Ecclesiastes 5-12
New American Standard Bible
Your Attitude toward God
5 [a](A)Guard your steps as you go to the house of God, and approach to listen rather than to offer the (B)sacrifice of fools; for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 [b]Do not be (C)quick with your mouth or [c]impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your (D)words be few. 3 For the dream comes through much [d]effort, and the voice of a (E)fool through many words.
4 When you (F)make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. (G)Pay what you vow! 5 It is (H)better that you not vow, than vow and not pay. 6 Do not let your [e]speech cause [f]you to sin, and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a (I)mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice, and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For in many dreams and in many words there is futility. Rather, [g](J)fear God.
8 If you see (K)oppression of the poor and (L)denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be (M)shocked at the [h]sight; for one [i]official watches over another [j]official, and there are higher [k]officials over them. 9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is beneficial to the land.
The Foolishness of Riches
10 (N)One who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor one who loves abundance with its income. This too is futility. 11 (O)When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to [l]look at them? 12 The sleep of the laborer is (P)sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the [m]full stomach of the rich person does not allow him to sleep.
13 There is a sickening evil which I have seen under the sun: (Q)wealth being [n]hoarded by its owner to his detriment. 14 When that wealth was lost through bad business and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing [o]to support him. 15 (R)As he came naked from his mother’s womb, so he will return as he came. He will (S)take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. 16 This also is a sickening evil: exactly as a person [p]is born, so will he [q]die. (T)What then is the advantage for him who (U)labors for the wind? 17 All his life (V)he also eats in darkness with (W)great irritation, sickness, and anger.
18 Here is what I have seen to be (X)good and [r]fitting: to eat, to drink, and [s]enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few [t]years of his life which God has given him; for this is his [u](Y)reward. 19 Furthermore, as for every person to whom (Z)God has given riches and wealth, He has also (AA)given him the opportunity to [v]enjoy them and to receive his [w]reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the (AB)gift of God. 20 For he will not often call to mind the [x]years of his life, because (AC)God keeps [y]him busy with the joy of his heart.
The Futility of Life
6 There is an (AD)evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is widespread [z]among mankind: 2 a person to whom God has (AE)given riches, wealth, and honor, so that his soul (AF)lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God has not given him the opportunity to [aa]enjoy these things, but a foreigner [ab]enjoys them. This is futility and a severe affliction. 3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many [ac]they may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper (AG)burial, then I say, “Better (AH)the miscarriage than he, 4 for a miscarriage comes in futility and goes into darkness; and its name is covered in darkness. 5 It has not even seen the sun nor does it know it; yet [ad]it is better off than that man. 6 Even if the man lives a thousand years twice, but does not see good things—(AI)do not all go to one and the same place?”
7 (AJ)All a person’s labor is for his mouth, and yet [ae]his appetite is not [af]satisfied. 8 For (AK)what advantage does the wise person have over the fool? What does the poor person have, knowing how to walk before the living? 9 What the eyes (AL)see is better than what the soul [ag]desires. This too is (AM)futility and striving after wind.
10 Whatever (AN)exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he (AO)cannot dispute with the [ah]one who is mightier than he is. 11 For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a person? 12 For who knows what is good for a person during his lifetime, during the few [ai]years of his futile life? He will [aj]spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a person (AP)what will happen after him under the sun?
Wisdom and Foolishness Contrasted
7 A (AQ)good name is better than good [ak]oil,
And the (AR)day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.
2 It is better to go to a house of mourning
Than to go to a house of feasting,
Because [al]that is the (AS)end of every person,
And the living [am](AT)takes it to [an]heart.
3 (AU)Sorrow is better than laughter,
For (AV)when a face is sad a heart may be happy.
4 The [ao]mind of the wise is in the house of mourning,
While the [ap]mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.
5 It is better to (AW)listen to the rebuke of a wise person
Than for one to listen to the song of fools.
6 For as the [aq]crackling of (AX)thorn bushes under a pot,
So is the (AY)laughter of the fool;
And this too is futility.
7 For (AZ)oppression makes a wise person look foolish,
And a (BA)bribe [ar]corrupts the heart.
8 The (BB)end of a matter is better than its beginning;
(BC)Patience of spirit is better than arrogance of spirit.
9 Do not be [as](BD)eager in your spirit to be angry,
For anger resides in the [at]heart of fools.
10 Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.
11 Wisdom along with an inheritance is good,
And an (BE)advantage to those who see the sun.
12 For (BF)wisdom is [au]protection just as money is [av]protection,
But the advantage of knowledge is that (BG)wisdom keeps its possessors alive.
13 Consider the (BH)work of God,
For who is (BI)able to straighten what He has bent?
14 (BJ)On the day of prosperity be happy,
But (BK)on the day of adversity consider:
God has made the one as well as the other
So that a person will (BL)not discover anything that will come after him.
15 I have seen everything during my [aw](BM)lifetime of futility; there is (BN)a righteous person who perishes in his righteousness, and there is (BO)a wicked person who prolongs his life in his wickedness. 16 Do not be excessively (BP)righteous, and do not (BQ)be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? 17 Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be foolish. Why should you (BR)die [ax]before your time? 18 It is good that you grasp one thing while not [ay]letting go of the other; for one who (BS)fears God comes out with [az]both of them.
19 (BT)Wisdom strengthens a wise person more than ten rulers who are in a city. 20 Indeed, (BU)there is not a righteous person on earth who always does good and does not ever sin. 21 Also, do not [ba]take seriously all the words which are spoken, so that you do not hear your servant (BV)cursing you, 22 for [bb]you know that even you have cursed others many times as well.
23 I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” (BW)but wisdom was far from me. 24 What has been is remote and (BX)very [bc]mysterious. (BY)Who can discover it? 25 I [bd](BZ)directed my [be]mind to know and to investigate, and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of foolishness and the foolishness of insanity. 26 And I discovered as more (CA)bitter than death the woman whose heart is (CB)snares and nets, whose hands are chains. (CC)One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but (CD)the sinner will be captured by her.
27 “Behold, I have discovered this,” says the Preacher, “by adding one thing to another to find an explanation, 28 which [bf]I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a (CE)woman among all these. 29 Behold, I have found only this, that (CF)God made people upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
Obey Rulers
8 Who is like the wise person and who knows the meaning of a matter? A person’s wisdom (CG)illuminates his face and makes his (CH)stern face [bg]brighten up.
2 I say, “Keep the [bh]command of the king because of the (CI)oath [bi]before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry [bj](CJ)to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases.” 4 Since the word of the king is authoritative, (CK)who will say to him, “What are you doing?”
5 One who (CL)keeps a royal command (CM)experiences no [bk]trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure. 6 For (CN)there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a person’s trouble is heavy upon him. 7 If no one (CO)knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen? 8 (CP)No one has authority over the wind to restrain the wind, nor authority over the day of death; and there is no military discharge in the time of war, and (CQ)evil will not save [bl]those who practice it. 9 All this I have seen, and have applied my [bm]mind to every deed that has been done under the sun at a time when one person has exercised (CR)authority over another person to his detriment.
10 So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out of the holy place, and they are (CS)soon forgotten in the city where they did such things. This too is futility. 11 Because the (CT)sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore (CU)the hearts of the sons of mankind among them are [bn]fully given to do evil. 12 Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may (CV)lengthen his life, still I know that it will go (CW)well for those who fear God, who fear [bo]Him openly. 13 But it will (CX)not go well for the evil person and he will not lengthen his days like a (CY)shadow, because he does not fear God.
14 There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are (CZ)righteous people to whom it [bp]happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are (DA)evil people to whom it [bq]happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility. 15 So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for (DB)a person under the sun except to eat, drink, and be joyful, and this will stand by him in his labor throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
16 When I (DC)devoted my [br]mind to know wisdom and to see the business which has been done on the earth (even though one should [bs](DD)never sleep day or night), 17 and I saw every work of God, I concluded that (DE)one cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though a person laboriously seeks, he will not discover; and (DF)even if the wise person claims to know, he cannot discover.
People Are in the Hand of God
9 For I have taken all this to my heart, even to [bt]examine [bu]it all, that righteous people, wise people, and their deeds are (DG)in the hand of God. (DH)People do not know whether it will be (DI)love or hatred; anything [bv]awaits them.
2 (DJ)It is the same for all. There is (DK)one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and the unclean; for the person who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good person is, so is the sinner; the one who swears an oath is just as the one who [bw]is afraid to swear an oath. 3 This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun, that there is (DL)one fate for everyone. Furthermore, (DM)the hearts of the sons of mankind are full of evil, and (DN)insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterward they go to the dead. 4 For whoever is joined to all the living, there is hope; for better a live dog, than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die; but the dead (DO)do not know anything, nor do they have a reward any longer, for their (DP)memory is forgotten. 6 Indeed their love, their hate, and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a (DQ)share in all that is done under the sun.
7 Go then, (DR)eat your bread in happiness, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. 8 See that your (DS)clothes are white all the time, and that there is no lack of (DT)oil on your head. 9 [bx]Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your (DU)futile life which He has given you under the sun, [by]all the days of your futility; for this is your (DV)reward in life and in your work which you have labored under the sun.
Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, (DW)do it with all your might; for there is no (DX)activity, planning, knowledge, or wisdom in (DY)Sheol where you are going.
11 I again saw under the sun that the (DZ)race is not to the swift and the (EA)battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor (EB)wealth to the discerning, nor favor to the skillful; for time and (EC)chance overtake them all. 12 For indeed, a person does not (ED)know his time: like fish that are caught in a treacherous net and (EE)birds caught in a snare, so the sons of mankind are (EF)ensnared at an evil time when it (EG)suddenly falls on them.
