耶路撒冷被围

29 耶和华说:“亚利伊勒[a],亚利伊勒,
大卫安营的城啊!
你有祸了!
尽管你年复一年地守节期,
我还是要叫你受苦。
你必悲伤哀号,
在我面前成为一座祭坛。
我必把你团团围住,
屯兵围困你,
修筑高台攻打你。
你必一败涂地,
躺在尘土中说话,
你细微的声音从土中传来,
好像地下幽灵的声音。
你耳语般的低声从土中传来。
但你的众仇敌必像纤细的尘埃一样消散,
众多的残暴之徒必如被风刮去的糠秕。
突然,刹那之间,
万军之耶和华必带着雷轰、地震、巨响、旋风、暴风和烈火来临。
攻打、围困耶路撒冷及其堡垒的各国军队必如梦幻,
如夜间的异象一样消失。
他们好像饥饿的人梦中吃饭,
醒来仍然饥饿;
像口渴的人梦中喝水,
醒来仍然渴得发昏。
攻打锡安山的各国军队结局都必如此。”
你们驻足惊奇吧!
你们自我蒙蔽,继续瞎眼吧!
你们醉了,但不是因为酒;
你们东倒西歪,但不是因为烈酒。
10 因为耶和华把沉睡的灵倾倒在你们身上,
祂封住你们的眼睛,
盖住你们的头。
你们的眼睛就是先知,
你们的头就是先见。

11 对你们而言,所有的启示都好像封了印的书卷。你们把书卷交给识字的人读,他会说:“我不能读,这书卷是封着的。” 12 你们把书卷交给不识字的人读,他会说:“我不识字。”

13 主说:“这些人嘴上亲近我,
尊崇我,心却远离我。
他们敬拜我不过是遵行人定的规条。
14 所以,我要再次行奇妙无比的事,使他们震惊。
他们智者的智慧必泯灭,
明哲的聪明必消失。”
15 那些向耶和华深藏计谋的人有祸了!
他们暗中行事,
自以为无人看见也无人知道。
16 他们太愚蠢了!
窑匠怎能跟泥土相提并论?
被造的怎能对造它的说:
“你没有造我”?
陶器怎能对陶匠说:
“你什么也不懂”?

17 再过不久,黎巴嫩将变成沃野,
沃野上庄稼茂密如林。
18 那时,聋子必听见那书卷上的话,
黑暗中的瞎子必能看见。
19 卑微的人必因耶和华而欢喜,
贫穷的人必因以色列的圣者而快乐。
20 残暴之徒必消失,
嘲讽者必绝迹,
所有心怀不轨者必被铲除。
21 他们诬陷人,
暗算审判官,
冤枉无辜。
22 因此,关于雅各家,
救赎亚伯拉罕的耶和华说:
“雅各的子孙必不再羞愧,
脸上再无惧色。
23 因为他们看见我赐给他们的子孙时,
必尊我的名为圣,
必尊雅各的圣者为圣,
必敬畏以色列的上帝。
24 心里迷惘的必明白真理,
发怨言的必欣然受教。”

Footnotes

  1. 29:1 亚利伊勒”在此处用来指锡安/耶路撒冷,2节、7节同。

Jerusalem Is Warned

29 Woe, [a]Ariel, [b]Ariel the city where David once (A)camped!
Add year to year, [c](B)keep your feasts on schedule.
I will bring distress to Ariel,
And she will be a city of grieving and (C)mourning;
And she will be like an [d]Ariel to me.
I will (D)camp against you [e]encircling you,
And I will set up siegeworks against you,
And I will raise up battle towers against you.
Then you will (E)be brought low;
From the earth you will speak,
And from the dust where you are prostrate
Your words will come.
Your voice will also be like that of a [f]spirit from the ground,
And your speech will whisper from the dust.

But the multitude of your [g]enemies will become like fine (F)dust,
And the multitude of the (G)ruthless ones like the chaff which [h]blows away;
And it will happen (H)instantly, suddenly.
From the Lord of armies you will be (I)punished with (J)thunder and earthquake and loud noise,
With whirlwind and tempest and the flame of a consuming fire.
And the (K)multitude of all the nations who wage war against [i]Ariel,
Even all who wage war against her and her stronghold, and who distress her,
Will be like a dream, a (L)vision of the night.
It will be as when a hungry person dreams—
And behold, he is eating;
But when he awakens, his [j]hunger is not satisfied,
Or as when a thirsty person dreams—
And behold, he is drinking,
But when he awakens, behold, he is faint
And his [k]thirst is not quenched.
(M)So will the multitude of all the nations be
Who wage war against Mount Zion.

(N)Be delayed and horrified,
Blind yourselves and be blind;
They (O)become drunk, but not with wine,
They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink.
10 For the Lord has poured over you a spirit of deep (P)sleep,
He has (Q)shut your eyes—the prophets;
And He has covered your heads—the seers.

