The vision(A) concerning Judah and Jerusalem(B) that Isaiah son of Amoz saw(C) during the reigns of Uzziah,(D) Jotham,(E) Ahaz(F) and Hezekiah,(G) kings of Judah.

A Rebellious Nation

Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth!(H)
    For the Lord has spoken:(I)
“I reared children(J) and brought them up,
    but they have rebelled(K) against me.
The ox knows(L) its master,
    the donkey its owner’s manger,(M)
but Israel does not know,(N)
    my people do not understand.(O)

Woe to the sinful nation,
    a people whose guilt is great,(P)
a brood of evildoers,(Q)
    children given to corruption!(R)
They have forsaken(S) the Lord;
    they have spurned the Holy One(T) of Israel
    and turned their backs(U) on him.

Why should you be beaten(V) anymore?
    Why do you persist(W) in rebellion?(X)
Your whole head is injured,
    your whole heart(Y) afflicted.(Z)
From the sole of your foot to the top of your head(AA)
    there is no soundness(AB)
only wounds and welts(AC)
    and open sores,
not cleansed or bandaged(AD)
    or soothed with olive oil.(AE)

Your country is desolate,(AF)
    your cities burned with fire;(AG)
your fields are being stripped by foreigners(AH)
    right before you,
    laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.(AI)
Daughter Zion(AJ) is left(AK)
    like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a hut(AL) in a cucumber field,
    like a city under siege.
Unless the Lord Almighty
    had left us some survivors,(AM)
we would have become like Sodom,
    we would have been like Gomorrah.(AN)

10 Hear the word of the Lord,(AO)
    you rulers of Sodom;(AP)
listen to the instruction(AQ) of our God,
    you people of Gomorrah!(AR)
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
    what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
    of rams and the fat of fattened animals;(AS)
I have no pleasure(AT)
    in the blood of bulls(AU) and lambs and goats.(AV)
12 When you come to appear before me,
    who has asked this of you,(AW)
    this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!(AX)
    Your incense(AY) is detestable(AZ) to me.
New Moons,(BA) Sabbaths and convocations(BB)
    I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon(BC) feasts and your appointed festivals(BD)
    I hate with all my being.(BE)
They have become a burden to me;(BF)
    I am weary(BG) of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands(BH) in prayer,
    I hide(BI) my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.(BJ)

Your hands(BK) are full of blood!(BL)

16 Wash(BM) and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;(BN)
    stop doing wrong.(BO)
17 Learn to do right;(BP) seek justice.(BQ)
    Defend the oppressed.[a](BR)
Take up the cause of the fatherless;(BS)
    plead the case of the widow.(BT)

18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”(BU)
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;(BV)
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.(BW)
19 If you are willing and obedient,(BX)
    you will eat the good things of the land;(BY)
20 but if you resist and rebel,(BZ)
    you will be devoured by the sword.”(CA)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(CB)

21 See how the faithful city
    has become a prostitute!(CC)
She once was full of justice;
    righteousness(CD) used to dwell in her—
    but now murderers!(CE)
22 Your silver has become dross,(CF)
    your choice wine is diluted with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels,(CG)
    partners with thieves;(CH)
they all love bribes(CI)
    and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
    the widow’s case does not come before them.(CJ)

24 Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    the Mighty One(CK) of Israel, declares:
“Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes
    and avenge(CL) myself on my enemies.(CM)
25 I will turn my hand against you;[b](CN)
    I will thoroughly purge(CO) away your dross(CP)
    and remove all your impurities.(CQ)
26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old,(CR)
    your rulers as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called(CS)
    the City of Righteousness,(CT)
    the Faithful City.(CU)

27 Zion will be delivered with justice,
    her penitent(CV) ones with righteousness.(CW)
28 But rebels and sinners(CX) will both be broken,
    and those who forsake(CY) the Lord will perish.(CZ)

29 “You will be ashamed(DA) because of the sacred oaks(DB)
    in which you have delighted;
you will be disgraced because of the gardens(DC)
    that you have chosen.
30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves,(DD)
    like a garden without water.
31 The mighty man will become tinder
    and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
    with no one to quench the fire.(DE)

The Mountain of the Lord(DF)

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:(DG)

In the last days(DH)

the mountain(DI) of the Lord’s temple will be established
    as the highest of the mountains;(DJ)
it will be exalted(DK) above the hills,
    and all nations will stream to it.(DL)

Many peoples(DM) will come and say,

“Come, let us go(DN) up to the mountain(DO) of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law(DP) will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.(DQ)
He will judge(DR) between the nations
    and will settle disputes(DS) for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.(DT)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,(DU)
    nor will they train for war anymore.

