The City of Peace

The vision that Isaiah(A) son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

In(B) the last days(C)
the mountain of the Lord’s house(D) will be established
at the top of the mountains
and will be raised above the hills.
All nations will stream to it,(E)
and many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob.(F)
He will teach us about His ways
so that we may walk in His paths.”
For instruction will go out of Zion
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will settle disputes among the nations
and provide arbitration for many peoples.
They will turn their swords into plows
and their spears into pruning knives.(G)
Nations will not take up the sword against other nations,
and they will never again train for war.(H)

The Day of the Lord

House of Jacob,
come and let us walk in the Lord’s light.(I)
For You have abandoned(J) Your people,
the house of Jacob,
because they are full of divination from the East
and of fortune-tellers(K) like the Philistines.(L)
They are in league[a] with foreigners.
Their[b][c] land is full of silver and gold,
and there is no limit to their treasures;
their land is full of horses,
and there is no limit to their chariots.(M)
Their land is full of idols;(N)
they bow down to the work of their hands,
to what their fingers have made.(O)
So humanity is brought low,
and man is humbled.
Do not forgive them!(P)
10 Go into the rocks(Q)
and hide in the dust
from the terror of the Lord(R)
and from His majestic splendor.(S)
11 Human pride[d] will be humbled,(T)
and the loftiness of men will be brought low;
the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.

12 For a day belonging to the Lord of Hosts is coming
against all that is proud and lofty,(U)
against all that is lifted up—it will be humbled—
13 against all the cedars of Lebanon,(V)
lofty and lifted up,
against all the oaks of Bashan,(W)
14 against all the high mountains,(X)
against all the lofty hills,
15 against every high tower,(Y)
against every fortified wall,
16 against every ship of Tarshish,(Z)
and against every splendid sea vessel.
17 So human pride will be brought low,
and the loftiness of men will be humbled;
the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.(AA)
18 The idols will vanish completely.

19 People will go into caves in the rocks(AB)
and holes in the ground,
away from the terror of the Lord
and from His majestic splendor,
when He rises to terrify the earth.(AC)
20 On that day people will throw
their silver and gold idols,(AD)
which they made to worship,
to the moles and the bats.
21 They will go into the caves of the rocks
and the crevices in the cliffs,
away from the terror of the Lord
and from His majestic splendor,(AE)
when He rises to terrify the earth.
22 Put no more trust in man,
who has only the breath in his nostrils.(AF)
What is he really worth?

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 2:6 Or They teem, or They partner; Hb obscure
  2. Isaiah 2:7 Lit Its
  3. Isaiah 2:7 = the house of Jacob
  4. Isaiah 2:11 Lit Mankind’s proud eyes

The Lord’s mountain

This is what Isaiah, Amoz’s son, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In the days to come
    the mountain of the Lord’s house
    will be the highest of the mountains.
    It will be lifted above the hills;
        peoples will stream to it.
Many nations will go and say,
“Come, let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain,
    to the house of Jacob’s God
        so that he may teach us his ways
        and we may walk in God’s paths.”
Instruction will come from Zion;
    the Lord’s word from Jerusalem.
God will judge between the nations,
    and settle disputes of mighty nations.
Then they will beat their swords into iron plows
    and their spears into pruning tools.
Nation will not take up sword against nation;
    they will no longer learn how to make war.

Come, house of Jacob,
    let’s walk by the Lord’s light.

Everyone is brought low

You have abandoned your people,
        house of Jacob.
    They are full of sorcerers from the east and fortune-tellers like the Philistines;
        they hold hands with foreigners’ children.[a]
Their land is full of silver and gold;
    they have countless treasures.
Their land is filled with horses;
    they have countless chariots.
Their land is filled with idols;
    they worship their handiwork,
    what their own fingers have made.

Humanity will be brought down;
    each person laid low—don’t lift them up![b]
10 Go into the rocks,
    and hide yourself in the dust from the terror of the Lord,
    from the splendor of God’s majesty!
11 People’s proud gazing will be stopped
    and humanity’s arrogance brought down;
    the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.

12 The Lord of heavenly forces has planned a day:
    against all that is prideful and haughty;
    against all that is lofty, and it will be laid low;[c]
13     against all the cedars of Lebanon, high and lofty;
    against all the oaks of Bashan;
14     against all the high mountains;
    against all the lofty hills;
15     against every tall tower;
    against every fortified wall;
16     against all the ships of Tarshish;
    against all the wonderful boats.[d]
17 People’s pride will be brought down
    and human arrogance humiliated.
The Lord alone will be exalted on that day;
18     the idols will completely pass away.

19 Go into caves in the rocks
    and holes in the dust
        before the terror of the Lord
        and the splendor of God’s majesty,
        when he arises to terrify the earth.
20 On that day, people will toss
        to the rodents[e] and to the bats
    their idols of silver and idols of gold,
        which they made for themselves to worship.
21 They will hide in fissures of rocks and in crevices of cliffs
    before the terror of the Lord
    and the splendor of God’s majesty
    when he arises to terrify the earth.

22 Quit admiring the human race,
    who breathe through their nostrils.
    Why should they be admired?

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 2:6 Heb uncertain
  2. Isaiah 2:9 Or don’t forgive them
  3. Isaiah 2:12 LXX and high
  4. Isaiah 2:16 Heb uncertain
  5. Isaiah 2:20 Heb uncertain