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Judah’s Encounter with Adonai

In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw Adonai sitting on a throne, high and lifted up,[a] and the train of His robe filled the Temple. Seraphim were standing above Him. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. One called out to another, and said:

“Holy, holy, holy, is Adonai-Tzva’ot!
The whole earth is full of His glory.”[b]

Then the posts of the door trembled at the voice of those who called, and the House was filled with smoke. [c] Then I said:

Oy to me! For I am ruined!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
and I am dwelling among a people of unclean lips.
For my eyes have seen the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot!”

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

“Behold, this has touched your lips.
Your iniquity is taken away, and your sins atoned for.”

Then I heard the voice of Adonai saying:

“Whom should I send, and who will go for Us?”

So I said, “Hineni. Send me.”

Then He said:

“Go! Tell this people:
‘Hear without understanding,
and see without perceiving.’[d]
10 Make the heart of this people fat,
their ears heavy, and their eyes blind.
Else they would see with their eyes,
    and hear with their ears,
    and understand with their heart,
    and return, and be healed.”[e]

11 Then I said, “Adonai, how long?”

He answered,

“Until cities are laid waste
        and without inhabitant,
    houses are without people,
        and the land is utterly desolate.
12 Adonai will drive people far away.
    The desertion of the land will be vast.
13 Though a tenth still be in it,
    it will again be burned.
As a terebinth tree or as an oak
    whose stump remains when cut down,
    so the holy seed will be the stump.”

Reassurance Regarding a Threat

Now it came about in the days of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah, son of Remaliah of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. When it was reported to the house of David saying: “Aram is camped in Ephraim,” his heart as well as the heart of his people shook like the trees of the forest shaking with the wind.

Then Adonai said to Isaiah: “Go out now to meet Ahaz—you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, in the highway of the fullers’ field[f]; and say to him, ‘Keep calm and be quiet. Do not fear nor be faint-hearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram, nor of the son of Remaliah, because Aram has plotted harm against you, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah saying, “Let us go up against Judah, terrorize it, divide it for ourselves, and appoint Tabeel’s son as king in the midst of it.”

Prince of Peace

For to us a child is born,
    a son will be given to us,[a]
and the government will be upon His shoulder.[b]
His Name will be called
    Wonderful Counselor,[c]
    Mighty God
    My Father of Eternity,
    Prince of Peace.[d]
Of the increase of His government
    and shalom there will be no end—
on the throne of David and over His kingdom—
    to establish it and uphold it
    through justice and righteousness
    from now until forevermore.[e]
The zeal of Adonai-Tzva’ot
    will accomplish this.

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