11 The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed [l](R)book, which, when they give it to the one who [m]is literate, saying, “Please read this,” he will say, “I cannot, because it is sealed.” 12 Then the [n]book will be given to the one who [o]is illiterate, saying, “Please read this.” And he will say, “I [p]cannot read.”

13 Then the Lord said,

“Because (S)this people approaches Me with their [q]words
And honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me,
And their [r]reverence for Me [s]consists of the commandment of men that is taught;
14 Therefore behold, I will once again deal (T)marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous;
And (U)the wisdom of their wise men will perish,
And the understanding of their men who have understanding will be concealed.”

15 Woe to those who deeply (V)hide their [t]plans from the Lord,
And whose (W)deeds are done in a dark place,
And they say, “(X)Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?”
16 You turn things around!
Shall the potter be considered [u]as equal with the clay,
That (Y)what is made would say to its maker, “He did not make me”;
Or what is formed say to him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?

Blessing after Discipline

17 Is it not yet just a little while
[v]Before Lebanon will be turned into a (Z)fertile field,
And the fertile field will be considered as a forest?
18 On that day those who are (AA)deaf will hear (AB)words of a book,
And out of their gloom and darkness the (AC)eyes of those who are blind will see.
19 The (AD)afflicted also will increase their joy in the Lord,
And the (AE)needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20 For the (AF)ruthless will come to an end and the (AG)scorner will be finished,
Indeed (AH)all who [w]are intent on doing evil will be eliminated,
21 Who [x]cause a person to be indicted by a word,
And (AI)set a trap for the arbitrator at the gate,
And [y](AJ)defraud the one in the right with [z]meaningless arguments.

22 Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed (AK)Abraham, says concerning the house of Jacob:

“Jacob (AL)will not be ashamed now, nor will his face turn pale now;
23 But when [aa]he sees his (AM)children, the (AN)work of My hands, in his midst,
They will sanctify My name;
Indeed, they will (AO)sanctify the Holy One of Jacob,
And will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
24 Those who (AP)err in [ab]mind will (AQ)know [ac]the truth,
And those who [ad]criticize will [ae](AR)accept instruction.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 29:1 I.e., Lion of God, or Jerusalem
  2. Isaiah 29:1 I.e., Lion of God, or Jerusalem
  3. Isaiah 29:1 Lit let your feasts run their round
  4. Isaiah 29:2 Ariel (i.e., Jerusalem) is a Heb word for “altar hearth” where offerings were burned
  5. Isaiah 29:3 Lit like a circle
  6. Isaiah 29:4 Or ghost
  7. Isaiah 29:5 Lit strangers
  8. Isaiah 29:5 Lit passes away
  9. Isaiah 29:7 See note 1 v 1
  10. Isaiah 29:8 Lit soul
  11. Isaiah 29:8 Lit soul
  12. Isaiah 29:11 Or scroll
  13. Isaiah 29:11 Lit knows books
  14. Isaiah 29:12 Or scroll
  15. Isaiah 29:12 Lit does not know books
  16. Isaiah 29:12 Lit do not know books
  17. Isaiah 29:13 Lit mouth
  18. Isaiah 29:13 Lit fear of Me
  19. Isaiah 29:13 Lit is
  20. Isaiah 29:15 Lit counsel
  21. Isaiah 29:16 Lit like
  22. Isaiah 29:17 Lit And
  23. Isaiah 29:20 Lit watch evil
  24. Isaiah 29:21 Lit bring a person under condemnation
  25. Isaiah 29:21 Lit turn aside
  26. Isaiah 29:21 Lit confusion
  27. Isaiah 29:23 Or his children see
  28. Isaiah 29:24 Lit spirit
  29. Isaiah 29:24 Lit understanding
  30. Isaiah 29:24 Lit murmur
  31. Isaiah 29:24 Lit learn

29 ¶ Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye one year to another; the lambs shall cease.

Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.

And I will camp against thee round about and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.

And thou shalt be brought down and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be as that of a spiritist, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.

Moreover the multitude of thy enemies that shall come from afar shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the strong ones shall be as chaff that passes away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.

Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of the hosts with thunders, with earthquakes, and with great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.

And the multitude of all the Gentiles that shall fight against Ariel, even all that shall fight against her and their siege weapons, and those that shall distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.

It shall even be as he who dreams that he is hungry, and in his dream, he eats; but when he awakes, his soul is empty; and as he who dreams that he is thirsty, and, in his dream, he drinks; but he awakes, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul is still thirsty: so shall the multitude of all the Gentiles be, that shall fight against Mount Zion.

¶ Become ye dumb, and make others dumb; become ye blind, and blind others: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

10 For the LORD has extended upon you the spirit of deep sleep and has closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, he has covered the seers with sleep.

11 And every vision is unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which if it were delivered to one that knows how to read, saying, Read this, I pray thee: he shall say, I cannot; for it is sealed:

12 And if the book were delivered to him that does not know how to read, saying, Read this, I pray thee: he shall say, I do not know how to read.

