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Look Not to Egypt but to God

31 Woe (judgment is coming) to those who go down to Egypt for help,
Who rely on horses
And trust in chariots because they are many,
And in horsemen because they are very strong,
But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek and consult the Lord!

Yet He is also wise and will bring disaster,
And does not retract His words,
But will arise against the house of evildoers
And against the helpers of those who do evil.

Now the Egyptians are men and not God,
And their horses are flesh and not spirit;
And the Lord will stretch out His hand,
And he (Egypt) who helps will stumble,
And he (Judah) who is helped will fall,
And all of them will perish together.

For so the Lord says to me,

“As the lion or the young lion growls over his prey,
And though a large group of shepherds is called out against him
He will not be terrified at their voice nor cringe at their noise,
So the Lord of hosts will come down to wage war on Mount Zion and on its hill.”

Like flying birds, so will the Lord of hosts protect Jerusalem;
He will protect and save it,
He will pass over and rescue it.

Return to Him from whom you have so deeply defected, O sons of Israel. For in that day every man will reject and throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold [in disgust], which your own hands have sinfully made for you.


Then the Assyrian will fall by a sword not of man,
And a sword not of man will devour him.
And he will flee from the sword [of God],
And his young men will become forced labor.

“His rock [his stronghold] will pass away because of panic,
And his princes will be terrified at the [sight of the battle] standard,”
Declares the Lord, whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

The Glorious Future

32 Behold, a [a]King will reign in righteousness,
And princes will rule with justice.

Each [one of them] will be like a hiding place from the wind
And a shelter from the storm,
Like streams of water in a dry land,
Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched and weary land [to those who turn to them].

Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded,
And the ears of those who hear will listen attentively.

The heart (mind) of those who act impulsively will discern the truth,
And the tongue of the stammerers will hurry to speak clearly.

The fool (the good-for-nothing) will no longer be called noble,
Nor the rogue said to be generous.

For the fool speaks nonsense,
And his heart (mind) plans wickedness:
To practice ungodliness and to speak error concerning the Lord,
To keep the craving of the hungry unsatisfied
And to deprive the thirsty of drink.

As for the rogue, his weapons are evil;
He conceives wicked plans
To ruin the poor with lies,
Even when the plea of the needy one is just and right.

But the noble man conceives noble and magnificent things;
And he stands by what is noble and magnificent.


Rise up, you women who are carefree,
And hear my voice,
You confident and unsuspecting daughters!
Listen to what I am saying.
10 
In little more than a year
You will tremble [with anxiety], you unsuspecting and complacent women;
For the vintage has ended,
And the harvest will not come.
11 
Tremble, you women who are carefree;
Tremble with fear, you complacent ones!
Strip, undress and wear sackcloth on your waist [in grief],
12 
Beat your breasts [in mourning] for the beautiful fields, for the fruitful vine,
13 
For the land of my people growing over with thorns and briars—
Yes, [mourn] for all the houses of joy in the joyous city.
14 
For the palace has been abandoned, the populated city deserted;
The hill [of the city] and the watchtower have become caves [for wild animals] forever,
A delight for wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks,
15 
Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high,
And the wilderness becomes a fertile field,
And the fertile field is valued as a forest.(A)
16 
Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
And righteousness will live in the fertile field.
17 
And the effect of righteousness will be peace,
And the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever.
18 
Then my people will live in a peaceful surrounding,
And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places.
19 
But it will hail, when the forest comes down,
And the [capital] city will fall in utter humiliation.
20 
Blessed (happy, fortunate) are you who cast your seed upon all waters [[b]when the river overflows its banks and irrigates the land],
You who allow the ox and the donkey to roam freely.

The Judgment of God

33 Woe (judgment is coming) to you, O destroyer,
You who were not destroyed,
And he who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him.
As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed;
As soon as you stop dealing treacherously, others will deal treacherously with you.

O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited [expectantly] for You.
Be the arm of Your servants every morning [that is, their strength and their defense],
Our salvation also in the time of trouble.

At the sound of the tumult, the peoples flee;
At the lifting up of Yourself nations scatter.

Your spoil [of Israel’s foe] is gathered [by the people of Jerusalem] as the caterpillar gathers;
As locusts swarming so people swarm on it.

The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.

And He will be the security and stability of your times,
A treasure of salvation, wisdom and knowledge;
The fear of the Lord is your treasure.

Now look, their brave men shout outside;
The ambassadors [seeking a treaty] of peace weep bitterly.

The highways are deserted, the traveler has ceased [to appear].
The enemy has broken the covenant, he has rejected the [c]cities,
He has no regard for [any] man.

The land mourns and dries out,
Lebanon is shamed and [its lush foliage] withers;
[d]Sharon is like a desert plain,
And [e]Bashan and [Mount] Carmel shake off their leaves.
10 
“Now I will arise,” says the Lord.
“Now I will be exalted; now I will be lifted up.
11 
“You have conceived dried grass, you will give birth to stubble;
My breath is a fire that will consume you.
12 
“The peoples will be burned to lime,
Like thorns cut down which are burned in the fire.

