Add parallel Print Page Options

(A) I am Isaiah, the son of Amoz.

And this is the message[a] that I was given about Judah and Jerusalem when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were the kings of Judah:[b]

A Guilty Nation

The Lord has said,
    “Listen, heaven and earth!
The children I raised
    have turned against me.
Oxen and donkeys know
    who owns and feeds them,
but my people won't ever learn.”

Israel, you are a sinful nation
    loaded down with guilt.
You are wicked and corrupt
and have turned from the Lord,
    the holy God of Israel.
Why be punished more?
    Why not give up your sin?
Your head is badly bruised,
    and you are weak all over.
From your head to your toes
    there isn't a healthy spot.
Bruises, cuts, and open sores
go without care
    or oil to ease the pain.

A Country in Ruins

Your country lies in ruins;
    your towns are in ashes.
Foreigners and strangers
take and destroy your land
    while you watch.
Enemies surround Jerusalem,
alone like a hut
    in a vineyard[c]
    or in a cucumber field.
(B) Zion would have disappeared
    like Sodom and Gomorrah,[d]
if the Lord All-Powerful
had not let a few
    of its people survive.

Justice, Not Sacrifices

10 You are no better
    than the leaders and people
of Sodom and Gomorrah!
    So listen to the Lord God:
11 (C) “Your sacrifices
    mean nothing to me.
I am sick of your offerings
    of rams and choice cattle;
I don't like the blood
    of bulls or lambs or goats.

12 “Who asked you to bring all this
when you come to worship me?
    Stay out of my temple!
13 Your sacrifices are worthless,
    and your incense disgusting.
I can't stand the evil you do
    on your New Moon Festivals
or on your Sabbaths
    and other times of worship.
14 I hate your New Moon Festivals
    and all others as well.
They are a heavy burden
    I am tired of carrying.

15 “No matter how much you pray,
I won't listen.
    You are too violent.
16 Wash yourselves clean!
    I hate your filthy deeds.
Stop doing wrong
17     and learn to live right.
See that justice is done.
Defend widows and orphans
    and help the oppressed.”[e]

An Invitation from the Lord

18 I, the Lord, invite you
    to come and talk it over.
Your sins are scarlet red,
but they will be whiter
    than snow or wool.
19 If you willingly obey me,
the best crops in the land
    will be yours.
20 But if you turn against me,
your enemies will kill you.
    I, the Lord, have spoken.

The Lord Condemns Jerusalem

21 Jerusalem, you are like
    an unfaithful wife.
Once your judges were honest
    and your people lived right;
now you are a city
    full of murderers.
22 Your silver is fake,
and your wine
    is watered down.
23 Your leaders have rejected me
    to become friends of crooks;
your rulers are looking
    for gifts and bribes.
Widows and orphans
    never get a fair trial.

24 I am the Lord All-Powerful,
the mighty ruler of Israel,
    and I make you a promise:
You are now my enemy,
and I will show my anger
    by taking revenge on you.
25 I will punish you terribly
    and burn away everything
that makes you unfit
    to worship me.
26 Jerusalem, I will choose
judges and advisors
    like those you had before.
Your new name will be
    “Justice and Faithfulness.”

The Lord Will Save Jerusalem

27 Jerusalem, you will be saved
    by showing justice;[f]
Zion's people who turn to me
will be saved
    by doing right.
28 But those rebellious sinners
who turn against me, the Lord,
    will all disappear.

29 You will be made ashamed
of those groves of trees
    where you worshiped idols.
30 You will be like a grove of trees
    dying in a drought.
31 Your strongest leaders
will be like dry wood
    set on fire by their idols.[g]
No one will be able to help,
    as they all go up in flames.

Peace That Lasts Forever

This is the message[h] I was given about Judah and Jerusalem:

In the future, the mountain
with the Lord's temple
    will be the highest of all.
It will reach above the hills;
    every nation will rush to it.
Many people will come and say,
    “Let's go to the mountain
of the Lord God of Jacob
    and worship in his temple.”

The Lord will teach us his Law
from Jerusalem,
    and we will obey him.
(D) He will settle arguments
    between nations.
They will pound their swords
and their spears
    into rakes and shovels;
they will never make war
    or attack one another.
People of Israel, let's live
    by the light of the Lord.

Following Sinful Customs

Our Lord, you have deserted
    your people, Israel,
because they follow customs
    of nations from the east.
They worship Philistine gods
and are close friends
    of foreigners.[i]
They have endless treasures
    of silver and gold;
they have countless horses
    and war chariots.
Everywhere in the country
they worship the idols
    they have made.
And so, all of them
will be ashamed and disgraced.
    Don't forgive them!

A Day of Judgment

10 (E) Every one of you,
go hide among the rocks
    and in the ground,
because the Lord is fearsome,
    marvelous, and glorious.
11 When the Lord comes,
everyone who is proud
    will be made humble,
and the Lord alone
    will be honored.
12 The Lord All-Powerful
    has chosen a day
when those who are proud
and conceited
    will be put down.

13 The tall and towering
cedars of Lebanon
    will be destroyed.
So will the oak trees of Bashan,
14 all high mountains and hills,
15     every strong fortress,
16 all the seagoing ships,[j]
    and every beautiful boat.
17 When that day comes,
everyone who is proud
    will be put down.
Only the Lord will be honored.
18     Idols will be gone for good.

19 You had better hide
    in caves and holes—
the Lord will be fearsome,
    marvelous, and glorious
when he comes to terrify
    people on earth.

20 On that day everyone will throw
    to the moles and bats
their idols of silver and gold
    they made to worship.
21 The Lord will be fearsome,
    marvelous, and glorious
when he comes to terrify
    people on earth—
they will hide in caves
    and in the hills.

22 Stop trusting the power
    of humans.
They are all going to die,
    so how can they help?

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

The mighty Lord All-Powerful
is going to take away
    from Jerusalem and Judah
everything you need—
    your bread and water,
* soldiers and heroes,
judges and prophets,
    leaders and army officers,
officials and advisors,
fortunetellers and others
    who tell the future.
He will let children and babies[k]
    become your rulers.
You will each be cruel
    to friends and neighbors.
Young people will insult
    their elders;
no one will show respect
    to those who deserve it.

Some of you will grab hold
    of a relative and say,
“You still have a coat.
Be our leader and rule
    this pile of ruins.”
But the answer will be,
“I can't do you any good.
    Don't make me your leader.
There's no food or clothing
    left in my house.”

Jerusalem and Judah,
you rebelled against
    your glorious Lord
your words and your actions,
    made you stumble and fall.
The look on your faces shows
that you are sinful as Sodom,
    and you don't try to hide it.
You are in for trouble,
and you have brought it all
    on yourselves.

The Wrong Kind of Leaders

10 Tell those who obey God,
“You're very fortunate—
    you will be rewarded
    for what you have done.”
11 Tell those who disobey,
“You're in big trouble—
    what you did to others
    will come back to you.”
12 Though you are God's people,
you are ruled and abused
    by women and children.
You are confused by leaders
who guide you
    down the wrong path.

13 The Lord is ready to accuse
    and judge all nations.
14 He will even judge
you rulers and leaders
    of his own nation.
You destroyed his vineyard[l]
and filled your houses
    by robbing the poor.
15 The Lord All-Powerful says,
“You have crushed my people
    and rubbed in the dirt
    the faces of the poor.”

The Women of Jerusalem

16 The Lord says:
    The women of Jerusalem
are proud and strut around,
    winking shamelessly.
They wear anklets that jingle
and call attention
    to the way they walk.
17 But I, the Lord, will cover
    their heads with sores,
and I will uncover
    their private parts.

18-23 When that day comes, I will take away from those women all the fine jewelry they wear on their ankles, heads, necks, ears, arms, noses, fingers, and on their clothes. I will remove their veils, their belts, their perfume, their magic charms, their royal robes, and all their fancy dresses, hats, and purses.

24 In place of perfume,
    there will be a stink;
in place of belts,
    there will be ropes;
in place of fancy hairdos,
    they will have bald heads.
Instead of expensive clothes,
    they will wear sackcloth;
instead of beauty,
    they will have ugly scars.
25 The fighting men of Jerusalem
    will be killed in battle.
26 The city will mourn
and sit in the dirt,
    emptied of its people.

