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Isaiah 31-33
New American Standard Bible
Isaiah 31-33
New American Standard Bible
Help Not in Egypt but in God
31 Woe to those who go down to (A)Egypt for help
And (B)rely on horses,
And trust in chariots because they are many
And in horsemen because they are very strong,
But they do not (C)look to the (D)Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!
2 Yet He also is (E)wise and will (F)bring disaster,
And does (G)not retract His words,
But will arise against the house of (H)evildoers,
And against the help of the (I)workers of injustice.
3 Now the Egyptians are (J)human and not God,
And their (K)horses are flesh and not spirit;
So the Lord will (L)stretch out His hand,
And any (M)helper will stumble,
And one who is helped will fall.
And all of them will come to an end together.
4 For this is what the Lord says to me:
“As the (N)lion or the young lion growls over his prey,
Against which a band of shepherds is called out,
And he will not be terrified at their voice nor disturbed at their noise,
So will the Lord of armies come down to wage (O)war on Mount Zion and on its hill.”
5 Like [a]flying (P)birds so the Lord of armies will protect Jerusalem.
He will (Q)protect and save it;
He will pass over and rescue it.
6 (R)Return to Him against whom [b]you have been (S)profoundly obstinate, you sons of Israel. 7 For on that day every person will (T)reject his silver idols and his gold idols, which your hands have made for you as (U)a sin.
8 And the (V)Assyrian will fall by a sword not wielded by a man,
And a (W)sword not of man will devour him.
So he will [c](X)not escape the sword,
And his young men will become (Y)forced laborers.
9 “His (Z)rock will pass away because of panic,
And his officers will be terrified by the (AA)flag,”
Declares the Lord, whose (AB)fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
The Glorious Future
32 Behold, a (AC)king will reign righteously,
And officials will rule justly.
2 Each will be like a (AD)refuge from the wind
And a shelter from the storm,
Like [d](AE)streams of water in a dry country,
Like the (AF)shade of a [e]huge rock in an exhausted land.
3 Then (AG)the eyes of those who see will not be [f]blinded,
And the ears of those who hear will listen.
4 The [g]mind of the (AH)rash will discern the [h]truth,
And the tongue of the stammerers will hurry to speak clearly.
5 No longer will the (AI)fool be called noble,
Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.
6 For a fool speaks nonsense,
And his heart [i](AJ)inclines toward wickedness:
To practice (AK)ungodliness and to speak error against the Lord,
To [j](AL)keep the hungry person unsatisfied
And [k]to withhold drink from the thirsty.
7 As for a rogue, his weapons are evil;
He (AM)devises wicked schemes
To (AN)destroy the poor with [l]slander,
(AO)Even though the needy one speaks [m]what is right.
8 But (AP)the noble person devises noble plans;
And by noble plans he stands.
9 Rise up, you (AQ)women who are at ease,
And hear my voice;
(AR)Listen to my word,
You complacent daughters.
10 Within a year and a few days
You will be troubled, you complacent daughters;
(AS)For the vintage is ended,
And the fruit gathering will not come.
11 Tremble, you women who are at ease;
(AT)Be troubled, you complacent daughters;
(AU)Strip, undress, and put sackcloth on your waist,
12 (AV)Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine,
13 (AW)For the land of my people in which thorns and briars will come up;
Indeed, for all the joyful houses and for the (AX)jubilant city.
14 For (AY)the palace has been neglected, the [n]populated (AZ)city abandoned.
[o]Hill and watch-tower have become (BA)caves forever,
A delight for (BB)wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks,
15 Until the (BC)Spirit is poured out upon us from on high,
And the wilderness becomes a (BD)fertile field,
And the fertile field is considered as a forest.
16 Then (BE)justice will dwell in the wilderness,
And righteousness will remain in the fertile field.
17 And the (BF)work of righteousness will be peace,
And the service of righteousness, (BG)quietness and [p]confidence forever.
18 Then my people will live in a (BH)peaceful settlement,
In secure dwellings, and in undisturbed (BI)resting places;
19 And it will (BJ)hail when the (BK)forest comes down,
And (BL)the city will be utterly laid low.
20 How (BM)blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters,
Who [q]let the ox and the donkey out freely.
