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33 Woe to you who destroy, but you weren’t destroyed,
    and who betray, but nobody betrayed you!
When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed;
    and when you have finished betrayal, you will be betrayed.

Yahweh, be gracious to us. We have waited for you.
    Be our strength every morning,
    our salvation also in the time of trouble.
At the noise of the thunder, the peoples have fled.
    When you lift yourself up, the nations are scattered.
Your plunder will be gathered as the caterpillar gathers.
    Men will leap on it as locusts leap.
Yahweh is exalted, for he dwells on high.
    He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
There will be stability in your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.
    The fear of Yahweh is your treasure.

Behold, their valiant ones cry outside;
    the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.
The highways are desolate.
    The traveling man ceases.
    The covenant is broken.
    He has despised the cities.
    He doesn’t respect man.
The land mourns and languishes.
    Lebanon is confounded and withers away.
    Sharon is like a desert, and Bashan and Carmel are stripped bare.
10 “Now I will arise,” says Yahweh.
    “Now I will lift myself up.
    Now I will be exalted.
11 You will conceive chaff.
    You will give birth to stubble.
    Your breath is a fire that will devour you.
12 The peoples will be like the burning of lime,
    like thorns that are cut down and burned in the fire.

13 Hear, you who are far off, what I have done;
    and, you who are near, acknowledge my might.”
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid.
    Trembling has seized the godless ones.
Who among us can live with the devouring fire?
    Who among us can live with everlasting burning?
15 He who walks righteously
    and speaks blamelessly,
    he who despises the gain of oppressions,
    who gestures with his hands, refusing to take a bribe,
    who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed,
    and shuts his eyes from looking at evil—
16 he will dwell on high.
    His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks.
    His bread will be supplied.
    His waters will be sure.

17 Your eyes will see the king in his beauty.
    They will see a distant land.
18 Your heart will meditate on the terror.
    Where is he who counted?
    Where is he who weighed?
    Where is he who counted the towers?
19 You will no longer see the fierce people,
    a people of a deep speech that you can’t comprehend,
    with a strange language that you can’t understand.
20 Look at Zion, the city of our appointed festivals.
    Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation,
    a tent that won’t be removed.
Its stakes will never be plucked up,
    nor will any of its cords be broken.
21 But there Yahweh will be with us in majesty,
    a place of wide rivers and streams,
    in which no galley with oars will go,
    neither will any gallant ship pass by there.
22 For Yahweh is our judge.
    Yahweh is our lawgiver.
    Yahweh is our king.
    He will save us.

23 Your rigging is untied.
    They couldn’t strengthen the foot of their mast.
    They couldn’t spread the sail.
Then the prey of a great plunder was divided.
    The lame took the prey.

24 The inhabitant won’t say, “I am sick.”
    The people who dwell therein will be forgiven their iniquity.

Chapter 33

Overthrow of Assyria[a]

Ah! You destroyer never destroyed,
    betrayer never betrayed!
When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed;
    when you have stopped betraying, you will be betrayed.(A)
Lord, be gracious to us; for you we wait.
    Be our strength every morning,
    our salvation in time of trouble!(B)
At the roaring sound, peoples flee;
    when you rise in your majesty, nations are scattered.(C)
Spoil is gathered up as caterpillars gather,
    an onrush like the rush of locusts.(D)
The Lord is exalted, enthroned on high;
    he fills Zion with right and justice.(E)
That which makes her seasons certain,
    her wealth, salvation, wisdom, and knowledge,
    is the fear of the Lord, her treasure.(F)
See, the men of Ariel cry out in the streets,
    the messengers of Shalem[b] weep bitterly.
The highways are desolate,
    travelers have quit the paths,
Covenants are broken, witnesses spurned;
    yet no one gives it a thought.(G)
The country languishes in mourning,
    Lebanon withers with shame;
Sharon[c] is like the Arabah,
    Bashan and Carmel are stripped bare.(H)
10 Now I will rise up, says the Lord,
    now exalt myself,
    now lift myself up.(I)
11 You conceive dry grass, bring forth stubble;
    my spirit shall consume you like fire.
12 The peoples shall be burned to lime,
    thorns cut down to burn in fire.(J)
13 Hear, you who are far off, what I have done;
    you who are near, acknowledge my might.
14 In Zion sinners are in dread,
    trembling grips the impious:
“Who of us can live with consuming fire?
    who of us can live with everlasting flames?”(K)
15 Whoever walks righteously and speaks honestly,
    who spurns what is gained by oppression,
Who waves off contact with a bribe,
    who stops his ears so as not to hear of bloodshed,
    who closes his eyes so as not to look on evil—(L)
16 That one shall dwell on the heights,
    with fortresses of rock for stronghold,
    food and drink in steady supply.
17 Your eyes will see a king[d] in his splendor,
    they will look upon a vast land.(M)
18 Your mind will dwell on the terror:
    “Where is the one who counted, where the one who weighed?
    Where the one who counted the towers?”(N)
19 You shall no longer see a defiant people,
    a people of speech too obscure to comprehend,
    stammering in a tongue not understood.(O)
20 Look to Zion, the city of our festivals;
    your eyes shall see Jerusalem
    as a quiet abode, a tent not to be struck,
Whose pegs will never be pulled up,
    nor any of its ropes severed.(P)
21 Indeed the Lord in majesty will be there for us
    a place of rivers and wide streams
    on which no galley may go,
    where no majestic ship[e] may pass.(Q)
22 For the Lord is our judge,
    the Lord is our lawgiver,
    the Lord is our king;
    he it is who will save us.
23 The rigging hangs slack;
    it cannot hold the mast in place,
    nor keep the sail spread out.
Then the blind will divide great spoils
    and the lame will carry off the loot.(R)
24 No one who dwells there will say, “I am sick”;
    the people who live there will be forgiven their guilt.(S)