13 This too I saw as wisdom under the sun, and [bz]it impressed me: 14 there (EH)was a small city with few men in it, and a great king came to it, surrounded it, and constructed large siegeworks against it. 15 But there was found in it a (EI)poor wise man, and he [ca]saved the city (EJ)by his wisdom. Yet (EK)no one remembered that poor man. 16 So I said, “(EL)Wisdom is better than strength.” But the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are [cb]ignored. 17 The (EM)words of the wise heard in calm are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 (EN)Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but (EO)one sinner destroys much good.
A Little Foolishness
10 Dead flies turn a (EP)perfumer’s oil rancid, so a little foolishness is more [cc]potent than wisdom and honor. 2 A wise person’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish (EQ)person’s heart directs him toward the left. 3 Even when the fool walks along the road, his [cd]sense is lacking, and he [ce](ER)demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. 4 If the ruler’s [cf]temper rises against you, (ES)do not abandon your place, because (ET)composure puts great offenses to rest.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like a mistake that proceeds from the ruler: 6 (EU)foolishness is set in many exalted places while the rich sit in humble places. 7 I have seen (EV)slaves riding (EW)on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.
8 (EX)One who digs a pit may fall into it, and a (EY)serpent may bite one who breaks through a wall. 9 One who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and one who splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If the [cg]axe is dull and he does not sharpen its [ch]edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of bringing success. 11 If the serpent bites [ci](EZ)before being charmed, there is no benefit for the charmer. 12 (FA)Words from the mouth of a wise person are gracious, while the lips of a (FB)fool consume him; 13 the beginning of [cj]his talking is foolishness, and the end of [ck]it is evil (FC)insanity. 14 Yet the (FD)fool multiplies words. No person knows what will happen, and who can tell him (FE)what will come after him? 15 The labor of [cl]a fool makes him so weary that he does not even know how to go to a city. 16 Woe to you, land whose (FF)king is a boy, and whose princes [cm]feast in the morning. 17 Blessed are you, land whose king is of nobility, and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for strength and not for (FG)drunkenness. 18 Through (FH)extreme laziness the rafters sag, and through idleness the house leaks. 19 People prepare a meal for enjoyment, (FI)wine makes life joyful, and (FJ)money [cn]is the answer to everything. 20 Furthermore, (FK)in your bedroom do not (FL)curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich person; for a bird of the sky will bring the sound, and the winged one will make your word known.
Cast Your Bread on the Waters
11 (FM)Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you (FN)will find it [co]after many days. 2 (FO)Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what (FP)misfortune may occur on the earth. 3 If the clouds are full, they pour out rain on the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it [cp]lies. 4 One who watches the wind will not sow and one who looks at the clouds will not harvest. 5 Just as you do not (FQ)know the path of the [cq]wind, and (FR)how bones are formed in the womb of the [cr]pregnant woman, so you do not (FS)know the activity of God who makes everything.
6 Sow your seed (FT)in the morning and do not [cs]be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether [ct]one or the other will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.
7 The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to (FU)see the sun. 8 Indeed, if a person lives many years, let him (FV)rejoice in them all; but let him remember the (FW)days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be futility.
9 Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the [cu]impulses of your heart and the [cv](FX)desires of your eyes. Yet know that (FY)God will bring you to judgment for all these things. 10 So remove [cw]sorrow from your heart and keep [cx](FZ)pain away from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are [cy]fleeting.
Remember God in Your Youth
12 (GA)Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the (GB)evil days come and the years approach when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before the (GC)sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; 3 on the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and strong men are (GD)bent over, the grinders stop working because they are few, and (GE)those who look through [cz]windows grow [da]dim; 4 and the doors on the street are shut as the (GF)sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the (GG)daughters of song will [db]sing softly. 5 Furthermore, people are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and the caper berry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal (GH)home while the (GI)mourners move around in the street. 6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is [dc]broken and the (GJ)golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the spring is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; 7 then the (GK)dust will return to the earth as it was, and the [dd](GL)spirit will return to (GM)God who gave it. 8 “(GN)Futility of futilities,” says the Preacher, “all is futility!”
Purpose of the Preacher
9 In addition to being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out, and arranged (GO)many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find (GP)delightful words and to write (GQ)words of truth correctly.
11 The (GR)words of the wise are like [de](GS)goads, and masters of these collections are like driven (GT)nails; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 But beyond this, my son, be warned: the [df]writing of (GU)many books is endless, and excessive (GV)study is [dg]wearying to the body.
13 The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: (GW)fear God and (GX)keep His commandments, because this applies to (GY)every person. 14 For (GZ)God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 5:1 Ch 4:17 in Heb
- Ecclesiastes 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Heb
- Ecclesiastes 5:2 Lit hurry your heart
- Ecclesiastes 5:3 Lit task
- Ecclesiastes 5:6 Lit mouth
- Ecclesiastes 5:6 Lit your body
- Ecclesiastes 5:7 Or revere
- Ecclesiastes 5:8 Lit delight
- Ecclesiastes 5:8 Lit high one
- Ecclesiastes 5:8 Lit high one
- Ecclesiastes 5:8 Lit ones
- Ecclesiastes 5:11 Lit see with their eyes
- Ecclesiastes 5:12 Lit satiety
- Ecclesiastes 5:13 Lit guarded
- Ecclesiastes 5:14 Lit in his hand
- Ecclesiastes 5:16 Lit comes
- Ecclesiastes 5:16 Lit go
- Ecclesiastes 5:18 Lit beautiful
- Ecclesiastes 5:18 Lit see good
- Ecclesiastes 5:18 Or days
- Ecclesiastes 5:18 Or share
- Ecclesiastes 5:19 Lit eat from it
- Ecclesiastes 5:19 Or share
- Ecclesiastes 5:20 Or days
- Ecclesiastes 5:20 As in LXX
- Ecclesiastes 6:1 Lit upon
- Ecclesiastes 6:2 Lit eat from it
- Ecclesiastes 6:2 Lit eats it
- Ecclesiastes 6:3 Lit the days of his years
- Ecclesiastes 6:5 Lit more rest has this one than that
- Ecclesiastes 6:7 Lit the soul
- Ecclesiastes 6:7 Lit filled
- Ecclesiastes 6:9 Lit goes after
- Ecclesiastes 6:10 Or Him who
- Ecclesiastes 6:12 Lit days
- Ecclesiastes 6:12 Lit do
- Ecclesiastes 7:1 I.e., olive oil
- Ecclesiastes 7:2 I.e., death
- Ecclesiastes 7:2 Lit gives
- Ecclesiastes 7:2 Lit his heart
- Ecclesiastes 7:4 Lit heart
- Ecclesiastes 7:4 Lit heart
- Ecclesiastes 7:6 Lit voice
- Ecclesiastes 7:7 Lit destroys
- Ecclesiastes 7:9 Lit hasty
- Ecclesiastes 7:9 Lit chest
- Ecclesiastes 7:12 Lit in a shadow
- Ecclesiastes 7:12 Lit in a shadow
- Ecclesiastes 7:15 Lit days
- Ecclesiastes 7:17 Lit when not your time
- Ecclesiastes 7:18 Lit resting your hand
- Ecclesiastes 7:18 Lit all of them
- Ecclesiastes 7:21 Lit give your heart to
- Ecclesiastes 7:22 Lit your heart knows
- Ecclesiastes 7:24 Lit deep
- Ecclesiastes 7:25 Lit turned about
- Ecclesiastes 7:25 Lit heart
- Ecclesiastes 7:28 Lit my soul still seeks
- Ecclesiastes 8:1 Or change
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Lit mouth
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Lit of
- Ecclesiastes 8:3 Lit to go out from his presence
- Ecclesiastes 8:5 Lit evil thing
- Ecclesiastes 8:8 Lit its possessors
- Ecclesiastes 8:9 Lit heart
- Ecclesiastes 8:11 Lit full to do
- Ecclesiastes 8:12 Lit before Him
- Ecclesiastes 8:14 Lit strikes
- Ecclesiastes 8:14 Lit strikes
- Ecclesiastes 8:16 Lit heart
- Ecclesiastes 8:16 Lit see no sleep in his eyes
- Ecclesiastes 9:1 Or explain
- Ecclesiastes 9:1 Lit all this
- Ecclesiastes 9:1 Lit is before them
- Ecclesiastes 9:2 Lit fears an oath
- Ecclesiastes 9:9 Lit See
- Ecclesiastes 9:9 all...your futility not found in some ancient versions
- Ecclesiastes 9:13 Lit it was great to me
- Ecclesiastes 9:15 Or might have saved
- Ecclesiastes 9:16 Lit not listened to
- Ecclesiastes 10:1 Lit costly
- Ecclesiastes 10:3 Lit heart
- Ecclesiastes 10:3 Lit says
- Ecclesiastes 10:4 Lit spirit
- Ecclesiastes 10:10 Lit iron
- Ecclesiastes 10:10 Lit faces
- Ecclesiastes 10:11 Lit with no incantation
- Ecclesiastes 10:13 Lit the words of his mouth
- Ecclesiastes 10:13 Lit his mouth
- Ecclesiastes 10:15 Lit fools make
- Ecclesiastes 10:16 Lit eat
- Ecclesiastes 10:19 Lit answers all
- Ecclesiastes 11:1 Lit in, within
- Ecclesiastes 11:3 Lit is
- Ecclesiastes 11:5 Or with many mss spirit into the bones in the womb
- Ecclesiastes 11:5 Lit full
- Ecclesiastes 11:6 Lit let down your hand
- Ecclesiastes 11:6 Lit this or that
- Ecclesiastes 11:9 Lit ways
- Ecclesiastes 11:9 Lit sights
- Ecclesiastes 11:10 Or anger
- Ecclesiastes 11:10 Lit evil
- Ecclesiastes 11:10 Lit futility
- Ecclesiastes 12:3 Or holes
- Ecclesiastes 12:3 I.e., in their eyesight
- Ecclesiastes 12:4 Lit be low
- Ecclesiastes 12:6 As in LXX; Heb removed
- Ecclesiastes 12:7 Or breath
- Ecclesiastes 12:11 I.e., spiked sticks for driving cattle
- Ecclesiastes 12:12 Lit making
- Ecclesiastes 12:12 Lit weariness
Song of Solomon 1-8
New American Standard Bible
The Young Shulammite Bride and Jerusalem’s Daughters
1 The [a]Song of (A)Songs, which is Solomon’s.
[b]The Bride
2 “May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your (B)love is [c]sweeter than wine.