When this happens, seven women will grab the same man, and each of them will say, “I'll buy my own food and clothes! Just marry me and take away my disgrace.”[m]

The Lord Will Bless His People Who Survive

The time is coming when the Lord will make his land fruitful and glorious again, and the people of Israel who survive will take great pride in what the land produces. Everyone who is left alive in Jerusalem will be called special, after the Lord sends a fiery judgment to clean the city and its people of their violent deeds.

(F) Then the Lord will cover the whole city and its meeting places with a thick cloud each day and with a flaming fire[n] each night. God's own glory will be like a huge tent that covers everything. It will provide shade from the heat of the sun and a place of shelter and protection from storms and rain.

A Song about a Vineyard

The Lord said:

(G) I will sing a song
    about my friend's vineyard
that was on the side
    of a fertile hill.
My friend dug the ground,
removed the stones,
    and planted the best vines.
He built a watchtower
and dug a pit in rocky ground
    for pressing the grapes.
He hoped they would be sweet,
but bitter grapes
    were all it produced.

Listen, people of Jerusalem
    and of Judah!
You be the judge of me
    and my vineyard.
What more could I have done
    for my vineyard?
I hoped for sweet grapes,
but bitter grapes
    were all that grew.

Now I will let you know
    what I am going to do.
I will cut down the hedge
    and tear down the wall.
My vineyard will be trampled
    and left in ruins.
It will turn into a desert,
    neither pruned nor hoed;
it will be covered
    with thorns and briars.
I will command the clouds
    not to send rain.

I am the Lord All-Powerful!
    Israel is the vineyard,
and Judah is the garden
    I tended with care.
I had hoped for honesty
    and for justice,
but dishonesty
and cries for mercy
    were all I found.

Isaiah Condemns Social Injustice

You are in for trouble! You take over house after house and field after field, until there is no room left for anyone else in all the land. But the Lord All-Powerful has made this promise to me:

Those large and beautiful homes will be left empty, with no one to take care of them. 10 Four hectares of grapevines will produce only 27 liters of juice, and 180 liters of seed will produce merely 18 liters of grain.

11 (H) You are in for trouble! You get up early to start drinking, and you keep it up late into the night. 12 At your drinking parties you have the music of stringed instruments, tambourines, and flutes. But you never even think about all the Lord has done, 13 and so his people know nothing about him. That's why many of you will be dragged off to foreign lands. Your leaders will starve to death, and everyone else will suffer from thirst.

14 The world of the dead has opened its mouth wide and is eagerly waiting for the leaders of Jerusalem and for its noisy crowds, especially for those who take pride in that city. 15 Its citizens have been put down, and its proud people have been brought to shame. 16 But the holy Lord God All-Powerful is praised, because he has shown who he is by bringing justice. 17 His people will be like sheep grazing in their own pasture, and they will take off what was left by others.[o]

18 You are in for trouble! The lies you tell are like ropes by which you drag along sin and evil. 19 And you say, “Let the holy God of Israel hurry up and do what he has promised, so we can see it for ourselves.” 20 You are headed for trouble! You say wrong is right, darkness is light, and bitter is sweet.

21 You think you are clever and smart. 22 And you are great at drinking and mixing drinks. But you are in for trouble. 23 You accept bribes to let the guilty go free, and you cheat the innocent out of a fair trial.

24 You will go up in flames like straw and hay! You have rejected the teaching of the holy Lord God All-Powerful of Israel. Now your roots will rot, and your blossoms will turn to dust.

25 You are the Lord's people, but you made him terribly angry, and he struck you with his mighty arm. Mountains shook, and dead bodies covered the streets like garbage. The Lord is still angry, and he is ready to strike you again.[p]

Foreign Nations Will Attack

26 The Lord has signaled for the foreign nations to come and attack you. He has already whistled, and they are coming as fast as they can. 27 None of them are tired. They don't sleep or get drowsy, and they run without stumbling. Their belts don't come loose; their sandal straps don't break. 28 Their arrows are sharp, and their bows are ready. The hoofs of their horses are hard as flint; the wheels of their war chariots turn as fast as a whirlwind.

29 They roar and growl like fierce young lions as they grab their victims and drag them off where no one can rescue them. 30 On the day they attack, they will roar like the ocean. And across the land you will see nothing but darkness and trouble, because the light of day will be covered by thick clouds.

A Vision of the Lord in the Temple

(I) In the year that King Uzziah died,[q] I had a vision of the Lord. He was on his throne high above, and his robe filled the temple. Flaming creatures with six wings each were flying over him. They covered their faces with two of their wings and their bodies with two more. They used the other two wings for flying, (J) as they shouted,

“Holy, holy, holy,
    Lord All-Powerful!
The earth is filled
    with your glory.”

(K) As they shouted, the doorposts of the temple shook, and the temple was filled with smoke. Then I cried out, “I'm doomed! Everything I say is sinful, and so are the words of everyone around me. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord All-Powerful.”

One of the flaming creatures flew over to me with a burning coal that it had taken from the altar with a pair of metal tongs. It touched my lips with the hot coal and said, “This has touched your lips. Your sins are forgiven, and you are no longer guilty.”

After this, I heard the Lord ask, “Is there anyone I can send? Will someone speak for us?”

“I'll go,” I answered. “Send me!”

(L) Then the Lord told me to go and speak this message to the people:

“You will listen and listen,
    but never understand.
You will look and look,
    but never see.”

The Lord also said,

10 “Make these people stubborn!
Make them stop up
    their ears,
cover their eyes,
    and fail to understand.
Don't let them turn to me
    and be healed.”

11 Then I asked the Lord, “How long will this last?”

The Lord answered:

Until their towns are destroyed and their houses are deserted, until their fields are empty, 12 and I have sent them far away, leaving their land in ruins. 13 If only a tenth of the people are left, even they will be destroyed. But just as stumps remain after trees have been cut down,[r] some of my chosen ones will be left.

Isaiah Offers Hope to King Ahaz

(M) Ahaz, the son of Jotham and the grandson of Uzziah, was king of Judah when King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel went to attack Jerusalem. But they were not able to do what they had planned.[s] When news reached the royal palace that Syria had joined forces with Israel, King Ahaz and everyone in Judah were so terrified that they shook like trees in a windstorm.

Then the Lord said to me:

Take your son Shearjashub[t] and go see King Ahaz. You will find him on the road near the cloth makers' shops at the end of the canal that brings water from the upper pool. Tell Ahaz to stop worrying. There's no need for him to be afraid of King Rezin and King Pekah. They are very angry, but they are nothing more than a dying fire. Ahaz doesn't need to fear their evil threats to invade and defeat Judah and Jerusalem and to let the son of Tabeel be king in his place.

I, the Lord, promise that this will never happen. 8-9 Damascus is just the capital of Syria, and King Rezin rules only in Damascus. Samaria is just the capital of Israel, and King Pekah rules only in Samaria. But in less than 65 years, Israel will be destroyed. And if Ahaz and his officials don't trust me, they will be defeated.

A Son Named Immanuel

10 Once again the Lord God spoke to King Ahaz. This time he said, 11 “Ask me for proof that my promise will come true. Ask for something to happen deep in the world of the dead or high in the heavens above.”

12 “No, Lord,” Ahaz answered. “I won't test you!”

13 Then I said:

Listen, every one of you in the royal family of David. You have already tried my patience. Now you are trying God's patience by refusing to ask for proof. 14 (N) But the Lord will still give you proof. A virgin[u] is pregnant; she will have a son and will name him Immanuel.[v] 15-16 Even before the boy is old enough to know how to choose between right and wrong, he will eat yogurt and honey,[w] and the countries of the two kings you fear will be destroyed. 17 But the Lord will make more trouble for your people and your kingdom than any of you have known since Israel broke away from Judah. He will even bring the king of Assyria to attack you.

