Bible in 90 Days
Israel Will Return Home
14 The Lord will ·show mercy to [have compassion on] the ·people of Jacob [L Jacob], and he will again choose ·the people of Israel [L Israel]. He will settle them in their own land. Then ·non-Israelite people [foreigners; strangers] will join the Israelites and will ·become a part of [unite with; attach to] the ·family [L house] of Jacob. 2 Nations will take the Israelites back to their ·land [place]. Then those men and women from the other nations will become ·slaves [servants] to Israel in the Lord’s land. Israel will capture those who had captured them and will rule over ·those who had ruled them [their oppressors].
The King of Babylon Will Fall
3 The Lord will ·take away the Israelites’ hard work and will comfort them [L give you rest/relief from your suffering/pain and turmoil]. ·They [L You] will no longer have to work hard as slaves. 4 On that day ·Israel [L you] will sing this ·song about [or taunt against] the king of Babylon:
The ·cruel king who ruled us [L oppressor] is finished;
his ·angry rule [arrogant fury; hostility] is finished!
5 The Lord has ·taken away the power [broken the club/rod/staff] of the wicked
and the ·scepter [staff] of evil rulers
6 ·The king of Babylon [L …which] struck ·people [or nations] in anger
·again and again [with endless blows].
He ruled nations in anger
·and continued to hurt them [with unrelenting oppression/aggression].
7 But now, the whole world rests and is quiet.
Now the people begin to sing.
8 Even the ·pine trees [junipers; evergreens; cypresses] ·are happy [rejoice at you],
and the cedar trees of Lebanon rejoice.
They say, “The king has ·fallen [been laid low],
so no ·one [woodcutter] will ever cut us down again.”
9 ·The place of the dead [or The grave; L Sheol] is ·excited [stirred up]
to meet you when you come.
It wakes the ·spirits of the dead [ghosts],
the ·leaders [L rams] of the world.
It makes kings of all nations
·stand up from their thrones to greet you [L rise up from their thrones].
10 All these leaders will ·make fun of you [L respond]
and will say,
“Now you are weak, as we are.
Now you are just like us.”
11 Your ·pride [or pomp; splendor] has been sent down to ·the place of the dead [or the grave; L Sheol].
The music from your harps goes with it.
·Flies [or Maggots] are spread out like your bed beneath you,
and worms cover your body like a blanket.
12 How you have fallen from heaven,
·morning star [or day star; or shining one; C still addressing the king of Babylon, though sometimes applied to Satan],
·even though you were as bright as the rising sun [L son of the dawn]!
In the past all the nations on earth ·bowed down before you [or were laid low by you],
but now you have been cut down.
13 You told yourself,
“I will ·go up to heaven [or ascend to the sky].
I will put my throne
above God’s stars.
I will ·sit [or rule] on the mountain of the ·gods [L assembly],
on the slopes of ·the sacred mountain [or the north; or Mount Zaphon; C known as the mountain of Baal].
14 I will ·go up [ascend] above the ·tops [or high places] of the clouds.
I will be like God Most High.”
15 But you were brought down to ·the grave [or the place of the dead; L Sheol],
to the deep places ·where the dead are [L of the pit].
16 Those who see you stare at you.
They ·think about [ponder] what has happened to you
and say, “Is this the same man who ·caused great fear on [L shook the] earth,
who ·shook [made to tremble] the kingdoms,
17 who turned the world into a desert,
who ·destroyed [overthrew] its cities,
who captured people in war
and would not let them go home?”
18 Every king of the nations ·has been buried with honor [lies in glory],
each in his own ·grave [L house].
19 But you are thrown out of your grave,
like an ·unwanted [loathed; rejected] branch.
·You are covered by bodies [L Clothed with the slain]
that ·died in battle [L were pierced with a sword],
by bodies to be buried in a rocky pit.
You are like a ·dead body other soldiers walk on [trampled corpse].
20 You will not be buried with those bodies,
because you ruined your own country
and killed your own people.
·The children [or May the offspring/descendants] of evil people
will never be mentioned again.
21 Prepare to ·kill his children [execute/slaughter his sons],
·because their father is guilty [for the sins of their fathers/ancestors].
They will never ·again take control of [L rise and possess] the earth;
they will never again fill the ·world [surface/L face of the earth/world] with their cities.
22 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says this:
“I will ·fight [L rise up] against those people;
I will ·destroy [L cut off from] Babylon ·and its people [L its name and remnant/survivors],
its ·children [offspring] and their ·descendants [posterity],” says the Lord.
23 “I will make Babylon fit only for ·owls [or hedgehogs; or porcupines]
and for swamps.
I will sweep Babylon as with a broom of destruction,”
says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
God Will Punish Assyria
24 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has ·made this promise [sworn this oath]:
“These things will happen exactly as I planned them;
they will happen exactly as I ·set them up [purposed them].
25 I will ·destroy [crush; break] ·the king of Assyria [L Assyria] in my ·country [land];
I will trample him on my mountains.
His yoke [C oppressive rule] will be taken off my people,
And his burden will be removed from their shoulders.
26 “This is what I plan to do for all the earth.
And this is the hand that I have ·raised [stretched out] over all nations.”
27 When the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] makes a plan,
·no one [L who…?] can stop it.
When the Lord ·raises his hand to punish people [L stretches out his hand],
·no one [L who…?] can stop it.
God’s Message to Philistia
28 This message was given in the year that King Ahaz died [C about 715 bc]:
29 Country of Philistia, don’t ·be happy [rejoice]
that the ·king [L club; rod] who struck you is now ·dead [broken; C either the king of Assyria or Ahaz, king of Judah].
He is like a snake that will give birth to another dangerous snake [L For from the snake’s/serpent’s root will come a viper/adder].
·The new king will be like a quick, dangerous snake to bite you [L its offspring/fruit will be a darting/flying poisonous/fiery adder].
30 Even the ·poorest of my people [or firstborn of the poor] will ·be able to eat safely [find pasture; graze in pasure],
and people in need will be able to lie down in safety.
But I will kill your ·family [L root] with ·hunger [famine],
and ·all your people who are left will die [L it will slay your survivors/remnant].
31 ·People near the city gates, cry out [L Wail, gate, and cry out, city]!
Philistines, ·be frightened [melt away],
because a cloud of ·dust [or smoke] comes from the north [C evidence of an approaching army].
·Full of men ready to fight [L And there is no straggler/loner in its ranks].
32 What shall we tell the messengers ·from Philistia [L of the nation]?
Say that the Lord has made ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] strong
and that his ·poor [oppressed; afflicted] people will go there for ·safety [refuge].
God’s Message to Moab
15 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Moab:
In one night ·armies took the wealth from Ar in Moab [or Ar of Moab is destroyed/laid waste],
and ·it [or Moab] was ·destroyed [ruined].
In one night ·armies took the wealth from Kir in Moab [or Kir is destroyed/laid waste],
and it [or Moab] was ·destroyed [ruined].
2 The ·people of Dibon [L Dibon] go to the ·places of worship [temple; L house] to ·cry [lament; weep].
The people of Moab ·cry [wail] for the cities of Nebo and Medeba.
