Chronological
1 This is the vision Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem ·while [L in the days when] Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah [792–686 bc].
God’s Case Against His Children
2 Listen, heavens, and pay attention, earth [L witnesses of the covenant; Deut. 30:19],
because the Lord is speaking:
“I raised ·my children [or sons; C the nation Israel] and ·helped them grow [brought them] up,
but they have ·turned [rebelled] against me.
3 An ox knows its ·master [owner],
and a donkey knows ·where its owner feeds it [L the feeding trough/crib of its owner/master],
but the people of Israel do not know me;
my people do not understand.”
4 ·How terrible [Woe; Alas]! ·Israel is a nation of sin [L Sinful nation!],
a people ·loaded [weighed] down with guilt,
·a group of children [offspring; brood; seed] ·doing evil [or born from evildoers],
·children [or sons] who ·are full of evil [act corruptly; are depraved].
They have ·left [abandoned; forsaken] the Lord;
they ·hate [despise; or have rejected/spurned] the Holy One of Israel [C Isaiah’s favorite title for God],
and have ·turned away [become alienated/estranged] from him.
5 Why ·should you continue to be [or do you insist on being] ·punished [battered; struck down]?
Why do you continue to ·turn against him [rebel]?
Your whole head is ·hurt [bruised; wounded],
and your whole heart is ·sick [faint; weak].
6 There is no ·healthy spot [soundness]
from the ·bottom [sole] of your foot to the top of your head;
you are covered with ·wounds [bruises], ·hurts [sores; welts], and ·open sores [raw/infected wounds]
that are not ·cleaned [L pressed out] and ·covered [bandaged],
·and no medicine takes away the pain [L not soothed/softened with oil].
7 Your land is ·ruined [desolate];
your cities have been burned with fire.
·While you watch [Right in front of you],
·your enemies [L foreigners; strangers] ·are stealing everything from [destroy; devour] your ·land [fields; crops];
it is ruined like a country ·destroyed [overthrown] by ·enemies [L foreigners; strangers].
8 Jerusalem [L Daughter Zion; C the location of the Temple] is left alone
like an ·empty shelter [or watchman’s hut] in a vineyard,
like a ·hut [shelter] left in a field of ·melons [or cucumbers],
like a city ·surrounded by enemies [besieged].
9 If the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
had not ·allowed a few of our people to live [left us a few survivors],
we would have been like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah [C completely destroyed; Gen. 19].
10 ·Hear [Listen to] the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom [C Jerusalem is compared sarcastically to evil Sodom and Gomorrah]!
listen to the ·teaching [instruction] of our God,
You people of Gomorrah!
11 The Lord says,
“·I do not want all these sacrifices [L What are your many sacrifices to me?].
I ·have had enough of [am stuffed full with] your burnt sacrifices [Lev. 1:1–17]
of male sheep and fat from ·fine [fattened] ·animals [beasts; cattle].
I ·am not pleased by [take no pleasure in]
the blood of bulls, lambs, and goats.
12 You ·come to meet with [appear before; worship] me,
but who asked you to do
all this ·running in and out of [trampling/parading through] my ·Temple’s rooms [courts; courtyards]?
13 Don’t continue bringing me ·worthless [meaningless; futile] sacrifices!
·I hate the incense you burn [L Incense is detestable/an abomination to me].
I can’t stand your New Moons, Sabbaths, and ·other feast days [convocations; sacred assemblies];
I can’t ·stand [endure] ·the evil you do in your holy meetings [L sin and assembly].
14 I hate your New Moon ·feasts [festivals; Num. 28:11–15]
and your ·other yearly [annual; appointed] feasts.
They have become a ·heavy weight on [burden to] me,
and I ·am tired of carrying it [or can no longer tolerate them].
15 When you ·raise your arms to me [L spread out your hands] in prayer,
I will ·refuse to look at [look the other way; L hide my eyes from] you.
Even if you say many prayers,
I will not listen to you,
because your hands are ·full of [covered with] blood.
16 Wash yourselves and make yourselves clean.
·Stop doing the evil things I see you do [L Take away your evil deeds from my eyes].
Stop doing wrong.
17 Learn to do ·good [right].
Seek justice.
·Punish those who hurt others [Rebuke the oppressor; or Encourage the oppressed].
·Help [Defend; Bring justice to] the ·orphans [fatherless].
·Stand up for the rights of [L Contend/Strive for] widows.”
18 The Lord says,
“Come, let us ·talk about these things [reason together; or settle this matter; or consider your options].
Though your sins are like scarlet [C stained with blood; vv. 15, 21],
they can be as white as snow.
Though your sins are ·deep red [L red as crimson/purple],
they can be white like wool.
19 If you become willing and ·obey [listen to] me,
you will eat ·good crops from [the good of] the land.