3 Your (C)oils have a pleasing fragrance,
Your (D)name is like [d]purified oil;
Therefore the [e](E)young women love you.
4 Draw me after you and let’s run together!
The (F)king has brought me into his chambers.”
The Chorus
“We will rejoice in you and be joyful;
We will praise your (G)love more than wine.
Rightly do they love you.”
The Bride
5 “I am black and (H)beautiful,
You (I)daughters of Jerusalem,
Like the (J)tents of (K)Kedar,
Like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not stare at me because I am [f]dark,
For the sun has tanned me.
My (L)mother’s sons were angry with me;
They made me (M)caretaker of the vineyards,
But I have not taken care of my own vineyard.
7 Tell me, you (N)whom my soul loves,
Where do you (O)pasture your flock,
Where do you have it (P)lie down at noon?
For why should I be like one who [g]veils herself
Beside the flocks of your (Q)companions?”
Solomon, the Lover, Speaks
8 “If you yourself do not know,
(R)Most beautiful among women,
Go out on the trail of the flock,
And pasture your young goats
By the tents of the shepherds.
9 “[h]To me, (S)my darling, you are like
My (T)mare among the chariots of Pharaoh.
10 Your (U)cheeks are delightful with jewelry,
Your neck with strings of (V)beads.”
The Chorus
11 “We will make for you jewelry of gold
With beads of silver.”
The Bride
12 “While the king was at his table,
My [i](W)perfume gave forth its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a pouch of (X)myrrh
Which lies all night between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of (Y)henna blossoms
In the vineyards of (Z)Engedi.”
The Groom
15 “[j](AA)How beautiful you are, my darling,
[k]How beautiful you are!
Your (AB)eyes are like doves.”
The Bride
16 “[l]How handsome you are, (AC)my beloved,
And so delightful!
Indeed, our bed is luxuriant!
17 The beams of our house are (AD)cedars,
Our rafters, (AE)junipers.
The Bride’s Admiration
The Groom
The Bride
3 “Like an (AJ)apple tree among the trees of the forest,
So is my beloved among the [o]young men.
In his shade I took great delight and sat down,
And his (AK)fruit was sweet to my [p]taste.
4 He has (AL)brought me to his [q]banquet hall,
And his (AM)banner over me is love.
5 Refresh me with (AN)raisin cakes,
Sustain me with (AO)apples,
Because (AP)I am lovesick.
6 (AQ)His left hand is under my head,
And (AR)his right hand (AS)embraces me.”
The Groom
7 “(AT)Swear to me, you (AU)daughters of Jerusalem,
By the (AV)gazelles or by the (AW)does of the field,
(AX)That you will not disturb or awaken my love
Until she pleases.”
The Bride
8 “Listen! My beloved!
Behold, he is coming,
Leaping (AY)on the mountains,
Jumping on the hills!
9 My beloved is like a (AZ)gazelle or a (BA)young [r]stag.
Behold, he is standing behind our wall,
He is looking through the windows,
He is peering (BB)through the lattice.
10 “My beloved responded and said to me,
‘(BC)Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along.
11 For behold, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
12 The blossoms have already appeared in the land;
The time has arrived for [s]pruning the vines,
And the voice of the (BD)turtledove has been heard in our land.
13 The (BE)fig tree has ripened its fruit,
And the (BF)vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along!’”
The Groom
14 “(BG)My dove, (BH)in the clefts of the [t]rock,
In the hiding place of the mountain pathway,
Let me see [u]how you look,
(BI)Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is pleasant,
And [v]you look (BJ)delightful.”
The Chorus
15 “(BK)Catch the [w]foxes for us,
The [x]little [y]foxes that are ruining the vineyards,
While our (BL)vineyards are in blossom.”
The Bride
16 “(BM)My beloved is mine, and I am his;
He (BN)pastures his flock among the lilies.
17 (BO)Until the cool of the day, when the shadows flee,
Turn, my beloved, and be like a (BP)gazelle
Or a young stag (BQ)on the mountains of [z]Bether.”
The Bride’s Troubled Dream
3 “On my bed night after night I sought him
(BR)Whom my soul loves;
I (BS)sought him but did not find him.
2 ‘[aa]I must arise now and [ab]go around in the city;
In the (BT)streets and in the public squares
[ac]I must seek him whom my soul loves.’
I sought him but did not find him.
3 (BU)The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
And I said, ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’
4 (BV)Hardly had I [ad]left them
When I found him whom my soul loves;
I (BW)held on to him and would not let him go
Until I had (BX)brought him to my mother’s house,
And into the room of her who conceived me.”
The Groom
5 “(BY)Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem,
By the (BZ)gazelles or by the does of the field,
That you will not disturb or awaken my love
Until she pleases.”
Solomon’s Wedding Day
The Bride
6 “[ae](CA)What is this coming up from the wilderness
Like (CB)columns of smoke,
Perfumed with (CC)myrrh and (CD)frankincense,
With all the scented powders of the merchant?
The Chorus
7 Behold, it is [af]the traveling couch of Solomon;
Sixty warriors around it,
Of the warriors of Israel.
8 All of them are wielders of the sword,
(CE)Expert in war;
Each man has his (CF)sword at his side,
Guarding against the [ag](CG)terrors of the night.
9 King Solomon has made for himself a [ah]sedan chair
From the timber of Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
Its [ai]back of gold
And its seat of purple fabric,
With its interior lovingly inlaid
By the (CH)daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go out, you (CI)daughters of Zion,
And look at King Solomon with the [aj]crown
With which his mother has crowned him
On the (CJ)day of his wedding,
And on the day of the joy of his heart.”
Solomon’s Love Expressed
4 “[ak]How beautiful (CK)you are, my darling,
[al]How beautiful you are!
Your (CL)eyes are like doves (CM)behind your veil;
Your (CN)hair is like a flock of goats
That have descended from Mount (CO)Gilead.
2 Your (CP)teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep
Which have come up from their watering place,
All of which bear twins,
And not one among them has lost her young.
3 Your lips are like a (CQ)scarlet thread,
And your (CR)mouth is beautiful.
Your (CS)temples are like a slice of a pomegranate
Behind your veil.
4 Your (CT)neck is like the tower of David,
Built with layers of stones
On which are (CU)hung a thousand shields,
All the round (CV)shields of the warriors.
5 Your (CW)two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle
That (CX)graze among the lilies.
6 (CY)Until [am]the cool of the day
When the shadows flee,
I will go my way to the mountain of (CZ)myrrh
And to the hill of (DA)frankincense.
7 “(DB)You are altogether beautiful, my darling,
And there is no blemish on you.
8 Come with me from (DC)Lebanon, my (DD)bride,
You shall come with me from Lebanon.
You shall [an]come down from the summit of (DE)Amana,
From the summit of (DF)Senir and Hermon,
From the dens of lions,
From the mountains of leopards.
9 You have [ao]enchanted my heart, (DG)my sister, my bride;
You have [ap]enchanted my heart with a single glance of your eyes,
With a single strand of your (DH)necklace.
10 (DI)How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much [aq](DJ)sweeter is your love than wine,
And the (DK)fragrance of your oils
Than that of all kinds of balsam oils!
11 Your lips (DL)drip (DM)honey, my bride;
Honey and milk are under your tongue,
And the fragrance of your garments is like the (DN)fragrance of Lebanon.
12 A locked garden is my sister, my bride,
A locked spring, a (DO)sealed (DP)fountain.
13 Your branches are an [ar](DQ)orchard of (DR)pomegranates
With (DS)delicious fruits, (DT)henna with nard plants,
14 (DU)Nard and saffron, spice reed and (DV)cinnamon,
With all the trees of (DW)frankincense,
(DX)Myrrh, and aloes, along with all the finest balsam oils.
15 You are a garden spring,
A well of [as](DY)fresh water,
And flowing streams from Lebanon.”
The Bride
16 “Awake, north wind,
And come, wind of the south;
[at]Make my (DZ)garden breathe out fragrance,
May its balsam oils flow.
May (EA)my beloved come into his garden
And eat its (EB)delicious fruits!”
The Torment of Separation
The Groom
5 “I have (EC)come into my garden, (ED)my sister, my bride;
I have gathered my (EE)myrrh along with my balsam.
I have eaten my honeycomb with my (EF)honey;
I have (EG)drunk my wine with my milk.
Eat, (EH)friends;
Drink and [au]drink deeply, lovers.”
The Bride
2 “I was asleep but my heart was awake.
A voice! My beloved was knocking:
‘Open to me, (EI)my sister, my darling,
(EJ)My dove, my perfect one!
For my head is [av]drenched with dew,
My (EK)locks with the dew drops of the night.’
3 I have (EL)taken off my dress,
How can I put it on again?
I have (EM)washed my feet,
How can I dirty them again?
4 My beloved extended his hand through the opening,
And my (EN)feelings were stirred for him.
5 I arose to open to my beloved;
And my hands (EO)dripped with myrrh,
And my fingers with drops of myrrh,
On the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my beloved,
But my beloved had (EP)turned away and had gone!
My [aw]heart went out to him as he (EQ)spoke.
I (ER)searched for him but I did not find him;
I (ES)called him but he did not answer me.
