Isaiah 2
The Voice
2 This is what Isaiah (son of Amoz) prophesied about Judah and its capital Jerusalem:
2 There will come a time in the last days
when the mountain where the Eternal’s house stands
Will become the highest, most magnificent—
grander than any of the mountains around it.
And all the nations of the world will run there,
wanting to see it, feel it, fully experience it.
3 Many people of all languages, colors, and creeds will come.
People: Come! Let’s go to the Eternal’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
So that we might learn from Him how best to be,
to go along in life as He would have us go.
After all, the law will pour out from Zion,
the word of the Eternal, from Jerusalem.
4 God will decide what’s fair among nations
and settle disputes among all sorts of people.
Meanwhile, they will hammer their swords into sickles,
reshape their spears into pruning hooks.
One nation will not attack another.
They will not practice war anymore.
Isaiah sees an amazing picture of the future, a future which only God can create. In that vision, Jerusalem and the temple of the only God will sit on the highest mountain at the center of the world. In that day, all the nations of the world will stream to the holy city and seek God’s guidance and instruction. God will sit as King and Judge, dispensing real justice—not some man-made counterfeit—not only in international but also local matters. Perhaps, most amazingly for a world weary of war, this will be a time when war is a thing of the past and its lethal instruments are turned into tools for life and peace.
5 O house of Jacob—people of the promise—come, come walk with me
by the light of the Eternal.
6 See, You have abandoned Your people,[a]
the house of Jacob!
For they have taken on attitudes and postures of other cultures,
imitating anyone and anything that crosses their path
Practicing divination like the Philistines,
making deals with outsiders.
7 Their land is full of silver and gold,
rich with mind-boggling wealth.
Their countryside is full of warhorses;
there are more chariots than you can count.
8 Their land is full of worthless idols.
They worship their own creations;
They bow down to what they have made, bought, and sold.
9 But now the people will be humbled, reminded of their simplicity and limits—
don’t just absolve them!
10 Get into the caves, hide in the dust,
in the face of the Eternal’s terrifying Self,
in the face of His dread and enormous majesty.
11 The bubble of human pride will be burst;
the arrogant will be pulled down from their pedestals.
Then, finally, the Eternal, no one and nothing else,
will be the center of attention, lifted up in high esteem.
12 The Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has identified a time for assault
against the arrogant and proud, against all who think they’re so indomitable.
They will be humbled.
13 Against all the high and lofty:
against the cedars of Lebanon
and the oaks of Bashan,
14 Against the tallest mountains
and the highest hills,
15 Against every watchtower
and every defended border,
16 Against all the trading ships of Tarshish,
against all the luxury vessels.
17 On that day, humankind’s false pride will be shattered and pulled down.[b]
Then the Eternal, no one and nothing else, will be the center of attention,
Lifted up in high esteem.
18 As for all the idols, they will vanish.
19 People will hide themselves away in rocky caves and dusty holes in the ground
in the face of the Eternal’s terrifying Self,
In the face of His dread and enormous majesty,
when He comes forth to overwhelm the earth.
20 When that day arrives, people will leave behind
the idols they made to worship—even those made of silver and gold,
The things they felt were so important—
to the moles and the bats.
21 They hide themselves away in rocky caves and clefts,
in the face of the Eternal’s terrifying Self,
In the face of His dread and enormous majesty,
when He comes forth to overwhelm the earth.
22 Stop believing in human beings as so amazing, so capable!
We are short-lived, only a breath from death and worth as much.
What makes us think we’re so special?
Isaiah 2
Common English Bible
The Lord’s mountain
2 This is what Isaiah, Amoz’s son, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 In the days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
will be the highest of the mountains.
It will be lifted above the hills;
peoples will stream to it.
3 Many nations will go and say,
“Come, let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain,
to the house of Jacob’s God
so that he may teach us his ways
and we may walk in God’s paths.”
Instruction will come from Zion;
the Lord’s word from Jerusalem.
4 God will judge between the nations,
and settle disputes of mighty nations.
Then they will beat their swords into iron plows
and their spears into pruning tools.
Nation will not take up sword against nation;
they will no longer learn how to make war.
5 Come, house of Jacob,
let’s walk by the Lord’s light.
Everyone is brought low
6 You have abandoned your people,
house of Jacob.
They are full of sorcerers from the east and fortune-tellers like the Philistines;
they hold hands with foreigners’ children.[a]
7 Their land is full of silver and gold;
they have countless treasures.
Their land is filled with horses;
they have countless chariots.
8 Their land is filled with idols;
they worship their handiwork,
what their own fingers have made.
9 Humanity will be brought down;
each person laid low—don’t lift them up![b]
10 Go into the rocks,
and hide yourself in the dust from the terror of the Lord,
from the splendor of God’s majesty!
11 People’s proud gazing will be stopped
and humanity’s arrogance brought down;
the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.
12 The Lord of heavenly forces has planned a day:
against all that is prideful and haughty;
against all that is lofty, and it will be laid low;[c]
13 against all the cedars of Lebanon, high and lofty;
against all the oaks of Bashan;
14 against all the high mountains;
against all the lofty hills;
15 against every tall tower;
against every fortified wall;
16 against all the ships of Tarshish;
against all the wonderful boats.[d]
17 People’s pride will be brought down
and human arrogance humiliated.
The Lord alone will be exalted on that day;
18 the idols will completely pass away.
19 Go into caves in the rocks
and holes in the dust
before the terror of the Lord
and the splendor of God’s majesty,
when he arises to terrify the earth.
20 On that day, people will toss
to the rodents[e] and to the bats
their idols of silver and idols of gold,
which they made for themselves to worship.
21 They will hide in fissures of rocks and in crevices of cliffs
before the terror of the Lord
and the splendor of God’s majesty
when he arises to terrify the earth.
22 Quit admiring the human race,
who breathe through their nostrils.
Why should they be admired?
Footnotes
- Isaiah 2:6 Heb uncertain
- Isaiah 2:9 Or don’t forgive them
- Isaiah 2:12 LXX and high
- Isaiah 2:16 Heb uncertain
- Isaiah 2:20 Heb uncertain
Isaiah 2
King James Version
2 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
6 Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.
7 Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots:
8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:
9 And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.
10 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty.
11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
12 For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
13 And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,
14 And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up,
15 And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall,
16 And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.
17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish.
19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of ?
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible