Isaiah 2-4

New International Version

The Mountain of the Lord^(A)

2 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:^(B)

²In the last days^(C)

the mountain^(D) of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;^(E)
it will be exalted^(F) above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.^(G)

³Many peoples^(H) will come and say,

“Come, let us go^(I) up to the mountain^(J) of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law^(K) will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.^(L)
⁴He will judge^(M) between the nations
    and will settle disputes^(N) for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.^(O)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,^(P)
    nor will they train for war anymore.

⁵Come, descendants of Jacob,^(Q)
let us walk in the light^(R) of the Lord.

The Day of the Lord

⁶You, Lord, have abandoned^(S) your people,
    the descendants of Jacob.^(T)
They are full of superstitions from the East;
    they practice divination^(U) like the Philistines^(V)
    and embrace^(W) pagan customs.^(X)
⁷Their land is full of silver and gold;^(Y)
    there is no end to their treasures.^(Z)
Their land is full of horses;^(AA)
    there is no end to their chariots.^(AB)
⁸Their land is full of idols;^(AC)
    they bow down^(AD) to the work of their hands,^(AE)
    to what their fingers^(AF) have made.
⁹So people will be brought low^(AG)
    and everyone humbled^(AH)—
    do not forgive them.^[a]^(AI)

¹⁰Go into the rocks, hide^(AJ) in the ground
    from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty!^(AK)
¹¹The eyes of the arrogant^(AL) will be humbled^(AM)
    and human pride^(AN) brought low;^(AO)
the Lord alone will be exalted^(AP) in that day.^(AQ)

¹²The Lord Almighty has a day^(AR) in store
    for all the proud^(AS) and lofty,^(AT)
for all that is exalted^(AU)
    (and they will be humbled),^(AV)
¹³for all the cedars of Lebanon,^(AW) tall and lofty,^(AX)
    and all the oaks of Bashan,^(AY)
¹⁴for all the towering mountains
    and all the high hills,^(AZ)
¹⁵for every lofty tower^(BA)
    and every fortified wall,^(BB)
¹⁶for every trading ship^[b]^(BC)
    and every stately vessel.
¹⁷The arrogance of man will be brought low^(BD)
    and human pride humbled;^(BE)
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,^(BF)
¹⁸    and the idols^(BG) will totally disappear.^(BH)

¹⁹People will flee to caves^(BI) in the rocks
    and to holes in the ground^(BJ)
from the fearful presence^(BK) of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,^(BL)
    when he rises to shake the earth.^(BM)
²⁰In that day^(BN) people will throw away
    to the moles and bats^(BO)
their idols of silver and idols of gold,^(BP)
    which they made to worship.^(BQ)
²¹They will flee to caverns in the rocks^(BR)
    and to the overhanging crags
from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,^(BS)
    when he rises^(BT) to shake the earth.^(BU)

²²Stop trusting in mere humans,^(BV)
who have but a breath^(BW) in their nostrils.
Why hold them in esteem?^(BX)

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

3 See now, the Lord,
    the Lord Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
    both supply and support:^(BY)
all supplies of food^(BZ) and all supplies of water,^(CA)
²    the hero and the warrior,^(CB)
the judge and the prophet,
    the diviner^(CC) and the elder,^(CD)
³the captain of fifty^(CE) and the man of rank,^(CF)
    the counselor, skilled craftsman^(CG) and clever enchanter.^(CH)

⁴“I will make mere youths their officials;
children will rule over them.”^(CI)

⁵People will oppress each other—
man against man, neighbor against neighbor.^(CJ)
The young will rise up against the old,
the nobody against the honored.

⁶A man will seize one of his brothers
    in his father’s house, and say,
“You have a cloak, you be our leader;
    take charge of this heap of ruins!”
⁷But in that day^(CK) he will cry out,
    “I have no remedy.^(CL)
I have no food^(CM) or clothing in my house;
    do not make me the leader of the people.”^(CN)

⁸Jerusalem staggers,
    Judah is falling;^(CO)
their words^(CP) and deeds^(CQ) are against the Lord,
    defying^(CR) his glorious presence.
⁹The look on their faces testifies^(CS) against them;
    they parade their sin like Sodom;^(CT)
    they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
    They have brought disaster^(CU) upon themselves.