20 But if you ·refuse to obey [resist] and ·if you turn against me [rebel],
you will be ·destroyed [L devoured] by your enemies’ swords [C the options are to eat the crops or be eaten by the swords].”
The Lord himself ·said these things [has spoken].
Jerusalem Is Not Loyal to God
21 [L See how; or How…!] The ·city of Jerusalem once followed the Lord [L faithful city],
·but she is no longer loyal to him [L …has become a prostitute/whore; C a metaphor for spiritual treachery].
She used to be filled with ·fairness [justice];
·people there lived the way God wanted [Righteousness/Justice lived/lodged there; C personification].
But now, murderers live there.
22 ·Jerusalem, you have become like the scum left when silver is purified [L Your silver has become dross/scum];
you are like ·wine [beer; alcohol; L drink] ·mixed [diluted; weakened] with water.
23 Your ·rulers [princes] are rebels
and ·friends [companions; associates] of thieves.
They all ·accept money for doing wrong [L love bribes],
and they ·are paid to cheat people [pursue rewards/gifts].
They don’t ·seek justice for [defend the cause of] the ·orphans [fatherless]
or ·listen to the widows’ needs [or defend the widows’ rights; L the widows’ disputes do not come before them].
24 So the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts],
the Mighty One of Israel, says:
“[L Woe; Alas; Aha,] I will ·take revenge on [vent my wrath against; or get relief from; console myself by destroying] my ·foes [enemies; adversaries].
I will pay back my ·enemies [foes].
25 I will turn [L my hand] against you
and ·clean away all your wrongs as if with soap [or purify you as metal is refined; L purge your dross as with lye/potash/soap];
I will ·take all the worthless things out of you [L remove all your impurities/slag].
26 I will ·bring back [restore] judges as you had ·long ago [formerly; at the first];
your ·counselors [advisors] will be like those you had in the beginning.
Then you will be called the City ·That Is Right with God [of Righteousness/Justice],
the ·Loyal [Faithful; Trustworthy] City.”
27 By ·doing what is fair [justice],
·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] will be ·free again [redeemed; restored].
By ·doing what is right [righteousness],
her ·people who come back to the Lord [penitent/repentant ones; or returnees] will have freedom.
28 But ·those who turn against him [rebels] and sinners will be destroyed;
those who ·have left [abandon; forsake] the Lord will ·die [perish; come to an end; cease].
29 “You will be ashamed,
because ·you have worshiped gods under the oak trees [L of the oaks you have desired; C pagan worship sites].
You will be ·disgraced [embarrassed],
because ·you have worshiped idols in your gardens [L of the gardens you have chosen; 66:17].
30 You will be like an oak whose leaves are ·dying [withered]
or like a garden without water.
31 Powerful people will ·be [or become] like ·small, dry pieces of wood [tinder; kindling],
and their works will be like sparks.
They will burn together,
and no one will be able to put out that fire.”
The Message About Jerusalem
2 Isaiah son of Amoz saw this ·message [vision; word] about Judah and Jerusalem:
2 [L It shall be] In the ·last [final; latter] days
the mountain ·on which the Lord’s Temple stands [L of the house of the Lord; C Mount Zion]
will ·become [be established as; endure as] the ·most important [chief; or highest] of all mountains.
It will be ·raised [exalted] above the hills,
and ·people from all nations [L all nations] will come streaming to it.
3 Many ·nations [peoples] will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the ·Temple [L house] of the God of Jacob.
·Then [or So that] he will teach us his ·ways [standards; path],
and we will ·obey his teachings [L walk in his paths].”
·His teachings [The Law; Instruction; L Torah] will go out from Jerusalem;
the ·message [word] of the Lord will go out from Jerusalem.
4 He will ·settle arguments among [judge/mediate between] the ·nations [peoples]
and will ·make decisions [settle disputes] for many ·peoples [nations].
Then they will ·make [beat; hammer] their swords into ·plows [T plowshares; C the metal tip of the plow]
and their spears into ·hooks for trimming trees [pruning hooks].
Nations will no longer ·fight [L raise the sword against] other nations,
nor will they train for war anymore [Mic. 4:1–3].
5 Come, ·family [descendants; L house] of Jacob,
and let us ·follow the way [L walk in the light] of the Lord.
A Terrible Day Is Coming
6 Lord, you have ·left [abandoned; rejected] your people,
the ·family [descendants; L house] of Jacob,
because they have become filled ·with wrong ideas from people in the East [or with superstitions from the East; L from the East].
They ·try to tell the future [consult soothsayers; practice divination] like the Philistines [Lev. 19:26; Deut. 18:9–14],
and ·they have completely accepted those foreign ideas [or they clasp hands/make alliances with foreigners; or the children of foreigners are everywhere].
