] I will heal him;
- and I will lead him
- and give him and his mourners comfort as a recompense,
19 creating fruit of lips.Peace, peace to the far and near,” says Yahweh, “and I will heal him.
- 20 [fn] the wicked are like the churning sea, that is not able to keep quiet, and its waters toss up mire and mud.
21 There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
True Fasts and Sabbaths
- lift up your voice like a trumpet,
- and declare[fn] to my people their rebellion,
- and to the house of Jacob their sins.
- 2 [fn] they seek me day by day, and they desire the knowledge of my ways
- like a nation that[fn] righteousness,
- and had not forsaken the judgment of its God;
- they ask me for[fn]
- they desire the closeness of God.
- 3 it? We humiliate our soul, and you do not notice it?’
- Look! You find delight on the day of your fast,
- and you oppress all your workers!
- 4 and to strike with a[fn]
- You shall not fast as you do[fn]
- to[fn] on the height.
- 5 the fast I choose like this, a day for humankind to humiliate[fn]?
- To bow his head like a reed,
- and[fn] his bed on sackcloth and ashes;
- you call this a fast
- and a day of pleasure to Yahweh?
- 6 the fast I choose: to release the bonds of injustice, to untie the ropes of the yoke,
- and to let the oppressed go free,
- and[fn] every yoke to pieces?
- 7 Is it not to break your bread for the hungry? You must bring[fn] the poor, the homeless.
- When you see the naked, you must cover him,
- and you must not hide yourself from your[fn]
- 8 and your healing shall grow quickly.
- And your salvation shall go before you;
- the glory of Yahweh will be your rear guard.
- 9 You shall cry for help, and he will say, ‘Here I am!’
- If you remove from among you the yoke,
- the[fn] and [fn]
- 10 [fn] you offer your soul to the hungry, and you satisfy the appetite of the afflicted,
- then[fn] your light shall rise in the darkness,
- and your darkness will be like noon.
- 11 and he will strengthen your bones,
- and you shall be like a well-watered garden,
- and like a spring of water whose water does not fail.
- 12 you shall erect the foundations of[fn]
- and[fn] the bricklayer of the breach,
- the restorer of paths to live in.
- 13 the Sabbath, from doing your affairs on[fn]
- if[fn] you call the Sabbath a pleasure,
- the holy day of Yahweh honorable,
- if[fn] you honor him [fn] doing your ways,
- than finding your affairs[fn] and speaking a word,
- 14 [fn] Yahweh, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth,
- and I will feed you the heritage of Jacob your ancestor,[fn]
for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.”
Rampant Transgression
- and his ear is not too dull[fn]
- 2 [fn] between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, from hearing.
- 3 and your fingers with iniquity.
- Your lips have spoken lies,
- your tongue speaks wickedness.
- 4 [fn] justice, and there is nobody who judges with honesty.
- They rely on nothing
- They conceive trouble
- and beget iniquity;
- 5 and they weave a spider web.
- One who eats their eggs dies,
- and that which is pressed is hatched as a serpent.
- 6 and they cannot cover themselves with their works.
- Their works are works of iniquity,
- and deeds[fn] of violence are in their hands.
- 7 and they hasten to shed innocent blood.
- Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
- devastation and destruction are in their highways.
- 8 the way of peace, and there is no justice in their firm paths.
- They have made their paths crooked for themselves;
- everyone[fn] in it knows no peace.
- 9 and righteousness does not reach us.
- We wait for light, but[fn] look! there is darkness;
- for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
- 10 along a wall, and we grope[fn] eyes.
- We stumble at noon as in the twilight;
- among the strong we are like the dead.
- 11 and we coo mutteringly like doves.
- We wait for justice, but[fn] there is none;
- for salvation, but it is far from us.
- 12 and our sins[fn] against us.
- Indeed, our transgressions are with us,
- and we know our iniquities:
- 13 and turning[fn] our God;
- speaking oppression and falsehood,
- conceiving and uttering words of deception from the heart.
- 14 and righteousness stands afar;
- for truth stumbles in the public square,
- and straightforwardness is unable to enter,
- 15 and he who turns aside from evil is plundered.