The Judgment of God
33 Woe (BN)to you, destroyer,
While you were not destroyed;
And he (BO)who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him.
As soon as you finish destroying, (BP)you will be destroyed;
As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will (BQ)deal treacherously with you.
2 Lord, (BR)be gracious to us; we have (BS)waited for You.
Be [r]their [s](BT)strength every morning,
Our salvation also in the (BU)time of distress.
3 At the sound of a roar, (BV)peoples flee;
At the (BW)lifting up of Yourself, nations disperse.
4 Your plunder is gathered as the caterpillar gathers;
Like an infestation of locusts, people storm it.
5 The Lord is (BX)exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has (BY)filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 And He will be the [t](BZ)stability of your times,
A (CA)wealth of salvation, wisdom, and (CB)knowledge;
The (CC)fear of the Lord is his treasure.
7 Behold, their brave men cry out [u]in the streets,
The [v](CD)ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.
8 The highways are desolate, [w]the (CE)traveler has ceased,
He has (CF)broken the covenant, he has despised the cities,
He has no regard for mankind.
9 (CG)The land mourns and wastes away,
(CH)Lebanon is shamed and withers;
(CI)Sharon is like a desert plain,
And Bashan and Carmel [x]lose their foliage.
10 “Now (CJ)I will arise,” says the Lord,
“Now I will be exalted, now I will be lifted up.
11 You have (CK)conceived [y]chaff, you will give birth to stubble;
[z]My (CL)breath will consume you like a fire.
12 The peoples will be burned to lime,
(CM)Like cut thorns which are burned in the fire.
13 “You who are far away, (CN)hear what I have done;
And you who are near, [aa]acknowledge My might.”
14 (CO)Sinners in Zion are terrified;
(CP)Trembling has seized the godless.
“Who among us can live with (CQ)the consuming fire?
Who among us can live with everlasting (CR)burning?”
15 One who (CS)walks righteously and speaks with integrity,
One who rejects [ab]unjust gain
And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe;
One who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed
And (CT)shuts his eyes from looking at evil;
16 He will dwell on the heights,
(CU)His refuge will be the [ac]impregnable rock;
(CV)His bread will be given him,
His water will be sure.
17 Your eyes will see (CW)the King in His beauty;
They will see (CX)a distant land.
18 Your heart will meditate on (CY)terror:
“Where is (CZ)one who counts?
Where is one who weighs?
Where is one who counts the towers?”
19 You will no longer see a fierce people,
A people of [ad](DA)unintelligible speech [ae]which no one comprehends,
Of a stammering tongue [af]which no one understands.
20 (DB)Look at Zion, the city of our appointed feasts;
Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an (DC)undisturbed settlement,
(DD)A tent which will not be folded;
Its stakes will never be pulled up,
Nor any of its ropes be torn apart.
21 But there the majestic One, the Lord, will be for us
A place of (DE)rivers and wide canals
On which no boat with oars will go,
And on which no mighty ship will pass—
22 For the Lord is our (DF)judge,
The Lord is (DG)our lawgiver,
The Lord is (DH)our king;
(DI)He will save us—
23 Your ship’s tackle hangs slack;
It cannot hold the base of its mast firmly,
Nor spread out the sail.
Then the (DJ)prey of an abundant spoil will be divided;
(DK)Those who limp will take the plunder.