13 
“You who are far away, hear what I have done;
And you who are near, acknowledge My might.”
14 
The sinners in Zion are terrified;
Trembling has seized the godless.
[They cry] “Who among us can live with the consuming fire?
Who among us can live with everlasting burning?”
15 
He who walks righteously and speaks with integrity,
Who rejects gain from fraud and from oppression,
Who shakes his hand free from the taking of bribes,
Who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed
And shuts his eyes to avoid looking upon evil;
16 
He will dwell on the heights,
His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks,
His bread will be given him;
His water will be permanent.

17 
Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;
They will see a far-distant land.
18 
Your mind will meditate on the terror [asking]:
“Where is he who counts?
Where is he who weighs [the tribute]?
Where is he who counts the towers?”
19 
You will no longer see the fierce and insolent people,
A people of unintelligible speech which no one comprehends,
Of a strange and stammering tongue which no one understands.
20 
Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts and observances;
Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a undisturbed settlement,
A tent which will not be taken down;
Not one of its stakes will ever be pulled up,
Nor any of its ropes be severed.
21 
But there the mighty and magnificent Lord will be for us
A place of broad rivers and streams,
Where no oar-driven boat will go,
And on which no mighty and stately ship will pass.
22 
For the Lord is our Judge,
The Lord is our Ruler,
The Lord is our King;
He will save us.(B)
23 
Your ship’s ropes (tackle) hang loose;
They cannot hold the base of their mast firmly,
Nor spread out the sail.
Then an abundance of spoil and plunder will be divided;
Even the lame will take the plunder.
24 
And no inhabitant [of Zion] will say, “I am sick”;
The people who dwell there will be forgiven their wickedness [their sin, their injustice, their wrongdoing].

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 32:1 The Messianic age is again in view (Is 9:7; 11:4; 16:5; 33:17).
  2. Isaiah 32:20 This verse is challenging to interpret; the ancient rabbis allegorized it, interpreting the sowing as acts of charity and the waters as the Torah.
  3. Isaiah 33:8 The DSS read witnesses.
  4. Isaiah 33:9 The fertile pasture region south of Mt. Carmel.
  5. Isaiah 33:9 The fertile plateau east of the Jordan River.

Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt

31 Woe(A) to those who go down to Egypt(B) for help,
    who rely on horses,(C)
who trust in the multitude of their chariots(D)
    and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One(E) of Israel,
    or seek help from the Lord.(F)
Yet he too is wise(G) and can bring disaster;(H)
    he does not take back his words.(I)
He will rise up against that wicked nation,(J)
    against those who help evildoers.
But the Egyptians(K) are mere mortals and not God;(L)
    their horses(M) are flesh and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,(N)
    those who help will stumble,
    those who are helped(O) will fall;
    all will perish together.(P)

This is what the Lord says to me:

“As a lion(Q) growls,
    a great lion over its prey—
and though a whole band of shepherds(R)
    is called together against it,
it is not frightened by their shouts
    or disturbed by their clamor(S)
so the Lord Almighty will come down(T)
    to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.
Like birds hovering(U) overhead,
    the Lord Almighty will shield(V) Jerusalem;
he will shield it and deliver(W) it,
    he will ‘pass over’(X) it and will rescue it.”

Return,(Y) you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted(Z) against. For in that day(AA) every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold(AB) your sinful hands have made.(AC)

“Assyria(AD) will fall by no human sword;
    a sword, not of mortals, will devour(AE) them.
They will flee before the sword
    and their young men will be put to forced labor.(AF)
Their stronghold(AG) will fall because of terror;
    at the sight of the battle standard(AH) their commanders will panic,(AI)
declares the Lord,
    whose fire(AJ) is in Zion,
    whose furnace(AK) is in Jerusalem.

The Kingdom of Righteousness

32 See, a king(AL) will reign in righteousness
    and rulers will rule with justice.(AM)
Each one will be like a shelter(AN) from the wind
    and a refuge from the storm,(AO)
like streams of water(AP) in the desert(AQ)
    and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,(AR)
    and the ears(AS) of those who hear will listen.
The fearful heart will know and understand,(AT)
    and the stammering tongue(AU) will be fluent and clear.
No longer will the fool(AV) be called noble
    nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
For fools speak folly,(AW)
    their hearts are bent on evil:(AX)
They practice ungodliness(AY)
    and spread error(AZ) concerning the Lord;
the hungry they leave empty(BA)
    and from the thirsty they withhold water.
Scoundrels use wicked methods,(BB)
    they make up evil schemes(BC)
to destroy the poor with lies,
    even when the plea of the needy(BD) is just.(BE)
But the noble make noble plans,
    and by noble deeds(BF) they stand.(BG)