Footnotes

  1. 33:1–24 After an introductory address to Assyria (v. 1), there follows a prayer on behalf of Jerusalem which recalls what God had done in the past (vv. 2–6) and a description of the present situation (vv. 7–9). In response, the Lord announces a judgment on Assyria (vv. 10–12) that will lead to the purification of Jerusalem’s inhabitants (vv. 13–16). The text ends with an idealized portrait of the redeemed Jerusalem of the future (vv. 17–24).
  2. 33:7 Ariel…Shalem: Jerusalem; cf. 29:1; Gn 14:18; Ps 76:3. There is a play on words between “Shalem,” the city name, and shalom, Heb. for “peace.”
  3. 33:9 Sharon: the fertile plain near the Mediterranean.
  4. 33:17 King: either the ideal Davidic king or God; cf. v. 22.
  5. 33:21–23 Galley…majestic ship: of a foreign oppressor. Though the broad streams of the future Jerusalem will make it accessible by boat, no foreign invader will succeed in a naval attack on the city, for the Lord will protect it, the enemy fleet will be disabled, and even the weakest inhabitants will gather much plunder from the defeated enemy.

A Prayer in Deep Distress

33 Woe to you (A)who plunder, though you have not been plundered;
And you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you!
(B)When you cease plundering,
You will be (C)plundered;
When you make an end of dealing treacherously,
They will deal treacherously with you.

O Lord, be gracious to us;
(D)We have waited for You.
Be [a]their arm every morning,
Our salvation also in the time of trouble.
At the noise of the tumult the people (E)shall flee;
When You lift Yourself up, the nations shall be scattered;
And Your plunder shall be gathered
Like the gathering of the caterpillar;
As the running to and fro of locusts,
He shall run upon them.

(F)The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times,
And the strength of salvation;
The fear of the Lord is His treasure.

Surely their valiant ones shall cry outside,
(G)The ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.
(H)The highways lie waste,
The traveling man ceases.
(I)He has broken the covenant,
[b]He has despised the [c]cities,
He regards no man.
(J)The earth mourns and languishes,
Lebanon is shamed and shriveled;
Sharon is like a wilderness,
And Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.

Impending Judgment on Zion

10 “Now(K) I will rise,” says the Lord;
“Now I will be exalted,
Now I will lift Myself up.
11 (L)You shall conceive chaff,
You shall bring forth stubble;
Your breath, as fire, shall devour you.
12 And the people shall be like the burnings of lime;
(M)Like thorns cut up they shall be burned in the fire.
13 Hear, (N)you who are afar off, what I have done;
And you who are near, acknowledge My might.”

14 The sinners in Zion are afraid;
Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites:
“Who among us shall dwell with the devouring (O)fire?
Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?”
15 He who (P)walks righteously and speaks uprightly,
He who despises the gain of oppressions,
Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes,
Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed,
And (Q)shuts his eyes from seeing evil:
16 He will dwell on [d]high;
His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks;
Bread will be given him,
His water will be sure.

The Land of the Majestic King

17 Your eyes will see the King in His (R)beauty;
They will see the land that is very far off.
18 Your heart will meditate on terror:
(S)“Where is the scribe?
Where is he who weighs?
Where is he who counts the towers?”
19 (T)You will not see a fierce people,
(U)A people of obscure speech, beyond perception,
Of a [e]stammering tongue that you cannot understand.

20 (V)Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts;
Your eyes will see (W)Jerusalem, a quiet home,
A tabernacle that will not be taken down;
(X)Not one of (Y)its stakes will ever be removed,
Nor will any of its cords be broken.
21 But there the majestic Lord will be for us
A place of broad rivers and streams,
In which no [f]galley with oars will sail,
Nor majestic ships pass by
22 (For the Lord is our (Z)Judge,
The Lord is our (AA)Lawgiver,
(AB)The Lord is our King;
He will save us);
23 Your tackle is loosed,
They could not strengthen their mast,
They could not spread the sail.

Then the prey of great plunder is divided;
The lame take the prey.
24 And the inhabitant will not say, “I am sick”;
(AC)The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 33:2 LXX omits their; Syr., Tg., Vg. our
  2. Isaiah 33:8 Tg. They have been removed from their cities
  3. Isaiah 33:8 So with MT, Vg.; DSS witnesses; LXX omits cities
  4. Isaiah 33:16 Lit. heights
  5. Isaiah 33:19 Unintelligible speech
  6. Isaiah 33:21 ship

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)

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

The Lord is exalted,(N) for he dwells on high;(O)
    he will fill Zion with his justice(P) and righteousness.(Q)
He 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)

Look, their brave men(U) cry aloud in the streets;
    the envoys(V) of peace weep bitterly.
The 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.
The 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.
11 You conceive(AH) chaff,
    you give birth(AI) to straw;
    your breath is a fire(AJ) that consumes you.
12 The peoples will be burned to ashes;(AK)
    like cut thornbushes(AL) they will be set ablaze.(AM)

13 You who are far away,(AN) hear(AO) what I have done;
    you who are near, acknowledge my power!
14 The 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?”
15 Those 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—
16 they 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.

17 Your eyes will see the king(BB) in his beauty(BC)
    and view a land that stretches afar.(BD)
18 In 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)
19 You will see those arrogant people(BG) no more,
    people whose speech is obscure,
    whose language is strange and incomprehensible.(BH)

20 Look 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.
21 There 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.
22 For 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.

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

Footnotes

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