24 And no resident will say, “I am (DL)sick”;
The people who live [ag]there will be (DM)forgiven their wrongdoing.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 31:5 Or hovering
- Isaiah 31:6 Lit they
- Isaiah 31:8 Lit flee
- Isaiah 32:2 Lit canals
- Isaiah 32:2 Lit heavy
- Isaiah 32:3 Or turned away
- Isaiah 32:4 Lit heart
- Isaiah 32:4 Lit knowledge
- Isaiah 32:6 Or does
- Isaiah 32:6 Lit make empty the hungry soul
- Isaiah 32:6 Lit he deprives the thirsty
- Isaiah 32:7 Lit words of falsehood
- Isaiah 32:7 Lit justly
- Isaiah 32:14 Lit multitude of the
- Isaiah 32:14 Or Ophel
- Isaiah 32:17 Or security
- Isaiah 32:20 Lit send out the foot of the ox
- Isaiah 33:2 Some ancient versions our
- Isaiah 33:2 Lit arm
- Isaiah 33:6 Or faithfulness
- Isaiah 33:7 Lit outside
- Isaiah 33:7 Lit messengers
- Isaiah 33:8 Lit one who passes along the way
- Isaiah 33:9 Lit shake off
- Isaiah 33:11 Lit dry grass
- Isaiah 33:11 One ancient version; MT Your breath will
- Isaiah 33:13 Lit know
- Isaiah 33:15 Lit gain of extortioners
- Isaiah 33:16 Lit stronghold of rock
- Isaiah 33:19 Lit deepness of lip
- Isaiah 33:19 Lit from hearing
- Isaiah 33:19 Lit there is no understanding
- Isaiah 33:24 Lit in it
Isaiah 31-33
New International Version
Isaiah 31-33
New International Version
Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt
31 Woe(A) to those who go down to Egypt(B) for help,
who rely on horses,(C)
who trust in the multitude of their chariots(D)
and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One(E) of Israel,
or seek help from the Lord.(F)
2 Yet he too is wise(G) and can bring disaster;(H)
he does not take back his words.(I)
He will rise up against that wicked nation,(J)
against those who help evildoers.
3 But the Egyptians(K) are mere mortals and not God;(L)
their horses(M) are flesh and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,(N)
those who help will stumble,
those who are helped(O) will fall;
all will perish together.(P)
4 This is what the Lord says to me:
“As a lion(Q) growls,
a great lion over its prey—
and though a whole band of shepherds(R)
is called together against it,
it is not frightened by their shouts
or disturbed by their clamor(S)—
so the Lord Almighty will come down(T)
to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.
5 Like birds hovering(U) overhead,
the Lord Almighty will shield(V) Jerusalem;
he will shield it and deliver(W) it,
he will ‘pass over’(X) it and will rescue it.”
6 Return,(Y) you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted(Z) against. 7 For in that day(AA) every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold(AB) your sinful hands have made.(AC)
8 “Assyria(AD) will fall by no human sword;
a sword, not of mortals, will devour(AE) them.
They will flee before the sword
and their young men will be put to forced labor.(AF)
9 Their stronghold(AG) will fall because of terror;
at the sight of the battle standard(AH) their commanders will panic,(AI)”
declares the Lord,
whose fire(AJ) is in Zion,
whose furnace(AK) is in Jerusalem.
The Kingdom of Righteousness
32 See, a king(AL) will reign in righteousness
and rulers will rule with justice.(AM)
2 Each one will be like a shelter(AN) from the wind
and a refuge from the storm,(AO)
like streams of water(AP) in the desert(AQ)
and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
3 Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,(AR)
and the ears(AS) of those who hear will listen.
4 The fearful heart will know and understand,(AT)
and the stammering tongue(AU) will be fluent and clear.
5 No longer will the fool(AV) be called noble
nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
6 For fools speak folly,(AW)
their hearts are bent on evil:(AX)
They practice ungodliness(AY)
and spread error(AZ) concerning the Lord;
the hungry they leave empty(BA)
and from the thirsty they withhold water.
7 Scoundrels use wicked methods,(BB)
they make up evil schemes(BC)
to destroy the poor with lies,
even when the plea of the needy(BD) is just.(BE)
8 But the noble make noble plans,
and by noble deeds(BF) they stand.(BG)
The Women of Jerusalem
9 You women(BH) who are so complacent,
rise up and listen(BI) to me;
you daughters who feel secure,(BJ)
hear what I have to say!
10 In little more than a year(BK)
you who feel secure will tremble;
the grape harvest will fail,(BL)
and the harvest of fruit will not come.