7 The (ET)watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
They struck me and wounded me;
The guards of the walls took my shawl away from me.
8 (EU)Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem,
If you find my beloved,
As to what you will tell him:
For (EV)I am lovesick.”
The Chorus
9 “[ax]What kind of beloved is your beloved,
O (EW)most beautiful among women?
[ay]What kind of beloved is your beloved,
That you make us swear in this way?”
Admiration by the Bride
The Bride
10 “My beloved is dazzling and [az](EX)reddish,
(EY)Outstanding among ten thousand.
11 His head is like gold, pure gold;
His (EZ)locks are like clusters of dates
And black as a raven.
12 His (FA)eyes are like doves
Beside streams of water,
Bathed in milk,
And perched in their (FB)setting.
13 His cheeks are like a (FC)bed of balsam,
[ba]Banks of herbal spices;
His lips are (FD)lilies
(FE)Dripping with drops of myrrh.
14 His hands are rods of gold
Set with (FF)topaz;
His abdomen is panels of ivory
Covered with [bb](FG)sapphires.
15 His thighs are pillars of alabaster
Set on pedestals of pure gold;
His appearance is like (FH)Lebanon,
Choice as the (FI)cedars.
16 His [bc](FJ)mouth is full of sweetness.
And he is wholly (FK)desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
You daughters of Jerusalem.”
Mutual Delight in Each Other
The Chorus
6 “(FL)Where has your beloved gone,
O (FM)most beautiful among women?
Where has your beloved turned,
That we may seek him with you?”
The Bride
2 “My beloved has gone down to his (FN)garden,
To the (FO)beds of balsam,
To (FP)pasture his flock in the gardens
And gather (FQ)lilies.
3 (FR)I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine,
He who (FS)pastures his flock among the lilies.”
The Groom
4 “(FT)You are as beautiful as (FU)Tirzah, my darling,
As (FV)lovely as (FW)Jerusalem,
As (FX)awesome as an army with banners.
5 Turn your eyes away from me,
For they have confused me;
(FY)Your hair is like a flock of goats
That have descended from Gilead.
6 (FZ)Your teeth are like a flock of ewes
That have come up from their watering place,
All of which bear twins,
And not one among them has lost her young.
7 (GA)Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate
Behind your veil.
8 There are sixty (GB)queens and eighty concubines,
And [bd](GC)young women without number;
9 But (GD)my dove, my perfect one, is [be]unique:
She is her mother’s [bf]only daughter;
She is the pure child of the one who gave birth to her.
The [bg](GE)young women saw her and called her [bh]blessed,
The (GF)queens and the concubines also, and they praised her, saying,
10 ‘Who is this who looks down like the dawn,
As beautiful as the full (GG)moon,
As pure (GH)as the sun,
As (GI)awesome as an army with banners?’
11 I went down to the orchard of nut trees
To see the plants of the valley,
To see whether (GJ)the vine had grown
Or the (GK)pomegranates had bloomed.
12 [bi]Before I was aware, my soul set me
Over the chariots of [bj]my noble people.”
The Chorus
13 “[bk]Come back, come back, O Shulammite;
Come back, come back, so that we may look at you!”
The Groom
Admiration by the Groom
7 “[bm]How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
[bn](GN)Prince’s daughter!
The curves of your hips are like jewels,
The work of the hands of an artist.
2 Your navel is like a round goblet
That never lacks mixed wine;
Your belly is like a heap of wheat,
[bo]Surrounded with lilies.
3 Your (GO)two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle.
4 Your (GP)neck is like a tower of ivory,
Your eyes like the pools in (GQ)Heshbon
By the gate of Bath-rabbim;
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon,
Which looks toward Damascus.
5 Your head [bp]crowns you like (GR)Carmel,
And the flowing hair of your head is like purple threads;
The king is captivated by your tresses.
6 How (GS)beautiful and how delightful you are,
[bq]My love, with all your delights!
7 [br]Your stature is like a palm tree,
And your breasts are like its clusters.
8 I said, ‘I will climb the palm tree,
I will grasp its fruit stalks.’
Oh, may your breasts be like clusters of the vine,
And the fragrance of your [bs]breath like (GT)apples,
9 And your [bt](GU)mouth like the best wine!”
The Bride
“It (GV)goes down smoothly for my beloved,
Flowing gently through the lips of those who are asleep.
The Union of Love
10 “(GW)I am my beloved’s,
And his (GX)desire is for me.
11 Come, my beloved, let’s go out to the [bu]country,
Let’s spend the night in the villages.
12 Let’s rise early and go to the vineyards;
Let’s (GY)see whether the vine has grown
And its buds have opened,
And whether the pomegranates have bloomed.
There I will give you my love.
13 The (GZ)mandrakes have given forth fragrance;
And over our doors are all (HA)delicious fruits,
New as well as old,
Which I have saved for you, my beloved.
The Lovers Speak
8 “Oh that you were like a brother to me
Who nursed at my mother’s breasts.
If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you;
No one would despise me, either.
2 I would lead you and (HB)bring you
Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me;
I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates.
3 Let (HC)his left hand be under my head,
And his right hand embrace me.”
The Groom
4 “(HD)Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem:
[bv]Do not disturb or awaken my love
Until she pleases.”
The Chorus
5 “(HE)Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
Leaning on her beloved?”
The Bride
“Beneath the (HF)apple tree I awakened you;
There your mother went into labor with you,
There she was in labor and gave birth to you.
6 Put me like a seal over your heart,
Like a (HG)seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
[bw](HH)Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flames are flames of fire,
[bx]The flame of the Lord.
7 Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor will rivers flood over it;
(HI)If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,
It would be utterly despised.”
The Chorus
8 “We have a little sister,
And she (HJ)has no breasts;
What shall we do for our sister
On the day when she is spoken for?
9 If she is a wall,
We will build on her a battlement of silver;
But if she is a door,
We will barricade her with (HK)planks of cedar.”
The Bride
10 “I was a wall, and (HL)my breasts were like towers;
Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.
11 Solomon had a (HM)vineyard at Baal-hamon;
He (HN)entrusted the vineyard to (HO)caretakers.
Each one was to bring a (HP)thousand shekels of silver for its (HQ)fruit.
12 My very own vineyard is [by]at my disposal;
The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.”
The Groom
The Bride
14 “[bz]Hurry, my beloved,
And be (HT)like a gazelle or a young [ca]stag
On the (HU)mountains of balsam trees!”
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 1:1 Or Best of the Songs
- Song of Solomon 1:2 The speaker identifications are not from the Hebrew text nor the Septuagint, but reflect an ancient tradition which appears in some manuscripts.
- Song of Solomon 1:2 Lit more pleasant
- Song of Solomon 1:3 Lit oil poured from one vessel to another
- Song of Solomon 1:3 Or virgins
- Song of Solomon 1:6 Or swarthy, blackish
- Song of Solomon 1:7 Some ancient versions wanders
- Song of Solomon 1:9 Lit I have compared you to
- Song of Solomon 1:12 Lit nard
- Song of Solomon 1:15 Lit Behold
- Song of Solomon 1:15 Lit Behold
- Song of Solomon 1:16 Lit Behold
- Song of Solomon 2:1 Lit asphodel
- Song of Solomon 2:2 Lit daughters
- Song of Solomon 2:3 Lit sons
- Song of Solomon 2:3 Lit palate
- Song of Solomon 2:4 Lit house of wine
- Song of Solomon 2:9 Lit of the stags
- Song of Solomon 2:12 Or singing
- Song of Solomon 2:14 Or crag
- Song of Solomon 2:14 Lit your appearance
- Song of Solomon 2:14 Lit your appearance
- Song of Solomon 2:15 Or jackals
- Song of Solomon 2:15 Or young
- Song of Solomon 2:15 Or jackals
- Song of Solomon 2:17 Or ravines; or perfumes
- Song of Solomon 3:2 Or Let me arise
- Song of Solomon 3:2 Or Let me go about
- Song of Solomon 3:2 Or Let me seek
- Song of Solomon 3:4 Lit passed
- Song of Solomon 3:6 Lit Who
- Song of Solomon 3:7 I.e., an elegant couch designed to be carried with poles by servants
- Song of Solomon 3:8 Lit terror in the nights
- Song of Solomon 3:9 I.e., an elegant throne with poles, carried by servants
- Song of Solomon 3:10 Or support
- Song of Solomon 3:11 Or wreath
- Song of Solomon 4:1 Lit Behold
- Song of Solomon 4:1 Lit Behold
- Song of Solomon 4:6 Lit the day blows
- Song of Solomon 4:8 Or look
- Song of Solomon 4:9 Or stolen
- Song of Solomon 4:9 Or stolen
- Song of Solomon 4:10 Lit better
- Song of Solomon 4:13 Or park; or garden
- Song of Solomon 4:15 Lit living; i.e., running
- Song of Solomon 4:16 Or Drift through my
- Song of Solomon 5:1 Or become drunk
- Song of Solomon 5:2 Lit filled
- Song of Solomon 5:6 Lit soul
- Song of Solomon 5:9 Or What is your beloved more than another beloved
- Song of Solomon 5:9 Or What is your beloved more than another beloved
- Song of Solomon 5:10 I.e., of reddish hair or skin
- Song of Solomon 5:13 Lit Towers
- Song of Solomon 5:14 Lit lapis lazuli
- Song of Solomon 5:16 Lit palate
- Song of Solomon 6:8 Or virgins
- Song of Solomon 6:9 Lit one
- Song of Solomon 6:9 Lit one
- Song of Solomon 6:9 Lit daughters
- Song of Solomon 6:9 Or happy
- Song of Solomon 6:12 Lit I was not aware, my soul
- Song of Solomon 6:12 Or Ammi-nadib
- Song of Solomon 6:13 Ch 7:1 in Heb
- Song of Solomon 6:13 Or Mahanaim
- Song of Solomon 7:1 Ch 7:2 in Heb
- Song of Solomon 7:1 Or Nobleman’s
- Song of Solomon 7:2 Lit Fenced around
- Song of Solomon 7:5 Lit is upon
- Song of Solomon 7:6 Or With love among your charms
- Song of Solomon 7:7 Lit This stature of yours
- Song of Solomon 7:8 Lit nose
- Song of Solomon 7:9 Lit palate
- Song of Solomon 7:11 Lit field
- Song of Solomon 8:4 Lit Why should you disturb or
- Song of Solomon 8:6 Or Its passion is as inflexible
- Song of Solomon 8:6 Another reading is A vehement flame
- Song of Solomon 8:12 Lit before me
- Song of Solomon 8:14 Lit Flee
- Song of Solomon 8:14 Lit of the stags
Isaiah 1-11
New American Standard Bible
Rebellion of God’s People
1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning (A)Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the [a]reigns of (B)Uzziah, (C)Jotham, (D)Ahaz, and (E)Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2 (F)Listen, heavens, and hear, (G)earth;
For the Lord has spoken:
“(H)Sons I have raised and brought up,
But they have (I)revolted against Me.