- And Yahweh saw,
- and it was displeasing in his eyes that there was no justice
- 16 and he was appalled that there was no one who intercedes,
- so[fn] his arm came to assist him,
- and his righteousness[fn] sustained him.
- 17 a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head,
- and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
- and he wrapped himself in zeal as in a robe.
- 18 wrath to his enemies, requital to those who are his[fn]
- He will repay requital to the coastlands.
- 19 [fn] they shall fear the name of Yahweh from the west, and his glory from the sunrise,
- for he will come like a narrow stream;
- the wind of Yahweh drives it on.
- 20 to those in Jacob who turn away from transgression,”
declares[fn] Yahweh.
- 21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says Yahweh:my spirit that is upon you,
- and my words that I have placed in your mouth
- shall not depart from your mouth,
- or[fn] from the mouths[fn] of your [fn]
- or[fn] from the mouths[fn] of [fn]
- says Yahweh, “from now on and forever.”
Zion Glorified
- and the glory of Yahweh has risen on you.
- 2 the earth, and thick darkness the peoples,
- but[fn] Yahweh will rise on you,
- and his glory will appear over you.
- 3 and kings to the bright light of your sunrise.
- 4 All of them gather; they come to you.
- Your sons shall come from afar,
- and your daughters shall be looked after on the hip.
- 5 and you shall be radiant;
- and your heart shall tremble
- because the abundance of the sea shall fall upon you;
- the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
- 6 the young male camels of Midian and Ephah.
- All those from Sheba shall come;
- they shall bring gold and frankincense,
- and they shall proclaim the praise of Yahweh.
- 7 the rams of Nebaioth shall serve you.
- They shall present a sacrifice for favor on my altar,
- and I will glorify[fn]
- 8 are these? They fly like a cloud, and like doves to their coops.
- 9 the coastlands wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish are first
- to bring your children from afar,
- their silver and gold with them,
- for the name of Yahweh your God,
- and for the holy one of Israel, because he has glorified you.
- 10 [fn] shall build your walls, and their kings shall serve you,
- for in my anger I struck you,
- but[fn] in my favor I have taken pity on you.
- 11 day and night they shall not be shut,
- to bring you the wealth of nations,
- and their kings shall be led.
- 12 and the nations shall be utterly devastated.
- 13 the cypress, the plane, and the pine together,
- to glorify the place of my sanctuary,
- and I will do honor to the place of my feet.
- 14 and all those who treated you disrespectfully shall bow down at the soles of your feet.
- And they shall call you the city of Yahweh,
- Zion of the holy one of Israel.
- 15 and hated[fn]
- I will[fn] you an everlasting [fn]
- a joy of[fn]
- 16 the milk of nations, and suck the breast of kings,
- and you shall know that I am Yahweh your Savior,
- and your Redeemer, the Strong One of Jacob.
- 17 and instead of iron I will bring silver,
- and instead of wood, bronze,
- and instead of stones, iron.
- And I will[fn] peace as your overseer,
- and righteousness as[fn]
- 18 devastation or[fn] destruction on your borders.
- And you shall call your walls Salvation,
- and your gates, Praise.
- 19 and for bright light the moon shall not give you light,
- but[fn] Yahweh will be your everlasting light,
- and your God your glory.
- 20 down, and your moon shall not[fn]
- for Yahweh himself will be your everlasting light,
- and your days of mourning shall come to an end.
- 21 shall be righteous; they shall take possession of the land forever,
- the shoot of his[fn] planting,
- the work of my hands, to show my glory.
- 22 one shall become a tribe, and the smallest one a mighty nation.
I am Yahweh; I will hasten it in its time.”
The Year of Yahweh’s Favor
- because Yahweh has anointed me,
- he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
- to[fn] release to the captives
- and liberation to those who are bound,
- 2 [fn] the year of Yahweh’s favor, and our God’s day of vengeance,
- to comfort all those in mourning,
- 3 [fn] for those in mourning in Zion, to give them a head wrap instead of ashes,
- the oil of joy instead of mourning,
- a garment of praise instead of a faint spirit.
- And[fn] oaks of righteousness,
- the planting of Yahweh, to show his glory.
- 4 the ancient ruins, they shall erect the former deserted places.
- And they shall restore the[fn]
- the deserted places of[fn]
- 5 [fn] and[fn] shall be your farmers and vinedressers.
