6 In the year that King Uzziyah died, I saw my master sitting on a tall, elevated throne, and his long robe covered the temple floor.[ref] 2 There were ‘serafs’ standing above him. They each had six wings—they used two to cover their faces, two to cover their feet, and two to fly with. 3 They were calling out to each other,

“Army commander Yahweh is holy, yes, fully holy.

The whole earth is filled with his splendour.”[ref]

4 Whenever one of them spoke, the sound of their voices make the doorways shake, and the temple was filled with smoke,[ref] 5 and I said,

“This isn’t going to end well for me. Yes, I’m doomed because I am a man with unclean lips,

and I live among a people with unclean lips,

and yet my eyes have seen the king: army commander Yahweh.”

6 Then one of the ‘serafs’ flew to me. He was holding a hot coal that he’d taken off the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with that coal and said,

“Look, this has touched your lips,

and your guilt has been taken away

≈and the price has been paid for your sin.”

8 Then I heard my master ask, “Who will I send? Who will go on our behalf?”

“I’m here,” I answered. “Send me.”

9 Then he said,

“Go and tell that nation:

‘Listen closely, but don’t understand,

and see clearly, but don’t perceive.’[ref]

10 Fatten the heart of this people,

and dull its ears and dim its eyes.

Otherwise it might see with its eyes

and hear with its ears

and understand with its heart,

and turn and be healed.”

11 So I asked, “Until when, master?”

And he replied:

“Until cities are desolate—without inhabitants,

and the houses are without people,

and the land is a ruined wasteland,

12 and Yahweh has driven the people far away,

and the middle of the country is almost totally deserted.

13 If there’s still a tenth of the people in it,

then disaster will turn back and burn everything.

Like an elm or an oak tree that’s been cut down but still has a stump—

so too the sacred remnant is the nation’s stump.”