Every head is ·shaved [L bald]
and every beard is cut off [C signs of sorrow, mourning, or humiliation].
3 In the streets they wear ·rough cloth [sackcloth; C to show their sadness].
On the roofs [C roofs were flat and used as living and storage space in Palestine] and in the public squares,
they are ·crying loudly [wailing], ·with tears streaming down [or falling down weeping].
4 ·People in the cities Heshbon and Elealeh [L Heshbon and Elealeh] cry out loud.
You can hear their voices far away in the city Jahaz.
Even the ·soldiers [armed men] ·are frightened [cry out; shout in terror];
·they are shaking with fear [L his soul wavers/trembles].
5 My heart cries with sorrow for Moab.
Its ·people [fugitives] ·run away to Zoar for safety [L flee to Zoar];
they run to Eglath Shelishiyah.
People are going up the ·mountain road to [ascent of] Luhith,
·crying [weeping] as they go.
People are going on the road to Horonaim,
·crying over [lamenting] their destruction.
6 But the water of Nimrim ·has dried up [are devastated/desolate].
The grass has dried up,
and all the plants ·are dead [have failed/disappeared];
nothing green is left.
7 So the people gather up what they have ·saved [stored up]
and carry it across the ·Ravine [Brook; Stream] of the Poplars.
8 Crying ·is heard everywhere in [or echoes throughout the borders of] Moab.
Their ·crying [wailing; howling] is heard as far away as the city Eglaim;
it is heard as far away as Beer Elim.
9 The water of the city Dibon is full of blood,
and I, the Lord, will bring even more troubles to Dibon.
·I will send lions to kill [L A lion for] ·those left in [the fugitives of] Moab
And ·those who remain in [the remnant/survivors of] the land.
16 Send lambs [C as tribute payment] to the ·king [ruler] of the land
Send it from Sela [C an Edomite city, later the Nabatean capital called Petra] through the desert
to the mountain of ·Jerusalem [L the daughter of Zion; C Zion was the location of the Temple; 1:8].
2 The women of Moab
·try to cross the river [L at the fords of] Arnon
like little birds
·that have fallen [or pushed away; or scattered] from their nest.
3 They say: “·Help us [or Make a decision].
·Tell us what to do [or Grant us justice].
Protect us from our enemies
as ·shade [L shade like night] protects us from the noon sun.
·Hide us, because we are running for safety [L Shelter the fugitives/outcasts]!
Don’t ·give us to our enemies [betray/uncover the refugee].
4 Let ·those of us who were forced out [the fugitives/outcasts] of Moab live ·in your land [L among you].
Hide ·us [L them] from ·our enemies [L the destroyer].”
The ·enemy [oppressor] will ·be defeated [come to an end].
The ·robbing of Moab [L destruction] will stop;
those who ·hurt others [L trample] will disappear from the land.
5 Then a ·new loyal king will come [L throne will be established in faithfulness/lovingkindness];
·this faithful king will be from the family of David [L he will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David; 9:1–7; 11:1–16].
He will judge ·fairly [with justice]
and ·do what is right [hasten righteousness].
6 We have heard that the people of Moab are proud
and very conceited.
They are very proud and angry,
but their bragging ·means nothing [is empty].
7 So ·the people of Moab will cry [L Moab wails for Moab];
they will all ·be sad [wail].
They will ·moan and groan [or mourn, utterly stricken]
for the raisin cakes [C perhaps associated with pagan ritual (Hos. 3:1); also known as an aphrodisiac (Song 2:5)] they had in Kir Hareseth.
8 But the fields of Heshbon ·cannot grow grapes [wither; dry up; L languish];
and the vines of Sibmah dry up;
·foreign rulers [L lords of the nations] have ·destroyed [struck down] the ·grapevines [choice plants].
The grapevines once spread as far as the city of Jazer and into the desert;
they had spread as far as the sea [C probably the Dead Sea].
9 I ·cry [weep] with the people of Jazer
for the grapevines of Sibmah.
I will ·cry with the [or drench you with tears, you] people of Heshbon and Elealeh.
·There will be no shouts of joy,
because there will be no harvest or ripe fruit [or Your enemies shout for joy over your fruit and harvest].
10 There will be no joy and happiness in the orchards
and no songs or shouts of joy in the vineyards.
No one ·makes [treads/stomps out] wine in the winepresses,
because I have put an end to shouts of joy.
11 My ·heart cries [inner parts moan/sigh] for Moab like a ·harp playing a funeral song [L harp];
·I am very sad [L my inner being] for Kir Hareseth.
12 The people of Moab will ·go to their places of worship [L appear and grow weary at their high places]
and will try to pray.
But when they go to their temple to pray,
they will not be able.
13 Earlier the Lord said these things about Moab. 14 Now the Lord says, “In three years ·all those people and what they take pride in [L the glory of Moab] will be ·hated [despised]. (This is three years as a hired helper would count time [C meaning carefully calculated, so as to be properly paid; 21:16].) There will be a few people left, but they will be ·weak [feeble].”
God’s Message to Aram
17 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Damascus:
“[L Look; T Behold] The city of Damascus will ·be destroyed [L cease to be];
only ruins will remain.
2 The cities of Aroer will be ·abandoned [deserted; desolate].
·Flocks will wander freely in those empty towns [L They will be for flocks];
they will lie down and no one will ·bother [disturb; frighten] them.
3 The ·strong, walled [fortified] cities of ·Israel [L Ephraim; C the most influential tribe of the northern kingdom of Israel] will be destroyed.
The ·government in Damascus will end [L kingdom from Damascus; C the capital of Syria].
·Those left alive [The remnant] of Aram [C Syria] will be
like the glory of Israel,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
4 “·At that time [L In that day] ·Israel’s wealth [L Jacob’s glory] will ·all be gone [or fade; wane].
·Israel will be like a body wasting away from sickness [L The fatness of his flesh will grow lean].
5 That time will be like the grain harvest in the Valley of Rephaim.
The workers cut the wheat.
Then they cut the heads of grain from the plants
and collect the grain.
6 That time will also be like ·the olive harvest [when an olive tree is beaten],
when ·a few olives [L gleanings] are left [24:13].
Two or three olives are left in the top branches.
Four or five olives are left on full branches,” says the Lord, the God of Israel.
7 ·At that time [L In that day] people will look to their Maker;
their eyes will ·see [or L look toward] the Holy One of Israel [1:4].
8 They will not trust the altars ·they have made [L the work of their hands],
nor will they trust what their ·hands [L fingers] have made,
not even the ·Asherah idols [L Asherahs; C sacred trees or poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah] and ·altars [incense altars].
9 ·At that time [L In that day] all their strong cities will be empty. They will be like the ·cities the Hivites and [or wooded heights] the Amorites left when the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] came to take the land. Everything will be ruined.
10 You have forgotten the God who ·saves [rescues] you;
you have not remembered ·that God is your place of safety [L the Rock, your stronghold/strength].
You plant ·the finest [beautiful; pleasant] plants
and grapevines from ·faraway [exotic; foreign] places.
