Judgment against Israel

On that day
the splendor of Jacob will fade,
and his healthy body[a] will become emaciated.(A)
It will be as if a reaper had gathered standing grain—
his arm harvesting the heads of grain—
and as if one had gleaned heads of grain
in Rephaim Valley.(B)

Only gleanings will be left in Israel,(C)
as if an olive tree had been beaten—
two or three olives at the very top of the tree,
four or five on its fruitful branches.
This is the declaration of the Lord, the God of Israel.

On that day people will look to their Maker and will turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.(D) They will not look to the altars(E) they made with their hands or to the Asherahs and shrines[b](F) they made with their fingers.

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Footnotes

  1. 17:4 Lit and the fat of his flesh
  2. 17:8 Or incense altars

“At that time[a]
Jacob’s splendor will be greatly diminished,[b]
and he will become skin and bones.[c]
It will be as when one gathers the grain harvest,
and his hand gleans the ear of grain.
It will be like one gathering the ears of grain
in the Valley of Rephaim.
There will be some left behind,
as when an olive tree is beaten—
two or three ripe olives remain toward the very top,
four or five on its fruitful branches,”
says the Lord God of Israel.
At that time[d] men will trust in their Creator;[e]
they will depend on[f] the Holy One of Israel.[g]
They will no longer trust in[h] the altars their hands made,
or depend on the Asherah poles and incense altars their fingers made.[i]

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 17:4 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
  2. Isaiah 17:4 tn Heb “will be tiny.”
  3. Isaiah 17:4 tn Heb “and the fatness of his flesh will be made lean.”
  4. Isaiah 17:7 tn Heb “in that day” (so ASV, NASB, NIV); KJV “At that day.”
  5. Isaiah 17:7 tn Heb “man will gaze toward his maker.”
  6. Isaiah 17:7 tn Heb “his eyes will look toward.”
  7. Isaiah 17:7 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
  8. Isaiah 17:8 tn Heb “he will not gaze toward.”
  9. Isaiah 17:8 tn Heb “and that which his fingers made he will not see, the Asherah poles and the incense altars.”