¹⁰Tell the righteous it will be well^(CV) with them,
    for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.^(CW)
¹¹Woe to the wicked!^(CX)
    Disaster^(CY) is upon them!
They will be paid back^(CZ)
    for what their hands have done.^(DA)

¹²Youths^(DB) oppress my people,
women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;^(DC)
they turn you from the path.

¹³The Lord takes his place in court;^(DD)
    he rises to judge^(DE) the people.
¹⁴The Lord enters into judgment^(DF)
    against the elders and leaders of his people:
“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
    the plunder^(DG) from the poor^(DH) is in your houses.
¹⁵What do you mean by crushing my people^(DI)
    and grinding^(DJ) the faces of the poor?”^(DK)
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.^(DL)

¹⁶The Lord says,
    “The women of Zion^(DM) are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,^(DN)
    flirting with their eyes,
strutting along with swaying hips,
    with ornaments jingling on their ankles.
¹⁷Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion;
    the Lord will make their scalps bald.^(DO)”

¹⁸In that day^(DP) the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces,^(DQ) ¹⁹the earrings and bracelets^(DR) and veils,^(DS) ²⁰the headdresses^(DT) and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, ²¹the signet rings and nose rings,^(DU) ²²the fine robes and the capes and cloaks,^(DV) the purses ²³and mirrors, and the linen garments^(DW) and tiaras^(DX) and shawls.

²⁴Instead of fragrance^(DY) there will be a stench;^(DZ)
    instead of a sash,^(EA) a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;^(EB)
    instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;^(EC)
    instead of beauty,^(ED) branding.^(EE)
²⁵Your men will fall by the sword,^(EF)
    your warriors in battle.^(EG)
²⁶The gates^(EH) of Zion will lament and mourn;^(EI)
    destitute,^(EJ) she will sit on the ground.^(EK)

4 ¹In that day^(EL) seven women
    will take hold of one man^(EM)
and say, “We will eat our own food^(EN)
    and provide our own clothes;
only let us be called by your name.
    Take away our disgrace!”^(EO)

The Branch of the Lord

²In that day^(EP) the Branch of the Lord^(EQ) will be beautiful^(ER) and glorious, and the fruit^(ES) of the land will be the pride and glory^(ET) of the survivors^(EU) in Israel. ³Those who are left in Zion,^(EV) who remain^(EW) in Jerusalem, will be called holy,^(EX) all who are recorded^(EY) among the living in Jerusalem. ⁴The Lord will wash away the filth^(EZ) of the women of Zion;^(FA) he will cleanse^(FB) the bloodstains^(FC) from Jerusalem by a spirit^[c] of judgment^(FD) and a spirit^[d] of fire.^(FE) ⁵Then the Lord will create^(FF) over all of Mount Zion^(FG) and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night;^(FH) over everything the glory^[e]^(FI) will be a canopy.^(FJ) ⁶It will be a shelter^(FK) and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge^(FL) and hiding place from the storm^(FM) and rain.

Footnotes

Isaiah 2:9 Or not raise them up
Isaiah 2:16 Hebrew every ship of Tarshish
Isaiah 4:4 Or the Spirit
Isaiah 4:4 Or the Spirit
Isaiah 4:5 Or over all the glory there

Jeremiah 23

New International Version

The Righteous Branch

23 “Woe to the shepherds^(A) who are destroying and scattering^(B) the sheep of my pasture!”^(C) declares the Lord. ²Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds^(D) who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock^(E) and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil^(F) you have done,” declares the Lord. ³“I myself will gather the remnant^(G) of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture,^(H) where they will be fruitful and increase in number. ⁴I will place shepherds^(I) over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid^(J) or terrified, nor will any be missing,^(K)” declares the Lord.

⁵“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will raise up for David^[a] a righteous Branch,^(L)
a King^(M) who will reign^(N) wisely
    and do what is just and right^(O) in the land.
⁶In his days Judah will be saved
    and Israel will live in safety.^(P)
This is the name^(Q) by which he will be called:
    The Lord Our Righteous Savior.^(R)

⁷“So then, the days are coming,”^(S) declares the Lord, “when people will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’^(T) ⁸but they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”^(U)

Lying Prophets

⁹Concerning the prophets:

My heart^(V) is broken within me;
    all my bones tremble.^(W)
I am like a drunken man,
    like a strong man overcome by wine,
because of the Lord
    and his holy words.^(X)
¹⁰The land is full of adulterers;^(Y)
    because of the curse^[b]^(Z) the land lies parched
    and the pastures^(AA) in the wilderness are withered.^(AB)
The prophets follow an evil course
    and use their power unjustly.