11 You plant your grapevines one day and try to make them grow,
and ·the next day [in the morning] you make them blossom.
But ·at harvest time everything will be dead [L the harvest will be a heap/disaster];
·a sickness will kill all the plants [L in the day of disease and incurable pain].
12 ·Listen [or Woe] to the many people!
·Their crying is like the noise from the sea [They rage/roar like the raging/roaring sea].
·Listen [or Woe] to the nations!
Their ·crying [roar] is like the ·crashing [roaring] of great ·waves [waters].
13 The people roar like the ·waves [roaring of many waters],
but when ·God [L he] ·speaks harshly to [shouts at; rebukes] them, they will ·run [flee far] away.
They will be like chaff on the hills being blown by the wind,
or like ·tumbleweeds [L a rolling thing] blown away by a storm.
14 ·At night [L In the time of evening] ·the people will be very frightened [L look/T behold, terror!].
Before morning, ·no one will be left [the enemy will be gone; L he is no more].
This is the ·fate [portion] of those who ·steal from [plunder] us,
and ·what happens to [the lot of] those who ·rob [loot] us.
God’s Message to Cush
18 ·How terrible it will be for [Woe to; or Listen,] the land beyond the rivers of ·Cush [or Ethiopia; C the upper Nile region].
·It is filled with the sound of wings [L …the land of buzzing wings; or …the land of flapping sails].
2 That land sends ·messengers [envoys; ambassadors] across the sea;
they go on the water in boats made of ·reeds [papyrus; C light and speedy].
Go, ·quick [swiftly] messengers,
to a people who are tall and smooth-skinned,
who are feared ·everywhere [far and wide].
They are a powerful nation ·that defeats other nations [or who speak a strange language].
Their land is divided by rivers.
3 All you ·people [inhabitants] of the world, look!
Everyone who lives in the world, look!
You will see a ·banner [standard; signal flag] raised on a mountain.
You will hear a trumpet sound.
4 The Lord said to me,
“I will quietly watch from ·where I live [my dwelling place],
like ·heat in the sunshine [L glowing heat upon the light],
like ·the dew [L a cloud of dew] in the heat of harvest time.”
5 The time will come, after the flowers have bloomed and before the harvest,
when ·new grapes will be budding and growing [the flower becomes a ripening grape].
·The enemy [or The Lord; L He] will cut the plants with pruning knives;
he will cut down the ·vines [branches; tendrils] and take them away.
6 They will be left for the ·birds [or birds of prey] of the mountains
and for the wild animals.
Birds will feed on them all summer,
and wild animals will eat them that winter.”
7 ·At that time [L In that day] ·a gift [tribute] will be brought to the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
from the people who are tall and smooth-skinned,
who are feared ·everywhere [far and wide].
They are a powerful nation ·that defeats other nations [or who speak a strange language].
Their land is divided by rivers.
These gifts will be brought to the place ·of [L of the name of] the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts],
to Mount Zion.
God’s Message to Egypt
19 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Egypt:
Look, the Lord is coming on a ·fast [swift] cloud
to enter Egypt.
The idols of Egypt will tremble before him,
and Egypt’s ·courage [heart] will melt away.
2 The Lord says, “I will ·cause the Egyptians to fight against themselves [L provoke Egypt against Egypt].
People will fight with their ·relatives [brothers];
neighbors will fight neighbors;
cities will fight cities;
kingdoms will fight kingdoms.
3 The Egyptians will ·be afraid [lose heart],
and I will ·ruin their plans [confuse their counsel].
They will ·ask advice from [consult] their idols and spirits of the dead,
from their mediums and ·fortune-tellers [magicians; necromancers].”
4 The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says,
“I will hand Egypt ·over to [L into the hand of] a hard master,
and a ·powerful [fierce] king will rule over them.”
5 The ·sea [or river; L waters] will become dry,
and the ·water will disappear from the Nile River [L river will be parched and dry].
6 The canals will stink;
the streams of Egypt will decrease and dry up.
All the ·water plants [L reeds and bulrushes] will rot;
7 all the plants along the banks of the Nile will die.
Even the ·planted [cultivated] fields by the Nile
will dry up, blow away, and disappear [C catastrophic, since the Nile was essential to Egypt’s existence].
8 The fishermen, all those who ·catch fish from [L cast hooks into] the Nile,
will groan and ·cry [lament];
those who ·fish in the Nile [L spread nets on the water] will ·be sad [grieve; lose heart].
9 All the people who make cloth from flax will ·be sad [despair; or be ashamed],
and those who weave linen will ·lose hope [turn pale].
10 Those who ·weave cloth [or are its foundations] will be broken.
All those who work for ·money [wages] will be ·sad [L grieved in their soul].
11 The officers of the city of Zoan [C probably Tanis, the Egyptian city nearest Israel] are fools;
the wise ·men who advise the king of Egypt [counselors/advisors of Pharaoh] give ·wrong [senseless; stupid] advice.
How can you say to him, ‘I am ·wise [L a son of the wise]’?
How can you say, ‘I am ·from the old family of the kings [a son of ancient kings; C “son of” may mean “an expert in the ways of”]’?
12 Egypt, where are your wise men?
Let them show you
what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has planned for Egypt.
13 The officers of Zoan [v. 11] have ·been fooled [become fools];
the ·leaders [princes] of Memphis [C prominent city in northern Egypt] ·have believed false things [are deceived/deluded].
So the ·leaders of Egypt [L cornerstones of her tribes]
lead that nation ·the wrong way [astray].
14 The Lord has ·made the leaders confused [L mixed into them a spirit of distortion].
They have led Egypt to ·wander in the wrong ways [or err in all it does],
like drunk people stumbling in their own vomit.
15 There is nothing Egypt can do;
·no one there can help [L head or tail, palm branch or reed; C no one, high or low, could help Egypt].
16 In that day the Egyptians will be like women [C physically weak and vulnerable]. They will ·be afraid of [tremble with fear at] the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], because he will raise his hand to strike them down. 17 The land of Judah will ·bring fear [be a terror] to Egypt. Anyone there who hears the name Judah will be afraid, because the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has planned terrible things for them. 18 ·At that time [L In that day] five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan [C Hebrew or Aramaic, evidence of Israel’s dominance over Egypt], and they will ·promise to be loyal [swear allegiance] to the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. One of these cities will be named the City of Destruction.[a] 19 ·At that time [L In that day] there will be an altar for the Lord in the middle of Egypt and a ·monument [or sacred pillar] to the Lord at the border of Egypt. 20 This will be a sign and a witness to the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] in the land of Egypt. When the people cry to the Lord for help, he will send a savior and defender, who will rescue them.
21 So the Lord will ·show himself [make himself known] to the Egyptians, and ·then [L in that day] they will ·know he is [acknowledge; know] the Lord. They will ·worship [serve] God ·and offer many sacrifices [with sacrifices and offerings]. They will make ·promises [vows] to the Lord and will keep them. 22 The Lord will ·punish [L strike] the Egyptians, but then he will heal them. They will ·come back [return] to the Lord, and he will listen to their ·prayers [pleas] and heal them.
