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“In that day Israel’s[a] glory will grow dim;
    its robust body will waste away.
The whole land will look like a grainfield
    after the harvesters have gathered the grain.
It will be desolate,
    like the fields in the valley of Rephaim after the harvest.
Only a few of its people will be left,
    like stray olives left on a tree after the harvest.
Only two or three remain in the highest branches,
    four or five scattered here and there on the limbs,”
    declares the Lord, the God of Israel.

Then at last the people will look to their Creator
    and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.
They will no longer look to their idols for help
    or worship what their own hands have made.
They will never again bow down to their Asherah poles
    or worship at the pagan shrines they have built.

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Footnotes

  1. 17:4 Hebrew Jacob’s. See note on 14:1.

A Time of Weakness for Israel

“At that time,[a] Jacob’s glory will have become weakened,
    and his strong[b] flesh will turn gaunt;
it will be as if harvesters gather standing grain,
    reaping the ears by hand,[c]
or it will be as if grain is harvested
    in the valley of Rephaim.[d]
Nevertheless, gleanings will remain in Israel,[e]
    as when an olive tree is beaten—[f]
two or three ripe olives left in the topmost branches,
    four or five left among the branches of a fruit-filled tree,”[g]
        declares the Lord God of Israel.

Revival to Come to Israel

At that time, men will look upon[h] their Maker, and their eyes will honor the Holy One of Israel. They will not look upon[i] the altars, the products[j] that their own fingers[k] have made, and they will have no regard for Asherah poles[l] or incense altars.[m]

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 17:4 Lit. On that day
  2. Isaiah 17:4 Lit. fat
  3. Isaiah 17:5 Lit. ears with his arm
  4. Isaiah 17:5 Lit. Giants
  5. Isaiah 17:6 Lit. it
  6. Isaiah 17:6 Or harvested
  7. Isaiah 17:6 So 1QIsaa; MT reads among its branches
  8. Isaiah 17:7 So 1QIsaa; cf. LXX; MT reads to
  9. Isaiah 17:8 So 1QIsaa; cf. LXX; MT reads to
  10. Isaiah 17:8 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read the product
  11. Isaiah 17:8 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read hands
  12. Isaiah 17:8 I.e. images of the Babylonian-Canaanite goddess of fortune
  13. Isaiah 17:8 So 1QIsaa MT; LXX reads for trees or for their abominations