Come, descendants of Jacob,(DV)
    let us walk in the light(DW) of the Lord.

The Day of the Lord

You, Lord, have abandoned(DX) your people,
    the descendants of Jacob.(DY)
They are full of superstitions from the East;
    they practice divination(DZ) like the Philistines(EA)
    and embrace(EB) pagan customs.(EC)
Their land is full of silver and gold;(ED)
    there is no end to their treasures.(EE)
Their land is full of horses;(EF)
    there is no end to their chariots.(EG)
Their land is full of idols;(EH)
    they bow down(EI) to the work of their hands,(EJ)
    to what their fingers(EK) have made.
So people will be brought low(EL)
    and everyone humbled(EM)
    do not forgive them.[c](EN)

10 Go into the rocks, hide(EO) in the ground
    from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty!(EP)
11 The eyes of the arrogant(EQ) will be humbled(ER)
    and human pride(ES) brought low;(ET)
the Lord alone will be exalted(EU) in that day.(EV)

12 The Lord Almighty has a day(EW) in store
    for all the proud(EX) and lofty,(EY)
for all that is exalted(EZ)
    (and they will be humbled),(FA)
13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,(FB) tall and lofty,(FC)
    and all the oaks of Bashan,(FD)
14 for all the towering mountains
    and all the high hills,(FE)
15 for every lofty tower(FF)
    and every fortified wall,(FG)
16 for every trading ship[d](FH)
    and every stately vessel.
17 The arrogance of man will be brought low(FI)
    and human pride humbled;(FJ)
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,(FK)
18     and the idols(FL) will totally disappear.(FM)

19 People will flee to caves(FN) in the rocks
    and to holes in the ground(FO)
from the fearful presence(FP) of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,(FQ)
    when he rises to shake the earth.(FR)
20 In that day(FS) people will throw away
    to the moles and bats(FT)
their idols of silver and idols of gold,(FU)
    which they made to worship.(FV)
21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks(FW)
    and to the overhanging crags
from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,(FX)
    when he rises(FY) to shake the earth.(FZ)

22 Stop trusting in mere humans,(GA)
    who have but a breath(GB) in their nostrils.
    Why hold them in esteem?(GC)

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

See now, the Lord,
    the Lord Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
    both supply and support:(GD)
all supplies of food(GE) and all supplies of water,(GF)
    the hero and the warrior,(GG)
the judge and the prophet,
    the diviner(GH) and the elder,(GI)
the captain of fifty(GJ) and the man of rank,(GK)
    the counselor, skilled craftsman(GL) and clever enchanter.(GM)

“I will make mere youths their officials;
    children will rule over them.”(GN)

People will oppress each other—
    man against man, neighbor against neighbor.(GO)
The young will rise up against the old,
    the nobody against the honored.

A man will seize one of his brothers
    in his father’s house, and say,
“You have a cloak, you be our leader;
    take charge of this heap of ruins!”
But in that day(GP) he will cry out,
    “I have no remedy.(GQ)
I have no food(GR) or clothing in my house;
    do not make me the leader of the people.”(GS)

Jerusalem staggers,
    Judah is falling;(GT)
their words(GU) and deeds(GV) are against the Lord,
    defying(GW) his glorious presence.
The look on their faces testifies(GX) against them;
    they parade their sin like Sodom;(GY)
    they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
    They have brought disaster(GZ) upon themselves.

10 Tell the righteous it will be well(HA) with them,
    for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.(HB)
11 Woe to the wicked!(HC)
    Disaster(HD) is upon them!
They will be paid back(HE)
    for what their hands have done.(HF)

12 Youths(HG) oppress my people,
    women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;(HH)
    they turn you from the path.