The Threat of an Invasion

18 When that time comes, the Lord will whistle, and armies will come from Egypt like flies and from Assyria like bees. 19 They will settle everywhere—in the deep valleys and between the rocks, on every thornbush and all over the pastureland.

20 The Lord will pay the king of Assyria to bring a razor from across the Euphrates River and shave your head and every hair on your body, including your beard.[x]

21 Anyone who is able to save only one young cow and two sheep, 22 will have enough milk to make yogurt. In fact, everyone left in the land will eat yogurt and honey.[y]

23 Vineyards that had 1,000 vines and were worth 1,000 pieces of silver will turn into thorn patches. 24 You will go there to hunt with your bow and arrows, because the whole country will be covered with thornbushes. 25 The hills where you once planted crops will be overgrown with thorns and thistles. You will be afraid to go there, and your cattle, sheep, and goats will be turned loose on those hills.

A Warning and a Hope

The Lord said, “Isaiah, get something to write on. Then write in big clear letters[z] the name, MAHER-SHALAL-HASH-BAZ.[aa] I will tell Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah to serve as witnesses to this.”

Sometime later, my wife and I had a son, and the Lord said, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. Because before he can say ‘Mommy’ or ‘Daddy,’ the king of Assyria will attack and take everything of value from Damascus and Samaria.”

The Lord spoke to me again and said:

These people have refused the gentle waters of Shiloah[ab] and have gladly gone over to the side of King Rezin and King Pekah. Now I will send the king of Assyria against them with his powerful army, which will attack like the mighty Euphrates River overflowing its banks. Enemy soldiers will cover Judah like a flood reaching up to your neck.

But God is with us.[ac]
He will spread his wings
    and protect our land.[ad]
All of you foreign nations,
go ahead and prepare for war,
    but you will be crushed.
10 Get together and make plans,
but you will fail
    because God is with us.

11 The Lord took hold of me with his powerful hand and said:

I'm warning you! Don't act like these people. 12 (O) Don't call something a rebellious plot, just because they do, and don't be afraid of something, just because they are. 13 I am the one you should fear and respect. I am the holy God, the Lord All-Powerful! 14-15 (P) Run to me for protection. I am a rock that will make both Judah and Israel stumble and break their bones. I am a trap that will catch the people of Jerusalem—they will be captured and dragged away.

Isaiah and His Followers

16 My message and my teachings are to be sealed and given to my followers. 17 (Q) Meanwhile, I patiently trust the Lord, even though he is no longer pleased with Israel. 18 (R) My children and I are warning signs to Israel from the Lord All-Powerful, who lives on Mount Zion.

19 Someone may say to you, “Go to the fortunetellers who make soft chirping sounds or ask the spirits of the dead. After all, a nation ought to be able to ask its own gods 20 what it should do.”

None of those who talk like that will live to see the light of day! 21 They will go around in great pain and will become so hungry that they will angrily curse their king and their gods. And when they try to find help in heaven 22 and on earth, they will find only trouble and darkness, terrible trouble and deepest darkness.

(S) But those who have suffered will no longer be in pain.[ae] The territories of Zebulun and Naphtali in Galilee were once hated. But this land of the Gentiles across the Jordan River and along the Mediterranean Sea will be greatly respected.

War Is Over

(T) Those who walked in the dark
    have seen a bright light.
And it shines upon everyone
who lives in the land
    of darkest shadows.
Our Lord, you have made
    your nation stronger.[af]
Because of you, its people
    are glad and celebrate
like workers at harvest time
or like soldiers dividing up
    what they have taken.

You have broken the power
of those who abused
    and enslaved your people.
You have rescued them
just as you saved your people
    from Midian.[ag]
The boots of marching warriors
and the blood-stained uniforms
    have been fed to flames
    and eaten by fire.

A Child Has Been Born

A child has been born for us.
We have been given a son
    who will be our ruler.
His names will be
Wonderful Advisor
    and Mighty God,
Eternal Father
    and Prince of Peace.
(U) His power will never end;
    peace will last forever.
He will rule David's kingdom
    and make it grow strong.
He will always rule
    with honesty and justice.
The Lord All-Powerful
will make certain
    that all of this is done.

God Will Punish Israel

The Lord had warned the people of Israel, and all of them knew it, including everyone in the capital city of Samaria. But they were proud and stubborn and said,

10 “Houses of brick and sycamore
    have fallen to the ground,
but we will build houses
    with stones and cedar.”

11 The Lord made their enemies[ah] attack them. 12 He sent the Arameans from the east and the Philistines from the west, and they swallowed up Israel. But even this did not stop him from being angry, so he kept on punishing them.[ai] 13 The people of Israel still did not turn back to the Lord All-Powerful and worship him.

14 In one day he cut off their head and tail, their leaves and branches. 15 Their rulers and leaders were the head, and the lying prophets were the tail. 16 They had led the nation down the wrong path, and the people were confused. 17 The Lord was angry with his people and kept punishing them, because they had turned against him.[aj] They were evil and spoke foolishly. That's why he did not have pity on their young people or on their widows and orphans.

18 Evil had spread like a raging forest fire sending thornbushes up in smoke. 19 The Lord All-Powerful was angry and used the people as fuel for a fire that scorched the land. They turned against each other 20 like wild animals attacking and eating everyone around them, even their own relatives.[ak] But still they were not satisfied. 21 The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh turned against each other, then joined forces to attack Judah. But the Lord was still angry and ready to punish the nation even more.

10 You people are in for trouble! You have made cruel and unfair laws that let you cheat the poor and needy and rob widows and orphans. But what will you do when you are fiercely attacked and punished by foreigners? Where will you run for help? Where will you hide your valuables? How will you escape being captured[al] or killed? The Lord is still angry, and he isn't through with you yet![am]

The Lord's Purpose and the King of Assyria

(V) The Lord says:

I am furious! And I will use the king of Assyria[an] as a club to beat down you godless people. I am angry with you, and I will send him to attack you. He will take what he wants and walk on you like mud in the streets. He has even bigger plans in mind, because he wants to destroy many nations.

The king of Assyria says:

My army commanders are kings! They have already captured[ao] the cities of Calno, Carchemish, Hamath, Arpad, Samaria, and Damascus. 10-11 (W) The gods of Jerusalem and Samaria are weaker than the gods of those powerful nations. And I will destroy Jerusalem, together with its gods and idols, just as I did Samaria.

12 The Lord will do what he has planned against Jerusalem and Mount Zion. Then he will punish the proud and boastful king of Assyria, 13 who says:

I did these things by my own power because I am smart and clever. I attacked kings like a wild bull, and I took the land and the treasures of their nations. 14 I have conquered the whole world! And it was easier than taking eggs from an unguarded nest. No one even flapped a wing or made a peep.

15 King of Assyria, can an ax or a saw overpower the one who uses it? Can a wooden pole lift whoever holds it? 16 The mighty Lord All-Powerful will send a terrible disease to strike down your army, and you will burn with fever under your royal robes. 17 The holy God, who is the light of Israel, will turn into a fire, and in one day you will go up in flames, just like a thornbush. 18 The Lord will make your beautiful forests and fertile fields slowly rot. 19 There will be so few trees that even a young child can count them.

Only a Few Will Come Back

20 A time is coming when the survivors from Israel and Judah will completely depend on the holy Lord of Israel, instead of the nation[ap] that defeated them. 21-22 (X) There were as many people as there are grains of sand along the seashore, but only a few will survive to come back to Israel's mighty God. This is because he has threatened to destroy their nation, just as they deserve. 23 The Lord All-Powerful has promised that everyone on this earth[aq] will be punished.

24 Now the Lord God All-Powerful says to his people in Jerusalem:

The Assyrians will beat you with sticks and abuse you, just as the Egyptians did. But don't be afraid of them. 25 Soon I will stop being angry with you, and I will punish them for their crimes.[ar] 26 I will beat the Assyrians with a whip, as I did the people of Midian near the rock at Oreb. And I will show the same mighty power that I used when I made a path through the sea in Egypt. 27 Then they will no longer rule your nation. All will go well for you,[as] and your burden will be lifted.

