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Isaiah 33-34
New King James Version
Isaiah 33-34
New King James Version
A Prayer in Deep Distress
33 Woe to you (A)who plunder, though you have not been plundered;
And you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you!
(B)When you cease plundering,
You will be (C)plundered;
When you make an end of dealing treacherously,
They will deal treacherously with you.
2 O Lord, be gracious to us;
(D)We have waited for You.
Be [a]their arm every morning,
Our salvation also in the time of trouble.
3 At the noise of the tumult the people (E)shall flee;
When You lift Yourself up, the nations shall be scattered;
4 And Your plunder shall be gathered
Like the gathering of the caterpillar;
As the running to and fro of locusts,
He shall run upon them.
5 (F)The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times,
And the strength of salvation;
The fear of the Lord is His treasure.
7 Surely their valiant ones shall cry outside,
(G)The ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.
8 (H)The highways lie waste,
The traveling man ceases.
(I)He has broken the covenant,
[b]He has despised the [c]cities,
He regards no man.
9 (J)The earth mourns and languishes,
Lebanon is shamed and shriveled;
Sharon is like a wilderness,
And Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.
Impending Judgment on Zion
10 “Now(K) I will rise,” says the Lord;
“Now I will be exalted,
Now I will lift Myself up.
11 (L)You shall conceive chaff,
You shall bring forth stubble;
Your breath, as fire, shall devour you.
12 And the people shall be like the burnings of lime;
(M)Like thorns cut up they shall be burned in the fire.
13 Hear, (N)you who are afar off, what I have done;
And you who are near, acknowledge My might.”
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid;
Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites:
“Who among us shall dwell with the devouring (O)fire?
Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?”
15 He who (P)walks righteously and speaks uprightly,
He who despises the gain of oppressions,
Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes,
Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed,
And (Q)shuts his eyes from seeing evil:
16 He will dwell on [d]high;
His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks;
Bread will be given him,
His water will be sure.
The Land of the Majestic King
17 Your eyes will see the King in His (R)beauty;
They will see the land that is very far off.
18 Your heart will meditate on terror:
(S)“Where is the scribe?
Where is he who weighs?
Where is he who counts the towers?”
19 (T)You will not see a fierce people,
(U)A people of obscure speech, beyond perception,
Of a [e]stammering tongue that you cannot understand.
20 (V)Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts;
Your eyes will see (W)Jerusalem, a quiet home,
A tabernacle that will not be taken down;
(X)Not one of (Y)its stakes will ever be removed,
Nor will any of its cords be broken.
21 But there the majestic Lord will be for us
A place of broad rivers and streams,
In which no [f]galley with oars will sail,
Nor majestic ships pass by
22 (For the Lord is our (Z)Judge,
The Lord is our (AA)Lawgiver,
(AB)The Lord is our King;
He will save us);
23 Your tackle is loosed,
They could not strengthen their mast,
They could not spread the sail.
Then the prey of great plunder is divided;
The lame take the prey.
24 And the inhabitant will not say, “I am sick”;
(AC)The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity.
Judgment on the Nations
34 Come (AD)near, you nations, to hear;
And heed, you people!
(AE)Let the earth hear, and all that is in it,
The world and all things that come forth from it.
2 For the indignation of the Lord is against all nations,
And His fury against all their armies;
He has utterly destroyed them,
He has given them over to the (AF)slaughter.
3 Also their slain shall be thrown out;
(AG)Their stench shall rise from their corpses,
And the mountains shall be melted with their blood.
4 (AH)All the host of heaven shall be dissolved,
And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll;
(AI)All their host shall fall down
As the leaf falls from the vine,
And as (AJ)fruit falling from a fig tree.
5 “For (AK)My sword shall be bathed in heaven;
Indeed it (AL)shall come down on Edom,
And on the people of My curse, for judgment.
6 The (AM)sword of the Lord is filled with blood,
It is made [g]overflowing with fatness,
With the blood of lambs and goats,
With the fat of the kidneys of rams.
For (AN)the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah,
And a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
7 The wild oxen shall come down with them,
And the young bulls with the mighty bulls;
Their land shall be soaked with blood,
And their dust [h]saturated with fatness.”