11 Tremble,(BM) you complacent women;
shudder, you daughters who feel secure!(BN)
Strip off your fine clothes(BO)
and wrap yourselves in rags.(BP)
12 Beat your breasts(BQ) for the pleasant fields,
for the fruitful vines(BR)
13 and for the land of my people,
a land overgrown with thorns and briers(BS)—
yes, mourn(BT) for all houses of merriment
and for this city of revelry.(BU)
14 The fortress(BV) will be abandoned,
the noisy city deserted;(BW)
citadel and watchtower(BX) will become a wasteland forever,
the delight of donkeys,(BY) a pasture for flocks,(BZ)
15 till the Spirit(CA) is poured on us from on high,
and the desert becomes a fertile field,(CB)
and the fertile field seems like a forest.(CC)
16 The Lord’s justice(CD) will dwell in the desert,(CE)
his righteousness(CF) live in the fertile field.
17 The fruit of that righteousness(CG) will be peace;(CH)
its effect will be quietness and confidence(CI) forever.
18 My people will live in peaceful(CJ) dwelling places,
in secure homes,(CK)
in undisturbed places of rest.(CL)
19 Though hail(CM) flattens the forest(CN)
and the city is leveled(CO) completely,
20 how blessed you will be,
sowing(CP) your seed by every stream,(CQ)
and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.(CR)
Distress and Help
33 Woe(CS) to you, destroyer,
you who have not been destroyed!
Woe to you, betrayer,
you who have not been betrayed!
When you stop destroying,
you will be destroyed;(CT)
when you stop betraying,
you will be betrayed.(CU)
2 Lord, be gracious(CV) to us;
we long for you.
Be our strength(CW) every morning,
our salvation(CX) in time of distress.(CY)
3 At the uproar of your army,(CZ) the peoples flee;(DA)
when you rise up,(DB) the nations scatter.
4 Your plunder,(DC) O nations, is harvested(DD) as by young locusts;(DE)
like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.
5 The Lord is exalted,(DF) for he dwells on high;(DG)
he will fill Zion with his justice(DH) and righteousness.(DI)
6 He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation(DJ) and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear(DK) of the Lord is the key to this treasure.[a](DL)
7 Look, their brave men(DM) cry aloud in the streets;
the envoys(DN) of peace weep bitterly.
8 The highways are deserted,
no travelers(DO) are on the roads.(DP)
The treaty is broken,(DQ)
its witnesses[b] are despised,
no one is respected.
9 The land dries up(DR) and wastes away,
Lebanon(DS) is ashamed and withers;(DT)
Sharon(DU) is like the Arabah,
and Bashan(DV) and Carmel(DW) drop their leaves.
10 “Now will I arise,(DX)” says the Lord.
“Now will I be exalted;(DY)
now will I be lifted up.
11 You conceive(DZ) chaff,
you give birth(EA) to straw;
your breath is a fire(EB) that consumes you.
12 The peoples will be burned to ashes;(EC)
like cut thornbushes(ED) they will be set ablaze.(EE)”
13 You who are far away,(EF) hear(EG) what I have done;
you who are near, acknowledge my power!
14 The sinners(EH) in Zion are terrified;
trembling(EI) grips the godless:
“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?(EJ)
Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”
15 Those who walk righteously(EK)
and speak what is right,(EL)
who reject gain from extortion(EM)
and keep their hands from accepting bribes,(EN)
who stop their ears against plots of murder
and shut their eyes(EO) against contemplating evil—
16 they are the ones who will dwell on the heights,(EP)
whose refuge(EQ) will be the mountain fortress.(ER)
Their bread will be supplied,
and water will not fail(ES) them.
17 Your eyes will see the king(ET) in his beauty(EU)
and view a land that stretches afar.(EV)
18 In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:(EW)
“Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
Where is the officer in charge of the towers?(EX)”
19 You will see those arrogant people(EY) no more,
people whose speech is obscure,
whose language is strange and incomprehensible.(EZ)
20 Look on Zion,(FA) the city of our festivals;
your eyes will see Jerusalem,
a peaceful abode,(FB) a tent(FC) that will not be moved;(FD)
its stakes will never be pulled up,
nor any of its ropes broken.
21 There the Lord will be our Mighty(FE) One.
It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.(FF)
No galley with oars will ride them,
no mighty ship(FG) will sail them.
22 For the Lord is our judge,(FH)
the Lord is our lawgiver,(FI)
the Lord is our king;(FJ)
it is he who will save(FK) us.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 33:6 Or is a treasure from him
- Isaiah 33:8 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text / the cities
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