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Isaiah’s Vision of Yahweh

In the year of (A)King Uzziah’s death (B)I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, (C)each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said,

(D)Holy, Holy, Holy, is Yahweh of hosts;
The [a](E)whole earth is full of His glory.”

And the [b]foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called out, while the (F)house of God was filling with smoke. Then I said,

(G)Woe is me, for I am ruined!
For I am a man of (H)unclean lips,
And I live among a (I)people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the (J)King, Yahweh of hosts.”

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the (K)altar with tongs. And he (L)touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and (M)your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is atoned for.”

Yahweh Sends Isaiah

Then I heard the (N)voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then (O)I said, “Here am I. Send me!” He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on (P)hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not know.’
10 (Q)Render the hearts of this people [c](R)insensitive,
Their ears [d]dull,
And their eyes [e]dim,
(S)Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their hearts,
And return and be healed.”

11 Then I said, “Lord, (T)how long?” And He said,

“Until (U)cities are devastated and without inhabitant,
Houses are without people,
And the land is devastated to desolation,
12 And Yahweh has (V)removed men far away,
And the [f](W)forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
13 Yet there will be a tenth portion in it,
And it will again be subject to burning,
Like a terebinth or like an (X)oak
Whose stump remains when it is felled.
The (Y)holy seed is its stump.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 6:3 Lit fullness of the whole earth is His glory
  2. Isaiah 6:4 Lit door sockets
  3. Isaiah 6:10 Lit fat
  4. Isaiah 6:10 Lit heavy, hardened; cf. Ex 8:15; 1 Sam 6:6
  5. Isaiah 6:10 Lit besmeared
  6. Isaiah 6:12 Or forsakenness will be great

Isaiah’s Call and Mission

In the year that King Uzziah(A) died, I saw the Lord(B) seated on a high and lofty(C) throne,(D) and His robe[a] filled the temple. Seraphim[b] were standing above Him; each one had six wings:(E) with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.(F) And one called to another:

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts;
His glory(G) fills the whole earth.(H)

The foundations of the doorways shook(I) at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.

Then I said:

Woe is me(J) for I am ruined[c]
because I am a man of unclean lips
and live among a people of unclean lips,(K)
and because my eyes have seen the King,
the Lord of Hosts.

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar(L) with tongs. He touched my mouth(M) with it and said:

Now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed
and your sin is atoned for.(N)

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:

Who should I send?
Who will go for Us?

I said:

Here I am. Send me.

And He replied:

Go! Say to these people:
Keep listening, but do not understand;(O)
keep looking, but do not perceive.
10 Dull the minds[d] of these people;
deafen their ears and blind their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes
and hear with their ears,
understand with their minds,
turn back, and be healed.(P)

11 Then I said, “Until when, Lord?”(Q) And He replied:

Until cities lie in ruins without inhabitants,(R)
houses are without people,
the land is ruined and desolate,
12 and the Lord drives the people far away,
leaving great emptiness in the land.
13 Though a tenth will remain in the land,
it will be burned again.
Like the terebinth or the oak
that leaves a stump when felled,
the holy seed(S) is the stump.(T)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 6:1 Lit seam
  2. Isaiah 6:2 = heavenly beings
  3. Isaiah 6:5 Or I must be silent
  4. Isaiah 6:10 Lit heart