8 For it is the day of the Lord’s (AO)vengeance,
The year of recompense for the cause of Zion.
9 (AP)Its streams shall be turned into pitch,
And its dust into brimstone;
Its land shall become burning pitch.
10 It shall not be quenched night or day;
(AQ)Its smoke shall ascend forever.
(AR)From generation to generation it shall lie waste;
No one shall pass through it forever and ever.
11 (AS)But the [i]pelican and the [j]porcupine shall possess it,
Also the owl and the raven shall dwell in it.
And (AT)He shall stretch out over it
The line of confusion and the stones of emptiness.
12 They shall call its nobles to the kingdom,
But none shall be there, and all its princes shall be nothing.
13 And (AU)thorns shall come up in its palaces,
Nettles and brambles in its fortresses;
(AV)It shall be a habitation of jackals,
A courtyard for ostriches.
14 The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the [k]jackals,
And the wild goat shall bleat to its companion;
Also [l]the night creature shall rest there,
And find for herself a place of rest.
15 There the arrow snake shall make her nest and lay eggs
And hatch, and gather them under her shadow;
There also shall the hawks be gathered,
Every one with her mate.
16 “Search from (AW)the book of the Lord, and read:
Not one of these shall fail;
Not one shall lack her mate.
For My mouth has commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them.
17 He has cast the lot for them,
And His hand has divided it among them with a measuring line.
They shall possess it forever;
From generation to generation they shall dwell in it.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 33:2 LXX omits their; Syr., Tg., Vg. our
- Isaiah 33:8 Tg. They have been removed from their cities
- Isaiah 33:8 So with MT, Vg.; DSS witnesses; LXX omits cities
- Isaiah 33:16 Lit. heights
- Isaiah 33:19 Unintelligible speech
- Isaiah 33:21 ship
- Isaiah 34:6 Lit. fat
- Isaiah 34:7 Lit. made fat
- Isaiah 34:11 Or owl
- Isaiah 34:11 Or hedgehog
- Isaiah 34:14 Lit. howling creatures
- Isaiah 34:14 Heb. lilith
Isaiah 33-34
New International Version
Isaiah 33-34
New International Version
Distress and Help
33 Woe(A) 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;(B)
when you stop betraying,
you will be betrayed.(C)
2 Lord, be gracious(D) to us;
we long for you.
Be our strength(E) every morning,
our salvation(F) in time of distress.(G)
3 At the uproar of your army,(H) the peoples flee;(I)
when you rise up,(J) the nations scatter.
4 Your plunder,(K) O nations, is harvested(L) as by young locusts;(M)
like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.
5 The Lord is exalted,(N) for he dwells on high;(O)
he will fill Zion with his justice(P) and righteousness.(Q)
6 He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation(R) and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear(S) of the Lord is the key to this treasure.[a](T)
7 Look, their brave men(U) cry aloud in the streets;
the envoys(V) of peace weep bitterly.
8 The highways are deserted,
no travelers(W) are on the roads.(X)
The treaty is broken,(Y)
its witnesses[b] are despised,
no one is respected.
9 The land dries up(Z) and wastes away,
Lebanon(AA) is ashamed and withers;(AB)
Sharon(AC) is like the Arabah,
and Bashan(AD) and Carmel(AE) drop their leaves.
10 “Now will I arise,(AF)” says the Lord.
“Now will I be exalted;(AG)
now will I be lifted up.
11 You conceive(AH) chaff,
you give birth(AI) to straw;
your breath is a fire(AJ) that consumes you.
12 The peoples will be burned to ashes;(AK)
like cut thornbushes(AL) they will be set ablaze.(AM)”
13 You who are far away,(AN) hear(AO) what I have done;
you who are near, acknowledge my power!
14 The sinners(AP) in Zion are terrified;
trembling(AQ) grips the godless:
“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?(AR)
Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”
15 Those who walk righteously(AS)
and speak what is right,(AT)
who reject gain from extortion(AU)
and keep their hands from accepting bribes,(AV)
who stop their ears against plots of murder
and shut their eyes(AW) against contemplating evil—
16 they are the ones who will dwell on the heights,(AX)
whose refuge(AY) will be the mountain fortress.(AZ)
Their bread will be supplied,
and water will not fail(BA) them.