23 ·At that time [L In that day] there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians will go to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship God together. 24 ·At that time [L In that day] ·Israel, Assyria, and Egypt will join together [L Israel will be the third, with Egypt and Assyria; C a great power like them], which will be a blessing for the earth. 25 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will bless them, saying, “Egypt, you are my people. Assyria, ·I made you [L the work of my hands]. Israel, ·I own you [my inheritance]. You are all blessed!”
Assyria Will Defeat Egypt and Cush
20 [L In the year that; C about 712 bc] Sargon king of Assyria sent ·a military commander [or his commander-in-chief] to Ashdod [C a Philistine city] to attack that city. So the commander attacked and captured it. 2 ·Then [L At that time] the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, “Take the ·rough cloth [burlap; sackcloth; C a sign of mourning] off your body, and take your sandals off your feet.” So Isaiah obeyed and walked around ·naked [stripped] and barefoot.
3 Then the Lord said, “[L Just as] Isaiah my servant has walked around naked and barefoot for three years as a ·sign [L sign and omen/portent] against Egypt and Cush [18:1]. 4 [L So; Thus] The king of Assyria will carry away prisoners from Egypt and ·captives [exiles] from Cush. Old people and young people will be led away ·naked [stripped] and barefoot, with their buttocks bare. So the Egyptians will be shamed. 5 People who ·looked to Cush for help [trusted/put hope in Cush] will be ·afraid [dismayed; disillusioned], and those who ·were amazed by [boasted/took pride in] Egypt’s glory will be shamed. 6 People who live ·near the sea [in this coastland] will say, ‘Look at what happened to those ·we trusted in for help [in whom we hoped]. We ·ran [fled] to them so they would ·save [rescue] us from the king of Assyria. So how will we be able to escape?’”
God’s Message to Babylon
21 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about the Desert by the Sea [C probably Babylon (v. 9), though an unusual description of it]:
·Disaster [or An invader; L It] is coming from the desert
like ·wind [whirlwinds] blowing in the ·south [or Negev].
It is coming from a terrible country.
2 I have seen a ·terrible [terrifying; dire; distressing] vision.
·I see traitors turning against you [L The betrayer betrays]
·and people taking your wealth [the destroyer destroys; or the looter loots].
Elam, ·attack the people [L go up; C Elam sounds like the Hebrew for “go up”]!
Media, ·surround the city and attack it [besiege]!
I will bring an end to ·the pain the city causes [L all the groaning].
3 ·I saw those terrible things, and now [L For this reason; At this] ·I am in pain [my loins/stomach are filled with pain];
my pains ·are [seize me] like the pains of giving birth.
What I hear ·makes me very afraid [distresses/staggers me];
what I see ·causes me to shake with fear [bewilders/horrifies me].
4 ·I am worried [My heart reels/falters/wanders],
and I am shaking with fear.
·My pleasant evening [L The twilight/evening I longed for]
has become a night of ·fear [trembling].
5 They ·set [prepared] the table;
they ·spread the rugs [or post a watchman];
they eat and drink.
Leaders, ·stand up [arise].
·Prepare the shields for battle [L Anoint/oil the shield; C preparation for battle]!
6 The Lord said to me,
“Go, place a ·lookout [guard; watchman] for the city
and have him report what he sees.
7 ·If [or When] he sees chariots and teams of horses,
riders on donkeys, or riders on camels,
he should ·pay very close attention [L be alert, very alert].”
8 Then the lookout[b] called out,
“My master, each day I stand in the watchtower watching;
every night I ·have been on guard [stand at my post].
9 Look, I see a man coming in a chariot
with a team of horses.”
The man gives back the answer,
“Babylon has fallen. It has fallen [Jer. 51:8; Rev. 14:8; 18:2]!
All the ·statues [idols; carved images] of her gods
lie ·broken [shattered] on the ground.”
10 My ·people are crushed like grain on the threshing floor [L trampled one, and son of the threshing floor].
My people, I tell you what I have heard
from the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts],
from the God of Israel.
God’s Message to Edom
11 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Dumah [C another name for Edom, meaning “silence” or “stillness”]:
Someone calls to me from ·Edom [L Seir],
“Watchman, how much of the night is left?
Watchman, how much longer will it be night?”
12 The watchman answers,
“Morning is coming, but then night will come again.
If you ·have something to ask [wish to ask],
then come back and ask.”
God’s Message to Arabia
13 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Arabia:
You ·traders [caravans] from Dedan
who spent the night ·near some trees in [in the thickets of] Arabia.
14 Bring water to thirsty travelers;
you people of Tema, give food
to ·those who were escaping [the fugitives].
15 They ·were running [flee] from swords,
from ·swords ready to kill [L the drawn sword],
from ·bows ready to shoot [the bent bow],
from ·a hard [the distress/terrors/hardship of] battle.
16 This is what the Lord said to me: “Within a year all the ·glory [splendor] of the country of Kedar will be gone. (This is a year as a hired helper counts time [C carefully calculated; 16:14].) 17 ·At that time [L In that day] only a few of the archers, the ·soldiers [warriors; mighty men] of [L the sons of] Kedar, will be left alive.” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.
God’s Message to Jerusalem
22 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about the Valley of Vision [C perhaps the Hinnom Valley near Jerusalem; the prophecy concerns Jerusalem]:
·What is wrong with you people [or What is the reason; L What to you, then]?
Why are you on your roofs [C roofs were flat and used for living and storage space]?
2 This city was ·a very busy city [L full of noise],
·full of noise and wild parties [town of tumult and revelry].
Now your people have been ·killed [slain],
but not with swords,
nor did they die in battle.
3 All your leaders ·ran away [fled] together,
but they have been captured without using a bow.
All you who were captured
tried to run ·away before the enemy came [or far away; or while the enemy was far away].
4 So I say, “Don’t look at me.
Let me ·cry loudly [weep bitterly].
Don’t hurry to ·comfort [console] me
about the destruction of ·Jerusalem [or my vulnerable people; L the daughter of my people].”
5 The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has ·chosen a special day [L a day]
of ·riots [tumult] and confusion.
·People will trample each other […and trampling] in the Valley of Vision.
The city walls will be knocked down,
and the people will cry out to the mountain.
6 ·The soldiers from Elam [L Elam] will ·gather their arrows [L pick up its quiver]
and their chariots and men on horses.
Kir will ·prepare [L uncover] their shields.
7 Your ·nicest [choicest; fairest] valleys will be filled with chariots.
Horsemen ·will be ordered to guard [take their positions at] the gates of the city.
8 ·The walls protecting Judah will fall [L He removed defenses/covering from Judah; C “He” could be the Lord or the invading army].
·At that time [L In that day] the people of Jerusalem ·depended on [looked to]
the weapons kept at the ·Palace [L house] of the Forest [C probably the royal armory; 1 Kin. 7:2–5; 10:16–17].
9 You saw that the walls of Jerusalem
had many ·cracks that needed repairing [breaches; breaks].
You stored up water in the lower pool [C preparation for a siege].
10 You ·counted [surveyed] the houses of Jerusalem,
and you tore down houses to ·repair the walls with their stones [L strengthen/fortify the wall].
