26 He will also lift up a (A)flag to the distant [a]nation,
And (B)whistle for it (C)from the ends of the earth;
And behold, it will (D)come with speed swiftly.
27 (E)No one in it is tired or stumbles,
No one slumbers or sleeps;
Nor is the (F)undergarment at his waist loosened,
Nor his sandal strap broken.
28 [b](G)Its arrows are sharp and all its bows are bent;
The hoofs of its horses [c]seem like flint, and its chariot (H)wheels like a storm wind.
29 Its (I)roaring is like a lioness, and it roars like young lions;
It growls as it (J)seizes the prey
And carries it off with (K)no one to save it.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 5:26 Lit nations; prob. Assyria
  2. Isaiah 5:28 Lit Which, its arrows
  3. Isaiah 5:28 Lit are regarded as

26 He lifts up a banner(A) for the distant nations,
    he whistles(B) for those at the ends of the earth.(C)
Here they come,
    swiftly and speedily!
27 Not one of them grows tired(D) or stumbles,
    not one slumbers or sleeps;
not a belt(E) is loosened at the waist,(F)
    not a sandal strap is broken.(G)
28 Their arrows are sharp,(H)
    all their bows(I) are strung;
their horses’ hooves(J) seem like flint,
    their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.(K)
29 Their roar is like that of the lion,(L)
    they roar like young lions;
they growl as they seize(M) their prey
    and carry it off with no one to rescue.(N)

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God’s Wrath against Nations

34 Come near, (A)you nations, to hear; and listen, you peoples!
(B)Let the earth and [a]all it contains hear, and the world and all that springs from it.
For the Lords (C)anger is against all the nations,
And His wrath against all their armies.
He has [b](D)utterly destroyed them,
He has turned them over to (E)slaughter.
So their slain will be (F)thrown out,
And their corpses [c]will give off their (G)stench,
And the mountains will [d]be drenched with their (H)blood.
And (I)all the heavenly [e]lights will [f]wear away,
And the (J)sky will be rolled up like a scroll;
All its [g]lights will also wither away
As a leaf withers from the vine,
Or as one withers from the fig tree.
For (K)My sword has drunk its fill in heaven;
Behold it shall descend for judgment upon (L)Edom,
And upon the people whom I have (M)designated for destruction.
The sword of the Lord is filled with blood,
It drips with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats,
With the fat of the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice in (N)Bozrah,
And a great slaughter in the land of (O)Edom.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 34:1 Lit its fullness
  2. Isaiah 34:2 Lit put under the ban
  3. Isaiah 34:3 Lit their stench will go up
  4. Isaiah 34:3 Lit dissolve
  5. Isaiah 34:4 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
  6. Isaiah 34:4 Lit rot
  7. Isaiah 34:4 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.

Judgment Against the Nations

34 Come near, you nations, and listen;(A)
    pay attention, you peoples!(B)
Let the earth(C) hear, and all that is in it,
    the world, and all that comes out of it!(D)
The Lord is angry with all nations;
    his wrath(E) is on all their armies.
He will totally destroy[a](F) them,
    he will give them over to slaughter.(G)
Their slain(H) will be thrown out,
    their dead bodies(I) will stink;(J)
    the mountains will be soaked with their blood.(K)
All the stars in the sky will be dissolved(L)
    and the heavens rolled up(M) like a scroll;
all the starry host will fall(N)
    like withered(O) leaves from the vine,
    like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

My sword(P) has drunk its fill in the heavens;
    see, it descends in judgment on Edom,(Q)
    the people I have totally destroyed.(R)
The sword(S) 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(T) in Bozrah(U)
    and a great slaughter(V) in the land of Edom.

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Footnotes

  1. 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.