- 6 [fn] you shall be called the priests of Yahweh, [fn] servers of our God.
- You shall eat the wealth of the nations,
- and you shall boast in their riches.
- 7 and instead of insult, they will rejoice over their portion.
- Therefore they will take a double portion in their land;
- [fn]
- 8 hate robbery and[fn] injustice,
- and I will[fn] give their reward,
- and I will[fn] an everlasting covenant [fn] them.
- 9 [fn] will be known among the nations, and their offspring in the midst of the peoples.
- All those who see them shall recognize them,
- that they are descendants[fn] whom Yahweh has blessed.
- 10 my being shall shout in exultation in my God.
- For he has clothed me with garments of salvation,
- he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
- as a bridegroom adorns himself with a head wrap like a priest,
- and as a bride adorns herself with her jewelry.
- 11 [fn] its sprout, and as a garden makes its plants sprout,
- so the Lord Yahweh will make righteousness sprout,
- and praise before all the nations.
Zion’s New Identity
- and for the sake of Jerusalem I will not maintain a quiet attitude,
- until her righteousness goes out like the bright light,
- and her salvation burns like a torch.
- 2 the nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory,
- and[fn] a new name
- that the mouth of Yahweh will designate.
- 3 and a headband of royalty in the hand of your God.
- 4 and it shall no longer be said of your land, “Desolation!”
- but[fn] be called “My Delight Is In Her,”
- and your land, “Married,”
- for Yahweh delights in you,
- and your land shall be married.
- 5 as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you,
- and as is the joy of the bridegroom over the bride,
- so shall your God rejoice over you.
- 6 all day and all night they shall never be silent.
- You who profess Yahweh have no rest.
- 7 and until he[fn] Jerusalem [fn] in the earth.
- 8 and by[fn]
- “Surely I will never again give your grain as food to[fn]
- and surely[fn] shall not drink your new wine at which you have labored.”
- 9 and those who gather it shall drink it in[fn]
- 10 Make the way clear[fn] the people!
- Pile up, pile up the highway; clear it of stones![fn]
- Lift up an ensign over the peoples!
- 11 Look! Yahweh has proclaimed to the end of the earth:Say to daughter Zion, “Look, your salvation is coming!
- Look, his reward is with him,
- and his reward before him.
- 12 [fn] The Redeemed Of Yahweh,” and[fn] shall be called “Sought After, A City Is Not Forsaken.”
Yahweh’s Day of Vengeance
- from Bozrah in bright red garments?
- Who is this honored in his garment,
- lying down in his great strength?
- “ It is I, speaking in justice,
- [fn] to save!”
- 2 are your garments[fn] red, and your garments like he who treads in the winepress?
- 3 the winepress alone, and there was no man from the peoples with me.
- And I trod them in my anger,
- and I trampled them in my wrath,
- and spattered their juice on my garments,
- and stained all my clothing,
- 4 the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my blood-vengeance has come!
- 5 [fn] there was no helper, and I was appalled, but[fn] there was no one who sustains,
- so[fn] my arm came to assist me,
- and my wrath[fn] sustained me.
- 6 and I made them drunk in my wrath,
- and I brought their juice down to the earth.”
Remembering Yahweh’s Mercy
- 7 and the greatness of goodness to the house of Israel that he has done to them according to his mercy and the abundance of his loyal love.
8 And he said, “Surely my people are children; they will not break faith.” And he became a Savior to them.
- 9 In all their distress, there was no distress,[fn] and the messenger of his[fn] saved them,
- in his love and compassion he himself redeemed them,
- and he lifted them up,
- and he supported them all the days of old.
- 10 [fn] they [fn] rebelled, and they grieved[fn]
- so[fn] he [fn]
- he himself fought against them.
- 11 [fn] his people remembered the days of old, of Moses. Where is the one who led up them from the sea with the shepherds of his flock?
- Where is the one who puts[fn] inside him,
- 12 [fn] his magnificent arm move [fn] the right hand of Moses, [fn] the waters[fn]
- to make an everlasting name for himself,
- 13 [fn] them through the depths? They did not stumble like a horse in the desert;
- 14 that goes down, the Spirit of Yahweh[fn] so you lead your people to make a magnificent name for yourself.
