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Isaiah 20-22
Contemporary English Version
Isaiah 20-22
Contemporary English Version
Isaiah Acts Out the Defeat of Egypt and Ethiopia
20 King Sargon of Assyria gave orders for his army commander to capture the city of Ashdod.[a] 2 About this same time the Lord had told me, “Isaiah, take off everything, including your sandals!” I did this and went around naked and barefoot 3 for three years.
Then the Lord said:
What Isaiah has done is a warning to Egypt and Ethiopia.[b] 4 Everyone in these two countries will be led away naked and barefoot by the king of Assyria. Young or old, they will be taken prisoner, and Egypt will be disgraced. 5 They will be confused and frustrated, because they depended on Ethiopia and bragged about Egypt. 6 When this happens, the people who live along the coast[c] will say, “Look what happened to them! We ran to them for safety, hoping they would protect us from the king of Assyria. But now, there is no escape for us.”
The Fall of Babylonia[d]
21 This is a message about a desert beside the sea:[e]
Enemies from a hostile nation
attack like a whirlwind
from the Southern Desert.
2 What a horrible vision
was shown to me—
a vision of betrayal
and destruction.
Tell Elam and Media[f]
to surround and attack
the Babylonians.
The Lord has sworn to end
the suffering they caused.
3 I'm in terrible pain
like a woman giving birth.
I'm shocked and hurt so much
that I can't hear or see.
4 My head spins; I'm horrified!
Early evening, my favorite time,
has become a nightmare.
5 In Babylon the high officials
were having a feast.
They were eating and drinking,
when someone shouted,
“Officers, take your places!
Grab your shields.”
6 The Lord said to me,
“Send guards
to find out
what's going on.
7 When they see cavalry troops
and columns of soldiers
on donkeys and camels,
tell them to be ready!”
8 Then a guard[g] said,
“I have stood day and night
on this watchtower, Lord.
9 (A) Now I see column after column
of cavalry troops.”
At once someone shouted,
“Babylon has fallen!
Every idol in the city
lies broken on the ground.”
10 Then I said, “My people,
you have suffered terribly,
but I have a message for you
from the Lord All-Powerful,
the God of Israel.”
How Much Longer?
11 This is a message about Dumah:
From the country of Seir,[h]
someone shouts to me,
“Guard, how much longer
before daylight?”
12 From my guard post, I answered,
“Morning will soon be here,
but night will return.
If you want to know more,
come back later.”
13 This is a message for Arabs who live in the barren desert in the region of Dedan:[i]
You must order your caravans
14 to bring water for those
who are thirsty.
You people of Tema[j]
must bring food
for the hungry refugees.
15 They are worn out and weary
from being chased by enemies
with swords and arrows.
16 The Lord said to me:
A year from now the glory of the people of Kedar[k] will all come to an end, just as a worker's contract ends after a year. 17 Only a few of their warriors will be left with bows and arrows. This is a promise that I, the Lord God of Israel, have made.
Trouble in Vision Valley
22 This is a message about Vision Valley:[l]
Why are you celebrating
on the flat roofs[m]
of your houses?
2 Your city is filled
with noisy shouts.
Those who lie drunk
in your streets
were not killed in battle.
3 Your leaders ran away,
but they were captured
without a fight.
No matter how far they ran,
they were found and caught.[n]
4 Then I said, “Leave me alone!
Let me cry bitter tears.
My people have been destroyed,
so don't try to comfort me.”
5 The Lord All-Powerful
had chosen a time
for noisy shouts and confusion
to fill Vision Valley,
and for everyone to beg
the mountains for help.[o]
6 The people of Elam and Kir[p]
attacked with chariots[q]
and carried shields.
7 Your most beautiful valleys
were covered with chariots;
your cities were surrounded
by cavalry troops.
8 Judah was left defenseless.
At that time you trusted in the weapons you had stored in Forest Palace.[r] 9 You saw the holes in the outer wall of Jerusalem, and you brought water from the lower pool.[s] 10 You counted the houses in Jerusalem and tore down some of them, so you could get stones to repair the city wall. 11 Then you built a large tank between the walls[t] to store the water. But you refused to trust the God who planned this long ago and made it happen.
A Time To Weep
12 When all of this happened,
the Lord All-Powerful told you
to weep and mourn,
to shave your heads,
and wear sackcloth.
13 (B) But instead, you celebrated
by feasting on beef and lamb
and by drinking wine,
because you said,
“Let's eat and drink today!