The Women of Jerusalem

You women(BH) who are so complacent,
    rise up and listen(BI) to me;
you daughters who feel secure,(BJ)
    hear what I have to say!
10 In little more than a year(BK)
    you who feel secure will tremble;
the grape harvest will fail,(BL)
    and the harvest of fruit will not come.
11 Tremble,(BM) you complacent women;
    shudder, you daughters who feel secure!(BN)
Strip off your fine clothes(BO)
    and wrap yourselves in rags.(BP)
12 Beat your breasts(BQ) for the pleasant fields,
    for the fruitful vines(BR)
13 and for the land of my people,
    a land overgrown with thorns and briers(BS)
yes, mourn(BT) for all houses of merriment
    and for this city of revelry.(BU)
14 The fortress(BV) will be abandoned,
    the noisy city deserted;(BW)
citadel and watchtower(BX) will become a wasteland forever,
    the delight of donkeys,(BY) a pasture for flocks,(BZ)
15 till the Spirit(CA) is poured on us from on high,
    and the desert becomes a fertile field,(CB)
    and the fertile field seems like a forest.(CC)
16 The Lord’s justice(CD) will dwell in the desert,(CE)
    his righteousness(CF) live in the fertile field.
17 The fruit of that righteousness(CG) will be peace;(CH)
    its effect will be quietness and confidence(CI) forever.
18 My people will live in peaceful(CJ) dwelling places,
    in secure homes,(CK)
    in undisturbed places of rest.(CL)
19 Though hail(CM) flattens the forest(CN)
    and the city is leveled(CO) completely,
20 how blessed you will be,
    sowing(CP) your seed by every stream,(CQ)
    and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.(CR)

Distress and Help

33 Woe(CS) to you, destroyer,
    you who have not been destroyed!
Woe to you, betrayer,
    you who have not been betrayed!
When you stop destroying,
    you will be destroyed;(CT)
when you stop betraying,
    you will be betrayed.(CU)

Lord, be gracious(CV) to us;
    we long for you.
Be our strength(CW) every morning,
    our salvation(CX) in time of distress.(CY)
At the uproar of your army,(CZ) the peoples flee;(DA)
    when you rise up,(DB) the nations scatter.
Your plunder,(DC) O nations, is harvested(DD) as by young locusts;(DE)
    like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.

The Lord is exalted,(DF) for he dwells on high;(DG)
    he will fill Zion with his justice(DH) and righteousness.(DI)
He will be the sure foundation for your times,
    a rich store of salvation(DJ) and wisdom and knowledge;
    the fear(DK) of the Lord is the key to this treasure.[a](DL)

Look, their brave men(DM) cry aloud in the streets;
    the envoys(DN) of peace weep bitterly.
The highways are deserted,
    no travelers(DO) are on the roads.(DP)
The treaty is broken,(DQ)
    its witnesses[b] are despised,
    no one is respected.
The land dries up(DR) and wastes away,
    Lebanon(DS) is ashamed and withers;(DT)
Sharon(DU) is like the Arabah,
    and Bashan(DV) and Carmel(DW) drop their leaves.

10 “Now will I arise,(DX)” says the Lord.
    “Now will I be exalted;(DY)
    now will I be lifted up.
11 You conceive(DZ) chaff,
    you give birth(EA) to straw;
    your breath is a fire(EB) that consumes you.
12 The peoples will be burned to ashes;(EC)
    like cut thornbushes(ED) they will be set ablaze.(EE)

13 You who are far away,(EF) hear(EG) what I have done;
    you who are near, acknowledge my power!
14 The sinners(EH) in Zion are terrified;
    trembling(EI) grips the godless:
“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?(EJ)
    Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”
15 Those who walk righteously(EK)
    and speak what is right,(EL)
who reject gain from extortion(EM)
    and keep their hands from accepting bribes,(EN)
who stop their ears against plots of murder
    and shut their eyes(EO) against contemplating evil—
16 they are the ones who will dwell on the heights,(EP)
    whose refuge(EQ) will be the mountain fortress.(ER)
Their bread will be supplied,
    and water will not fail(ES) them.

17 Your eyes will see the king(ET) in his beauty(EU)
    and view a land that stretches afar.(EV)
18 In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:(EW)
    “Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
    Where is the officer in charge of the towers?(EX)
19 You will see those arrogant people(EY) no more,
    people whose speech is obscure,
    whose language is strange and incomprehensible.(EZ)

20 Look on Zion,(FA) the city of our festivals;
    your eyes will see Jerusalem,
    a peaceful abode,(FB) a tent(FC) that will not be moved;(FD)
its stakes will never be pulled up,
    nor any of its ropes broken.
21 There the Lord will be our Mighty(FE) One.
    It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.(FF)
No galley with oars will ride them,
    no mighty ship(FG) will sail them.
22 For the Lord is our judge,(FH)
    the Lord is our lawgiver,(FI)
the Lord is our king;(FJ)
    it is he who will save(FK) us.

23 Your rigging hangs loose:
    The mast is not held secure,
    the sail is not spread.
Then an abundance of spoils will be divided
    and even the lame(FL) will carry off plunder.(FM)
24 No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”;(FN)
    and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.(FO)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 33:6 Or is a treasure from him
  2. Isaiah 33:8 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text / the cities