13 The Lord takes his place in court;(HI)
    he rises to judge(HJ) the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment(HK)
    against the elders and leaders of his people:
“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
    the plunder(HL) from the poor(HM) is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people(HN)
    and grinding(HO) the faces of the poor?”(HP)
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.(HQ)

16 The Lord says,
    “The women of Zion(HR) are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,(HS)
    flirting with their eyes,
strutting along with swaying hips,
    with ornaments jingling on their ankles.
17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion;
    the Lord will make their scalps bald.(HT)

18 In that day(HU) the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces,(HV) 19 the earrings and bracelets(HW) and veils,(HX) 20 the headdresses(HY) and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings,(HZ) 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks,(IA) the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments(IB) and tiaras(IC) and shawls.

24 Instead of fragrance(ID) there will be a stench;(IE)
    instead of a sash,(IF) a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;(IG)
    instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;(IH)
    instead of beauty,(II) branding.(IJ)
25 Your men will fall by the sword,(IK)
    your warriors in battle.(IL)
26 The gates(IM) of Zion will lament and mourn;(IN)
    destitute,(IO) she will sit on the ground.(IP)

In that day(IQ) seven women
    will take hold of one man(IR)
and say, “We will eat our own food(IS)
    and provide our own clothes;
only let us be called by your name.
    Take away our disgrace!”(IT)

The Branch of the Lord

In that day(IU) the Branch of the Lord(IV) will be beautiful(IW) and glorious, and the fruit(IX) of the land will be the pride and glory(IY) of the survivors(IZ) in Israel. Those who are left in Zion,(JA) who remain(JB) in Jerusalem, will be called holy,(JC) all who are recorded(JD) among the living in Jerusalem. The Lord will wash away the filth(JE) of the women of Zion;(JF) he will cleanse(JG) the bloodstains(JH) from Jerusalem by a spirit[e] of judgment(JI) and a spirit[f] of fire.(JJ) Then the Lord will create(JK) over all of Mount Zion(JL) and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night;(JM) over everything the glory[g](JN) will be a canopy.(JO) It will be a shelter(JP) and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge(JQ) and hiding place from the storm(JR) and rain.

The Song of the Vineyard

I will sing for the one I love
    a song about his vineyard:(JS)
My loved one had a vineyard
    on a fertile hillside.
He dug it up and cleared it of stones
    and planted it with the choicest vines.(JT)
He built a watchtower(JU) in it
    and cut out a winepress(JV) as well.
Then he looked for a crop of good grapes,
    but it yielded only bad fruit.(JW)

“Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah,
    judge between me and my vineyard.(JX)
What more could have been done for my vineyard
    than I have done for it?(JY)
When I looked for good grapes,
    why did it yield only bad?(JZ)
Now I will tell you
    what I am going to do to my vineyard:
I will take away its hedge,
    and it will be destroyed;(KA)
I will break down its wall,(KB)
    and it will be trampled.(KC)
I will make it a wasteland,(KD)
    neither pruned nor cultivated,
    and briers and thorns(KE) will grow there.
I will command the clouds
    not to rain(KF) on it.”

The vineyard(KG) of the Lord Almighty
    is the nation of Israel,
and the people of Judah
    are the vines he delighted in.
And he looked for justice,(KH) but saw bloodshed;
    for righteousness,(KI) but heard cries of distress.(KJ)

Woes and Judgments

Woe(KK) to you who add house to house
    and join field to field(KL)
till no space is left
    and you live alone in the land.

The Lord Almighty(KM) has declared in my hearing:(KN)

“Surely the great houses will become desolate,(KO)
    the fine mansions left without occupants.
10 A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath[h] of wine;
    a homer[i] of seed will yield only an ephah[j] of grain.”(KP)

11 Woe(KQ) to those who rise early in the morning
    to run after their drinks,
who stay up late at night
    till they are inflamed with wine.(KR)
12 They have harps and lyres at their banquets,
    pipes(KS) and timbrels(KT) and wine,
but they have no regard(KU) for the deeds of the Lord,
    no respect for the work of his hands.(KV)
13 Therefore my people will go into exile(KW)
    for lack of understanding;(KX)
those of high rank(KY) will die of hunger
    and the common people will be parched with thirst.(KZ)
14 Therefore Death(LA) expands its jaws,
    opening wide its mouth;(LB)
into it will descend their nobles and masses
    with all their brawlers and revelers.(LC)
15 So people will be brought low(LD)
    and everyone humbled,(LE)
    the eyes of the arrogant(LF) humbled.
16 But the Lord Almighty will be exalted(LG) by his justice,(LH)
    and the holy God will be proved holy(LI) by his righteous acts.
17 Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture;(LJ)
    lambs will feed[k] among the ruins of the rich.

