Add parallel Print Page Options

Isaiah Is Sent with a Message for the Lord’s People

In the year King Uzziah died, I saw Adonay sitting on a high and lofty throne. The bottom of his robe filled the temple. Angels[a] were standing above him. Each had six wings: With two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They called to each other and said,

“Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh Tsebaoth!
    The whole earth is filled with his glory.”

Their voices shook the foundations of the doorposts, and the temple filled with smoke.

So I said, “Oh, no!

I’m doomed.
    Every word that passes through my lips is sinful.
        I live among people with sinful lips.
            I have seen the Melek, Yahweh Tsebaoth!”

Then one of the angels flew to me. In his hand was a burning coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, “This has touched your lips. Your guilt has been taken away, and your sin has been forgiven.”

Then I heard the voice of Adonay, saying, “Whom will I send? Who will go for us?”

I said, “Here I am. Send me!”

And he said, “Go and tell these people,

‘No matter how closely you listen, you’ll never understand.
    No matter how closely you look, you’ll never see.’
10 Make these people close-minded.
    Plug their ears.
        Shut their eyes.
            Otherwise, they may see with their eyes,
        hear with their ears,
    understand with their minds,
        and return and be healed.”

11 I asked, “How long, O Adonay?”

And he replied,

“Until the cities lie in ruins with no one living in them,
    the houses have no people,
        and the land is completely desolate.
12 Yahweh will send his people far away,
    and a large area in the middle of the land will be abandoned.
13 Even if one out of ten people is left in it,
    the land will be burned again.
        When a sacred oak or an oak is cut down, a stump is left.
            The holy seed will be the land’s stump.”

The Virgin Will Have a Child

When Ahaz, son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah, was king of Judah, Aram’s King Rezin and Israel’s King Pekah, son of Remaliah, went to Jerusalem to attack it, but they couldn’t defeat it. When word reached David’s family that the Arameans had made an alliance with Ephraim, the hearts of the king and his people were shaken as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

Then Yahweh said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear Jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the ditch of the Upper Pool on the road to the Laundryman’s Field. Say to him, ‘Be careful, stay calm, and don’t be afraid. Don’t lose heart because of the fierce anger of Rezin from Aram and Remaliah’s son. These two are smoldering logs.’ Aram, Ephraim, and Remaliah’s son have planned evil against you, saying, ‘Let’s march against Judah, tear it apart, divide it among ourselves, and set up Tabeel’s son as its king.’

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 6:2 Or “Seraphim.”

Isaiah’s Commission

In the year that King Uzziah(A) died,(B) I saw the Lord,(C) high and exalted,(D) seated on a throne;(E) and the train of his robe(F) filled the temple. Above him were seraphim,(G) each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet,(H) and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy(I), holy is the Lord Almighty;(J)
    the whole earth(K) is full of his glory.”(L)

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

“Woe(N) to me!” I cried. “I am ruined!(O) For I am a man of unclean lips,(P) and I live among a people of unclean lips,(Q) and my eyes have seen(R) the King,(S) the Lord Almighty.”(T)

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

Then I heard the voice(X) of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?(Y) And who will go for us?(Z)

And I said, “Here am I.(AA) Send me!”

He said, “Go(AB) and tell this people:

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

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

And he answered:

“Until the cities lie ruined(AI)
    and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted(AJ)
    and the fields ruined and ravaged,(AK)
12 until the Lord has sent everyone far away(AL)
    and the land is utterly forsaken.(AM)
13 And though a tenth remains(AN) in the land,
    it will again be laid waste.(AO)
But as the terebinth and oak
    leave stumps(AP) when they are cut down,
    so the holy(AQ) seed will be the stump in the land.”(AR)

The Sign of Immanuel

When Ahaz(AS) son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin(AT) of Aram(AU) and Pekah(AV) son of Remaliah(AW) king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

Now the house of David(AX) was told, “Aram has allied itself with[b] Ephraim(AY)”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken,(AZ) as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,[c](BA) to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.(BB) Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm(BC) and don’t be afraid.(BD) Do not lose heart(BE) because of these two smoldering stubs(BF) of firewood—because of the fierce anger(BG) of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.(BH) Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s(BI) son have plotted(BJ) your ruin, saying, “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 6:10 Hebrew; Septuagint ‘You will be ever hearing, but never understanding; / you will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / 10 This people’s heart has become calloused; / they hardly hear with their ears, / and they have closed their eyes
  2. Isaiah 7:2 Or has set up camp in
  3. Isaiah 7:3 Shear-Jashub means a remnant will return.

Every warrior’s boot marching to the sound of battle
    and every garment rolled in blood
        will be burned as fuel in the fire.
A child will be born for us.
    A son will be given to us.
    The government will rest on his shoulders.
    He will be named:
        Wonderful Counselor,
        Mighty God,
        Everlasting Father,
        Sar Shalom.

Read full chapter

Every warrior’s boot used in battle
    and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,(A)
    will be fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born,(B)
    to us a son is given,(C)
    and the government(D) will be on his shoulders.(E)
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor,(F) Mighty God,(G)
    Everlasting(H) Father,(I) Prince of Peace.(J)

Read full chapter