28 Enemy troops have reached the town of Aiath.[at] They have gone through Migron, and they stored their supplies at Michmash, 29 before crossing the valley and spending the night at Geba.[au] The people of Ramah are terrified; everyone in Gibeah, the hometown of Saul, has run away. 30 Loud crying can be heard in the towns of Gallim, Laishah, and sorrowful Anathoth. 31 No one is left in Madmenah or Gebim. 32 Today the enemy will camp at Nob[av] and shake a threatening fist at Mount Zion in Jerusalem.

33 But the Lord All-Powerful
    will use his fearsome might
to bring down the tallest trees
    and chop off every branch.
34 With an ax, the glorious Lord
will destroy every tree
    in the forests of Lebanon.[aw]

Peace at Last

11 (Y) Like a branch that sprouts
    from a stump,
someone from David's family[ax]
    will someday be king.
The Spirit of the Lord
    will be with him
to give him understanding,
    wisdom, and insight.
He will be powerful,
and he will know
    and honor the Lord.
His greatest joy will be
    to obey the Lord.

This king won't judge
by appearances
    or listen to rumors.
The poor and the needy
will be treated with fairness
    and with justice.
His word will be law
    everywhere in the land,
and criminals
    will be put to death.
(Z) Honesty and fairness
    will be his royal robes.

(AA) Leopards will lie down
    with young goats,
and wolves will rest
    with lambs.
Calves and lions
    will eat together
and be cared for
    by little children.
Cows and bears will share
    the same pasture;
their young will rest
    side by side.
Lions and oxen
    will both eat straw.

Little children will play
    near snake holes.
They will stick their hands
into dens of poisonous snakes
    and never be hurt.

(AB) Nothing harmful will take place
    on the Lord's holy mountain.
Just as water fills the sea,
    the land will be filled
with people who know
    and honor the Lord.

God's People Will Come Back Home

10 (AC) The time is coming when one of David's descendants[ay] will be the signal for the people of all nations to come together. They will follow his advice, and his own nation will become famous.

11 When that day comes, the Lord will again reach out his mighty arm and bring home his people who have survived in Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Ethiopia,[az] Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the land along the coast.[ba] 12 He will give a signal to the nations, and he will bring together the refugees from Judah and Israel, who have been scattered all over the earth. 13 Israel will stop being jealous of Judah, and Judah will no longer be the enemy of Israel. 14 Instead, they will get together and attack the Philistines in the west. Then they will defeat the Edomites, the Moabites, and the Ammonites in the east. They will rule those people and take from them whatever they want.

15 (AD) The Lord will dry up the arm of the Red Sea near Egypt,[bb] and he will send a scorching wind to divide the Euphrates River into seven streams that anyone can step across. 16 Then for his people who survive, there will be a good road from Assyria, just as there was a good road for their ancestors when they left Egypt.

A Song of Praise

12 At that time you will say,
“I thank you, Lord!
    You were angry with me,
but you stopped being angry
    and gave me comfort.
(AE) I trust you to save me,
Lord God,
    and I won't be afraid.
My power and my strength[bc]
come from you,
    and you have saved me.”

With great joy, you people
will get water
    from the well of victory.
At that time you will say,
“Our Lord, we are thankful,
    and we worship only you.
We will tell the nations
how glorious you are
    and what you have done.
Because of your wonderful deeds
we will sing your praises
    everywhere on earth.”

Sing, people of Zion!
Celebrate the greatness
    of the holy Lord of Israel.
God is here to help you.

Babylon Will Be Punished

13 (AF) This is the message[bd] that I was given about Babylon:

From high on a barren hill
give a signal, shout the orders,
    and point the way
to enter the gates
    of Babylon's proud rulers.
The Lord has commanded
    his very best warriors
and his proud heroes
    to show how angry he is.

Listen to the noisy crowds
    on the mountains!
Kingdoms and nations
    are joining forces.
The Lord All-Powerful
is bringing together
    an army for battle.
From a distant land
the Lord is coming
    fierce and furious—
he brings his weapons
    to destroy the whole earth.

(AG) Cry and weep!
    The day is coming
when the mighty Lord
    will bring destruction.
* All people will be terrified.
Hands will grow limp;
    courage will melt away.
Everyone will tremble with pain
    like a woman giving birth;
they will stare at each other
    with horror on their faces.

There Will Be No Mercy

I, the Lord,
will show no mercy or pity
    when that time comes.
In my anger I will destroy
the earth and every sinner
    who lives on it.
10 (AH) Light will disappear
    from the stars in the sky;
the dawning sun will turn dark,
and the moon
    will lose its brightness.

11 I will punish this evil world
and its people
    because of their sins.
I will crush the horrible pride
    of those who are cruel.
12 Survivors will be harder to find
    than the purest gold.
13 I, the Lord All-Powerful,
    am terribly angry—
I will make the sky tremble
    and the earth shake loose.

14 Everyone will run
    to their homelands,
just as hunted deer run,
and sheep scatter
    when they have no shepherd.
15 Those men who are captured
    will be killed by a sword.
16 They will see their children
    beaten against rocks,
their homes robbed,
    and their wives abused.

17 The Medes[be] can't be bought off
    with silver or gold,
and I'm sending them
    to attack Babylonia.
18 Their arrows will slaughter
    the young men;
no pity will be shown
    to babies and children.

The Lord Will Destroy Babylon

19 (AI) The city of Babylon
is glorious and powerful,
    the pride of the nation.
But it will be like the cities
    of Sodom and Gomorrah
after I, the Lord,
    destroyed them.
20 No one will live in Babylon.
Even nomads won't camp nearby,
    and shepherds won't let
    their sheep rest there.
21 (AJ) Only desert creatures,
    hoot owls, and ostriches
will live in its ruins,
    and goats[bf] will leap about.
22 Hyenas and wolves will howl
from Babylon's fortresses
    and beautiful palaces.
Its time is almost up!

The Lord's People Will Come Home

14 The Lord will have mercy on Israel and will let them be his chosen people once again. He will bring them back to their own land, and foreigners will join them as part of Israel. Other nations will lead them home, and Israel will make slaves of them in the land that belongs to the Lord. Israel will rule over those who once governed and mistreated them.

Death to the King of Babylonia!

The Lord will set you free from your sorrow, suffering, and slavery. Then you will make fun of the King of Babylonia by singing this song:

That cruel monster is done for!
    He won't attack us again.[bg]
The Lord has crushed the power
    of those evil kings,
who were furious
and never stopped abusing
    the people of other nations.

Now all the world is at peace;
its people are celebrating
    with joyful songs.
King of Babylonia,
    even the cypress trees
and the cedars of Lebanon
    celebrate and say,
“Since you were put down,
no one comes along
    to chop us down.”

The world of the dead
    eagerly waits for you.
With great excitement,
the spirits of ancient rulers
    hear about your coming.
10 Each one of them will say,
“Now you are just as weak
    as any of us!
11 Your pride and your music
have ended here
    in the world of the dead.
Worms are your blanket,
    maggots are your bed.”

12 (AK) You, the bright morning star,
    have fallen from the sky!
You brought down other nations;
    now you are brought down.
13 (AL) You said to yourself,
    “I'll climb to heaven
and place my throne
    above the highest stars.
I'll sit there with the gods
    far away in the north.
14 I'll be above the clouds,
    just like God Most High.”

15 But now you are deep
    in the world of the dead.
16 Those who see you will stare
    and wonder, “Is this the man
who made the world tremble
    and shook up kingdoms?
17 Did he capture every city
    and make earth a desert?
Is he the one who refused
    to let prisoners go home?”

18 When kings die, they are buried
    in glorious tombs.
19 But you will be left unburied,
just another dead body
    lying underfoot
    like a broken branch.
You will be one of many
killed in battle and gone down
    to the deep rocky pit.[bh]
20 You won't be buried with kings;
you ruined your country
    and murdered your people.

You evil monster!
We hope that your family
    will be forgotten forever.
21 We will slaughter your sons
to make them pay for the crimes
    of their ancestors.
They won't take over the world
or build cities
    anywhere on this earth.