18 Woe(LK) to those who draw sin along with cords(LL) of deceit,
    and wickedness(LM) as with cart ropes,
19 to those who say, “Let God hurry;
    let him hasten(LN) his work
    so we may see it.
The plan of the Holy One(LO) of Israel—
    let it approach, let it come into view,
    so we may know it.”(LP)

20 Woe(LQ) to those who call evil good(LR)
    and good evil,(LS)
who put darkness for light
    and light for darkness,(LT)
who put bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter.(LU)

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes(LV)
    and clever in their own sight.

22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine(LW)
    and champions at mixing drinks,(LX)
23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe,(LY)
    but deny justice(LZ) to the innocent.(MA)
24 Therefore, as tongues of fire(MB) lick up straw(MC)
    and as dry grass sinks down in the flames,
so their roots will decay(MD)
    and their flowers blow away like dust;(ME)
for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty
    and spurned the word(MF) of the Holy One(MG) of Israel.
25 Therefore the Lord’s anger(MH) burns against his people;
    his hand is raised and he strikes them down.
The mountains shake,(MI)
    and the dead bodies(MJ) are like refuse(MK) in the streets.(ML)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,(MM)
    his hand is still upraised.(MN)

26 He lifts up a banner(MO) for the distant nations,
    he whistles(MP) for those at the ends of the earth.(MQ)
Here they come,
    swiftly and speedily!
27 Not one of them grows tired(MR) or stumbles,
    not one slumbers or sleeps;
not a belt(MS) is loosened at the waist,(MT)
    not a sandal strap is broken.(MU)
28 Their arrows are sharp,(MV)
    all their bows(MW) are strung;
their horses’ hooves(MX) seem like flint,
    their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.(MY)
29 Their roar is like that of the lion,(MZ)
    they roar like young lions;
they growl as they seize(NA) their prey
    and carry it off with no one to rescue.(NB)
30 In that day(NC) they will roar over it
    like the roaring of the sea.(ND)
And if one looks at the land,
    there is only darkness(NE) and distress;(NF)
    even the sun will be darkened(NG) by clouds.

Isaiah’s Commission

In the year that King Uzziah(NH) died,(NI) I saw the Lord,(NJ) high and exalted,(NK) seated on a throne;(NL) and the train of his robe(NM) filled the temple. Above him were seraphim,(NN) each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet,(NO) and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy(NP), holy is the Lord Almighty;(NQ)
    the whole earth(NR) is full of his glory.”(NS)

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.(NT)

“Woe(NU) to me!” I cried. “I am ruined!(NV) For I am a man of unclean lips,(NW) and I live among a people of unclean lips,(NX) and my eyes have seen(NY) the King,(NZ) the Lord Almighty.”(OA)

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal(OB) in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips;(OC) your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.(OD)

Then I heard the voice(OE) of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?(OF) And who will go for us?(OG)

And I said, “Here am I.(OH) Send me!”

He said, “Go(OI) and tell this people:

“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
    be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’(OJ)
10 Make the heart of this people calloused;(OK)
    make their ears dull
    and close their eyes.[l](OL)
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,(OM)
    understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”(ON)

11 Then I said, “For how long, Lord?”(OO)

And he answered:

“Until the cities lie ruined(OP)
    and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted(OQ)
    and the fields ruined and ravaged,(OR)
12 until the Lord has sent everyone far away(OS)
    and the land is utterly forsaken.(OT)
13 And though a tenth remains(OU) in the land,
    it will again be laid waste.(OV)
But as the terebinth and oak
    leave stumps(OW) when they are cut down,
    so the holy(OX) seed will be the stump in the land.”(OY)

The Sign of Immanuel

When Ahaz(OZ) son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin(PA) of Aram(PB) and Pekah(PC) son of Remaliah(PD) king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

Now the house of David(PE) was told, “Aram has allied itself with[m] Ephraim(PF)”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken,(PG) as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,[n](PH) to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.(PI) Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm(PJ) and don’t be afraid.(PK) Do not lose heart(PL) because of these two smoldering stubs(PM) of firewood—because of the fierce anger(PN) of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.(PO) Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s(PP) son have plotted(PQ) your ruin, saying, “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:(PR)