3 An ox knows its owner,
And a donkey its master’s manger,
But Israel (J)does not know,
My people (K)do not understand.”
4 Oh, sinful nation,
People weighed down with guilt,
[b](L)Offspring of evildoers,
Sons who (M)act corruptly!
They have (N)abandoned the Lord,
They have (O)despised the Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away [c]from Him.
5 Where will you be stricken again,
As you (P)continue in your rebellion?
The entire head is (Q)sick
And the entire heart is faint.
6 (R)From the sole of the foot even to the head
There is (S)nothing healthy in it,
Only bruises, slashes, and raw wounds;
(T)Not pressed out nor bandaged,
Nor softened with oil.
7 Your (U)land is desolate,
Your cities are burned with fire;
As for your fields, strangers are devouring them in front of you;
It is desolation, as overthrown by strangers.
8 The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard,
Like a watchman’s hut in a cucumber field, like a city under watch.
9 (V)If the Lord of armies
Had not left us a few (W)survivors,
We would be like (X)Sodom,
We would be like Gomorrah.
God Has Had Enough
10 Hear (Y)the word of the Lord,
You rulers of (Z)Sodom;
Listen to the instruction of our God,
You people of Gomorrah!
11 “(AA)What are your many sacrifices to Me?”
Says the Lord.
“I [d]have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fattened cattle;
And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats.
12 When you come (AB)to appear before Me,
Who requires [e]of you this trampling of My courtyards?
13 Do not go on bringing your worthless offerings,
(AC)Incense is an abomination to Me.
(AD)New moon and Sabbath, the (AE)proclamation of an assembly—
I cannot (AF)endure wrongdoing and the festive assembly.
14 [f]I hate your new moon festivals and your (AG)appointed feasts,
They have become a burden to Me;
I am (AH)tired of bearing them.
15 So when you (AI)spread out your hands in prayer,
(AJ)I will hide My eyes from you;
Yes, even though you (AK)offer many prayers,
I will not be listening.
(AL)Your hands are [g]covered with blood.
16 “(AM)Wash yourselves, (AN)make yourselves clean;
(AO)Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight.
(AP)Stop doing evil,
17 Learn to do good;
(AQ)Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor,
(AR)Obtain justice for the orphan,
Plead for the widow’s case.
Invitation to Debate
18 “Come now, and (AS)let us [h]debate your case,”
Says the Lord,
“(AT)Though your sins are as scarlet,
They shall become as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be like wool.
19 (AU)If you are willing and obedient,
You will (AV)eat the best of the land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
You will be (AW)devoured by the sword.”
For (AX)the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Zion Corrupted; Will Be Redeemed
21 How the faithful city has become a (AY)prostitute,
She who was full of justice!
Righteousness once dwelt in her,
But now murderers.
22 Your silver has become [i]waste matter,
Your drink diluted with water.
23 Your (AZ)rulers are rebels
And companions of thieves;
Everyone (BA)loves a bribe
And chases after gifts.
They (BB)do not obtain justice for the [j]orphan,
Nor does the widow’s case come before them.
24 Therefore the Lord [k]God of armies,
The (BC)Mighty One of Israel, declares,
“Ah, I will have satisfaction against My adversaries,
And (BD)avenge Myself on My enemies.
25 I will also turn My hand against you,
And (BE)smelt away your impurities as with lye;
And I will remove all your slag.
26 Then I will restore your (BF)judges as at first,
And your counselors as at the beginning;
After that you will be called the (BG)city of righteousness,
A faithful city.”
27 Zion will be (BH)redeemed with justice
And her [l]repentant ones with righteousness.
28 But [m]wrongdoers and sinners together will be (BI)broken,
And those who abandon the Lord will come to an end.
29 [n]You certainly will be ashamed of the [o](BJ)oaks which you have desired,
And you will be embarrassed by the (BK)gardens which you have chosen.
30 For you will be like an [p]oak whose (BL)leaf withers away,
Or like a garden that has no water.
31 The strong man will become like [q]flax fiber,
And his work a spark.
So they shall both (BM)burn together
And there will be (BN)no one to extinguish them.
God’s Universal Reign
2 The word which (BO)Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Now it will come about that
(BP)In the last days
The (BQ)mountain of the house of the Lord
Will be established [r]as the chief of the mountains,
And will be raised above the hills;
And (BR)all the nations will stream to it.
3 And many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
So that He may teach us [s]about His ways,
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For [t]the law will go out (BS)from Zion
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 And He will judge between the nations,
And will mediate for many peoples;
And (BT)they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning knives.
(BU)Nation will not lift up a sword against nation,
And never again will they learn war.
5 Come, (BV)house of Jacob, and let’s walk in the (BW)light of the Lord.
6 For You have (BX)abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob,
Because they are filled with influences from the east,
And they are soothsayers (BY)like the Philistines.
They also [u](BZ)strike bargains with the children of foreigners.
7 Their land has also been filled with silver and gold
And there is no end to their treasures;
Their land has also been filled with (CA)horses,
And there is no end to their chariots.
8 Their land has also been (CB)filled with idols;
They worship the (CC)work of their hands,
That which their fingers have made.
9 So (CD)the common person has been humbled
And the person of importance has been brought low,
But (CE)do not forgive them.
10 (CF)Enter the rocky place and hide in the dust
(CG)From the terror of the Lord and from the splendor of His majesty.
11 The [v](CH)proud look of humanity will be brought low,
And the (CI)arrogance of people will be humbled;
And the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.
A Day of Reckoning Coming
12 For the Lord of armies will have a day of reckoning
Against (CJ)everyone who is arrogant and haughty,
And against everyone who is lifted up,
That he may be brought low.
13 And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up,
Against all the (CK)oaks of Bashan,
14 Against all the (CL)lofty mountains,
Against all the hills that are lifted up,
15 Against every (CM)high tower,
Against every fortified wall,
16 Against all the (CN)ships of Tarshish
And against all the delightful ships.
17 And the pride of humanity will be humbled
And the arrogance of people will be brought low;
And the Lord alone will be exalted on that day,
18 And the (CO)idols will completely vanish.
19 People will (CP)go into caves of the rocks
And into holes in the [w]ground
Away from the terror of the Lord
And the splendor of His majesty,
When He arises (CQ)to terrify the earth.
20 On that day people will (CR)throw away to the moles and the (CS)bats
Their idols of silver and their idols of gold,
Which they made for themselves to worship,
21 In order to (CT)go into the clefts of the rocks and the crannies of the cliffs
Before the terror of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty,
When He arises to terrify the earth.
22 [x](CU)Take no account of man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils;
For [y](CV)why should he be esteemed?
God Will Remove the Leaders
3 For behold, the Lord [z]God of armies (CW)is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah
Both supply and support, the entire supply of bread
And the entire supply of water;
2 (CX)The mighty man and the warrior,
The judge and the prophet,
The diviner and the elder,
3 The captain of fifty and the esteemed person,
The counselor and the expert artisan,
And the skillful enchanter.
4 And I will make mere (CY)boys their leaders,
And [aa]mischievous children will rule over them,
5 And the people will be (CZ)oppressed,
Each one by another, and each one by his (DA)neighbor;
The youth will assault the elder,
And the contemptible person will assault the one honored.
6 When a man (DB)lays hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying,
“You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler!
And these ruins will be under your [ab]authority,”
7 He will [ac]protest on that day, saying,
“I will not be your [ad](DC)healer,
For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
You should not appoint me ruler of the people.”
8 For (DD)Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen,
Because their [ae](DE)speech and their actions are against the Lord,
To (DF)rebel against [af]His glorious presence.
9 [ag]The expression of their faces testifies against them,
And they [ah]display their sin like (DG)Sodom;
They do not even conceal it.
Woe to [ai]them!
For they have (DH)done evil to themselves.
10 Say to the (DI)righteous that it will go well for them,
For they will eat the fruit of their actions.
11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly for him,
For [aj](DJ)what he deserves will be done to him.
12 My people! Their oppressors (DK)treat them violently,
And women rule over them.
My people! (DL)Those who guide you lead you astray
And confuse the direction of your paths.
God Will Judge
13 (DM)The Lord arises to contend,
And stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord (DN)enters into judgment with the elders and leaders of His people,
“It is you who have [ak](DO)devoured the vineyard;
The (DP)goods stolen from the poor are in your houses.
15 What do you mean by (DQ)crushing My people
And [al]oppressing the face of the poor?”
Declares the Lord [am]God of armies.
Judah’s Women Denounced
16 Moreover, the Lord said, “Because the (DR)daughters of Zion are haughty
And walk with [an]heads held high and seductive eyes,
And go along with mincing steps
And jingle the anklets on their feet,
17 The Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs,
And the Lord will make their foreheads bare.”
