Isaiah 5:24-6:13

New International Version

²⁴Therefore, as tongues of fire^(A) lick up straw^(B)
    and as dry grass sinks down in the flames,
so their roots will decay^(C)
    and their flowers blow away like dust;^(D)
for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty
    and spurned the word^(E) of the Holy One^(F) of Israel.
²⁵Therefore the Lord’s anger^(G) burns against his people;
    his hand is raised and he strikes them down.
The mountains shake,^(H)
    and the dead bodies^(I) are like refuse^(J) in the streets.^(K)

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

²⁶He lifts up a banner^(N) for the distant nations,
    he whistles^(O) for those at the ends of the earth.^(P)
Here they come,
    swiftly and speedily!
²⁷Not one of them grows tired^(Q) or stumbles,
    not one slumbers or sleeps;
not a belt^(R) is loosened at the waist,^(S)
    not a sandal strap is broken.^(T)
²⁸Their arrows are sharp,^(U)
    all their bows^(V) are strung;
their horses’ hooves^(W) seem like flint,
    their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.^(X)
²⁹Their roar is like that of the lion,^(Y)
    they roar like young lions;
they growl as they seize^(Z) their prey
    and carry it off with no one to rescue.^(AA)
³⁰In that day^(AB) they will roar over it
    like the roaring of the sea.^(AC)
And if one looks at the land,
    there is only darkness^(AD) and distress;^(AE)
    even the sun will be darkened^(AF) by clouds.

Isaiah’s Commission

6 In the year that King Uzziah^(AG) died,^(AH) I saw the Lord,^(AI) high and exalted,^(AJ) seated on a throne;^(AK) and the train of his robe^(AL) filled the temple. ²Above him were seraphim,^(AM) each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet,^(AN) and with two they were flying. ³And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy^(AO), holy is the Lord Almighty;^(AP)
the whole earth^(AQ) is full of his glory.”^(AR)

⁴At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.^(AS)

⁵“Woe^(AT) to me!” I cried. “I am ruined!^(AU) For I am a man of unclean lips,^(AV) and I live among a people of unclean lips,^(AW) and my eyes have seen^(AX) the King,^(AY) the Lord Almighty.”^(AZ)

⁶Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal^(BA) in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips;^(BB) your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.^(BC)”

⁸Then I heard the voice^(BD) of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?^(BE) And who will go for us?^(BF)”

And I said, “Here am I.^(BG) Send me!”

⁹He said, “Go^(BH) and tell this people:

“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
    be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’^(BI)
¹⁰Make the heart of this people calloused;^(BJ)
    make their ears dull
    and close their eyes.^[a]^(BK)
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,^(BL)
    understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”^(BM)

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

And he answered:

“Until the cities lie ruined^(BO)
    and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted^(BP)
    and the fields ruined and ravaged,^(BQ)
¹²until the Lord has sent everyone far away^(BR)
    and the land is utterly forsaken.^(BS)
¹³And though a tenth remains^(BT) in the land,
    it will again be laid waste.^(BU)
But as the terebinth and oak
    leave stumps^(BV) when they are cut down,
    so the holy^(BW) seed will be the stump in the land.”^(BX)

Footnotes

Isaiah 6:10 Hebrew; Septuagint ‘You will be ever hearing, but never understanding; / you will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / ¹⁰This people’s heart has become calloused; / they hardly hear with their ears, / and they have closed their eyes