11 You made a ·pool [reservoir] between the two walls
to save water from the old pool,
but you did not ·trust [look to] the ·God who made these things [L one who made it; C the “it” could be the pool, the wall or the whole city of Jerusalem];
you did not ·respect [consider; have regard for] the One who ·planned [or fashioned; formed] ·them [it] long ago.
12 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] ·told the people
to cry and be sad [L called for weeping and mourning],
·to shave their heads [L for baldness] and ·wear rough cloth [for wearing burlap/sackcloth; C signs of sorrow and repentance].
13 But look, ·the people are happy
and are having wild parties [L joy and revelry].
They slaughter cattle and kill sheep;
they eat ·the food [meat; flesh] and drink the wine.
They say, “Let us eat and drink,
because tomorrow we will die.”
14 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] said to me: “You people will die before this ·guilt is forgiven [sin is atoned for].” The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] said this.
God’s Message to Shebna
15 This is what the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says:
“Go to this ·servant [steward; administrator] Shebna [36:3, 11, 22; 37:2; 2 Kin. 18:37; 19:2],
·the manager of the palace [L who is over the house].
16 Say to him, ‘What ·are you doing here [or right do you have to be here]?
Who said you could ·cut out [carve; hew] a tomb for yourself here?
Why are you ·preparing [carving; hewing] your tomb in a high place?
Why are you ·carving out [cutting; inscribing] a ·tomb [L dwelling place] from the rock?
17 Look, ·mighty one [or mere man; L man]! The Lord ·will throw you away [L hurling will hurl you].
·He will take firm hold of [L Seizing he will seize] you
18 and roll you tightly into a ball
and throw you into another country.
There you will die,
and there your ·fine [glorious; splendid] chariots will remain.
You ·are a disgrace [bring shame] to your master’s house.
19 I will force you out of your ·important job [office],
and you will be thrown down from your ·important place [position].’
20 “·At that time [L In that day] I will call for my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah [36:3, 11, 22; 37:2; 2 Kin. 18:18, 26, 37]. 21 I will take your robe and put it on him and ·give him [tie around him; or strengthen him with] your ·belt [sash]. I will hand over to him ·the important job you have [your authority], and he will be like a father to the ·people [inhabitants] of Jerusalem and the ·family [L house] of Judah. 22 I will put the key to the house of David [C a sign of authority, indicating access to the king; Rev. 3:7] around his neck. If he opens a door, no one will be able to close it; if he closes a door, no one will be able to open it. 23 I will make him like a peg that is hammered into a strong board [C a symbol of strength]. He will be like an ·honored chair in [or throne of honor for] his father’s house. 24 All the ·honored and important things of his family [L glory of the house of his father] will ·depend on him [or be given to him; L hang on him; C continuing the “peg” imagery in v. 23, meaning either honor or responsibility]; ·all the adults and little children will depend on him [L its offspring and offshoots]. ·They will be like bowls and jars hanging on him [L …all the small utensils, from the bowls to the jars].
25 “·At that time [L In that day],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], “the peg hammered into the strong board will weaken. It will ·break [or be cut off] and fall, and everything hanging on it will be destroyed [C Eliakim’s authority would also eventually be taken away].” The Lord says this.
God’s Message to Lebanon
23 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Tyre [C port city in Phoenicia, north of Israel; present-day Lebanon]:
You ·trading ships [L ships of Tarshish; C western port city, probably in Spain; 2:16], ·cry [wail]!
The houses and harbor of Tyre are ·destroyed [devastated; laid waste].
This news came to the ships
from the land of ·Cyprus [L the Kittim; C the people of Cyprus, an island west of Israel].
2 ·Be silent [or Mourn in silence], you who live on the ·island of Tyre [or coastland];
you merchants of Sidon [C port city of Phoenica], be silent.
·Sailors have made you rich [or …whose messengers have crossed the sea].
3 They traveled ·the sea [the great waters; or many seas] to bring ·grain from Egypt [L the grain of Shihor; C the east branch of the Nile in Egypt];
the harvest of the Nile was Tyre’s ·profit [revenue];
she was the marketplace of the nations.
4 Sidon, be ashamed.
·Strong city [Fortress] of the sea, be ashamed, because the sea says:
“I have not ·felt the pain of giving birth [gone into labor or given birth];
I have not reared young men or women.”
5 Egypt will hear the news about Tyre,
and it will make Egypt ·hurt with sorrow [be in anguish].
6 ·You ships should return [Travel; or Send word; L Cross over] to Tarshish [v. 1].
·Be sad [Wail], you people ·living near the sea [of the coast].
7 ·Look at [L Is this…?] your ·once happy [boisterous] city,
·founded so long ago [whose beginning was from days of antiquity].
·People from that city have traveled […whose feet have taken her]
far away to live.
8 Who planned Tyre’s destruction?
Tyre ·made others rich [bestower of crowns; or wearer of crowns].
Its merchants ·were treated like [L were; or are] princes,
and its traders were ·greatly respected [L the honored/renowned of the earth].
9 It was the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] who planned this.
He decided to ·make these proud people unimportant [L bring down the pride of all her glory/splendor];
he decided to ·disgrace [humble] ·those who were greatly respected [L the honored/renowned of the earth].
10 Go through[c] [or Cultivate; Till] your land, ·people [L daughter] of Tarshish [v. 1],
like ·the Nile goes through Egypt [or they do along the Nile].
There is no ·harbor [or marketplace; or restraint; or strength] for you now!
11 The Lord has stretched his hand over the sea
and made its kingdoms tremble.
He commands that Canaan’s
·strong, walled cities [fortresses; strongholds] be destroyed.
12 He said, “·Sidon [L Virgin daughter Sidon], you will not ·rejoice [celebrate] any longer,
because you are ·destroyed [crushed; oppressed].
·Even if you cross the sea [L Arise, cross over] to ·Cyprus [L Kittim],
[but] you will not find a place to rest.”
13 Look at the land of the ·Babylonians [Chaldeans];
·it is not a country now [this people is no more].
Assyria has made it a place for ·wild [desert] animals.
Assyria built ·towers to attack it [siege towers];
the soldiers ·took all the treasures from its cities [stripped bare/tore down its fortresses/palaces],
and they turned it into ruins.
14 ·So be sad [Wail], you ·trading ships [L ships of Tarshish; v. 1; 2:16],
because your ·strong city [fortress; stronghold] is destroyed.
15 ·At that time [L In that day] Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, which is the length of a king’s life. ·After [L At the end of] seventy years, Tyre will be like the prostitute in this song:
16 “Oh ·woman [prostitute; harlot], you are forgotten.
Take your harp and walk through the city.
Play your harp well. Sing ·your song often [many songs].
Then people will remember you.”
17 ·After [L At the end of] seventy years the Lord will ·deal with [visit] Tyre, and it will again ·have trade [earn wages]. It will be like a prostitute for all the ·nations [kingdoms] of the earth. 18 The profits will be ·saved [set apart; holy] for the Lord. Tyre will not ·keep [store up or hoard] the money she earns but will give them to the people who ·serve [worship; L dwell before] the Lord, so they will have plenty of food and ·nice clothes [beautiful coverings].