18 On that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, (DS)crescent ornaments, 19 dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, 20 (DT)headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, 21 [ao]finger rings, (DU)nose rings, 22 festive robes, outer garments, shawls, purses, 23 papyrus garments, undergarments, headbands, and veils.
24 Now it will come about that instead of (DV)balsam oil there will be a stench;
Instead of a belt, a rope;
Instead of (DW)well-set hair, a (DX)plucked-out scalp;
Instead of fine clothes, a (DY)robe of sackcloth;
And branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men will (DZ)fall by the sword
And your [ap]mighty ones in battle.
26 And her [aq](EA)gates will lament and mourn,
And she will (EB)sit deserted on the ground.
A Remnant Prepared
4 For seven women will take hold of (EC)one man on that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; (ED)take away our disgrace!”
2 On that day the (EE)Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the (EF)fruit of the earth will be the pride and the beauty of the (EG)survivors of Israel. 3 And it will come about that the one who is (EH)left in Zion and remains behind in Jerusalem will be called (EI)holy—everyone who is (EJ)recorded for life in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the (EK)daughters of Zion and [ar]purged the (EL)bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the (EM)spirit of judgment and the (EN)spirit of [as]burning, 5 then the Lord will create over the entire area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies (EO)a cloud by day, and smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the (EP)glory will be a canopy. 6 And there will be a (EQ)shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and [at]protection from the storm and the rain.
Parable of the Vineyard
5 Let me sing now for my beloved
A song of my beloved about His vineyard.
My beloved had a (ER)vineyard on [au]a fertile hill.
2 He dug it all around, cleared it of stones,
And planted it with [av]the (ES)choicest vine.
And He built a tower in the middle of it,
And also carved out a [aw]wine vat in it;
Then He (ET)expected it to produce good grapes,
But it produced only [ax]worthless ones.
3 “And now, you inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
(EU)Judge between Me and My vineyard.
4 (EV)What more was there to do for My vineyard [ay]that I have not done in it?
Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce [az]worthless ones?
5 So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard:
I will (EW)remove its hedge and it will be consumed;
I will (EX)break down its wall and it will become (EY)trampled ground.
6 I will (EZ)lay it waste;
It will not be pruned nor hoed,
But briars and thorns will come up.
I will also command the clouds not to (FA)rain on it.”
7 For the (FB)vineyard of the Lord of armies is the house of Israel,
And the people of Judah are His delightful plant.
So He waited for justice, but behold, there was (FC)bloodshed;
For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.
Woes for the Wicked
8 Woe to those who (FD)attach house to house and join field to field,
Until there is no more room,
And you alone are a landowner in the midst of the land!
9 In my ears the Lord of armies has sworn, “(FE)Many houses shall certainly become (FF)desolate,
Even great and fine ones, without occupants.
10 For (FG)ten acres of vineyard will yield only one [ba]bath of wine,
And a [bb](FH)homer of seed will yield only an [bc]ephah of grain.”
11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning so that they may pursue (FI)intoxicating drink,
Who stay up late in the evening so that wine may inflame them!
12 Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and (FJ)harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine;
But they (FK)do not pay attention to the deeds of the Lord,
Nor do they consider the work of His hands.
13 Therefore My people go into exile for their (FL)lack of knowledge;
And their [bd](FM)nobles are famished,
And their multitude is parched with thirst.
14 Therefore (FN)Sheol has enlarged its [be]throat and opened its mouth beyond measure;
And [bf]Jerusalem’s splendor, her multitude, her noise of revelry, and the jubilant within her, descend into it.
15 So the common people will be humbled and the person of importance brought low,
(FO)The eyes of the haughty also will be brought low.
16 But the (FP)Lord of armies will be (FQ)exalted in judgment,
And the holy God will show Himself (FR)holy in righteousness.
17 (FS)Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture,
And strangers will eat in the ruins of the [bg]wealthy.
18 Woe to those who drag (FT)wrongdoing with the cords of [bh]deceit,
And sin as if with cart ropes;
19 (FU)Who say, “Let Him hurry, let Him do His work quickly, so that we may see it;
And let the plan of the Holy One of Israel approach
And come to pass, so that we may know it!”
20 Woe to those who (FV)call evil good, and good evil;
Who [bi](FW)substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
Who [bj]substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are (FX)wise in their own eyes
And [bk]clever in their own sight!
22 (FY)Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine,
And valiant men in mixing intoxicating drink,
23 (FZ)Who declare the wicked innocent for a bribe,
And (GA)take away the [bl]rights of the ones who are in the right!
24 Therefore, (GB)as a tongue of fire consumes stubble,
And dry grass collapses in the flame,
So their (GC)root will become (GD)like rot, and their blossom [bm]blow away like dust;
For they have (GE)rejected the Law of the Lord of armies,
And discarded the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 For this reason the (GF)anger of the Lord has burned against His people,
And He has stretched out His hand against them and struck them.
And the (GG)mountains quaked, and their (GH)corpses [bn]lay like refuse in the middle of the streets.
(GI)Despite all this, His anger [bo]is not spent,
But His (GJ)hand is still stretched out.
26 He will also lift up a (GK)flag to the distant [bp]nation,
And (GL)whistle for it (GM)from the ends of the earth;
And behold, it will (GN)come with speed swiftly.
27 (GO)No one in it is tired or stumbles,
No one slumbers or sleeps;
Nor is the (GP)undergarment at his waist loosened,
Nor his sandal strap broken.
28 [bq](GQ)Its arrows are sharp and all its bows are bent;
The hoofs of its horses [br]seem like flint, and its chariot (GR)wheels like a storm wind.
29 Its (GS)roaring is like a lioness, and it roars like young lions;
It growls as it (GT)seizes the prey
And carries it off with (GU)no one to save it.
30 And it will (GV)roar against it on that day like the roaring of the sea.
If one (GW)looks across to the land, behold, there is darkness and distress;
Even the light is darkened by its clouds.
Isaiah’s Vision
6 In the year of (GX)King Uzziah’s death (GY)I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2 Seraphim were standing above Him, (GZ)each having six wings: with two each covered his face, and with two each covered his feet, and with two each flew. 3 And one called out to another and said,
4 And the [bt]foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the [bu](HC)temple was filling with smoke. 5 Then I said,
“(HD)Woe to me, for I am ruined!
Because I am a man of (HE)unclean lips,
And I live among a (HF)people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the (HG)King, the Lord of armies.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the (HH)altar with tongs. 7 He (HI)touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and (HJ)your guilt is taken away and atonement is made for your sin.”
Isaiah’s Commission
8 Then I heard the (HK)voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then (HL)I said, “Here am I. Send me!” 9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on (HM)listening, but do not understand;
And keep on looking, but do not gain knowledge.’
10 (HN)Make the hearts of this people [bv](HO)insensitive,
Their ears [bw]dull,
And their eyes [bx]blind,
(HP)So that they will not see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their hearts,
And return and be healed.”
11 Then I said, “Lord, (HQ)how long?” And He answered,
“Until (HR)cities are devastated and without inhabitant,
Houses are without people
And the land is utterly desolate,
12 The Lord has (HS)completely removed people,
And there [by]are many (HT)forsaken places in the midst of the land.
13 Yet there will still be a tenth portion in it,
And it will again be subject to burning,
Like a terebinth or an (HU)oak
Whose stump remains when it is cut down.
The (HV)holy seed is its stump.”
War against Jerusalem
7 Now it came about in the days of (HW)Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that (HX)Rezin the king of Aram and (HY)Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but (HZ)could not [bz]conquer it. 2 When it was reported to the (IA)house of David, saying, “The Arameans (IB)have taken a stand by (IC)Ephraim,” his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake from the wind.
3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son [ca]Shear-jashub, at the end of the (ID)conduit of the upper pool, on the road to the [cb]fuller’s field, 4 and say to him, ‘Take care and be (IE)calm, have no (IF)fear and (IG)do not be fainthearted because of these two stumps of smoldering (IH)logs, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the (II)son of Remaliah. 5 Because (IJ)Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned evil against you, saying, 6 “Let’s go up against Judah and [cc]terrorize it, and take it for ourselves by assault and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 this is what the Lord [cd]God says: “(IK)It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass. 8 For the head of Aram is (IL)Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin (now within another sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken to pieces, so that it is no longer a people), 9 and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. (IM)If you will not believe, you certainly shall not [ce]last.”’”
The Child Immanuel
10 Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask for a (IN)sign for yourself from the Lord your God; [cf]make it deep as Sheol or high as [cg]heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I put the Lord to the test!” 13 Then he said, “Listen now, (IO)house of David! Is it too trivial a thing for you to [ch]try the patience of men, that you will [ci](IP)try the patience of (IQ)my God as well? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, (IR)the [cj]virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him [ck](IS)Immanuel. 15 He will eat [cl](IT)curds and honey [cm]at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. 16 (IU)For before the boy knows enough to refuse evil and choose good, (IV)the land whose two kings you dread will be abandoned.
Trials to Come for Judah
17 The Lord will bring on you, on your people, and on your father’s house such days as have not come since the day that (IW)Ephraim separated from Judah—the days of the (IX)king of Assyria.”
18 On that day the Lord will (IY)whistle for the fly that is in the [cn](IZ)remotest part of the canals of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 They will all come and settle on the steep [co]ravines, on the (JA)ledges of the cliffs, (JB)on all the thorn bushes, and on all the watering places.
20 On that day the Lord will (JC)shave with a (JD)razor, (JE)hired from regions beyond (JF)the Euphrates River (that is, with the king of Assyria), the head and the hair of the legs; and it will also remove the beard.
