Isaiah 33

New International Version

Distress and Help

33 Woe^(A) 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;^(B)
when you stop betraying,
    you will be betrayed.^(C)

²Lord, be gracious^(D) to us;
    we long for you.
Be our strength^(E) every morning,
    our salvation^(F) in time of distress.^(G)
³At the uproar of your army,^(H) the peoples flee;^(I)
    when you rise up,^(J) the nations scatter.
⁴Your plunder,^(K) O nations, is harvested^(L) as by young locusts;^(M)
    like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.

⁵The Lord is exalted,^(N) for he dwells on high;^(O)
    he will fill Zion with his justice^(P) and righteousness.^(Q)
⁶He will be the sure foundation for your times,
    a rich store of salvation^(R) and wisdom and knowledge;
    the fear^(S) of the Lord is the key to this treasure.^[a]^(T)

⁷Look, their brave men^(U) cry aloud in the streets;
    the envoys^(V) of peace weep bitterly.
⁸The highways are deserted,
    no travelers^(W) are on the roads.^(X)
The treaty is broken,^(Y)
    its witnesses^[b] are despised,
    no one is respected.
⁹The land dries up^(Z) and wastes away,
    Lebanon^(AA) is ashamed and withers;^(AB)
Sharon^(AC) is like the Arabah,
    and Bashan^(AD) and Carmel^(AE) drop their leaves.

¹⁰“Now will I arise,^(AF)” says the Lord.
    “Now will I be exalted;^(AG)
    now will I be lifted up.
¹¹You conceive^(AH) chaff,
    you give birth^(AI) to straw;
    your breath is a fire^(AJ) that consumes you.
¹²The peoples will be burned to ashes;^(AK)
    like cut thornbushes^(AL) they will be set ablaze.^(AM)”

¹³You who are far away,^(AN) hear^(AO) what I have done;
    you who are near, acknowledge my power!
¹⁴The sinners^(AP) in Zion are terrified;
    trembling^(AQ) grips the godless:
“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?^(AR)
    Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”
¹⁵Those who walk righteously^(AS)
    and speak what is right,^(AT)
who reject gain from extortion^(AU)
    and keep their hands from accepting bribes,^(AV)
who stop their ears against plots of murder
    and shut their eyes^(AW) against contemplating evil—
¹⁶they are the ones who will dwell on the heights,^(AX)
    whose refuge^(AY) will be the mountain fortress.^(AZ)
Their bread will be supplied,
    and water will not fail^(BA) them.

¹⁷Your eyes will see the king^(BB) in his beauty^(BC)
    and view a land that stretches afar.^(BD)
¹⁸In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:^(BE)
    “Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
    Where is the officer in charge of the towers?^(BF)”
¹⁹You will see those arrogant people^(BG) no more,
    people whose speech is obscure,
    whose language is strange and incomprehensible.^(BH)

²⁰Look on Zion,^(BI) the city of our festivals;
    your eyes will see Jerusalem,
    a peaceful abode,^(BJ) a tent^(BK) that will not be moved;^(BL)
its stakes will never be pulled up,
    nor any of its ropes broken.
²¹There the Lord will be our Mighty^(BM) One.
    It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.^(BN)
No galley with oars will ride them,
    no mighty ship^(BO) will sail them.
²²For the Lord is our judge,^(BP)
    the Lord is our lawgiver,^(BQ)
the Lord is our king;^(BR)
    it is he who will save^(BS) us.

²³Your 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^(BT) will carry off plunder.^(BU)
²⁴No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”;^(BV)
    and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.^(BW)