“‘It will not take place,
    it will not happen,(PS)
for the head of Aram is Damascus,(PT)
    and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.(PU)
Within sixty-five years
    Ephraim will be too shattered(PV) to be a people.
The head of Ephraim is Samaria,(PW)
    and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand(PX) firm in your faith,(PY)
    you will not stand at all.’”(PZ)

10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign,(QA) whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.(QB)

12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.(QC)

13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David!(QD) Is it not enough(QE) to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience(QF) of my God(QG) also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you[o] a sign:(QH) The virgin[p](QI) will conceive and give birth to a son,(QJ) and[q] will call him Immanuel.[r](QK) 15 He will be eating curds(QL) and honey(QM) when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16 for before the boy knows(QN) enough to reject the wrong and choose the right,(QO) the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.(QP) 17 The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away(QQ) from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.(QR)

Assyria, the Lord’s Instrument

18 In that day(QS) the Lord will whistle(QT) for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.(QU) 19 They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices(QV) in the rocks, on all the thornbushes(QW) and at all the water holes. 20 In that day(QX) the Lord will use(QY) a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River(QZ)—the king of Assyria(RA)—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard(RB) also.(RC) 21 In that day,(RD) a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats.(RE) 22 And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds(RF) and honey.(RG) 23 In that day,(RH) in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels,[s](RI) there will be only briers and thorns.(RJ) 24 Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers(RK) and thorns. 25 As for all the hills(RL) once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns;(RM) they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.(RN)

Isaiah and His Children as Signs

The Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll(RO) and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.”[t](RP) So I called in Uriah(RQ) the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses(RR) for me. Then I made love to the prophetess,(RS) and she conceived and gave birth to a son.(RT) And the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.(RU) For before the boy knows(RV) how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus(RW) and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.(RX)

The Lord spoke to me again:

“Because this people has rejected(RY)
    the gently flowing waters of Shiloah(RZ)
and rejoices over Rezin
    and the son of Remaliah,(SA)
therefore the Lord is about to bring against them
    the mighty floodwaters(SB) of the Euphrates—
    the king of Assyria(SC) with all his pomp.(SD)
It will overflow all its channels,
    run over all its banks(SE)
and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it,(SF)
    passing through it and reaching up to the neck.
Its outspread wings(SG) will cover the breadth of your land,
    Immanuel[u]!”(SH)

Raise the war cry,[v](SI) you nations, and be shattered!(SJ)
    Listen, all you distant lands.
Prepare(SK) for battle, and be shattered!
    Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
10 Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted;(SL)
    propose your plan, but it will not stand,(SM)
    for God is with us.[w](SN)

11 This is what the Lord says to me with his strong hand upon me,(SO) warning me not to follow(SP) the way of this people:

12 “Do not call conspiracy(SQ)
    everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,(SR)
    and do not dread it.(SS)
13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,(ST)
    he is the one you are to fear,(SU)
    he is the one you are to dread.(SV)
14 He will be a holy place;(SW)
    for both Israel and Judah he will be
a stone(SX) that causes people to stumble(SY)
    and a rock that makes them fall.(SZ)
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
    a trap and a snare.(TA)
15 Many of them will stumble;(TB)
    they will fall and be broken,
    they will be snared and captured.”

16 Bind up this testimony of warning(TC)
    and seal(TD) up God’s instruction among my disciples.
17 I will wait(TE) for the Lord,
    who is hiding(TF) his face from the descendants of Jacob.
I will put my trust in him.(TG)

18 Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me.(TH) We are signs(TI) and symbols(TJ) in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.(TK)

The Darkness Turns to Light

19 When someone tells you to consult(TL) mediums and spiritists,(TM) who whisper and mutter,(TN) should not a people inquire(TO) of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 Consult God’s instruction(TP) and the testimony of warning.(TQ) If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light(TR) of dawn. 21 Distressed and hungry,(TS) they will roam through the land;(TT) when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse(TU) their king and their God. 22 Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom,(TV) and they will be thrust into utter darkness.(TW)

[x]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom(TX) for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,(TY) but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