The Lord Will Punish the World
24 ·Look [T Behold]! The Lord will destroy the earth and ·leave it empty [lay it waste];
he will ·ruin [mar; distort] the surface of the land and scatter its ·people [inhabitants].
2 ·At that time the same thing will happen to everyone [L It will be]:
·to common people and priests [L like people, like priest],
·to slaves and masters [L like servant/slave, like master/lord],
·to women slaves and their women masters [L like maidservant, like mistress/queen],
·to sellers and buyers [L like seller, like buyer],
·to those who lend and those who borrow [L like lender, like borrower],
·to bankers and those who owe the bank [L like creditor, like debtor].
3 The earth will be ·completely empty [devastated; laid waste].
The wealth ·will all be taken [plundered],
because the Lord has ·commanded it [spoken this word].
4 The earth will ·dry up [or mourn] and ·die [wither];
the world will ·grow weak [languish] and ·die [wither];
the ·great leaders [or heavens; heights; L highest ones] ·in this land [or of the earth] will ·become weak [languish].
5 The people of the earth have ·ruined [defiled] it,
because they ·do not follow [have violated/transgressed] ·God’s teachings [the laws/instruction; L Torah]
or obey ·God’s laws [statutes; regulations]
or keep ·their agreement with God that was to last forever [the eternal covenant/treaty].
6 So a curse [Deut. 28] will ·destroy [consume; devour] the earth.
The people of the world ·are guilty [must pay for their guilt],
so ·they [L the earth’s inhabitants] will be burned up;
only a few will be left.
7 The new wine ·will be bad [dries up; or mourns], and the grapevines will ·die [wither; or languish].
·People who were happy [Revelers; Merrymakers] will ·be sad [groan; sigh].
8 The ·happy music [joy; mirth] of the tambourines will end.
The happy sounds of ·wild parties [revelry] will stop.
The joyful music from the harps will ·end [cease].
9 People will no longer sing while they drink their wine.
The ·beer [T strong drink; C alcoholic beverage made from grain] will taste bitter to those who drink it.
10 The ruined city ·will be empty [is desolate/broken],
·and people will hide behind closed doors [L every house is shuttered to prevent entering].
11 People in the streets will ·ask [cry out; howl] for wine,
but joy will have turned to ·sadness [gloom; darkness];
all the ·happiness [gladness; rejoicing] ·will have left [is banished/exiled].
12 The city will be left in ruins,
and its gates will be smashed to pieces.
13 This is what will happen all over the earth
and to all the nations.
The earth will be like an olive tree ·after the harvest [L when it is beaten; 17:6]
or like the ·few grapes left on a vine [L gleanings] after harvest.
14 The people raise their voices and shout for joy.
From the ·west [L sea] they ·praise the greatness [shout/cry out for the majesty] of the Lord.
15 [L Therefore] People in the ·east [or morning light; dawn], ·praise [extol; give glory to] the Lord.
People in the ·islands [or coastlands] of the sea,
·praise [extol; give glory to] the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
16 We hear songs from ·every part [the ends/edge] of the earth
·praising God, [or “Glory to…”] the Righteous One.
But I said, “I am ·dying [wasting away]! I am ·dying [wasting away]!
·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] me!
·Traitors turn against people [L Betrayers betray; 21:2];
·with their dishonesty, they turn against people [L Betrayers betray with betrayal].”
17 There are terrors, ·holes [pits], and ·traps [snares]
for the ·people [inhabitants] of the earth.
18 Anyone who tries to ·escape [flee] from the sound of terror
will fall into a ·hole [pit].
Anyone who climbs out of the ·hole [pit]
will be caught in a ·trap [snare].
The ·clouds in the sky will pour out rain [L the floodgates/windows of the heights are opened],
and the foundations of the earth will shake.
19 The earth will be ·broken up [shattered];
the earth will split open;
the earth will shake violently.
20 The earth will ·stumble [stagger; reel] around like someone who is drunk;
it will shake like a ·hut in a storm [L hut].
Its ·sin [transgression; rebellion] is ·like a heavy weight on its back [L heavy upon it];
it will fall and never rise again.
21 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord will punish
the ·powers [armies; hosts] in the ·sky [or heavens; L heights] above
and the ·rulers [kings] on earth below.
22 They will be gathered together
like prisoners ·thrown into a dungeon [in a pit/cistern];
they will be shut up in prison.
After ·much time [many days] they will be punished.
23 The moon will be ·embarrassed [confounded; dismayed; disgraced; or covered up],
and the sun will be ·ashamed [or darkened; C these great lights will pale in comparison to the Lord’s glory],
because the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will rule as king
on Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
·Jerusalem’s leaders will see his greatness [L …and gloriously before its elders].
A Song of Praise to God
25 Lord, you are my God.
I ·honor [exalt] you and praise ·you [L your name],
because you have done ·amazing [wonderful] things.
·You have done what you planned long ago [Your plans were made long ago];
·you have always done what you said you would do [they are faithful and trustworthy];
2 You have made the city a ·pile of rocks [L heap]
·and have destroyed her walls [L the fortified city into a ruin].
The ·city our enemies built with strong walls [or foreigners’ fortress] is gone;
it will never be built again.
3 People from powerful nations will ·honor [glorify] you;
·cruel people from strong cities [L cities of cruel/ruthless people] will fear you.
4 You ·protect [L are a refuge/stronghold to] the poor;
you protect the ·helpless [needy] when they are in ·danger [distress].
You are like a shelter from storms,
like shade that protects them from the heat.
The ·cruel people attack [L breath of the cruel/ruthless]
like a rainstorm beating against the wall,
5 like the ·heat [or drought] in the desert.
But you, God, ·stop their violent attack [L subdue/silence the uproar of foreigners].
As the shadow from a cloud cools a hot day,
you silence the songs of ·those who have no mercy [the ruthless].
God’s Banquet for His Servants
6 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will prepare a feast
on this mountain [C Mount Zion; 24:23] for all people.
It will be a feast with all the best food and wine,
the ·finest [tenderest; full of marrow] meat and ·wine [well-aged/filtered wines].
7 On this mountain God will ·destroy [swallow]
the ·veil [shroud; covering] that covers all nations,
the ·veil [sheet] that stretches over all peoples [C death];
8 he will ·destroy [swallow up] death forever [1 Cor. 15:54].
The Lord God will wipe away every tear from every face [Rev. 7:17; 21:4].
He will take away the ·shame [disgrace] of his people from the earth.
The Lord has spoken.
9 ·At that time [L In that day] people will say,
“·Our God is doing this [L Look/T Behold, this is our God]!
We have waited for him, and he has come to save us.
This is the Lord. We waited for him,
·so we will [let us] rejoice and ·be happy [be glad; celebrate] ·when he saves us [L in his salvation].”
10 The ·Lord will protect Jerusalem [L hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain],
·but he will crush our enemy Moab [L Moab will be trampled under him]
like straw that is trampled down in the manure.
11 They [L He; C Moab] will spread their arms in it
like a person who is swimming.