Tomorrow we may die.”
14 The Lord All-Powerful
has spoken to me
this solemn promise:
“I won't forgive them for this,
not as long as they live.”
Selfish Officials Are Doomed
15 The Lord All-Powerful is sending me with this message for Shebna, the prime minister:
16 Shebna, what gives you the right to have a tomb carved out of rock in this burial place of royalty? None of your relatives are buried here. 17 You may be powerful, but the Lord is about to snatch you up and throw you away. 18 He will roll you into a ball and throw you into a wide open country, where you will die and your chariots will be destroyed. You're a disgrace to those you serve.
19 The Lord is going to take away your job! 20-21 He will give your official robes and your authority to his servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah.
Eliakim will be like a father to the people of Jerusalem and to the royal family of Judah. 22 (C) The Lord will put him in charge of the key that belongs to King David's family. No one will be able to unlock what he locks, and no one will be able to lock what he unlocks. 23 The Lord will make him as firm in his position as a tent peg hammered in the ground, and Eliakim will bring honor to his family.
24 His children and relatives will be supported by him, like pans hanging from a peg on the wall. 25 That peg is fastened firmly now, but someday it will be shaken loose and fall down. Then everything that was hanging on it will be destroyed. This is what the Lord All-Powerful has promised.
Footnotes
- 20.1 Ashdod: King Sargon II of Assyria captured this Philistine city in 711 b.c.
- 20.3 Ethiopia: See the note at 11.11.
- 20.6 people … coast: Probably the Philistines.
- 21 Title Babylonia: King Cyrus and his army of Medes and Persians captured the city of Babylon in 539 b.c.
- 21.1 This … sea: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. The prophet may be speaking of Babylonia as a desert, because of the terrible punishment God will bring on it. The southern part of Babylonia on the Persian Gulf was sometimes called “the land beside the sea.”
- 21.2 Elam and Media: People from the Iranian highlands; the capital of Elam was Susa, in the hill country east of Babylon.
- 21.8 guard: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text has “lion.”
- 21.11 Dumah … Seir: Dumah was an oasis in the Arabian desert. One ancient translation has “Edom,” which may be what is meant. Seir is a mountainous region of Edom southwest of the Dead Sea.
- 21.13 Dedan: A region in northwest Arabia.
- 21.14 Tema: A region in north Arabia.
- 21.16 Kedar: A region in the Arabian desert.
- 22.1 Vision Valley: The exact location is not known. In Hebrew the name sounds something like “Hinnom Valley,” where the people of Jerusalem sometimes offered human sacrifices to the gods of Canaan.
- 22.1 flat roofs: In Palestine the houses usually had a flat roof. Stairs on the outside led up to the roof, which was made of beams and boards covered with packed earth.
- 22.3 No matter … caught: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 22.5 and for … help: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 22.6 Elam and Kir: Regions in the Iranian highlands.
- 22.6 chariots: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 22.8 Forest Palace: Built by Solomon (1 Kings 7.2) and used as a place for storing weapons.
- 22.9 the lower pool: Mentioned only here; probably in the southern part of the Central Valley (Tyropoean Valley) of Jerusalem.
- 22.11 between the walls: Some cities had two walls with a space between them. If the enemy broke through the outer wall, the city was still protected by the inner wall. The houses that were torn down to repair the outer wall were probably squatters' huts that had been built between the two walls.
Isaiah 20-22
New International Version
Isaiah 20-22
New International Version
A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush
20 In the year that the supreme commander,(A) sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod(B) and attacked and captured it— 2 at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz.(C) He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth(D) from your body and the sandals(E) from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped(F) and barefoot.(G)
3 Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant(H) Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years,(I) as a sign(J) and portent(K) against Egypt(L) and Cush,[a](M) 4 so the king(N) of Assyria will lead away stripped(O) and barefoot the Egyptian captives(P) and Cushite(Q) exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared(R)—to Egypt’s shame.(S) 5 Those who trusted(T) in Cush(U) and boasted in Egypt(V) will be dismayed and put to shame.(W) 6 In that day(X) the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened(Y) to those we relied on,(Z) those we fled to for help(AA) and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?(AB)’”
A Prophecy Against Babylon
21 A prophecy(AC) against the Desert(AD) by the Sea:
Like whirlwinds(AE) sweeping through the southland,(AF)
an invader comes from the desert,
from a land of terror.
