Isaiah 34:5-17
Expanded Bible
5 The Lord’s sword in the ·sky [heavens] ·is covered with [has drunk its fill of] blood.
It will ·cut through [L descend upon] Edom
and ·destroy those people as an offering to the Lord [on the people who are devoted to destruction for judgment; v. 2; Josh. 6:21].
6 The Lord’s sword will be covered with blood;
it will be covered with fat,
with the blood from lambs and goats,
with the fat from the kidneys of ·sheep [rams].
This is because the Lord ·decided there will be [L has] a sacrifice in Bozrah [C the capital of Edom]
and ·much killing [a great slaughter] in the land of Edom.
7 The wild oxen will ·be killed [L fall with them],
and the ·cattle [or young bulls] and the strong ·bulls [L ones; C perhaps referring to Edom’s leaders].
The land will ·be filled with [drink its fill of] their blood,
and the dirt will be covered with their fat.
8 The Lord has chosen a time for punishment.
He has chosen a year ·when people must pay [of retribution/recompense] for the ·wrongs they did to [or the cause of] ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple].
9 Edom’s rivers will be like ·hot tar [pitch].
Its ·dirt [dust] will be like ·burning sulfur [T brimstone].
Its land will be like burning ·tar [pitch].
10 The fires will ·burn [L not be quenched] night and day;
the smoke will rise from Edom forever.
·Year after year [L From generation to generation] that land will be ·empty [desolate];
no one will ever ·travel [pass] through that land again.
11 ·Birds [Desert owls; or Pelicans] and ·small animals [screech owl; or porcupine] will own that land,
and owls and ravens will live there.
·God [L He] will ·make it an empty wasteland [L stretch over it a measuring line of confusion/chaos];
·it will have nothing left in it [L and the plumb line of desolation; C like a careful craftsman, God has planned Edom’s judgment].
12 The ·important people [nobles] will have ·no one left to rule them [or nothing to call a kingdom];
the ·leaders [officials; princes] will ·all be gone [or be nothing].
13 Thorns will ·take over [overrun] the ·strong towers [strongholds; citadels],
and wild bushes will grow in the ·walled cities [fortresses].
It will be a home for ·wild dogs [jackals]
and a place for ·owls [or ostriches] to live.
14 Desert animals will live with the hyenas,
and wild goats will call to their friends.
Night animals will live there
and find a place of rest.
15 Owls will nest there and lay eggs.
When they hatch open, the owls will gather their young under their ·wings [L shadow].
Hawks will gather
with ·their own kind [or its mate].
16 ·Look at [L Search] the Lord’s scroll and read what is written there:
None of these will be missing;
none will be without its mate.
·God [L For his mouth] has given the command,
so his Spirit will gather them together.
17 God has ·divided the land among [or cast the lot for] them,
and he has ·given [measured to] them each their portion.
So they will ·own [possess] that land forever
and will live there ·year after year [from generation to generation].
Isaiah 34:5-17
New American Standard Bible
5 For (A)My sword has drunk its fill in heaven;
Behold it shall descend for judgment upon (B)Edom,
And upon the people whom I have (C)designated for destruction.
6 The sword of the Lord is filled with blood,
It drips with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats,
With the fat of the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice in (D)Bozrah,
And a great slaughter in the land of (E)Edom.
7 (F)Wild oxen will also [a]fall with them
And (G)young bulls with strong ones;
So their land will be (H)soaked with blood,
And their dust [b]become greasy with fat.
8 For the Lord has a day of (I)vengeance,
A year of retribution for the [c]cause of Zion.
9 [d]Its streams will be turned into pitch,
And its loose earth into (J)brimstone,
And its land will become burning pitch.
10 It will (K)not be extinguished night or day;
Its (L)smoke will go up forever.
From (M)generation to generation it will be desolate;
(N)None will pass through it forever and ever.
11 But [e](O)pelican and hedgehog will possess it,
And [f]owl and raven will dwell in it;
And He will stretch over it the (P)line of [g]desolation
And the [h]plumb line of emptiness.
12 Its nobles—there is (Q)no one there
Whom they may proclaim king—
And all its officials will be (R)nothing.
13 Thorns will come up in its (S)fortified towers,
Weeds and thistles in its fortified cities;
It will also be a haunt of (T)jackals
And a habitat of ostriches.
14 The desert (U)creatures will meet with the [i]wolves,
The [j](V)goat also will cry to its kind.
Yes, the [k]night-bird will settle there
And will find herself a resting place.
15 The tree snake will make its nest and lay eggs there,
And it will hatch and gather them under its [l]protection.
Yes, (W)the [m]hawks will be gathered there,
Every one with its kind.
16 Seek from the (X)book of the Lord, and read:
Not one of these will be missing;
None will lack its mate.
For [n](Y)His mouth has commanded,
And His Spirit has gathered them.
17 He has cast the (Z)lot for them,
And His hand has divided it to them by the (AA)measuring line.
They shall possess it forever;
From (AB)generation to generation they will dwell in it.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 34:7 Lit go down
- Isaiah 34:7 Lit made fat
- Isaiah 34:8 Or controversy
- Isaiah 34:9 I.e., Edom’s
- Isaiah 34:11 Or owl; or jackdaw
- Isaiah 34:11 Or great horned owl
- Isaiah 34:11 Or formlessness
- Isaiah 34:11 Lit stones of void
- Isaiah 34:14 Or howling creatures
- Isaiah 34:14 Or goat demon
- Isaiah 34:14 Or a demon; Heb Lilith
- Isaiah 34:15 Lit shade
- Isaiah 34:15 Or kites
- Isaiah 34:16 As in DSS; MT My
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