22 The Lord All-Powerful has promised to attack Babylonia and destroy everyone there, so that none of them will ever be remembered again. 23 The Lord will sweep out the people, and the land will become a swamp for wild animals.

Assyria Will Be Punished

24 (AM) The Lord All-Powerful
    has made this promise:
Everything I have planned
    will happen just as I said.
25 I will wipe out every Assyrian
    in my country,
and I will crush those
    on my mountains.
I will free my people
from slavery
    to the Assyrians.
26 I have planned this
    for the whole world,
and my mighty arm
    controls every nation.
27 I, the Lord All-Powerful,
have made these plans.
    No one can stop me now!

The Philistines Will Be Punished

28 (AN) This message came from the Lord in the year King Ahaz died:[bi]

29 (AO) Philistines, don't be happy
    just because the rod
that punished you
    is broken.
That rod will become
a poisonous snake, and then
    a flying fiery dragon.

30 The poor and needy will find
pastures for their sheep
    and will live in safety.
But I will starve some of you,
    and others will be killed.

31 Cry and weep in the gates
of your towns,
    you Philistines!
Smoke blows in from the north,[bj]
    and every soldier is ready.
32 If a messenger comes
from a distant nation,
    you must say:
“The Lord built Zion.
Even the poorest of his people
    will find safety there.”

Moab Will Be Punished

15 (AP) This is a message about Moab:

The towns of Ar and Kir
were destroyed in a night.
    Moab is left in ruins!
Everyone in Dibon has gone up
to the temple[bk] and the shrines
    to cry and weep.
All of Moab is crying.
Heads and beards are shaved[bl]
    because of what happened
    at Nebo and Medeba.
In the towns and at home,
everyone wears sackcloth
    and cries loud and long.
From Heshbon and Elealeh,
    weeping is heard in Jahaz;
Moab's warriors scream
    while trembling with fear.

Pity Moab

I pity Moab!
Its people are running to Zoar
    and to Eglath-Shelishiyah.
They cry on their way up
    to the town of Luhith;
on the road to Horonaim
    they tell of disasters.
The streams of Nimrim
and the grasslands
    have dried up.
Every plant is parched.

The people of Moab are leaving,
    crossing over Willow Creek,
taking everything they own
    and have worked for.
In the towns of Eglaim
    and of Beerelim
and everywhere else in Moab
    mournful cries are heard.
The streams near Dimon
    are flowing with blood.
But the Lord will bring
    even worse trouble to Dimon,[bm]
because all in Moab who escape
    will be attacked by lions.[bn]

More Troubles for Moab

16 Send lambs[bo] as gifts
    to the ruler of the land.
Send them across the desert
    from Sela[bp] to Mount Zion.
The women of Moab
    crossing the Arnon River
are like a flock of birds
    scattered from their nests.
Moab's messengers say
    to the people of Judah,
“Be kind and help us!
Shade us from the heat
    of the noonday sun.
Hide our refugees!
    Don't turn them away.
Let our people live
in your country
    and find safety here.”

Moab, your cruel enemies
    will disappear;
they will no longer attack
    and destroy your land.
Then a kingdom of love
    will be set up,
and someone from David's family
    will rule with fairness.
He will do what is right
    and quickly bring justice.

Moab's Pride Is Destroyed

We have heard of Moab's pride.
Its people strut and boast,
    but without reason.
Tell everyone in Moab
    to mourn for their nation.
Tell them to cry and weep
for those fancy raisins[bq]
    of Kir-Hareseth.

Vineyards near Heshbon
and Sibmah
    have turned brown.
The rulers of nations
    used to get drunk
on wine from those vineyards[br]
    that spread to Jazer,
then across the desert
    and beyond the sea.

Now I mourn like Jazer
for the vineyards
    of Sibmah.
I shed tears for Heshbon
    and for Elealeh.
There will be no more
    harvest celebrations
10 or joyful and happy times,
    while bringing in the crops.
Singing and shouting are gone
    from the vineyards.
There are no joyful shouts
where grapes were pressed.
    God has silenced them all.

11 Deep in my heart I hurt
    for Moab and Kir-Heres.
12 It's useless for Moab's people
    to wear themselves out
by going to their altars
    to worship and pray.

13 The Lord has already said all of this about Moab. 14 Now he says, “The contract of a hired worker is good for three years, but Moab's glory and greatness won't last any longer than that. Only a few of its people will survive, and they will be left helpless.”

Damascus Will Be Punished

17 (AQ) This is a message about Damascus:

Damascus is doomed!
    It will end up in ruins.
The villages around Aroer[bs]
    will be deserted,
with only sheep living there
    and no one to bother them.
Israel[bt] will lose its fortresses.
The kingdom of Damascus
    will be destroyed;
its survivors will suffer
    the same fate as Israel.
The Lord All-Powerful
    has promised this.

Sin and Suffering

When that time comes,
the glorious nation of Israel
    will be brought down;
its prosperous people
    will be skin and bones.
Israel will be like wheat fields
in Rephaim Valley
    picked clean of grain.
It will be like an olive tree
    beaten with a stick,
leaving two or three olives
    or maybe four or five
on the highest
    or most fruitful branches.
The Lord God of Israel
    has promised this.

At that time the people will turn and trust their Creator, the holy God of Israel. They have built altars and places for burning incense to their goddess Asherah, and they have set up sacred poles[bu] for her. But they will stop worshiping at these places.

Israel captured powerful cities and chased out the people who lived there. But these cities will lie in ruins, covered over with weeds and underbrush.[bv]

10 Israel, you have forgotten
    the God who saves you,
the one who is the mighty rock[bw]
    where you find protection.
You plant the finest flowers
    to honor a foreign god.
11 The plants may sprout
and blossom
    that very same morning,
but it will do you no good,
because you will suffer
    endless agony.

God Defends His People

12 The nations are a noisy,
    thunderous sea.
13 But even if they roar
    like a fearsome flood,
God will give the command
    to turn them back.
They will be like dust,
    or like a tumbleweed
blowing across the hills
    in a windstorm.
14 In the evening
    their attack is fierce,
but by morning
    they are destroyed.
This is what happens to those
    who raid and rob us.

Ethiopia Will Be Punished

18 (AR) Downstream from Ethiopia[bx]
lies the country of Egypt,
    swarming with insects.[by]
Egypt sends messengers
up the Nile River
    on ships made of reeds.[bz]
Send them fast to Ethiopia,
whose people are tall
    and have smooth skin.
Their land is divided by rivers;
they are strong and brutal,
    feared all over the world.[ca]

Everyone on this earth,
    listen with care!
A signal will be given
on the mountains,
    and you will hear a trumpet.
The Lord said to me,
“I will calmly look down
    from my home above—
as calmly as the sun at noon
or clouds in the heat
    of harvest season.”

Before the blossoms
    can turn into grapes,
God will cut off the sprouts
    and hack off the branches.
Ethiopians will be food
for mountain vultures
    during the summer
and for wild animals
    during the winter.

Those Ethiopians are tall and their skin is smooth. They are feared all over the world, because they are strong and brutal. But at that time they will come from their land divided by rivers, and they will bring gifts to the Lord All-Powerful, who is worshiped on Mount Zion.

Egypt Will Be Punished

19 (AS) This is a message about Egypt:

The Lord comes to Egypt,
    riding swiftly on a cloud.
The people are weak from fear.
Their idols tremble
    as he approaches and says,
“I will punish Egypt
    with civil war—
neighbors, cities, and kingdoms
    will fight each other.

“Egypt will be discouraged
    when I confuse their plans.
They will try to get advice
    from their idols,
from the spirits of the dead,
    and from fortunetellers.
I will put the Egyptians
under the power of a cruel,
    heartless king.
I, the Lord All-Powerful,
    have promised this.”

Trouble along the Nile

The Nile River will dry up
    and become parched land.
Its streams will stink,
    Egypt will have no water,
and the reeds and tall grass
    will dry up.
Fields along the Nile
will be completely barren;
    every plant will disappear.

Those who fish in the Nile
will be discouraged
    and mourn.
None of the cloth makers[cb]
will know what to do,
    and they will turn pale.[cc]
10 Weavers will be confused;
paid workers will cry and mourn.