The people walking in darkness(TZ)
    have seen a great light;(UA)
on those living in the land of deep darkness(UB)
    a light has dawned.(UC)
You have enlarged the nation(UD)
    and increased their joy;(UE)
they rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
    when dividing the plunder.(UF)
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,(UG)
    you have shattered(UH)
the yoke(UI) that burdens them,
    the bar across their shoulders,(UJ)
    the rod of their oppressor.(UK)
Every warrior’s boot used in battle
    and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,(UL)
    will be fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born,(UM)
    to us a son is given,(UN)
    and the government(UO) will be on his shoulders.(UP)
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor,(UQ) Mighty God,(UR)
    Everlasting(US) Father,(UT) Prince of Peace.(UU)
Of the greatness of his government(UV) and peace(UW)
    there will be no end.(UX)
He will reign(UY) on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice(UZ) and righteousness(VA)
    from that time on and forever.(VB)
The zeal(VC) of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

The Lord’s Anger Against Israel

The Lord has sent a message(VD) against Jacob;
    it will fall on Israel.
All the people will know it—
    Ephraim(VE) and the inhabitants of Samaria(VF)
who say with pride
    and arrogance(VG) of heart,
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
    but we will rebuild with dressed stone;(VH)
the fig(VI) trees have been felled,
    but we will replace them with cedars.(VJ)
11 But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s(VK) foes against them
    and has spurred their enemies on.
12 Arameans(VL) from the east and Philistines(VM) from the west
    have devoured(VN) Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, his anger(VO) is not turned away,
    his hand is still upraised.(VP)

13 But the people have not returned(VQ) to him who struck(VR) them,
    nor have they sought(VS) the Lord Almighty.
14 So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
    both palm branch and reed(VT) in a single day;(VU)
15 the elders(VV) and dignitaries(VW) are the head,
    the prophets(VX) who teach lies(VY) are the tail.
16 Those who guide(VZ) this people mislead them,
    and those who are guided are led astray.(WA)
17 Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,(WB)
    nor will he pity(WC) the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly(WD) and wicked,(WE)
    every mouth speaks folly.(WF)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
    his hand is still upraised.(WG)

18 Surely wickedness burns like a fire;(WH)
    it consumes briers and thorns,(WI)
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,(WJ)
    so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
19 By the wrath(WK) of the Lord Almighty
    the land will be scorched(WL)
and the people will be fuel for the fire;(WM)
    they will not spare one another.(WN)
20 On the right they will devour,
    but still be hungry;(WO)
on the left they will eat,(WP)
    but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring[y]:
21     Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;(WQ)
    together they will turn against Judah.(WR)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
    his hand is still upraised.(WS)

10 Woe(WT) to those who make unjust laws,
    to those who issue oppressive decrees,(WU)
to deprive(WV) the poor of their rights
    and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,(WW)
making widows their prey
    and robbing the fatherless.(WX)
What will you do on the day of reckoning,(WY)
    when disaster(WZ) comes from afar?
To whom will you run for help?(XA)
    Where will you leave your riches?
Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives(XB)
    or fall among the slain.(XC)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,(XD)
    his hand is still upraised.

God’s Judgment on Assyria

“Woe(XE) to the Assyrian,(XF) the rod(XG) of my anger,
    in whose hand is the club(XH) of my wrath!(XI)
I send him against a godless(XJ) nation,
    I dispatch(XK) him against a people who anger me,(XL)
to seize loot and snatch plunder,(XM)
    and to trample(XN) them down like mud in the streets.
But this is not what he intends,(XO)
    this is not what he has in mind;
his purpose is to destroy,
    to put an end to many nations.
‘Are not my commanders(XP) all kings?’ he says.
    ‘Has not Kalno(XQ) fared like Carchemish?(XR)
Is not Hamath(XS) like Arpad,(XT)
    and Samaria(XU) like Damascus?(XV)
10 As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols,(XW)
    kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria—
11 shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images
    as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?(XX)’”

12 When the Lord has finished all his work(XY) against Mount Zion(XZ) and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria(YA) for the willful pride(YB) of his heart and the haughty look(YC) in his eyes. 13 For he says:

“‘By the strength of my hand(YD) I have done this,(YE)
    and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.
I removed the boundaries of nations,
    I plundered their treasures;(YF)
    like a mighty one I subdued[z] their kings.(YG)
14 As one reaches into a nest,(YH)
    so my hand reached for the wealth(YI) of the nations;
as people gather abandoned eggs,
    so I gathered all the countries;(YJ)
not one flapped a wing,
    or opened its mouth to chirp.(YK)’”

15 Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it,
    or the saw boast against the one who uses it?(YL)
As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up,
    or a club(YM) brandish the one who is not wood!
16 Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    will send a wasting disease(YN) upon his sturdy warriors;(YO)
under his pomp(YP) a fire(YQ) will be kindled
    like a blazing flame.
17 The Light of Israel will become a fire,(YR)
    their Holy One(YS) a flame;
in a single day it will burn and consume
    his thorns(YT) and his briers.(YU)
18 The splendor of his forests(YV) and fertile fields
    it will completely destroy,(YW)
    as when a sick person wastes away.
19 And the remaining trees of his forests(YX) will be so few(YY)
    that a child could write them down.

The Remnant of Israel

20 In that day(YZ) the remnant of Israel,
    the survivors(ZA) of Jacob,
will no longer rely(ZB) on him
    who struck them down(ZC)
but will truly rely(ZD) on the Lord,
    the Holy One of Israel.(ZE)
21 A remnant(ZF) will return,[aa](ZG) a remnant of Jacob
    will return to the Mighty God.(ZH)
22 Though your people be like the sand(ZI) by the sea, Israel,
    only a remnant will return.(ZJ)
Destruction has been decreed,(ZK)
    overwhelming and righteous.
23 The Lord, the Lord Almighty, will carry out
    the destruction decreed(ZL) upon the whole land.(ZM)

24 Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:

“My people who live in Zion,(ZN)
    do not be afraid(ZO) of the Assyrians,
who beat(ZP) you with a rod(ZQ)
    and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.
25 Very soon(ZR) my anger against you will end
    and my wrath(ZS) will be directed to their destruction.(ZT)

26 The Lord Almighty will lash(ZU) them with a whip,
    as when he struck down Midian(ZV) at the rock of Oreb;
and he will raise his staff(ZW) over the waters,(ZX)
    as he did in Egypt.
27 In that day(ZY) their burden(ZZ) will be lifted from your shoulders,
    their yoke(AAA) from your neck;(AAB)
the yoke(AAC) will be broken
    because you have grown so fat.[ab]

28 They enter Aiath;
    they pass through Migron;(AAD)
    they store supplies(AAE) at Mikmash.(AAF)
29 They go over the pass, and say,
    “We will camp overnight at Geba.(AAG)
Ramah(AAH) trembles;
    Gibeah(AAI) of Saul flees.(AAJ)
30 Cry out, Daughter Gallim!(AAK)
    Listen, Laishah!
    Poor Anathoth!(AAL)
31 Madmenah is in flight;
    the people of Gebim take cover.
32 This day they will halt at Nob;(AAM)
    they will shake their fist(AAN)
at the mount of Daughter Zion,(AAO)
    at the hill of Jerusalem.

33 See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    will lop off(AAP) the boughs with great power.
The lofty trees will be felled,(AAQ)
    the tall(AAR) ones will be brought low.(AAS)
34 He will cut down(AAT) the forest thickets with an ax;
    Lebanon(AAU) will fall before the Mighty One.(AAV)

The Branch From Jesse

11 A shoot(AAW) will come up from the stump(AAX) of Jesse;(AAY)
    from his roots a Branch(AAZ) will bear fruit.(ABA)
The Spirit(ABB) of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom(ABC) and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,(ABD)
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord
and he will delight in the fear(ABE) of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,(ABF)
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;(ABG)
but with righteousness(ABH) he will judge the needy,(ABI)
    with justice(ABJ) he will give decisions for the poor(ABK) of the earth.
He will strike(ABL) the earth with the rod of his mouth;(ABM)
    with the breath(ABN) of his lips he will slay the wicked.(ABO)
Righteousness will be his belt(ABP)
    and faithfulness(ABQ) the sash around his waist.(ABR)

The wolf will live with the lamb,(ABS)
    the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling[ac] together;
    and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
    their young will lie down together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.(ABT)
The infant(ABU) will play near the cobra’s den,
    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s(ABV) nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy(ABW)
    on all my holy mountain,(ABX)
for the earth(ABY) will be filled with the knowledge(ABZ) of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