13 Therefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people sacrifice unto me and honour me with their lips, but have removed their heart far from me, and their worship with which they honour me was taught by the commandment of men:

14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvellous work among this people with a fearful miracle: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the prudence of their prudent men shall fade away.

15 Woe unto those that hide themselves from the LORD, covering the counsel; and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who sees us? and who knows us?

16 Surely your subversion shall be as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He did not make me? or shall the vessel say of him that made it, He did not understand?

17 Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into Carmel a fruitful field, and shall not Carmel be esteemed as a forest?

18 And in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see in the midst of darkness, and of gross darkness.

19 Then the humble shall grow in joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

20 For the violent one shall be done away with, and the scorner shall be consumed, and all those that rose early unto iniquity shall be cut off:

21 Those that made men to sin in word; those that laid a snare for him that reproved in the gate, and turned that which is just into vanity.

22 Therefore thus saith the LORD, who ransomed Abraham, unto the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale;

23 for he shall see his children, the work of my hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and shall sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel;

24 and those that erred in spirit shall learn understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.

Woe to David’s City

29 Woe(A) to you, Ariel, Ariel,(B)
    the city(C) where David settled!
Add year to year
    and let your cycle of festivals(D) go on.
Yet I will besiege Ariel;(E)
    she will mourn and lament,(F)
    she will be to me like an altar hearth.[a](G)
I will encamp against you on all sides;
    I will encircle(H) you with towers
    and set up my siege works(I) against you.
Brought low, you will speak from the ground;
    your speech will mumble(J) out of the dust.(K)
Your voice will come ghostlike(L) from the earth;
    out of the dust your speech will whisper.(M)

But your many enemies will become like fine dust,(N)
    the ruthless(O) hordes like blown chaff.(P)
Suddenly,(Q) in an instant,
    the Lord Almighty will come(R)
with thunder(S) and earthquake(T) and great noise,
    with windstorm and tempest(U) and flames of a devouring fire.(V)
Then the hordes of all the nations(W) that fight against Ariel,(X)
    that attack her and her fortress and besiege her,
will be as it is with a dream,(Y)
    with a vision in the night—
as when a hungry person dreams of eating,
    but awakens(Z) hungry still;
as when a thirsty person dreams of drinking,
    but awakens faint and thirsty still.(AA)
So will it be with the hordes of all the nations
    that fight against Mount Zion.(AB)

Be stunned and amazed,(AC)
    blind yourselves and be sightless;(AD)
be drunk,(AE) but not from wine,(AF)
    stagger,(AG) but not from beer.
10 The Lord has brought over you a deep sleep:(AH)
    He has sealed your eyes(AI) (the prophets);(AJ)
    he has covered your heads (the seers).(AK)

11 For you this whole vision(AL) is nothing but words sealed(AM) in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I can’t; it is sealed.” 12 Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I don’t know how to read.”

13 The Lord says:

“These people(AN) come near to me with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,(AO)
    but their hearts are far from me.(AP)
Their worship of me
    is based on merely human rules they have been taught.[b](AQ)
14 Therefore once more I will astound these people
    with wonder upon wonder;(AR)
the wisdom of the wise(AS) will perish,
    the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.(AT)
15 Woe to those who go to great depths
    to hide(AU) their plans from the Lord,
who do their work in darkness and think,
    “Who sees us?(AV) Who will know?”(AW)
16 You turn things upside down,
    as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!(AX)
Shall what is formed say to the one who formed(AY) it,
    “You did not make me”?
Can the pot say to the potter,(AZ)
    “You know nothing”?(BA)

17 In a very short time,(BB) will not Lebanon(BC) be turned into a fertile field(BD)
    and the fertile field seem like a forest?(BE)
18 In that day(BF) the deaf(BG) will hear the words of the scroll,
    and out of gloom and darkness(BH)
    the eyes of the blind will see.(BI)
19 Once more the humble(BJ) will rejoice in the Lord;
    the needy(BK) will rejoice in the Holy One(BL) of Israel.
20 The ruthless(BM) will vanish,(BN)
    the mockers(BO) will disappear,
    and all who have an eye for evil(BP) will be cut down—
21 those who with a word make someone out to be guilty,
    who ensnare the defender in court(BQ)
    and with false testimony(BR) deprive the innocent of justice.(BS)

22 Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed(BT) Abraham,(BU) says to the descendants of Jacob:

“No longer will Jacob be ashamed;(BV)
    no longer will their faces grow pale.(BW)
23 When they see among them their children,(BX)
    the work of my hands,(BY)
they will keep my name holy;(BZ)
    they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One(CA) of Jacob,
    and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
24 Those who are wayward(CB) in spirit will gain understanding;(CC)
    those who complain will accept instruction.”(CD)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 29:2 The Hebrew for altar hearth sounds like the Hebrew for Ariel.
  2. Isaiah 29:13 Hebrew; Septuagint They worship me in vain; / their teachings are merely human rules