21 Now on that day a person may keep alive only a (JG)heifer and a pair of sheep; 22 and because of the abundance of the milk produced he will eat [cp]curds, for everyone who is left within the land will eat [cq](JH)curds and honey.
23 And it will come about on that day, (JI)that every place where there used to be a thousand vines, valued at a thousand shekels of silver, will become (JJ)briars and thorns. 24 People will come there with bows and arrows, because all the land will be briars and thorns. 25 As for all the hills which used to be cultivated with the plow, you will not go there for fear of briars and thorns; but they will become a place for [cr](JK)pasturing oxen and for sheep to trample.
Damascus and Samaria Fall
8 Then the Lord said to me, “Take for yourself a large tablet and (JL)write on it [cs]in ordinary letters: [ct](JM)Maher-shalal-hash-baz. 2 And [cu]I will take to Myself faithful witnesses for testimony, (JN)Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.” 3 So I approached the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Name him [cv](JO)Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for (JP)before the boy knows how to cry out ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of (JQ)Damascus and the spoils of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”
5 Again the Lord spoke to me further, saying,
6 “Inasmuch as these people have (JR)rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah
And rejoice in (JS)Rezin and the son of Remaliah;
7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord is about to bring on them the (JT)strong and abundant waters of the (JU)Euphrates River,
That is, the (JV)king of Assyria and all his glory;
And it will (JW)rise over all its channels and go over all its banks.
8 Then (JX)it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass through,
It will (JY)reach as far as the neck;
And the spread of its wings will [cw]fill the expanse of [cx]your land, (JZ)Immanuel.
A Believing Remnant
9 “(KA)Be broken, you peoples, and be [cy](KB)shattered;
And listen, all remote places of the earth.
[cz]Get ready, yet be [da]shattered;
[db]Get ready, yet be [dc]shattered.
10 (KC)Devise a plan, but it will fail;
State a [dd]proposal, but (KD)it will not stand,
For [de](KE)God is with us.”
11 For so the Lord spoke to me [df]with (KF)mighty power and instructed me (KG)not to walk in the way of this people, saying,
12 “You are not to say, ‘It is a (KH)conspiracy!’
Regarding everything that this people call a conspiracy,
And (KI)you are not to fear [dg]what they fear or be in dread of it.
13 It is the (KJ)Lord of armies (KK)whom you are to regard as holy.
And He shall be your fear,
And He shall be your dread.
14 Then He will become a (KL)sanctuary;
But to both houses of Israel, He will be a (KM)stone of stumbling and a rock [dh]of offense,
And a snare and a (KN)trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 Many (KO)will stumble over them,
Then they will fall and be broken;
They will be snared and caught.”
16 (KP)Bind up the testimony, (KQ)seal the [di]Law among (KR)my disciples. 17 And I will (KS)wait for the Lord (KT)who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will wait eagerly for Him. 18 (KU)Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for (KV)signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of armies, who (KW)dwells on Mount Zion.
19 When they say to you, “(KX)Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should a people not (KY)consult their God? Should they (KZ)consult the dead in behalf of the living? 20 To the [dj](LA)Law and to the testimony! If they do not speak in accordance with this word, it is because (LB)they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through [dk]the land (LC)dejected and hungry, and it will turn out that when they are hungry, they will become enraged and curse [dl]their king and their God as they face upward. 22 Then they will (LD)look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be (LE)driven away into darkness.
Birth and Reign of the Prince of Peace
9 [dm]But there will be no more (LF)gloom for her who was in anguish. In earlier times He (LG)treated the (LH)land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He will make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the [dn]Gentiles.
2 [do](LI)The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
3 (LJ)You will multiply the nation,
You (LK)will [dp]increase [dq]their joy;
They will rejoice in Your presence
As with the joy [dr]of harvest,
As people (LL)rejoice when they divide the spoils.
4 For (LM)You will break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
The rod of their (LN)oppressor, as [ds]at the battle of (LO)Midian.
5 For every boot of the marching warrior in the roar of battle,
And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
6 For a (LP)Child will be born to us, a (LQ)Son will be given to us;
And the (LR)government will [dt]rest (LS)on His shoulders;
And His name will be called (LT)Wonderful Counselor, (LU)Mighty God,
Eternal (LV)Father, Prince of (LW)Peace.
7 There will be (LX)no end to the increase of His government or of peace
On the (LY)throne of David and over [du]his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with (LZ)justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
(MA)The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this.
God’s Anger with Israel’s Arrogance
8 The Lord sends a [dv]message against Jacob,
And it falls on Israel.
9 And all the people know it,
That is, (MB)Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,
Asserting in pride and in (MC)arrogance of heart:
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
But we will (MD)rebuild with smooth stones;
The sycamores have been cut down,
But we will replace them with cedars.”
11 Therefore the Lord raises superior adversaries against them from (ME)Rezin
And provokes their enemies,
12 The Arameans from the east and the (MF)Philistines from the west;
And they (MG)devour Israel with [dw]gaping jaws.
(MH)In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away,
And His hand is still stretched out.
13 Yet the people (MI)do not turn back to Him who struck them,
Nor do they (MJ)seek the Lord of armies.
14 So the Lord cuts off (MK)head and tail from Israel,
Both palm branch and bulrush (ML)in a single day.
15 The head is (MM)the elder and esteemed man,
And the prophet who teaches (MN)falsehood is the tail.
16 (MO)For those who guide this people are leading them astray;
And those who are guided by them are [dx]confused.
17 Therefore the Lord does (MP)not rejoice over their young men,
(MQ)Nor does He have compassion on their [dy]orphans or their widows;
For every one of them is (MR)godless and an (MS)evildoer,
And every (MT)mouth is speaking foolishness.
(MU)In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away,
And His hand is still stretched out.
18 (MV)For wickedness burns like a fire;
It consumes briars and thorns;
It also sets the thickets of the forest aflame
And they roll upward in a column of smoke.
19 By the (MW)wrath of the Lord of armies the (MX)land is burned,
And the (MY)people are like fuel for the fire;
No (MZ)one spares his brother.
20 [dz]They devour what is on the right hand but are still (NA)hungry,
And [ea]they eat what is on the left hand, but they are not satisfied;
Each of them eats the (NB)flesh of his own arm.
21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh,
(NC)And together they are against Judah.
(ND)In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And His hand is still stretched out.
Assyria Is God’s Instrument
10 Woe to those who (NE)enact unjust statutes
And to those who constantly record [eb]harmful decisions,
2 So as (NF)to [ec]deprive the needy of justice
And rob the poor among My people of their rights,
So (NG)that widows may be their spoil
And that they may plunder the [ed]orphans.
3 Now (NH)what will you do in the (NI)day of punishment,
And in the devastation which will come (NJ)from afar?
(NK)To whom will you flee for help?
And where will you leave your wealth?
4 Nothing remains but to crouch [ee]among the (NL)captives
Or fall [ef]among those (NM)killed.
(NN)In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And His hand is still stretched out.
5 Woe to (NO)Assyria, the (NP)rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hands is (NQ)My indignation,
6 I send it against a (NR)godless nation
And commission it against the (NS)people of My fury
To capture spoils and (NT)to seize plunder,
And to [eg]trample them down like (NU)mud in the streets.
7 Yet it (NV)does not so intend,
Nor does [eh]it plan so in its heart,
But rather it is [ei]its purpose to destroy
And to eliminate [ej]many nations.
8 For it says, “Are not my officers [ek]all kings?
9 Is not (NW)Calno like (NX)Carchemish,
Or (NY)Hamath like Arpad,
Or (NZ)Samaria like (OA)Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to the (OB)kingdoms of the idols,
Whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 Shall I not do the same to Jerusalem and her images
Just as I have done to Samaria and (OC)her idols?”
12 So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His (OD)work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will [el]punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and (OE)the arrogant pride of his eyes.” 13 For (OF)he has said,
“By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this,
Because I have understanding;
And I (OG)removed the boundaries of the peoples
And plundered their treasures,
And like a powerful man I brought down [em]their inhabitants,
14 And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a (OH)nest,
And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth;
And there was not one that flapped its wing, opened its beak, or chirped.”
15 Is the (OI)axe to (OJ)boast itself over the one who chops with it?
Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it?
That would be like (OK)a [en]club wielding those who lift it,
Or like (OL)a rod lifting the one who is not wood.
16 Therefore the Lord, the [eo]God of armies, will send a (OM)wasting disease among his (ON)stout warriors;
And under his (OO)glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.
17 And the (OP)Light of Israel will become a fire and [ep]Israel’s (OQ)Holy One a flame,
And it will (OR)burn and devour [eq]his thorns and his briars in a single day.
18 And He will (OS)destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body,
And it will be as when a sick person wastes away.
19 And the (OT)rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number
That a child could write them down.
A Remnant Will Return
20 Now on that day the (OU)remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob (OV)who have escaped, will no longer rely on the one who struck them, but will truly (OW)rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
21 A (OX)remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the (OY)mighty God.
22 For (OZ)though your people, Israel, may be like the sand of the sea,
Only a remnant within them will return;
A (PA)destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.
23 For a complete destruction, one that is determined, (PB)the Lord [er]God of armies will execute in the midst of the whole land.
24 Therefore this is what the Lord [es]God of armies says: “My people, you who dwell in (PC)Zion, (PD)do not fear the Assyrian [et]who (PE)strikes you with the rod, and lifts up his staff against you the way Egypt did. 25 For in a very (PF)little while (PG)My indignation against you will be ended and My anger will be directed toward their destruction.” 26 The Lord of armies will (PH)wield a whip against him like the defeat of (PI)Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His (PJ)staff will be over the sea, and He will lift it up (PK)the way He did in Egypt. 27 So it will be on that day, that [eu]his (PL)burden will be removed from your shoulders, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because (PM)of fatness.