Egypt's Helpless Leaders

11 The king's officials in Zoan[cd]
are foolish themselves
    and give stupid advice.
How can they say to him,
    “We are very wise,
and our families go back
    to kings of long ago?”
12 Where are those wise men now?
    If they can, let them say
what the Lord All-Powerful
    intends for Egypt.

13 The royal officials in Zoan
and in Memphis
    are foolish and deceived.
The leaders in every state
have given bad advice
    to the nation.
14 The Lord has confused Egypt;
its leaders have made it stagger
    and vomit like a drunkard.
15 No one in Egypt can do a thing,
    no matter who they are.

16 When the Lord All-Powerful punishes Egypt with his mighty arm, the Egyptians will become terribly weak and will tremble with fear. 17 They will be so terrified of Judah that they will be frightened by the very mention of its name. This will happen because of what the Lord All-Powerful is planning against Egypt.

The Lord Will Bless Egypt, Assyria, and Israel

18 The time is coming when Hebrew will be spoken in five Egyptian cities, and their people will become followers of the Lord. One of these cities will be called City of the Sun.[ce]

19 In the heart of Egypt an altar will be set up for the Lord; at its border a shrine will be built to honor him. 20 These will remind the Egyptians that the Lord All-Powerful is with them. And when they are in trouble and ask for help, he will send someone to rescue them from their enemies. 21 The Lord will show the Egyptians who he is, and they will know and worship the Lord. They will bring him sacrifices and offerings, and they will keep their promises to him. 22 After the Lord has punished Egypt, the people will turn to him. Then he will answer their prayers, and the Egyptians will be healed.

23 At that time a good road will run from Egypt to Assyria. The Egyptians and the Assyrians will travel back and forth from Egypt to Assyria, and they will worship together. 24 Israel will join with these two countries. They will be a blessing to everyone on earth, 25 then the Lord All-Powerful will bless them by saying,

“The Egyptians are my people.
I created the Assyrians
    and chose the Israelites.”

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.[cf] 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 for three years.

Then the Lord said:

What Isaiah has done is a warning to Egypt and Ethiopia.[cg] 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. They will be confused and frustrated, because they depended on Ethiopia and bragged about Egypt. When this happens, the people who live along the coast[ch] 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[ci]

21 This is a message about a desert beside the sea:[cj]

Enemies from a hostile nation
attack like a whirlwind
    from the Southern Desert.
What a horrible vision
    was shown to me—
a vision of betrayal
    and destruction.
Tell Elam and Media[ck]
to surround and attack
    the Babylonians.
The Lord has sworn to end
    the suffering they caused.

I'm in terrible pain
    like a woman giving birth.
I'm shocked and hurt so much
    that I can't hear or see.
My head spins; I'm horrified!
Early evening, my favorite time,
    has become a nightmare.

In Babylon the high officials
    were having a feast.
They were eating and drinking,
    when someone shouted,
“Officers, take your places!
    Grab your shields.”

The Lord said to me,
“Send guards
    to find out
    what's going on.
When they see cavalry troops
    and columns of soldiers
on donkeys and camels,
    tell them to be ready!”

Then a guard[cl] said,
“I have stood day and night
    on this watchtower, Lord.
(AT) 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,[cm]
    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:[cn]

You must order your caravans
14 to bring water for those
    who are thirsty.
You people of Tema[co]
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[cp] 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:[cq]

Why are you celebrating
on the flat roofs[cr]
    of your houses?
Your city is filled
    with noisy shouts.
Those who lie drunk
in your streets
    were not killed in battle.
Your leaders ran away,
but they were captured
    without a fight.
No matter how far they ran,
    they were found and caught.[cs]

Then I said, “Leave me alone!
    Let me cry bitter tears.
My people have been destroyed,
    so don't try to comfort me.”

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.[ct]
The people of Elam and Kir[cu]
attacked with chariots[cv]
    and carried shields.
Your most beautiful valleys
    were covered with chariots;
your cities were surrounded
by cavalry troops.
    Judah was left defenseless.

At that time you trusted in the weapons you had stored in Forest Palace.[cw] You saw the holes in the outer wall of Jerusalem, and you brought water from the lower pool.[cx] 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[cy] 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 (AU) 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 (AV) 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.

The City of Tyre Will Be Punished

23 (AW) This is a message from distant islands about the city of Tyre:[cz]

Cry, you seagoing ships![da]
Tyre and its houses
    lie in ruins.[db]
Mourn in silence,
you shop owners of Sidon,[dc]
    you people on the coast.
Your sailors crossed oceans,
    making your city rich.
Your merchants sailed the seas,
making you wealthy by trading
    with nation after nation.
They brought back grain
    that grew along the Nile.[dd]
Sidon, you are a mighty fortress
    built along the sea.
But you will be disgraced
like a married woman
    who never had children.[de]

When Egypt hears about Tyre,
    it will tremble.
All of you along the coast
had better cry and sail
    far across the ocean.[df]
Can this be the happy city
    that has stood for centuries?
Its people have spread
    to distant lands;
its merchants were kings
    honored all over the world.
Who planned to destroy Tyre?
The Lord All-Powerful planned it
    to bring shame and disgrace
to those who are honored
    by everyone on earth.
10 People of Tyre,[dg]
    your harbor is destroyed!
You will have to become farmers
    just like the Egyptians.[dh]

Tyre Will Be Forgotten

11 The Lord's hand has reached
across the sea,
    upsetting the nations.
He has given a command
to destroy fortresses
    in the land of Canaan.
12 The Lord has said
    to the people of Sidon,
“Your celebrating is over—
    you are crushed.
Even if you escape to Cyprus,
    you won't find peace.”

13 Look what the Assyrians have done to Babylonia! They have attacked, destroying every palace in the land. Now wild animals live among the ruins.[di] 14 Not a fortress will be left standing, so tell all the seagoing ships[dj] to mourn.

15 The city of Tyre will be forgotten for 70 years, which is the lifetime of a king. Then Tyre will be like that evil woman in the song:

16 You're gone and forgotten,
    you evil woman!
So strut through the town,
    singing and playing
your favorite tune
    to be remembered again.

17 At the end of those 70 years, the Lord will let Tyre get back into business. The city will be like a woman who sells her body to everyone of every nation on earth, 18 but none of what is earned will be kept in the city. That money will belong to the Lord, and it will be used to buy more than enough food and good clothes for those who worship the Lord.

The Earth Will Be Punished

24 The Lord is going to twist the earth out of shape and turn it into a desert. Everyone will be scattered, including ordinary people and priests, slaves and slave owners, buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, the rich and the poor. The earth will be stripped bare and left that way. This is what the Lord has promised.

The earth wilts away;
its mighty leaders melt
    to nothing.[dk]
The earth is polluted
    because its people
disobeyed the laws of God,
breaking their agreement
    that was to last forever.

The earth is under a curse;
its people are dying out
    because of their sins.
Grapevines have dried up:
    wine is almost gone—
mournful sounds are heard
    instead of joyful shouts.

No one plays tambourines
    or stringed instruments;
all noisy celebrating
    has come to an end.
They no longer sing
as they drink their wine,
    and it tastes sour.

10 Towns are crushed and in chaos;
    houses are locked tight.
11 Happy times have disappeared
    from the earth,
and people shout in the streets,
    “We're out of wine!”
12 Cities are destroyed;
    their gates are torn down.
13 Nations will be stripped bare,
like olive trees or vineyards
    after the harvest season.

Praise the God of Justice

14 People in the west shout;
they joyfully praise
    the majesty of the Lord.
15 And so, everyone in the east
    and those on the islands
should praise the Lord,
    the God of Israel.
16 From all over the world
songs of praise are heard
    for the God of justice.[dl]
But I feel awful,
    terribly miserable.
Can anyone be trusted?
    So many are treacherous!

There's No Escape

17 Terror, traps, and pits
    are waiting for everyone.
18 If you are terrified and run,
    you will fall into a pit;
if you crawl out of the pit,
    you will get caught in a trap.