But God will bring down their pride,
·and all the clever things they have made will mean nothing [L together with the trickery of their hands].
12 He will ·destroy [bring down] ·Moab’s [L your] high, fortified walls,
·leveling them to the ground [laying them low].
He will throw them down to the ground,
even to the dust.
A Song of Praise to God
26 ·At that time [L In that day] this song will be sung in Judah:
We have a strong city.
·God protects us with [L His salvation/deliverance is] its strong walls and defenses.
2 Open the gates,
and the ·good people [righteous nation] will enter,
those who ·follow God [remain faithful].
3 You, Lord, ·give [preserve/keep in] ·true peace [complete peace; L peace, peace]
·to those who depend on you [T whose mind is stayed on you; L whose purpose is firm],
because they trust you.
4 So, trust the Lord always,
because ·he [L in Yah, the Lord/Yahweh; C Yah is a shorter version of Yahweh] is our ·Rock forever [eternal rock].
5 He will ·destroy [humble; bring down] ·the people of that proud city [L those who dwell on a high place],
He will bring that ·high [lofty; arrogant] city down to the ground
and throw it down into the dust.
6 ·Then those who were hurt by the city will walk on its ruins [L The foot tramples it down, the feet of the oppressed];
·those who were made poor by the city will trample it under their feet [L the footsteps of the poor (will trample it)].
7 The ·path [way] of life is level for ·those who are right with God [the righteous];
·Lord [or Upright One], you make the way of life ·smooth [straight; level] for those people.
8 But, Lord, we are waiting
·for your [or in the] ·way of justice [or path/way of your judgments].
Our souls ·want to remember [or desire; or wish to see glorified]
·you [your renown; your remembrance] and your name.
9 My soul ·wants to be with [longs/yearns for] you at night,
and my spirit ·wants to be with [seeks; longs for] you ·at the dawn of every day [in the morning].
When your ·way of justice [judgment] comes to the ·land [earth],
·people [the inhabitants] of the world will learn ·the right way of living [righteousness; justice].
10 Evil people will not learn ·to do good [righteousness; justice]
even if you show them ·kindness [mercy; grace].
They will continue ·doing evil [acting unjustly], even if they live in a ·good world [land of uprightness];
they never see the Lord’s ·greatness [majesty].
11 Lord, ·you are ready to punish those people [L your hand is lifted up; C ready to strike],
but they do not see that.
·Show them your strong love for your people [L They will see your zeal for your people; or They will see your zealous judgment against mankind].
·Then those who are evil [L …and they] will be ashamed.
·Burn [Consume] them in the fire
·you have prepared for [L of] your ·enemies [adversaries].
12 Lord, all our ·success is [accomplishments/works are] because of what you have done,
·so give us peace [or and you give us peace/security].
13 Lord, our God, other masters besides you have ruled us,
but we ·honor [praise; remember] only ·you [L your name].
14 ·Those masters are now dead [L They are dead, never to live];
their ·ghosts [spirits] will not rise from death.
You punished and destroyed them
and erased any memory of them.
15 Lord, you ·multiplied the number of your people [enlarged/made great the nation];
you ·multiplied them [enlarged/made great the nation] and brought ·honor [glory] to yourself.
You ·widened [enlarged; extended] the borders of the land.
16 Lord, people ·remember [seek; come to] you when they are in trouble;
they ·say quiet prayers to you [or utter incantations] when you punish them.
17 Lord, ·when we are with you [or because of you],
we are like a woman giving birth to a baby;
she cries and has pain from the birth.
18 ·In the same way [L We were pregnant/conceived], we ·had pain [writhed; strained].
We gave birth, but only to wind.
We ·don’t bring [or can’t bring; haven’t brought] salvation to the ·land [earth]
·or given birth to new people for the world [L nor have the inhabitants of the earth fallen].
19 Your dead will live again;
their bodies will rise from death.
You who ·lie in the ground [L dwell in the dust],
wake up and ·be happy [shout joyfully]!
·The dew covering you [L Your dew] is ·like the dew of a new day [L a dew of lights];
the ·ground [earth] will give birth to the dead.
Judgment: Reward or Punishment
20 My people, go into your ·rooms [chambers; inner rooms]
and shut your doors behind you.
Hide in your rooms for a short time
until God’s anger ·is finished [has passed by].
21 [L For look/T behold] The Lord ·will leave [is coming out of] his place
to punish the ·people [inhabitants] of the world for their sins.
The earth will ·show [reveal; disclose] ·the blood of the people who have been killed [L its blood];
it will not cover ·the dead [its slain] any longer.
27 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord will punish Leviathan [C a sea creature in ancient Near Eastern texts that represents chaos; Job 3:8; 41:1, 12; Ps. 74:14; 104:26], the ·gliding [or swift-moving; or fleeing] ·snake [serpent].
He will punish Leviathan, the ·coiled [writhing; twisting] ·snake [serpent],
with his great and hard and powerful sword.
He will kill the ·monster [dragon] in the sea.
2 ·At that time [L In that day]
sing about the ·pleasant [beautiful; or fruitful] vineyard [C God’s people; 5:1–7].
3 “I, the Lord, will ·care for [watch over] that vineyard;
I will water it ·at the right time [regularly; continually].
No one will hurt it,
because I will guard it day and night.
4 I am not ·angry [wrathful].
If ·anyone builds a wall of thornbushes in war [or only there were briers and thorns against me!],
I will march ·to it [against it in battle] and burn it.
5 But if anyone comes to me for ·safety [refuge; protection]
and wants to make peace with me,
·he should come and [let him] make peace with me.”
6 In the days to come, ·the people of Jacob [L Jacob] will ·be like a plant with good roots [take root];
Israel will ·grow like a plant beginning to bloom [L blossom and bud].
·Then the world will be filled with their children [L …and fill all the world with fruit].
The Lord Will Send Israel Away
7 ·The Lord has not hurt [L Has the Lord struck down…?] his people as he ·hurt their enemies [L struck down those who struck them];
·his people have not [L have they…?] been killed like those who tried to kill them.
8 He will ·settle his argument with Israel [or oppose her; contend with her] by sending her far away.
·Like a hot desert wind [L With his fierce breath in the day of the east wind; C the east wind came from the desert], he will drive her away.
9 This is how ·Israel’s [L Jacob’s] guilt will be forgiven;
this is how its sins will be taken away:
·Israel [L He] will crush the rocks of the altar [C pagan altars] to dust,
and no ·Asherah idols [L Asherahs; C sacred trees or poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah] or ·altars [incense altars] will be left standing.
10 ·At that time [L In that day] the ·strong, walled [fortified] city will be ·empty [desolate]
an abandoned settlement, empty like a ·desert [wilderness; 17:9; 32:14, 19].
Calves will eat grass there.
They will lie down there
and ·eat leaves from [strip bare] the branches.
11 The limbs will become dry and break off,
so women will use them for firewood.
The people ·refuse to understand [lack understanding/discernment],
so ·their Creator [the one who made them] will not comfort them;
·their Maker [the one who formed them] will not ·be kind [show favor] to them.