28 He has come against Aiath,
He has passed through (PN)Migron;
At (PO)Michmash he deposited his (PP)baggage.
29 They have gone through (PQ)the pass, saying,
“(PR)Geba will be our encampment for the night.”
(PS)Ramah is terrified, and (PT)Gibeah of Saul has fled.
30 Cry aloud with your voice, daughter of (PU)Gallim!
Pay attention, Laishah and [ev]wretched (PV)Anathoth!
31 Madmenah has fled.
The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge.
32 Yet today he will halt at (PW)Nob;
He (PX)shakes his fist at the mountain of the [ew](PY)daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
33 Behold, the Lord, the [ex]God of armies, will lop off the branches with terrifying power;
Those also who are (PZ)tall in stature will be cut down,
And those who are lofty will be brought low.
34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an iron axe,
And (QA)Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.
Righteous Reign of the Branch
11 Then a (QB)shoot will spring from the (QC)stem of Jesse,
And a (QD)Branch from (QE)his roots will bear fruit.
2 The (QF)Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
The spirit of (QG)wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and (QH)strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 And He will delight in the fear of the Lord,
And He will not judge by what His eyes (QI)see,
Nor make decisions by what His ears hear;
4 But with (QJ)righteousness He will judge the (QK)poor,
And decide with fairness for the (QL)humble of the earth;
And He will strike the earth with the (QM)rod of His mouth,
And with the (QN)breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
5 Also (QO)righteousness will be the belt around His hips,
And (QP)faithfulness the belt around His waist.
6 And the (QQ)wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young lion [ey]and the fattened steer will be together;
And a little boy will lead them.
7 Also the cow and the bear will graze,
Their young will lie down together,
And the (QR)lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
9 They will (QS)not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the (QT)earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.
10 Then on that day
The (QU)nations will resort to the (QV)root of Jesse,
Who will stand as a (QW)signal flag for the peoples;
And His (QX)resting place will be [ez]glorious.
The Restored Remnant
11 Then it will happen on that day that the Lord
Will again recover with His hand the second time
The (QY)remnant of His people who will remain,
From (QZ)Assyria, (RA)Egypt, Pathros, Cush, (RB)Elam, Shinar, Hamath,
And from the [fa](RC)islands of the sea.
12 And He will lift up a (RD)flag for the nations
And (RE)assemble the banished ones of Israel,
And will gather the dispersed of Judah
From the four corners of the earth.
13 Then the (RF)jealousy of Ephraim will depart,
And those who harass Judah will be eliminated;
Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah,
And Judah will not harass Ephraim.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 1:1 Lit days
- Isaiah 1:4 Lit Seed
- Isaiah 1:4 Lit backward
- Isaiah 1:11 Or am sated with
- Isaiah 1:12 Lit of your hand
- Isaiah 1:14 Lit My soul hates
- Isaiah 1:15 Lit full of
- Isaiah 1:18 Or argue
- Isaiah 1:22 Lit dross
- Isaiah 1:23 Or fatherless
- Isaiah 1:24 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 1:27 Or returning
- Isaiah 1:28 Lit a breaking of wrongdoers and sinners together
- Isaiah 1:29 As in some mss; MT They
- Isaiah 1:29 Or terebinths
- Isaiah 1:30 Or terebinth
- Isaiah 1:31 Lit tow
- Isaiah 2:2 Lit on
- Isaiah 2:3 Or some of
- Isaiah 2:3 Or instruction
- Isaiah 2:6 Lit clap their hands
- Isaiah 2:11 Lit eyes of the pride of man
- Isaiah 2:19 Lit dust
- Isaiah 2:22 Or Stop caring about
- Isaiah 2:22 Lit in what
- Isaiah 3:1 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 3:4 Or arbitrary power will rule
- Isaiah 3:6 Lit hand
- Isaiah 3:7 Lit lift up his voice
- Isaiah 3:7 Lit binder of wounds
- Isaiah 3:8 Lit tongue
- Isaiah 3:8 Lit the eyes of His glory
- Isaiah 3:9 Or Their partiality testifies
- Isaiah 3:9 Lit proclaim
- Isaiah 3:9 Lit their soul
- Isaiah 3:11 Lit the accomplishment of his hands
- Isaiah 3:14 Lit grazed over
- Isaiah 3:15 Lit grinding the face of
- Isaiah 3:15 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 3:16 Lit outstretched necks
- Isaiah 3:21 Or signet rings
- Isaiah 3:25 Lit strength
- Isaiah 3:26 Lit entrances
- Isaiah 4:4 Lit rinsed away
- Isaiah 4:4 Or destruction
- Isaiah 4:6 Lit a hiding place
- Isaiah 5:1 Lit horn, a son of fatness
- Isaiah 5:2 Lit a bright red grape
- Isaiah 5:2 Or wine press
- Isaiah 5:2 Or unripe
- Isaiah 5:4 Lit and I have not done
- Isaiah 5:4 Or unripe
- Isaiah 5:10 About 6 gallons or 23 liters
- Isaiah 5:10 About 7.7 cubic feet or 0.22 cubit meters or more
- Isaiah 5:10 About 1 cubic foot or 0.03 cubic meters
- Isaiah 5:13 Lit glory is men of famine
- Isaiah 5:14 Or appetite
- Isaiah 5:14 Lit her
- Isaiah 5:17 Lit fat
- Isaiah 5:18 Or worthlessness
- Isaiah 5:20 Lit set
- Isaiah 5:20 Lit set
- Isaiah 5:21 Lit discerning
- Isaiah 5:23 Lit justice
- Isaiah 5:24 Lit ascend
- Isaiah 5:25 Lit were
- Isaiah 5:25 Lit has not turned away
- Isaiah 5:26 Lit nations; prob. Assyria
- Isaiah 5:28 Lit Which, its arrows
- Isaiah 5:28 Lit are regarded as
- Isaiah 6:3 Lit fullness of the whole earth is His glory
- Isaiah 6:4 Lit door sockets
- Isaiah 6:4 Lit house
- Isaiah 6:10 Lit fat
- Isaiah 6:10 Lit heavy
- Isaiah 6:10 Lit sealed over
- Isaiah 6:12 Or forsakenness will be great
- Isaiah 7:1 Lit fight against
- Isaiah 7:3 I.e., a remnant shall return
- Isaiah 7:3 I.e., launderer’s
- Isaiah 7:6 Or demolish
- Isaiah 7:7 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 7:9 Or endure
- Isaiah 7:11 As in most ancient versions; MT make the request deep or high
- Isaiah 7:11 Lit heights
- Isaiah 7:13 Lit make men weary
- Isaiah 7:13 Lit make my God weary
- Isaiah 7:14 As in LXX; MT young unmarried woman
- Isaiah 7:14 I.e., God is with us
- Isaiah 7:15 Possibly butter
- Isaiah 7:15 Lit with respect to his knowing
- Isaiah 7:18 Or mouth of the rivers; i.e., the Nile Delta
- Isaiah 7:19 Or wadis
- Isaiah 7:22 Possibly butter
- Isaiah 7:22 Possibly butter
- Isaiah 7:25 Lit pastureland of
- Isaiah 8:1 Lit with the stylus of man
- Isaiah 8:1 I.e., swift is the plunder, speedy is the prey
- Isaiah 8:2 Another reading is take for me
- Isaiah 8:3 I.e., swift is the plunder, speedy is the prey
- Isaiah 8:8 Lit be the fullness of
- Isaiah 8:8 Or Your
- Isaiah 8:9 Or dismayed
- Isaiah 8:9 Lit Belt up your waist
- Isaiah 8:9 Or dismayed
- Isaiah 8:9 Lit Belt up your waist
- Isaiah 8:9 Or dismayed
- Isaiah 8:10 Lit word
- Isaiah 8:10 Heb Immanu-el
- Isaiah 8:11 Lit according to the strength of hand
- Isaiah 8:12 Lit their fear
- Isaiah 8:14 Or to trip on
- Isaiah 8:16 Or teaching
- Isaiah 8:20 Or teaching
- Isaiah 8:21 Lit it
- Isaiah 8:21 Or by their king
- Isaiah 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Heb
- Isaiah 9:1 Or nations
- Isaiah 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Heb
- Isaiah 9:3 Another reading is not increase
- Isaiah 9:3 Lit the
- Isaiah 9:3 Lit in
- Isaiah 9:4 Lit in the day of Midian
- Isaiah 9:6 Lit be
- Isaiah 9:7 I.e., David’s
- Isaiah 9:8 Lit word
- Isaiah 9:12 Lit the whole mouth
- Isaiah 9:16 Or swallowed up
- Isaiah 9:17 Or fatherless
- Isaiah 9:20 Lit And he slices
- Isaiah 9:20 Lit he eats
- Isaiah 10:1 Lit harm
- Isaiah 10:2 Lit turn the needy aside from
- Isaiah 10:2 Or fatherless
- Isaiah 10:4 Lit under
- Isaiah 10:4 Lit under
- Isaiah 10:6 Lit make them a trampled place
- Isaiah 10:7 Lit its heart so plan
- Isaiah 10:7 Lit in its heart
- Isaiah 10:7 Lit not a few
- Isaiah 10:8 Lit altogether
- Isaiah 10:12 Lit visit
- Isaiah 10:13 Or those who sit on thrones
- Isaiah 10:15 Lit staff
- Isaiah 10:16 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 10:17 Lit his
- Isaiah 10:17 I.e., the Assyrian king’s forces
- Isaiah 10:23 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 10:24 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 10:24 Lit he
- Isaiah 10:27 I.e., the Assyrian
- Isaiah 10:30 An ancient version reads Answer her, O Anathoth
- Isaiah 10:32 Another reading is house of
- Isaiah 10:33 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 11:6 Some ancient versions will feed together
- Isaiah 11:10 Lit glory
- Isaiah 11:11 Or coastlands
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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