Prayer for Mercy
- 15 and see from the lofty residence of your holiness and glory.
- Where are your zeal and strength?
- [fn] and mercy to me hold themselves back.
- 16 are our father, although Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us.
- You, Yahweh are our father,
- Our Redeemer from of old is your name.
- 17 You harden our heart from your ways[fn] you.
- Turn back for the sake of your servants,
- the tribes of your inheritance.
- 18 [fn] took possession for a little while; our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.
- 19 [fn]
- the mountains would quake before you,
- 2 [fn] as fire kindles brushwood, the fire causes water to boil,
- to make your name known to your adversaries,
- that the nations might tremble from your[fn]
- 3 which we did not[fn] you came down; the mountains quaked because of your[fn]
- 4 times they have not heard, have not listened,
- no eye has seen a God except you;
- he[fn] for the one who waits for him.
- 5 one who does righteousness.
- In your ways they remember you.
- Look! You were angry and we sinned against them in ancient times and we were saved.
- 6 and all our deeds of justice like a menstrual cloth,
- And we all wither like a leaf,
- and our iniquities take us away like the wind.
- 7 who pulls himself up to keep hold of you,
- for you have hidden your face from us,[fn]
- and melted us into the hand of our iniquity.
- 8 are our father; we are the clay and you are our[fn]
- and we all are the work of your hand.
- 9 and you must not remember iniquity forever!
Look! Behold, now! We all are your people!
- 10 [fn] have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
- 11 [fn] where our ancestors[fn] praised you has [fn] by fire, and all our precious objects have become ruins.[fn]
- Will you control yourself because of these, Yahweh?
- Will you be silent?
- And will you oppress us exceedingly?
Judgment and Salvation
- I let myself be found by those who did not seek me.
- I said, ‘Here I am; here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name;
- 2 those who walk after their thoughts in the way that is not good,
- 3 [fn] me to anger continually to my face, slaughtering for sacrifices in the garden,
- and making smoke offerings on bricks,
- 4 [fn] in graves and spend the night in[fn]
- [fn] the flesh of swine
- with[fn] a fragment[fn] of impurity in their vessels,
- 5 [fn] “[fn] You must not come near me, for I am too holy for you!”
- These are a smoke in my[fn]
- a fire burning all day.
- 6 It is written before me: I will not be silent, but I will repay; and I will repay in[fn] the fold of their garment
- 7 [fn] together, says Yahweh, because they made smoke offerings on the mountains
- and they taunted me on the hills,
- I will measure their punishment from the beginning into the fold of their garment.”
8 Thus says Yahweh: “Just as the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say ‘You must not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,’ so I will do for the sake of my servants by[fn] not destroying everyone.[fn]
- 9 [fn] out from Jacob, and a[fn] from Judah to take possession of my mountain,
- and my chosen ones shall inherit it,
- and my servants shall settle there.
- 10 [fn] flocks,[fn] and the valley of Achor a resting place for[fn] herds[fn]
- for my people who have sought me.
- 11 [fn] you [fn] Yahweh, forgetting[fn]
- who set a table for Fortune,
- and who[fn] a jug of mixed wine for Destiny,
- 12 and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter,
- because I called, but[fn] you did not answer;
- I spoke, but[fn] you did not listen,
- but[fn] you did the evil in my eyes,
- and you chose that in which I do not delight.”
- 13 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh:“Look! My servants shall eat but[fn] you, you shall be hungry.
- Look! My servants shall drink but[fn] you, you shall be thirsty.
- Look! My servants shall rejoice but[fn] you, you shall be ashamed.
- 14 [fn] but[fn] you, you shall cry out [fn] and howl [fn]
- 15 and the Lord Yahweh will kill you, and he will[fn] his servants another name.
- 16 and the one who swears an oath in the land shall swear by the God of trustworthiness,
- because the former troubles are forgotten,
- and they are hidden from my eyes.
New Creation
- 17 am about to create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered,
- and they shall not[fn]
- 18 over what I am about to create! For look! I am about to create Jerusalem as a source of rejoicing,
- and her people as a source of joy.
- 19 and I will rejoice over my people,
- and the sound of weeping shall no longer be heard in it,
- or[fn] the sound of a cry for help.