2 A dire(AG) vision has been shown to me:
The traitor betrays,(AH) the looter takes loot.
Elam,(AI) attack! Media,(AJ) lay siege!
I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.
3 At this my body is racked with pain,(AK)
pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor;(AL)
I am staggered by what I hear,
I am bewildered(AM) by what I see.
4 My heart(AN) falters,
fear makes me tremble;(AO)
the twilight I longed for
has become a horror(AP) to me.
5 They set the tables,
they spread the rugs,
they eat, they drink!(AQ)
Get up, you officers,
oil the shields!(AR)
6 This is what the Lord says to me:
“Go, post a lookout(AS)
and have him report what he sees.
7 When he sees chariots(AT)
with teams of horses,
riders on donkeys
or riders on camels,(AU)
let him be alert,
fully alert.”
8 And the lookout[b](AV) shouted,
“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower;
every night I stay at my post.
9 Look, here comes a man in a chariot(AW)
with a team of horses.
And he gives back the answer:
‘Babylon(AX) has fallen,(AY) has fallen!
All the images of its gods(AZ)
lie shattered(BA) on the ground!’”
10 My people who are crushed on the threshing floor,(BB)
I tell you what I have heard
from the Lord Almighty,
from the God of Israel.
A Prophecy Against Edom
11 A prophecy against Dumah[c]:(BC)
Someone calls to me from Seir,(BD)
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12 The watchman replies,
“Morning is coming, but also the night.
If you would ask, then ask;
and come back yet again.”
A Prophecy Against Arabia
13 A prophecy(BE) against Arabia:(BF)
You caravans of Dedanites,(BG)
who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
14 bring water for the thirsty;
you who live in Tema,(BH)
bring food for the fugitives.
15 They flee(BI) from the sword,(BJ)
from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow
and from the heat of battle.
16 This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract(BK) would count it, all the splendor(BL) of Kedar(BM) will come to an end. 17 The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.(BN)” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.(BO)
A Prophecy About Jerusalem
22 A prophecy(BP) against the Valley(BQ) of Vision:(BR)
What troubles you now,
that you have all gone up on the roofs,(BS)
2 you town so full of commotion,
you city of tumult(BT) and revelry?(BU)
Your slain(BV) were not killed by the sword,(BW)
nor did they die in battle.
3 All your leaders have fled(BX) together;
they have been captured(BY) without using the bow.
All you who were caught were taken prisoner together,
having fled while the enemy was still far away.
4 Therefore I said, “Turn away from me;
let me weep(BZ) bitterly.
Do not try to console me
over the destruction of my people.”(CA)
5 The Lord, the Lord Almighty, has a day(CB)
of tumult and trampling(CC) and terror(CD)
in the Valley of Vision,(CE)
a day of battering down walls(CF)
and of crying out to the mountains.
6 Elam(CG) takes up the quiver,(CH)
with her charioteers and horses;
Kir(CI) uncovers the shield.
7 Your choicest valleys(CJ) are full of chariots,
and horsemen are posted at the city gates.(CK)
8 The Lord stripped away the defenses of Judah,
and you looked in that day(CL)
to the weapons(CM) in the Palace of the Forest.(CN)
9 You saw that the walls of the City of David
were broken through(CO) in many places;
you stored up water
in the Lower Pool.(CP)
10 You counted the buildings in Jerusalem
and tore down houses(CQ) to strengthen the wall.(CR)
11 You built a reservoir between the two walls(CS)
for the water of the Old Pool,(CT)
but you did not look to the One who made it,
or have regard(CU) for the One who planned(CV) it long ago.
12 The Lord, the Lord Almighty,
called you on that day(CW)
to weep(CX) and to wail,
to tear out your hair(CY) and put on sackcloth.(CZ)
13 But see, there is joy and revelry,(DA)
slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep,
eating of meat and drinking of wine!(DB)
“Let us eat and drink,” you say,
“for tomorrow we die!”(DC)
14 The Lord Almighty has revealed this in my hearing:(DD) “Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned(DE) for,” says the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
15 This is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:
“Go, say to this steward,
to Shebna(DF) the palace(DG) administrator:(DH)
16 What are you doing here and who gave you permission
to cut out a grave(DI) for yourself(DJ) here,
hewing your grave on the height
and chiseling your resting place in the rock?
17 “Beware, the Lord is about to take firm hold of you
and hurl(DK) you away, you mighty man.
18 He will roll you up tightly like a ball
and throw(DL) you into a large country.