10 In that day(ACA) the Root of Jesse(ACB) will stand as a banner(ACC) for the peoples; the nations(ACD) will rally to him,(ACE) and his resting place(ACF) will be glorious.(ACG) 11 In that day(ACH) the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant(ACI) of his people from Assyria,(ACJ) from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt,(ACK) from Cush,[ad](ACL) from Elam,(ACM) from Babylonia,[ae] from Hamath(ACN) and from the islands(ACO) of the Mediterranean.(ACP)

12 He will raise a banner(ACQ) for the nations
    and gather(ACR) the exiles of Israel;(ACS)
he will assemble the scattered people(ACT) of Judah
    from the four quarters of the earth.(ACU)
13 Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish,
    and Judah’s enemies[af] will be destroyed;
Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah,
    nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim.(ACV)
14 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia(ACW) to the west;
    together they will plunder the people to the east.(ACX)
They will subdue Edom(ACY) and Moab,(ACZ)
    and the Ammonites(ADA) will be subject to them.(ADB)
15 The Lord will dry up(ADC)
    the gulf of the Egyptian sea;
with a scorching wind(ADD) he will sweep his hand(ADE)
    over the Euphrates River.(ADF)
He will break it up into seven streams
    so that anyone can cross over in sandals.(ADG)
16 There will be a highway(ADH) for the remnant(ADI) of his people
    that is left from Assyria,(ADJ)
as there was for Israel
    when they came up from Egypt.(ADK)

Songs of Praise

12 In that day(ADL) you will say:

“I will praise(ADM) you, Lord.
    Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away(ADN)
    and you have comforted(ADO) me.
Surely God is my salvation;(ADP)
    I will trust(ADQ) and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself,(ADR) is my strength(ADS) and my defense[ag];
    he has become my salvation.(ADT)
With joy you will draw water(ADU)
    from the wells(ADV) of salvation.

In that day(ADW) you will say:

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;(ADX)
    make known among the nations(ADY) what he has done,
    and proclaim that his name is exalted.(ADZ)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:17 Or justice. / Correct the oppressor
  2. Isaiah 1:25 That is, against Jerusalem
  3. Isaiah 2:9 Or not raise them up
  4. Isaiah 2:16 Hebrew every ship of Tarshish
  5. Isaiah 4:4 Or the Spirit
  6. Isaiah 4:4 Or the Spirit
  7. Isaiah 4:5 Or over all the glory there
  8. Isaiah 5:10 That is, about 6 gallons or about 22 liters
  9. Isaiah 5:10 That is, probably about 360 pounds or about 160 kilograms
  10. Isaiah 5:10 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms
  11. Isaiah 5:17 Septuagint; Hebrew / strangers will eat
  12. Isaiah 6:10 Hebrew; Septuagint ‘You will be ever hearing, but never understanding; / you will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / 10 This people’s heart has become calloused; / they hardly hear with their ears, / and they have closed their eyes
  13. Isaiah 7:2 Or has set up camp in
  14. Isaiah 7:3 Shear-Jashub means a remnant will return.
  15. Isaiah 7:14 The Hebrew is plural.
  16. Isaiah 7:14 Or young woman
  17. Isaiah 7:14 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls son, and he or son, and they
  18. Isaiah 7:14 Immanuel means God with us.
  19. Isaiah 7:23 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms
  20. Isaiah 8:1 Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz means quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil; also in verse 3.
  21. Isaiah 8:8 Immanuel means God with us.
  22. Isaiah 8:9 Or Do your worst
  23. Isaiah 8:10 Hebrew Immanuel
  24. Isaiah 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-21 is numbered 9:1-20.
  25. Isaiah 9:20 Or arm
  26. Isaiah 10:13 Or treasures; / I subdued the mighty,
  27. Isaiah 10:21 Hebrew shear-jashub (see 7:3 and note); also in verse 22
  28. Isaiah 10:27 Hebrew; Septuagint broken / from your shoulders
  29. Isaiah 11:6 Hebrew; Septuagint lion will feed
  30. Isaiah 11:11 That is, the upper Nile region
  31. Isaiah 11:11 Hebrew Shinar
  32. Isaiah 11:13 Or hostility
  33. Isaiah 12:2 Or song

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