- 20 [fn] days, or[fn] an old man who does not fill his days,
- for the boy will die[fn]
- and the one who[fn] [fn] will be [fn] accursed.
- 21 them, and they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
- 22 they shall not plant and another eat.
- For the days of my people shall be like the days of a tree,
- and my chosen ones shall enjoy the work of their hands.
- 23 and they shall not give birth to horror,
- for they[fn] Yahweh,
- and their descendants with them.
- 24 while still they are speaking, I myself will hear.
- 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed like one, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
- but[fn] dust shall be the serpent’s food.
- They shall do no evil,
- and they shall not destroy on all[fn] says Yahweh.
Proper Worship
- 66 Thus says Yahweh:“Heaven is my throne,
- and the earth is the footstool for my feet.
- Where is this house that you would build for me?
- And where is this resting place for me?
- 2 things, and all these[fn]
declares[fn] Yahweh, “but[fn] I look to this one:
- to the humble and the contrite of spirit
- and the one frightened at my word.
- 3 a bull strikes a man; the one who slaughters a lamb for sacrifice breaks the neck of a dog.
- The one who offers an offering, the blood of swine;
- the one who offers frankincense blesses an idol.
- Indeed, they themselves have chosen their ways,
- and their soul delights in their abhorrence.
- 4 and I will bring them objects of their dread,
- because I called, and[fn]
- I spoke and they did not listen,
- but[fn] they did the evil in my eyes,
- and they chose that in which I do not delight.”
- 5 Hear the word of Yahweh, you who are frightened at his word:Your brothers who hate you,
- who exclude you for my name’s sake have said,
- “Let Yahweh be honored so that[fn] we may see your joy!”
- But[fn] they themselves shall be ashamed.
- 6 the city! A voice from the temple!
- The voice of Yahweh[fn] his enemies!
Zion’s Delivery
- 7 before labor pains[fn] came to her, she gave birth to a son.
- 8 anything like this? Who has seen anything like these things?
- Can a land be born in one day?
- Or can a nation be born in a moment?
Yet when she was in labor, Zion indeed gave birth to her children.
- 9 [fn] says Yahweh, “or I who[fn] lock up the womb?” says your God.
- 10 and shout in exultation with her, all those who love her!
- Rejoice with her in joy, all those who mourn over her,
- 11 [fn] so that you may drink deeply and refresh yourselves from her[fn]
- 12 For thus says Yahweh:“Look! I am about to spread prosperity out to her like a river,
- and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream,
- and you shall suck and be carried on the hip;
- and you shall you shall be played with on the knees.
- 13 and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
Yahweh’s Final Judgment
- 14 and your bones shall[fn] like the grass,
- and the hand of Yahweh shall make itself known[fn] his servants,
- and he shall curse his enemies.
- 15 and his chariots like the storm wind,
- to[fn] his anger in wrath,
- and his rebuke in flames of fire.
- 16 on all flesh with fire and his sword, and[fn] Yahweh shall be many.
- 17 and those who cleanse themselves[fn] the gardens after the one in the middle,
- eating the flesh of swine
- and detestable things[fn] and rodents[fn] together
shall come to an end!” declares[fn] Yahweh.
- 18 am about to come to gather all nations and tongues, and they shall come and see my glory.
- 19 and I will send survivors from them to the nations:
- Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow;
- Tubal and Javan, the faraway coastlands
- that have not heard of my fame,
- and have not seen my glory.
And they shall declare my glory among the nations, 20 and bring all your countrymen[fn] from all the nations as an offering to Yahweh on horses and chariots[fn] and in litters and on mules and camels, to[fn] my holy mountain,[fn] Jerusalem,” says Yahweh, “just as the sons of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of Yahweh. 21 And indeed, I will take some of them as priests and the Levites,” says Yahweh. 22 “For just as the new heavens and earth that I am about to make shall stand before me,” declares[fn] Yahweh, “so shall your descendants[fn] and your name stand.
23 And this shall happen: From new moon to new moon[fn] and from Sabbath to Sabbath[fn] all flesh shall come to bow in worship before me,” says Yahweh.
- 24 “And they shall go out and look at the corpses of the people[fn] who have rebelled[fn] against me, for their worm shall not die,
- and their fire shall not be quenched,
- and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”