The sky has split apart
    like a window thrown open.
The foundations of the earth
    have been shaken;
19 the earth is shattered,
    ripped to pieces.
20 It staggers and shakes
like a drunkard
    or a hut in a windstorm.
It is burdened down with sin;
the earth will fall,
    never again to get up.

21 On that day the Lord
    will punish the powers
in the heavens[dm]
    and the kings of the earth.
22 He will put them in a pit
    and keep them prisoner.
Then later on,
    he will punish them.
23 Both the moon and sun will
    be embarrassed and ashamed.
The Lord All-Powerful will rule
    on Mount Zion in Jerusalem,
where he will show its rulers
    his wonderful glory.

A Prayer of Thanks to God

25 You, Lord, are my God!
    I will praise you
for doing the wonderful things
you had planned and promised
    since ancient times.
You have destroyed the fortress
of our enemies,
    leaving their city in ruins.
Nothing in that foreign city
    will ever be rebuilt.
Now strong and cruel nations
    will fear and honor you.

You have been a place of safety
for the poor and needy
    in times of trouble.
Brutal enemies pounded us
    like a heavy rain
or the heat of the sun at noon,
    but you were our shelter.
Those wild foreigners struck
    like scorching desert heat.
But you were like a cloud,
    protecting us from the sun.
You kept our enemies from singing
    songs of victory.

The Lord Has Saved Us

On this mountain
    the Lord All-Powerful
will prepare for all nations
    a feast of the finest foods.
Choice wines and the best meats
    will be served.
Here the Lord will strip away
the burial clothes
    that cover the nations.
(AX) The Lord All-Powerful
will destroy the power of death
    and wipe away all tears.
No longer will his people
be insulted everywhere.
    The Lord has spoken!

At that time, people will say,
“The Lord has saved us!
    Let's celebrate.
We waited and hoped—
    now our God is here.”
10 (AY) The powerful arm of the Lord
    will protect this mountain.

The Moabites will be put down
and trampled on like straw
    in a pit of manure.
11 They will struggle to get out,
but God will humiliate them
    no matter how hard they try.[dn]
12 The walls of their fortresses
will be knocked down
    and scattered in the dirt.

A Song of Victory

26 The time is coming when the people of Judah will sing this song:

“Our city[do] is protected.
The Lord is our fortress,
    and he gives us victory.
Open the city gates
for a law-abiding nation
    that is faithful to God.
The Lord gives perfect peace
    to those whose faith is firm.
So always trust the Lord
because he is forever
    our mighty rock.[dp]
God has put down our enemies
in their mountain city[dq]
    and rubbed it in the dirt.
Now the poor and abused
    trample all over that city.”

The Lord Can Be Trusted

Our Lord, you always do right,
and you make the path smooth
    for those who obey you.
You are the one we trust
    to bring about justice;
above all else we want
    your name to be honored.
Throughout the night,
    my heart searches for you,
because your decisions
show everyone on this earth
    how to live right.

10 Even when the wicked
are treated with mercy
    in this land of justice,
they do wrong and are blind
    to your glory, our Lord.
11 (AZ) Your hand is raised and ready
    to punish them,
but they don't see it.
    Put them to shame!
Show how much you care for us
and throw them into the fire
    intended for your enemies.

12 You will give us peace, Lord,
because everything we have done
    was by your power.
13 Others have ruled over us
besides you, our Lord God,
    but we obey only you.
14 Those enemies are now dead
    and can never live again.
You have punished them—
they are destroyed,
    completely forgotten.
15 Our nation has grown
    because of you, our Lord.
We have more land than before,
    and you are honored.

The Lord Gives Life to the Dead

16 When you punished our people,
they turned and prayed
    to you, our Lord.[dr]
17 Because of what you did to us,
we suffered like a woman
    about to give birth.
18 But instead of having a child,
our terrible pain
    produced only wind.
We have won no victories,
and we have no descendants
    to take over the earth.

19 Your people will rise to life!
Tell them to leave their graves
    and celebrate with shouts.
You refresh the earth
like morning dew;
    you give life to the dead.

20 Go inside and lock the doors,
    my people.
Hide there for a little while,
until the Lord
    is no longer angry.

The Earth and the Sea Will Be Punished

21 The Lord will come out
to punish everyone on earth
    for their sins.
And when he does,
those who did violent crimes
    will be known and punished.

27 (BA) On that day, Leviathan,[ds]
    the sea monster,
will squirm and try to escape,
but the Lord will kill him
    with a cruel, sharp sword.

Protection and Forgiveness

The Lord said:

At that time you must sing
    about a fruitful[dt] vineyard.
I, the Lord, will protect it
    and always keep it watered.
I will guard it day and night
    to keep it from harm.
I am no longer angry.
    But if it produces thorns,
I will go to war against it
    and burn it to the ground.
Yet if the vineyard depends
    on me for protection,
it will become my friend
    and be at peace with me.

Someday Israel will take root
    like a vine.
It will blossom and bear fruit
    that covers the earth.

I, the Lord, didn't punish and kill
    the people of Israel
as fiercely as I punished
    and killed their enemies.
I carefully measured out
    Israel's punishment[du]
and sent the scorching heat
    to chase them far away.

There's only one way
that Israel's sin and guilt
    can be completely forgiven:
They must crush the stones
of every pagan altar
    and place of worship.

The Lord Will Bring His People Together

10 Fortress cities are left
like a desert
    where no one lives.
Cattle walk through the ruins,
    stripping the trees bare.
11 When broken branches
    fall to the ground,
women pick them up
    to feed the fire.
But these people are so stupid
that the God who created them
    will show them no mercy.

12 The time is coming when the Lord will shake the land between the Euphrates River and the border of Egypt, and one by one he will bring all of his people together. 13 A loud trumpet will be heard. Then the people of Israel who were dragged away to Assyria and Egypt will return to worship the Lord on his holy mountain in Jerusalem.

Samaria Will Be Punished

28 The city of Samaria
above a fertile valley
    is in for trouble!
Its leaders are drunkards,
who stuff themselves
    with food and wine.
But they will be like flowers
    that dry up and wilt.