God’s Vengeance on the Nations

63 Who is this who comes from (A)Edom,
With (B)garments of [a]glowing colors from (C)Bozrah,
This One who is majestic in His apparel,
[b]Marching in the greatness of His strength?
“It is I, the One who speaks in righteousness, (D)mighty to save.”
Why is Your apparel red,
And Your garments like one who (E)treads in the wine press?
(F)I have trodden the wine trough alone,
And from the peoples there was no one with Me.
I also (G)trod them in My anger
And (H)trampled them in My wrath;
And (I)their [c]lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments,
And I [d]stained all My clothes.
For the (J)day of vengeance was in My heart,
And My year of redemption has come.
I looked, but there was (K)no one to help,
And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold;
So My (L)own arm brought salvation to Me,
And My wrath upheld Me.
I (M)trampled down the peoples in My anger
And made them (N)drunk with My wrath,
And I [e]poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 63:1 Or crimson
  2. Isaiah 63:1 Lit Inclining
  3. Isaiah 63:3 Lit juice
  4. Isaiah 63:3 Lit defiled
  5. Isaiah 63:6 Lit brought down their juice to the earth

God’s Day of Vengeance and Redemption

63 Who is this coming from Edom,(A)
    from Bozrah,(B) with his garments stained crimson?(C)
Who is this, robed in splendor,
    striding forward in the greatness of his strength?(D)

“It is I, proclaiming victory,
    mighty to save.”(E)

Why are your garments red,
    like those of one treading the winepress?(F)

“I have trodden the winepress(G) alone;
    from the nations no one was with me.
I trampled(H) them in my anger
    and trod them down in my wrath;(I)
their blood spattered my garments,(J)
    and I stained all my clothing.
It was for me the day of vengeance;(K)
    the year for me to redeem had come.
I looked, but there was no one(L) to help,
    I was appalled that no one gave support;
so my own arm(M) achieved salvation for me,
    and my own wrath sustained me.(N)
I trampled(O) the nations in my anger;
    in my wrath I made them drunk(P)
    and poured their blood(Q) on the ground.”

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15 For behold, the Lord will come in (A)fire,
And His (B)chariots like the whirlwind,
To render His anger with fury,
And His rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For the Lord will execute judgment by (C)fire
And by His (D)sword on [a]humanity,
And those put to death by the Lord will be many.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 66:16 Lit all flesh

15 See, the Lord is coming with fire,(A)
    and his chariots(B) are like a whirlwind;(C)
he will bring down his anger with fury,
    and his rebuke(D) with flames of fire.
16 For with fire(E) and with his sword(F)
    the Lord will execute judgment(G) on all people,
    and many will be those slain(H) by the Lord.

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(A)Proclaim this among the nations:
(B)Prepare for holy war; (C)stir up the warriors!
Have all the soldiers come forward, have them come up!
10 (D)Beat your plowshares into swords,
And your pruning hooks into spears;
(E)Let the weak man say, “I am a warrior.”
11 [a](F)Hurry and come, all you surrounding nations,
And gather yourselves there.
Bring down, Lord, Your (G)warriors.
12 Let the nations be awakened
And come up to the (H)Valley of [b]Jehoshaphat,
For there I will sit to (I)judge
All the surrounding nations.
13 (J)Put in the sickle, for the (K)harvest is ripe.
Come, (L)tread the grapes, for the (M)wine press is full;
The vats overflow, for their (N)wickedness is great.
14 (O)Multitudes, multitudes in the (P)valley of [c]decision!
For the (Q)day of the Lord is near in the valley of [d]decision.

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 3:11 Or Come help
  2. Joel 3:12 I.e., YHWH judges
  3. Joel 3:14 I.e., God’s verdict
  4. Joel 3:14 I.e., God’s verdict

Proclaim this among the nations:
    Prepare for war!(A)
Rouse the warriors!(B)
    Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords
    and your pruning hooks(C) into spears.(D)
Let the weakling(E) say,
    “I am strong!”(F)
11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
    and assemble(G) there.

Bring down your warriors,(H) Lord!

12 “Let the nations be roused;
    let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,(I)
for there I will sit
    to judge(J) all the nations on every side.
13 Swing the sickle,(K)
    for the harvest(L) is ripe.
Come, trample the grapes,(M)
    for the winepress(N) is full
    and the vats overflow—
so great is their wickedness!”

14 Multitudes,(O) multitudes
    in the valley(P) of decision!
For the day of the Lord(Q) is near
    in the valley of decision.(R)

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