Add parallel Print Page Options

The King in His Beauty

33 Woe (A)to you, O destroyer,
While you were not destroyed;
And he (B)who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him.
As soon as you finish destroying, (C)you will be destroyed;
As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will (D)deal treacherously with you.
O Yahweh, (E)be gracious to us; we have (F)hoped in You.
Be [a]their [b](G)strength every morning,
Our salvation also in the (H)time of distress.
At the sound of the tumult (I)peoples flee;
At the (J)lifting up of Yourself nations scatter.
Your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers;
As locusts rushing about men rush about on it.
Yahweh is (K)exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has (L)filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
And He will be the [c](M)stability of your times,
A (N)wealth of salvation, wisdom, and (O)knowledge;
The (P)fear of Yahweh is his treasure.
Behold, their brave men cry in [d]the streets;
The (Q)messengers of peace weep bitterly.
The highways are desolate, [e]the (R)traveler has ceased;
He has (S)broken the covenant, he has rejected the cities;
He has no regard for man.
(T)The land mourns and languishes,
(U)Lebanon is humiliated and withers;
(V)Sharon is like a desert plain,
And Bashan and Carmel [f]lose their foliage.
10 “Now (W)I will be on high,” says Yahweh,
“Now I will be lifted up, now I will be lifted up.
11 You have (X)conceived [g]chaff, you will give birth to stubble;
[h]My (Y)breath will consume you like a fire.
12 The peoples will be burned to lime,
(Z)Like cut thorns which are burned in the fire.

13 “You who are far away, (AA)hear what I have done;
And you who are near, [i]acknowledge My might.”
14 (AB)Sinners in Zion are in dread;
(AC)Trembling has seized the godless.
“Who among us can sojourn with (AD)the consuming fire?
Who among us can sojourn with [j]continual (AE)burning?”
15 He who (AF)walks righteously and speaks uprightly;
He who rejects greedy gain of [k]oppression,
And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe;
He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed
And (AG)shuts his eyes from looking upon evil;
16 He will dwell on the heights,
(AH)His refuge will be the strongholds of the cliffs;
(AI)His bread will be given him,
His water will be sure.

17 Your eyes will behold (AJ)the King in His beauty;
They will see (AK)a far-distant land.
18 Your heart will meditate on (AL)terror:
“Where is (AM)he who counts?
Where is he who weighs?
Where is he who counts the towers?”
19 You will no longer see a fierce people,
A people of [l](AN)unintelligible speech [m]which no one comprehends,
Of a stammering tongue [n]which no one understands.
20 (AO)Behold Zion, the city of our appointed times;
Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an (AP)abode at ease,
(AQ)A tent which will not be folded;
Its stakes will never be pulled up,
Nor any of its cords ever be torn apart.
21 But there the Mighty One, Yahweh, will be for us
A place of (AR)rivers and wide canals
On which no boat with oars will go,
And on which no mighty ship will pass—
22 For Yahweh is our (AS)judge,
Yahweh is (AT)our lawgiver,
Yahweh is (AU)our king;
(AV)He will save us—
23 Your cords hang slack;
They cannot hold the base of their mast firmly,
Nor spread out the sail.
Then the (AW)prey of an abundant spoil will be divided;
(AX)The lame will take the plunder.
24 And no one who dwells there will say, “I am (AY)sick”;
The people who inhabit [o]there will be (AZ)forgiven their iniquity.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 33:2 Some versions our
  2. Isaiah 33:2 Lit arm
  3. Isaiah 33:6 Or faithfulness
  4. Isaiah 33:7 Lit the outside
  5. Isaiah 33:8 Lit he who passes along the way
  6. Isaiah 33:9 Lit shake off
  7. Isaiah 33:11 Lit dry grass
  8. Isaiah 33:11 As in one ancient version; M.T. Your breath
  9. Isaiah 33:13 Lit know
  10. Isaiah 33:14 Lit everlasting
  11. Isaiah 33:15 Lit oppressions
  12. Isaiah 33:19 Lit deepness of lip
  13. Isaiah 33:19 Lit from hearing
  14. Isaiah 33:19 Lit there is no understanding
  15. Isaiah 33:24 Lit in it

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)

Lord, be gracious(D) to us;
    we long for you.
Be our strength(E) every morning,
    our salvation(F) in time of distress.(G)
At the uproar of your army,(H) the peoples flee;(I)
    when you rise up,(J) the nations scatter.
Your plunder,(K) O nations, is harvested(L) as by young locusts;(M)
    like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.

The Lord is exalted,(N) for he dwells on high;(O)
    he will fill Zion with his justice(P) and righteousness.(Q)
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)

Look, their brave men(U) cry aloud in the streets;
    the envoys(V) of peace weep bitterly.
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.
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)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 33:6 Or is a treasure from him
  2. Isaiah 33:8 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text / the cities