7 Their land has been filled with silver and gold;
there ·are a great many [L is no end/limit to their] treasures there.
Their land has been filled with horses;
there ·are many [L is no end/limit to their] chariots there [C Israel was to rely on God, not on horses and chariots; Deut. 17:16–17].
8 Their land is full of idols.
The people worship ·these idols they made with [L the work of] their own hands
and shaped with their own fingers [Rom. 1:23].
9 People will ·be humbled [be brought low; or bow down to worship]
and will bow low ·with shame [or in worship].
God, do not ·forgive [spare; L lift] them.
10 Go into the ·caves of the cliffs [L rocks];
·dig holes and hide in the ground [L hide in the dust/ground]
from the ·anger [terror; terrible presence] of the Lord
and from ·his great power [the majesty/glory/splendor of his majesty]!
11 ·Proud people [L The eyes of the proud] will be ·made humble [brought down],
and ·they [human arrogance/loftiness] will ·bow low with shame [be humbled].
·At that time [L In that day] only the Lord will still be ·praised [exalted].
12 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has a ·certain day planned [L day]
when he will ·punish [bring judgment on; turn against] all the proud and all those who ·brag [are lifted up],
and they will ·no longer be important [be humbled/humiliated/brought low].
13 ·He will bring down [L …against] all the ·tall [exalted and mighty/lifted up] cedar trees from Lebanon
and all the great oak trees of Bashan,
14 all the ·tall [lofty; exalted] mountains
and the high hills,
15 every ·tall [lofty] tower
and every ·high, strong [fortified] wall,
16 all the ·trading ships [L ships of Tarshish; C large trading vessels capable of going to distant ports; Tarshish may have been in Spain (Tartessus) or an island in the eastern Mediterranean; 23:1; Jon. 1:3]
and the beautiful ·ships [vessels].
17 ·Proud people [Human pride] will be made humble,
and ·they [arrogant people] will ·bow low with shame [be brought low].
·At that time [L In that day] only the Lord will be ·praised [exalted],
18 but all the idols will ·be gone [disappear; pass away].
19 People will run to caves in the ·rocky cliffs [rocks]
and ·will dig holes and hide [L to holes] in the ground
from the ·anger [terror; terrible presence] of the Lord
and ·his great power [the majesty/glory/splendor of his majesty; v. 10],
when he ·stands [rises] to shake the earth.
20 ·At that time [L In that day] people will throw away
their gold and silver idols,
which they made for themselves to worship;
they will throw them away to the bats and moles.
21 Then the people will hide in ·caves [caverns/crevices in rocks]
and ·cracks [clefts] in the rocks
from the ·anger [terror; terrible presence] of the Lord
and ·his great power [the majesty/glory/splendor of his majesty; v. 19],
when he stands to ·shake [tremble; or terrify] the earth.
22 Stop trusting in people to save you [L Cease from man/people],
·because people are only human [L whose breath is in his nostrils];
·they aren’t able to help you [what good are they; or why do you esteem them?].
God Will Punish Judah and Jerusalem
3 ·Understand this [L Look/T Behold now]:
The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
·will [or is about to] take away ·everything [L every support and supply] Judah and Jerusalem need—
all [L supplies of] the food and water,
2 the ·heroes [mighty ones] and ·great soldiers [men of war],
the judges and prophets,
·people who do magic [diviners; fortune-tellers] and elders,
3 the ·military leaders [L captain/ruler of fifty] and ·government leaders [people of influence/high standing],
the ·counselors [advisers], the skilled ·craftsmen [or magicians], and ·those who try to tell the future [skillful enchanters/astrologers].
4 The Lord says, “I will cause ·young boys [youths] to be your ·leaders [rulers; princes],
and ·foolish children [or capricious youths] will rule over you [Eccl. 10:5–7, 17].
5 People will ·be against [oppress] each other; everyone will be against his neighbor.
Young people will ·not respect [arrogantly defy] older people,
and ·common people [the despised/dishonorable] will not respect ·important people [the honorable].”
6 At that time a man will grab one of his brothers
·from his own family [L in his father’s house] and say,
“You have a ·coat [cloak; C a sign of a little wealth], so you will be our leader.
These ruins will be under your ·control [charge; rule; L hand].”
7 ·But [L In that day] that brother will ·stand up [or cry out] and say,
“I ·cannot help you [L am no binder (of wounds)],
because I do not have food or ·clothes [cloak] in my house.
You will not make me ·your leader [L leader of the people/nation].”
8 This will happen because Jerusalem has stumbled,
and Judah has fallen.
The things they say and do are against the Lord;
they ·turn against [rebel against; defy] ·him [L his glory/glorious presence].
9 The look on their faces ·shows they are guilty [testifies against them];
like the people of Sodom [Gen. 18–19], they ·are proud of [flaunt; parade; declare] their sin.