Footnotes

  1. 1.1 message: Or “vision.”
  2. 1.1 kings of Judah: Uzziah (783–742 b.c.); Jotham (742–735 b.c.; Ahaz (735–715 b.c.); Hezekiah (715–687 b.c.).
  3. 1.8 a hut in a vineyard: When it was almost time for grapes to ripen, farmers would put up a temporary shelter or hut in the field or vineyard and stay there to keep thieves and wild animals away.
  4. 1.9 Sodom and Gomorrah: Two ancient cities of Palestine that God destroyed because the people were so wicked (see Genesis 19.1-29).
  5. 1.17 and help the oppressed: Or “and punish cruel people.”
  6. 1.27 by showing justice: Or “by my saving power.”
  7. 1.31 Your … idols: Or “Your wealth will be like dry wood, set on fire by its owners.”
  8. 2.1 message: See the note at 1.1.
  9. 2.6 because … foreigners: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  10. 2.16 seagoing ships: The Hebrew text has “ships of Tarshish,” which may have been a Phoenician city in Spain. “Ships of Tarshish” probably means large, seagoing ships.
  11. 3.4 babies: Or “worthless nobodies.”
  12. 3.14 his vineyard: The nation Israel (see 5.1-7).
  13. 4.1 take away my disgrace: If a woman did not have a husband or children, it was thought that God was punishing her.
  14. 4.5 thick … fire: This is how the Lord led the people of Israel during the 40 years they were in the desert (see Exodus 13.20-22; 40.36-38).
  15. 5.17 and they … others: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  16. 5.25 is ready … again: Or “hasn't given up on you yet.”
  17. 6.1 the year that King Uzziah died: Probably 742 b.c.
  18. 6.13 But just … down: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  19. 7.1 went … had planned: Or “attacked Jerusalem, but could not capture it.”
  20. 7.3 Shearjashub: In Hebrew “Shearjashub” means “a few will return.”
  21. 7.14 virgin: Or “young woman.” In this context the difficult Hebrew word did not imply a virgin birth. However, in the Greek translation made about 200 b.c. and used by the early Christians, the word parthenos had a double meaning. While the translator took it to mean “young woman,” Matthew understood it to mean “virgin” and quoted the passage (Matthew 1.23) because it was the appropriate description of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
  22. 7.14 Immanuel: In Hebrew “Immanuel” means “God is with us.”
  23. 7.15,16 yogurt and honey: This may refer either to expensive foods eaten in a time of plenty or to a limited diet eaten in times of a food shortage.
  24. 7.20 shave … head … body … beard: This would have been a terrible insult.
  25. 7.22 yogurt and honey: See the note at 7.15,16.
  26. 8.1 in big clear letters: Or “in letters everyone can understand.”
  27. 8.1 MAHER-SHALAL-HASH-BAZ: In Hebrew “Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz” means “suddenly attacked, quickly taken.”
  28. 8.6 Shiloah: The canal that brought water from Gihon Spring to Jerusalem.
  29. 8.8 God is with us: Here and in verse 10 this translates the Hebrew word “Immanuel” (see 7.14).
  30. 8.8 But … land: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  31. 9.1 will … pain: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  32. 9.3 stronger: Or “happy” or “larger.”
  33. 9.4 rescued … from Midian: The time when Gideon defeated the people of Midian in Jezreel Valley (see Judges 6–8).
  34. 9.11 their enemies: Hebrew “the enemies of Rezin.”
  35. 9.12 so … them: Or “but he hasn't given up on them yet.”
  36. 9.17 and kept … against him: Or “but even though they had turned against him, he still had not given up on them.”
  37. 9.20 their own relatives: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  38. 10.4 escape being captured: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  39. 10.4 and he … yet: Or “but he hasn't given up on you yet!”
  40. 10.5 king of Assyria: Probably King Sennacherib who invaded Israel in 701 b.c.
  41. 10.9 already captured: Calno (in northern Syria), Carchemish (on the Euphrates River), Hamath (on the Orontes River), Arpad (near Aleppo in northern Syria), Samaria, and Damascus had already been captured by Assyrian kings (738–717 b.c.).
  42. 10.20 nation: That is, Assyria.
  43. 10.23 on this earth: Or “in this land.”
  44. 10.25 punish … crimes: Or “completely destroy them.”
  45. 10.27 All … you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  46. 10.28 Aiath: Probably Ai (Joshua 7.2).
  47. 10.29 Geba: Only nine kilometers from Jerusalem.
  48. 10.32 Nob: Perhaps within three kilometers of Jerusalem.
  49. 10.34 Lebanon: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 34.
  50. 11.1 David's family: Hebrew “Jesse's family.” Jesse was the father of King David.
  51. 11.10 David's descendants: Hebrew “Jesse's descendants” (see the note at 11.1).
  52. 11.11 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has “Cush,” which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.
  53. 11.11 land along the coast: Or “islands.”
  54. 11.15 arm of the Red Sea near Egypt: Gulf of Suez.
  55. 12.2 strength: Or “song.”
  56. 13.1 message: See the note at 1.1.
  57. 13.17 Medes: People of a nation northeast of Babylonia, which became part of the Persian Empire.
  58. 13.21 goats: Or “demons.”
  59. 14.4 He … again: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  60. 14.19 deep rocky pit: The world of the dead.
  61. 14.28 King Ahaz died: 715 b.c.
  62. 14.31 north: The Assyrian and Babylonian attacks came from the north.
  63. 15.2 Everyone … temple: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  64. 15.2 Heads … shaved: As a sign of sorrow and mourning.
  65. 15.9 Dimon … Dimon: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation have “Dibon … Dibon.”
  66. 15.9 lions: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 9.
  67. 16.1 lambs: The main product of Moab.
  68. 16.1 Sela: A town in Edom.
  69. 16.7 fancy raisins: The Hebrew text has “raisin-cakes,” which could mean either the rich produce or the prosperous farmers.
  70. 16.8 The rulers … vineyards: Or “The rulers of nations have destroyed those vineyards.”
  71. 17.2 Aroer: Either a city near Damascus with the same name as the Moabite city or the Moabite city itself, here used as an example of what will happen to Damascus.
  72. 17.3 Israel: The Hebrew text has “Ephraim,” another name for the northern kingdom.
  73. 17.8 sacred poles: Or “trees,” used as symbols of Asherah, the goddess of fertility.
  74. 17.9 covered … underbrush: Hebrew; one ancient translation “like the cities of the Hivites and the Amorites.”
  75. 17.10 mighty rock: The Hebrew text has “rock,” which is sometimes used in poetry to compare the Lord to a mountain where his people can run for protection from their enemies.
  76. 18.1 Ethiopia: See the note at 11.11.
  77. 18.1 insects: Or “sailing ships.”
  78. 18.2 reeds: Ancient Egypt was famous for the papyrus reeds that grew in the Nile Delta.
  79. 18.2 world: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 2.
  80. 19.9 cloth makers: Cloth was made from several kinds of plants that grew in the fields along the Nile.
  81. 19.9 turn pale: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  82. 19.11 Zoan: The city of Tanis in the Nile delta.
  83. 19.18 City of the Sun: Some manuscripts of the Standard Hebrew Text, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and one ancient translation; most manuscripts of the Standard Hebrew Text have “City of Destruction.” This probably refers to Heliopolis which means “City of the Sun” (see Jeremiah 43.13).
  84. 20.1 Ashdod: King Sargon II of Assyria captured this Philistine city in 711 b.c.
  85. 20.3 Ethiopia: See the note at 11.11.
  86. 20.6 people … coast: Probably the Philistines.
  87. 21 Title Babylonia: King Cyrus and his army of Medes and Persians captured the city of Babylon in 539 b.c.
  88. 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.”
  89. 21.2 Elam and Media: People from the Iranian highlands; the capital of Elam was Susa, in the hill country east of Babylon.
  90. 21.8 guard: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text has “lion.”
  91. 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.
  92. 21.13 Dedan: A region in northwest Arabia.
  93. 21.14 Tema: A region in north Arabia.
  94. 21.16 Kedar: A region in the Arabian desert.
  95. 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.
  96. 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.
  97. 22.3 No matter … caught: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  98. 22.5 and for … help: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  99. 22.6 Elam and Kir: Regions in the Iranian highlands.
  100. 22.6 chariots: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  101. 22.8 Forest Palace: Built by Solomon (1 Kings 7.2) and used as a place for storing weapons.
  102. 22.9 the lower pool: Mentioned only here; probably in the southern part of the Central Valley (Tyropoean Valley) of Jerusalem.
  103. 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.
  104. 23.1 Tyre: A fortress city built on an island in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of what is now Lebanon.
  105. 23.1 seagoing ships: See the note at 2.16.
  106. 23.1 Tyre … ruins: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  107. 23.2 Sidon: A coastal city just north of Tyre.
  108. 23.3 along the Nile: The Hebrew text has “grain of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile,” but Shihor is probably a name for a region near the lower part of the Nile.
  109. 23.4 children: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  110. 23.6 far across the ocean: The Hebrew text has “to Tarshish,” probably meaning a long distance.
  111. 23.10 People of Tyre: The Hebrew text has “the people of Tarshish,” which stands for the colonies of Tyre.
  112. 23.10 Egyptians: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
  113. 23.13 ruins: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 13.
  114. 23.14 seagoing ships: See the note at 2.16.
  115. 24.4 its … to nothing: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  116. 24.16 God of justice: Or “people who do right.”
  117. 24.21 the powers in the heavens: In ancient times the stars were thought of as powerful spiritual beings, and sometimes they stood for pagan gods.
  118. 25.11 no matter … try: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  119. 26.1 city: Probably Jerusalem.
  120. 26.4 mighty rock: See the note at 17.10.
  121. 26.5 our enemies … city: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  122. 26.16 Lord: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 16.
  123. 27.1 Leviathan: God's victory over this monster sometimes stands for God's power over all creation and sometimes for his defeat of his enemies, especially Egypt.
  124. 27.2 fruitful: Some Hebrew manuscripts have “lovely.”
  125. 27.8 I … punishment: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

Bible Gateway Recommends