There you will die
and there the chariots(DM) you were so proud of
will become a disgrace to your master’s house.
19 I will depose you from your office,
and you will be ousted(DN) from your position.(DO)
20 “In that day(DP) I will summon my servant,(DQ) Eliakim(DR) son of Hilkiah. 21 I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash(DS) around him and hand your authority(DT) over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. 22 I will place on his shoulder(DU) the key(DV) to the house of David;(DW) what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.(DX) 23 I will drive him like a peg(DY) into a firm place;(DZ) he will become a seat[d] of honor(EA) for the house of his father. 24 All the glory of his family will hang on him: its offspring and offshoots—all its lesser vessels, from the bowls to all the jars.
25 “In that day,(EB)” declares the Lord Almighty, “the peg(EC) driven into the firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and will fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut down.” The Lord has spoken.(ED)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 20:3 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verse 5
- Isaiah 21:8 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac; Masoretic Text A lion
- Isaiah 21:11 Dumah, a wordplay on Edom, means silence or stillness.
- Isaiah 22:23 Or throne
Ephesians 6
Contemporary English Version
Ephesians 6
Contemporary English Version
Children and Parents
6 (A) Children, you belong to the Lord, and you do the right thing when you obey your parents. The first commandment with a promise says, 2 (B) “Obey your father and your mother, 3 and you will have a long and happy life.”
4 (C) Parents, don't be hard on your children. Raise them properly. Teach them and instruct them about the Lord.
Slaves and Masters
5 (D) Slaves, you must obey your earthly masters. Show them great respect and be as loyal to them as you are to Christ. 6 Try to please them at all times, and not just when you think they are watching. You are slaves of Christ, so with your whole heart you must do what God wants you to do. 7 Gladly serve your masters, as though they were the Lord himself, and not simply people. 8 You know that you will be rewarded for any good things you do, whether you are slaves or free.
9 (E) Slave owners, you must treat your slaves with this same respect. Don't threaten them. They have the same Master in heaven that you do, and he doesn't have favorites.
The Fight against Evil
10 Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. 11 (F) Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks. 12 We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. 13 So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day[a] comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.
14 (G)(H) Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God's justice protect you like armor. 15 (I) Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet. 16 Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 (J) Let God's saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God's message that comes from the Spirit.
18 Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God's people. 19 Pray that I will be given the message to speak and that I may fearlessly explain the mystery about the good news. 20 I was sent to do this work, and this is the reason I am in jail. So pray that I will be brave and will speak as I should.
Final Greetings
21-22 (K) I want you to know how I am getting along and what I am doing. This is why I am sending Tychicus to you. He is a dear friend, as well as a faithful servant of the Lord. He will tell you how I am doing, and he will cheer you up.
23 I pray that God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will give peace, love, and faith to every follower! 24 May God be kind to everyone who keeps on loving our Lord Jesus Christ.
Footnotes
- 6.13 that evil day: Either the present (see 5.16) or “the day of death” or “the day of judgment.”
Ephesians 6
New International Version
Ephesians 6
New International Version
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.(A) 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”[a](B)
4 Fathers,[b] do not exasperate your children;(C) instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.(D)
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect(E) and fear, and with sincerity of heart,(F) just as you would obey Christ.(G) 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ,(H) doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,(I) 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do,(J) whether they are slave or free.
9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours(K) is in heaven, and there is no favoritism(L) with him.
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord(M) and in his mighty power.(N) 11 Put on the full armor of God,(O) so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,(P) but against the rulers, against the authorities,(Q) against the powers(R) of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.(S) 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God,(T) so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,(U) with the breastplate of righteousness in place,(V) 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.(W) 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,(X) with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.(Y) 17 Take the helmet of salvation(Z) and the sword of the Spirit,(AA) which is the word of God.(AB)
18 And pray in the Spirit(AC) on all occasions(AD) with all kinds of prayers and requests.(AE) With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying(AF) for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me,(AG) that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly(AH) make known the mystery(AI) of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador(AJ) in chains.(AK) Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Final Greetings
21 Tychicus,(AL) the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are,(AM) and that he may encourage you.(AN)
23 Peace(AO) to the brothers and sisters,[c] and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.[d]
Footnotes
- Ephesians 6:3 Deut. 5:16
- Ephesians 6:4 Or Parents
- Ephesians 6:23 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.
- Ephesians 6:24 Or Grace and immortality to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.
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