15 (A)Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord,
And their works are in the dark;
(B)They say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?”
16 Surely you have things turned around!
Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay;
For shall the (C)thing made say of him who made it,
“He did not make me”?
Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it,
“He has no understanding”?

Future Recovery of Wisdom

17 Is it not yet a very little while
Till (D)Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field,
And the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest?
18 (E)In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book,
And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.
19 (F)The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord,
And (G)the poor among men shall rejoice
In the Holy One of Israel.
20 For the [a]terrible one is brought to nothing,
(H)The scornful one is consumed,
And all who (I)watch for iniquity are cut off—
21 Who make a man an offender by a word,
And (J)lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate,
And turn aside the just (K)by empty words.

22 Therefore thus says the Lord, (L)who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob:

“Jacob shall not now be (M)ashamed,
Nor shall his face now grow pale;
23 But when he sees his children,
(N)The work of My hands, in his midst,
They will hallow My name,
And hallow the Holy One of Jacob,
And fear the God of Israel.
24 These also (O)who erred in spirit will come to understanding,
And those who complained will learn doctrine.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 29:20 terrifying

15 Woe to those who go to great depths
    to hide(A) their plans from the Lord,
who do their work in darkness and think,
    “Who sees us?(B) Who will know?”(C)
16 You turn things upside down,
    as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!(D)
Shall what is formed say to the one who formed(E) it,
    “You did not make me”?
Can the pot say to the potter,(F)
    “You know nothing”?(G)

17 In a very short time,(H) will not Lebanon(I) be turned into a fertile field(J)
    and the fertile field seem like a forest?(K)
18 In that day(L) the deaf(M) will hear the words of the scroll,
    and out of gloom and darkness(N)
    the eyes of the blind will see.(O)
19 Once more the humble(P) will rejoice in the Lord;
    the needy(Q) will rejoice in the Holy One(R) of Israel.
20 The ruthless(S) will vanish,(T)
    the mockers(U) will disappear,
    and all who have an eye for evil(V) will be cut down—
21 those who with a word make someone out to be guilty,
    who ensnare the defender in court(W)
    and with false testimony(X) deprive the innocent of justice.(Y)

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

“No longer will Jacob be ashamed;(AB)
    no longer will their faces grow pale.(AC)
23 When they see among them their children,(AD)
    the work of my hands,(AE)
they will keep my name holy;(AF)
    they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One(AG) of Jacob,
    and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
24 Those who are wayward(AH) in spirit will gain understanding;(AI)
    those who complain will accept instruction.”(AJ)

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