Isaiah’s Commission

6 In the year that King Uzziah^(A) died,^(B) I saw the Lord,^(C) high and exalted,^(D) seated on a throne;^(E) and the train of his robe^(F) filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphim,^(G) each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet,^(H) and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:

⁴ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.^(M)

⁵ “Woe^(N) to me!” I cried. “I am ruined!^(O) For I am a man of unclean lips,^(P) and I live among a people of unclean lips,^(Q) and my eyes have seen^(R) the King,^(S) the Lord Almighty.”^(T)

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal^(U) in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips;^(V) your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.^(W)”

⁸ Then I heard the voice^(X) of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?^(Y) And who will go for us?^(Z)”

And I said, “Here am I.^(AA) Send me!”

⁵ Then the Lord came down in the cloud^(A) and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord.^{(B) 6} And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate^(C) and gracious God, slow to anger,^(D) abounding in love^(E) and faithfulness,^{(F) 7} maintaining love to thousands,^(G) and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.^(H) Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished;^(I) he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”^(J)

¹⁰ “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away^(A) because of^[a] them. How then can we live?^(B)”’ ¹¹ Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.^(C) Turn!^(D) Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’^(E)

⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,^(A) as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient^(B) with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.^(C)

³ This is good, and pleases^(A) God our Savior,^{(B) 4} who wants^(C) all people^(D) to be saved^(E) and to come to a knowledge of the truth.^{(F) 5} For there is one God^(G) and one mediator^(H) between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,^{(I) 6} who gave himself as a ransom^(J) for all people. This has now been witnessed to^(K) at the proper time.^(L)