Now on that day the (A)glory of Jacob will [a]fade,
And (B)the fatness of his flesh will become lean.
It will be (C)like the [b]reaper gathering the standing grain,
As his arm harvests the ears,
Or it will be like one gleaning ears of grain
In the (D)Valley of Rephaim.
Yet (E)gleanings will be left in it like the [c]shaking of an olive tree,
Two or three olives on the topmost branch,
Four or five on the branches of a fruitful tree,
Declares the Lord, the God of Israel.
On that day man will (F)look to his Maker
And his eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel.
And he will not look to the (G)altars, the work of his hands,
Nor will he look to that which his (H)fingers have made,
Even the [d](I)Asherim and incense altars.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 17:4 Lit become little
  2. Isaiah 17:5 Lit gathering of the harvest, the standing grain
  3. Isaiah 17:6 Lit striking
  4. Isaiah 17:8 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)

A Time of Weakness for Israel

“At that time,[a] Jacob’s glory will have become weakened,
    and his strong[b] flesh will turn gaunt;
it will be as if harvesters gather standing grain,
    reaping the ears by hand,[c]
or it will be as if grain is harvested
    in the valley of Rephaim.[d]
Nevertheless, gleanings will remain in Israel,[e]
    as when an olive tree is beaten—[f]
two or three ripe olives left in the topmost branches,
    four or five left among the branches of a fruit-filled tree,”[g]
        declares the Lord God of Israel.

Revival to Come to Israel

At that time, men will look upon[h] their Maker, and their eyes will honor the Holy One of Israel. They will not look upon[i] the altars, the products[j] that their own fingers[k] have made, and they will have no regard for Asherah poles[l] or incense altars.[m]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 17:4 Lit. On that day
  2. Isaiah 17:4 Lit. fat
  3. Isaiah 17:5 Lit. ears with his arm
  4. Isaiah 17:5 Lit. Giants
  5. Isaiah 17:6 Lit. it
  6. Isaiah 17:6 Or harvested
  7. Isaiah 17:6 So 1QIsaa; MT reads among its branches
  8. Isaiah 17:7 So 1QIsaa; cf. LXX; MT reads to
  9. Isaiah 17:8 So 1QIsaa; cf. LXX; MT reads to
  10. Isaiah 17:8 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read the product
  11. Isaiah 17:8 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read hands
  12. Isaiah 17:8 I.e. images of the Babylonian-Canaanite goddess of fortune
  13. Isaiah 17:8 So 1QIsaa MT; LXX reads for trees or for their abominations