12 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord will begin gathering ·his people [L you, sons/children of Israel] one by one from the ·Euphrates River [L flowing River] to the brook of Egypt. He will ·separate them from others as grain is separated from chaff [thresh/L beat them out]. 13 ·At that time [In that day] a great trumpet will be blown. Then those who are ·lost [or perishing] in Assyria and those who ·have run away [were exiled/driven out] to Egypt will come and worship the Lord on that holy mountain in Jerusalem.
Warnings to Israel
28 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] Samaria [C the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel], the pride of ·Israel’s [L Ephraim’s] drunken people!
That beautiful ·crown [wreath; garland] of flowers is ·just a dying plant [fading]
set on ·a hill above [L the head of] a rich valley ·where drunkards live [of those overcome with wine].
2 Look, the Lord has someone who is strong and powerful.
Like a storm of hail and ·strong [destructive] wind,
like a sudden flood of water pouring over the country,
he will throw Samaria down to the ground [L with his hand].
3 That city, the pride of ·Israel’s [L Ephraim’s] drunken people,
will be trampled underfoot.
4 That beautiful ·crown [wreath; garland] of flowers is ·just a dying plant [fading]
set on ·a hill above [L the head of] a rich valley.
That city will be like the first ripe fig of summer.
Anyone who sees it
quickly ·picks it [takes it in hand] and ·eats [swallows] it.
5 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
·will be like [L will be] a beautiful crown,
·like a wonderful [a beautiful] ·crown of flowers [wreath; garland; diadem]
for ·his people who are left alive [the remnant of his people].
6 Then he will give ·wisdom [a spirit of justice/judgment] to ·the judges who must decide cases [L those who sit in judgment]
and strength to those who battle at the city gate.
7 But now those leaders ·are drunk [reel] with wine;
they ·stumble [stagger] from drinking too much ·beer [T strong drink; C alcoholic beverage made from grain].
The priests and prophets ·are drunk [stagger] with ·beer [T strong drink]
and are ·filled with [swallowed by; or confused because of] wine.
They stumble from too much ·beer [T strong drink].
·The prophets [L They] ·are drunk [stagger] when they see their visions;
·the judges [they] stumble ·when they make their decisions [in judgment].
8 Every table is covered with vomit,
so there is not a clean place anywhere.
9 ·The Lord is trying to teach the people a lesson [L Who is he teaching knowledge?];
·he is trying to make them understand his teachings [L To whom is he explaining the message?].
·But the people are like babies too old for breast milk [Those weaned from milk?],
·like those who no longer nurse at their mother’s breast [Those taken from the breast?].
10 So ·they make fun of the Lord’s prophet and say [or the Lord must repeat himself again and again; L For it is]:
“·A command here, a command there [T Precept upon precept, precept upon precept].
·A rule here, a rule there [T Line upon line, line upon line; C Hebrew: tsav latsav tsav latsav / kav lakav kav lakav; it may be the people mocking the words of the prophets as nonsense; or it may refer to God repeating himself because the people will not listen].
A little lesson here, a little lesson there [L A little there, a little there].”
11 So the Lord will use ·strange words [mocking/stammering lips] and foreign ·languages [tongues]
to speak to these people.
12 God said to them,
“Here is a place of rest;
let the ·tired people [weary] come and rest.
This is the place of peace.”
But the people would not listen.
13 So the words of the Lord will be,
“·A command here, a command there [T Precept upon precept, precept upon precept].
·A rule here, a rule there [T Line upon line, line upon line].
·A little lesson here, a little lesson there [L A little there, a little there; C see v. 10; God now uses the same words to mimic the foreign language of the Assyrian invaders].”
They will fall back and be ·defeated [broken];
they will be ·trapped and captured [snared and taken].
14 So listen to the Lord’s message, you who ·brag [mock; scoff; Prov. 1:22; 9:7, 8, 12; 13:1],
you ·leaders [L who rule this people] in Jerusalem.
15 You say, “We have made an ·agreement [treaty; covenant] with death;
we have a ·contract [agreement; pact] with ·death [or the grave; L Sheol].
When ·terrible punishment [an overwhelming scourge/flood] passes by,
it won’t ·hurt [touch; reach] us.
Our lies ·will keep us safe [L are our refuge],
and ·our tricks [falsehood] ·will hide us [is our refuge/shelter].”
16 Because of these things, this is what the Lord God says:
“I will ·put [lay; establish] a stone in the ground in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple],
a tested stone.
·Everything will be built on this important and precious rock [L …a precious cornerstone for a firm foundation].
Anyone who trusts in it will never ·be disappointed [or panic; waver; be shaken; Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:6].
17 I will use justice as a measuring line
and ·goodness [righteousness] as the ·standard [plumb line].
The lies you ·hide behind [take refuge in] will be ·destroyed [swept away] as if by hail.
·They [Your hiding place/shelter] will be washed away as if in a flood.
18 Your ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with death will be ·erased [annulled];
your contract with ·death [or the grave; L Sheol] will not ·help you [stand; last].
When ·terrible punishment [overwhelming scourge/flood] comes,
you will be ·crushed [beaten down] by it.
19 Whenever ·punishment [L it] comes, it will take you away.
It will come morning after morning;
it will ·defeat you [sweep through] by day and by night.
Those who understand this punishment will be terrified.”
20 ·You will be like the person who tried to sleep
on a bed that was too short [L For the bed is too short to stretch out on]
and ·with a blanket that [L the blanket] was too narrow
to wrap around himself.
21 The Lord will ·fight [L rise up] as he did at Mount Perazim [2 Sam. 5:20].
He will be ·angry [rouse himself] as he was in the Valley of Gibeon [Josh. 10:10–14].
He will do his work, his ·strange [peculiar] work.
He will finish his job, his ·strange [unusual] job.
22 Now, ·you must not make fun of these things [do not mock; or stop your mocking],
or the ·ropes [or chains; bonds] around you will become ·tighter [or heavier].
The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has ·told me [decreed to me]
how the whole ·earth [land] will be destroyed.
The Lord Punishes Fairly
23 Listen closely to ·what I tell you [my voice];
·listen carefully to [pay attention to; heed] what I say.
24 ·A farmer does not [L Does the plower…?] plow his field all the time;
·he does not [L does he…?] go on working the soil.
25 ·He makes [Does he not make…?] the ground flat and smooth.
Then he plants the dill and scatters the cumin.
·He plants [Does he not plant…?] the wheat in rows,
the barley in its special place,
and other wheat as a border around the field.
26 His God ·teaches [instructs] him
and ·shows [teaches] him the right way.
27 A farmer doesn’t use ·heavy boards to crush [a sledge to thresh] dill;
he doesn’t use a wagon wheel to crush cumin.
He uses a small stick to break open the dill,
and with a ·stick [rod; flail] he opens the cumin.
28 The grain is ground to make bread.
People do not ruin it by ·crushing [threshing] it forever.
The farmer separates the wheat from the chaff with his cart,
but he does not let his horses ·grind [crush] it.
29 This lesson [C that the Lord’s punishment fits the sin] also comes from the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts],
who gives wonderful ·advice [counsel; 9:6], who ·is very wise [or gives excellent/great wisdom].
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.