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Judah’s Encounter with Adonai

In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw Adonai sitting on a throne, high and lifted up,[a] and the train of His robe filled the Temple. Seraphim were standing above Him. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. One called out to another, and said:

“Holy, holy, holy, is Adonai-Tzva’ot!
The whole earth is full of His glory.”[b]

Then the posts of the door trembled at the voice of those who called, and the House was filled with smoke. [c] Then I said:

Oy to me! For I am ruined!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
and I am dwelling among a people of unclean lips.
For my eyes have seen the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot!”

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, with a glowing coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with it and said:

“Behold, this has touched your lips.
Your iniquity is taken away, and your sins atoned for.”

Then I heard the voice of Adonai saying:

“Whom should I send, and who will go for Us?”

So I said, “Hineni. Send me.”

Then He said:

“Go! Tell this people:
‘Hear without understanding,
and see without perceiving.’[d]
10 Make the heart of this people fat,
their ears heavy, and their eyes blind.
Else they would see with their eyes,
    and hear with their ears,
    and understand with their heart,
    and return, and be healed.”[e]

11 Then I said, “Adonai, how long?”

He answered,

“Until cities are laid waste
        and without inhabitant,
    houses are without people,
        and the land is utterly desolate.
12 Adonai will drive people far away.
    The desertion of the land will be vast.
13 Though a tenth still be in it,
    it will again be burned.
As a terebinth tree or as an oak
    whose stump remains when cut down,
    so the holy seed will be the stump.”

Isaiah’s Commission

In the year that King Uzziah(A) died,(B) I saw the Lord,(C) high and exalted,(D) seated on a throne;(E) and the train of his robe(F) filled the temple. Above him were seraphim,(G) each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet,(H) and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy(I), holy is the Lord Almighty;(J)
    the whole earth(K) is full of his glory.”(L)

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.(M)

“Woe(N) to me!” I cried. “I am ruined!(O) For I am a man of unclean lips,(P) and I live among a people of unclean lips,(Q) and my eyes have seen(R) the King,(S) the Lord Almighty.”(T)

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal(U) in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips;(V) your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.(W)

Then I heard the voice(X) of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?(Y) And who will go for us?(Z)

And I said, “Here am I.(AA) Send me!”

He said, “Go(AB) and tell this people:

“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
    be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’(AC)
10 Make the heart of this people calloused;(AD)
    make their ears dull
    and close their eyes.[a](AE)
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,(AF)
    understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”(AG)

11 Then I said, “For how long, Lord?”(AH)

And he answered:

“Until the cities lie ruined(AI)
    and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted(AJ)
    and the fields ruined and ravaged,(AK)
12 until the Lord has sent everyone far away(AL)
    and the land is utterly forsaken.(AM)
13 And though a tenth remains(AN) in the land,
    it will again be laid waste.(AO)
But as the terebinth and oak
    leave stumps(AP) when they are cut down,
    so the holy(AQ) seed will be the stump in the land.”(AR)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 6:10 Hebrew; Septuagint ‘You will be ever hearing, but never understanding; / you will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / 10 This people’s heart has become calloused; / they hardly hear with their ears, / and they have closed their eyes