They don’t ·care who sees [conceal; hide] it.
·How terrible it will be for them [L Woe to their soul],
because they have brought ·much trouble [disaster; evil] on themselves.
10 Tell ·those who do what is right [the righteous] that things will go well for them,
because they will ·receive a reward for what they do [L eat the fruit of their actions].
11 ·But how terrible it will be for [L Woe to] the wicked!
·They will be punished for all the wrong they have done [L Because the reward/recompense of his hands will be done to him].
12 Children ·treat my people cruelly [oppress my people],
and ·women [or creditors; usurers] rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you ·in the wrong way [astray]
and ·turn you away [mislead you; or confuse you] from ·what is right [the right road; L your paths].
13 The Lord takes his place ·in court [to judge/contend]
and stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord ·presents his case [or comes forward to pronounce judgment]
against the elders and other ·leaders [rulers; princes] of his people:
“You have ·burned [ruined; ravaged] the vineyard.
·Your houses are full of [L In your houses are] what you ·took [stole; plundered] from the poor.
15 What gives you the right to crush my people
and grind the faces of the ·poor into the dirt [L poor]?”
The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says this.
A Warning to Women of Jerusalem
16 The Lord says,
“The ·women of Jerusalem [L daughters of Zion] are ·proud [haughty; arrogant].
They walk around with ·their heads held high [L an outstretched neck],
and they flirt with their eyes.
·They take quick, short steps […prancing/mincing along],
·making noise with their ankle bracelets [L jingling with their feet].”
17 So the Lord will put ·sores [scabs; skin lesions] on the heads of those ·women in Jerusalem [L daughters of Zion],
and he will ·make them lose their hair [lay bare/make bald their forehead].
18 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord will take away ·everything that makes them proud [their beauty/glory]: their beautiful ankle bracelets, their headbands, their ·necklaces shaped like the moon [L crescents], 19 their ·earrings [or pendants], bracelets, and veils, 20 their ·scarves [headdresses], ·ankle chains [or armlets], the ·cloth belts worn around their waists [sashes], their ·bottles of perfume [sachets], and ·charms [amulets], 21 their signet rings, nose rings, 22 their ·fine robes [festal robes; fine gowns], capes, ·shawls [cloaks], and purses, 23 their mirrors, linen ·dresses [garments; undergarments], ·turbans [or tiaras], and ·long shawls [or flowing veils].
24 Instead of ·wearing sweet-smelling perfume [spice; fragrance], ·they will stink [there will be stench/decay].
Instead of ·fine cloth belts [a sash], ·they will wear the ropes of captives [L a rope].
Instead of ·having their hair fixed in fancy ways [an elegant coiffure], ·they will be bald [baldness].
Instead of ·fine clothes [an expensive robe], ·they will wear clothes of sadness [burlap; sackcloth].
·Instead of being beautiful, they will wear the brand of a captive [L Branding instead of beauty].
25 At that time your men will ·be killed with swords [L fall by the sword],
and your ·heroes [mighty/strong ones] will die in war.
26 ·There will be crying and sadness near the city gates [L Her gates will lament and mourn].
·Jerusalem will be like a woman who has lost everything and sits on the ground [L Deserted/Destitute, she will sit on the ground].
4 ·At that time [L In that day] seven women will grab one man [C war will have decimated the male population]
and say, “We will eat our own bread
and ·make [wear] our own clothes [C things a husband would normally provide],
but ·please marry us [L let us be called by your name]!
Please, take away our ·shame [disgrace; C from having no husband or children].”
The Branch of the Lord
2 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord’s branch [C either the produce of the land or a title for the Messiah (11:1; Jer. 23:5)] will be very beautiful and ·great [glorious]. ·What grows on the land [The fruit of the land] will be the pride and ·joy [glory] of the ·people still living in the land [L survivors in Israel]. 3 Those who ·are still living in Jerusalem [L remain in Zion and those who are left in Jerusalem] will be called holy; ·their names [L all who] are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash away the ·filth [vomit; excrement] from the women of Jerusalem. He will ·wash [cleanse] the bloodstains out of Jerusalem ·with the spirit of fairness and the spirit of fire [or with a wind/spirit of judgment and burning fire; or by the Spirit of judgment and burning fire]. 5 Then the Lord will ·cover [L create over] Mount Zion and ·the people who meet there [all her assemblies] with a cloud of smoke during the day and with a bright, flaming fire at night [Ex. 13:21; 14:19–20]. There will be a ·covering of glory over every person [or canopy over all the glory]. 6 This covering will ·protect the people [L be a shelter for shade] from the heat ·of the sun [by day] and ·will provide a safe place to hide [a refuge and shelter] from the storm and rain.
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