17 Your eyes will see the king(BB) in his beauty(BC)
and view a land that stretches afar.(BD)
18 In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:(BE)
“Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
Where is the officer in charge of the towers?(BF)”
19 You will see those arrogant people(BG) no more,
people whose speech is obscure,
whose language is strange and incomprehensible.(BH)
20 Look on Zion,(BI) the city of our festivals;
your eyes will see Jerusalem,
a peaceful abode,(BJ) a tent(BK) that will not be moved;(BL)
its stakes will never be pulled up,
nor any of its ropes broken.
21 There the Lord will be our Mighty(BM) One.
It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.(BN)
No galley with oars will ride them,
no mighty ship(BO) will sail them.
22 For the Lord is our judge,(BP)
the Lord is our lawgiver,(BQ)
the Lord is our king;(BR)
it is he who will save(BS) us.
23 Your rigging hangs loose:
The mast is not held secure,
the sail is not spread.
Then an abundance of spoils will be divided
and even the lame(BT) will carry off plunder.(BU)
24 No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”;(BV)
and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.(BW)
Judgment Against the Nations
34 Come near, you nations, and listen;(BX)
pay attention, you peoples!(BY)
Let the earth(BZ) hear, and all that is in it,
the world, and all that comes out of it!(CA)
2 The Lord is angry with all nations;
his wrath(CB) is on all their armies.
He will totally destroy[c](CC) them,
he will give them over to slaughter.(CD)
3 Their slain(CE) will be thrown out,
their dead bodies(CF) will stink;(CG)
the mountains will be soaked with their blood.(CH)
4 All the stars in the sky will be dissolved(CI)
and the heavens rolled up(CJ) like a scroll;
all the starry host will fall(CK)
like withered(CL) leaves from the vine,
like shriveled figs from the fig tree.
5 My sword(CM) has drunk its fill in the heavens;
see, it descends in judgment on Edom,(CN)
the people I have totally destroyed.(CO)
6 The sword(CP) of the Lord is bathed in blood,
it is covered with fat—
the blood of lambs and goats,
fat from the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice(CQ) in Bozrah(CR)
and a great slaughter(CS) in the land of Edom.
7 And the wild oxen(CT) will fall with them,
the bull calves and the great bulls.(CU)
Their land will be drenched with blood,(CV)
and the dust will be soaked with fat.
8 For the Lord has a day(CW) of vengeance,(CX)
a year of retribution,(CY) to uphold Zion’s cause.
9 Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch,
her dust into burning sulfur;(CZ)
her land will become blazing pitch!
10 It will not be quenched(DA) night or day;
its smoke will rise forever.(DB)
From generation to generation(DC) it will lie desolate;(DD)
no one will ever pass through it again.
11 The desert owl[d](DE) and screech owl[e] will possess it;
the great owl[f] and the raven(DF) will nest there.
God will stretch out over Edom(DG)
the measuring line of chaos(DH)
and the plumb line(DI) of desolation.
12 Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom,
all her princes(DJ) will vanish(DK) away.
13 Thorns(DL) will overrun her citadels,
nettles and brambles her strongholds.(DM)
She will become a haunt for jackals,(DN)
a home for owls.(DO)
14 Desert creatures(DP) will meet with hyenas,(DQ)
and wild goats will bleat to each other;
there the night creatures(DR) will also lie down
and find for themselves places of rest.
15 The owl will nest there and lay eggs,
she will hatch them, and care for her young
under the shadow of her wings;(DS)
there also the falcons(DT) will gather,
each with its mate.
16 Look in the scroll(DU) of the Lord and read:
None of these will be missing,(DV)
not one will lack her mate.
For it is his mouth(DW) that has given the order,(DX)
and his Spirit will gather them together.
17 He allots their portions;(DY)
his hand distributes them by measure.
They will possess it forever
and dwell there from generation to generation.(DZ)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 33:6 Or is a treasure from him
- Isaiah 33:8 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text / the cities
- Isaiah 34:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 5.
- Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
- Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
- Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.