¹¹“Both prophet and priest are godless;^(AC)
    even in my temple^(AD) I find their wickedness,”
declares the Lord.
¹²“Therefore their path will become slippery;^(AE)
    they will be banished to darkness
    and there they will fall.
I will bring disaster on them
    in the year they are punished,^(AF)”
declares the Lord.

¹³“Among the prophets of Samaria
    I saw this repulsive thing:
They prophesied by Baal^(AG)
    and led my people Israel astray.^(AH)
¹⁴And among the prophets of Jerusalem
    I have seen something horrible:^(AI)
    They commit adultery and live a lie.^(AJ)
They strengthen the hands of evildoers,^(AK)
    so that not one of them turns from their wickedness.^(AL)
They are all like Sodom^(AM) to me;
    the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”^(AN)

¹⁵Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says concerning the prophets:

“I will make them eat bitter food
and drink poisoned water,^(AO)
because from the prophets of Jerusalem
ungodliness^(AP) has spread throughout the land.”

¹⁶This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Do not listen^(AQ) to what the prophets are prophesying to you;
    they fill you with false hopes.
They speak visions^(AR) from their own minds,
    not from the mouth^(AS) of the Lord.
¹⁷They keep saying^(AT) to those who despise me,
    ‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’^(AU)
And to all who follow the stubbornness^(AV) of their hearts
    they say, ‘No harm^(AW) will come to you.’
¹⁸But which of them has stood in the council^(AX) of the Lord
    to see or to hear his word?
    Who has listened and heard his word?
¹⁹See, the storm^(AY) of the Lord
    will burst out in wrath,
a whirlwind^(AZ) swirling down
    on the heads of the wicked.
²⁰The anger^(BA) of the Lord will not turn back^(BB)
    until he fully accomplishes
    the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
    you will understand it clearly.
²¹I did not send^(BC) these prophets,
    yet they have run with their message;
I did not speak to them,
    yet they have prophesied.
²²But if they had stood in my council,^(BD)
    they would have proclaimed^(BE) my words to my people
and would have turned^(BF) them from their evil ways
    and from their evil deeds.^(BG)

²³“Am I only a God nearby,^(BH)”
declares the Lord,
    “and not a God far away?
²⁴Who can hide^(BI) in secret places
    so that I cannot see them?”
declares the Lord.
    “Do not I fill heaven and earth?”^(BJ)
declares the Lord.

²⁵“I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies^(BK) in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream!^(BL) I had a dream!’ ²⁶How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions^(BM) of their own minds?^(BN) ²⁷They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget^(BO) my name, just as their ancestors forgot^(BP) my name through Baal worship.^(BQ) ²⁸Let the prophet who has a dream^(BR) recount the dream, but let the one who has my word^(BS) speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. ²⁹“Is not my word like fire,”^(BT) declares the Lord, “and like a hammer^(BU) that breaks a rock in pieces?

³⁰“Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against^(BV) the prophets^(BW) who steal from one another words supposedly from me. ³¹Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’^(BX) ³²Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,^(BY)” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray^(BZ) with their reckless lies,^(CA) yet I did not send^(CB) or appoint them. They do not benefit^(CC) these people in the least,” declares the Lord.

False Prophecy

³³“When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, ‘What is the message^(CD) from the Lord?’ say to them, ‘What message? I will forsake^(CE) you, declares the Lord.’ ³⁴If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, ‘This is a message^(CF) from the Lord,’ I will punish^(CG) them and their household. ³⁵This is what each of you keeps saying to your friends and other Israelites: ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’^(CH) or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ ³⁶But you must not mention ‘a message from the Lord’ again, because each one’s word becomes their own message. So you distort^(CI) the words of the living God,^(CJ) the Lord Almighty, our God. ³⁷This is what you keep saying to a prophet: ‘What is the Lord’s answer to you?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ ³⁸Although you claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ this is what the Lord says: You used the words, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ even though I told you that you must not claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord.’ ³⁹Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast^(CK) you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your ancestors. ⁴⁰I will bring on you everlasting disgrace^(CL)—everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.”