The Judgment of God

33 Woe (A)to you, destroyer,
While you were not destroyed;
And he (B)who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him.
As soon as you finish destroying, (C)you will be destroyed;
As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will (D)deal treacherously with you.
Lord, (E)be gracious to us; we have (F)waited for You.
Be [a]their [b](G)strength every morning,
Our salvation also in the (H)time of distress.
At the sound of a roar, (I)peoples flee;
At the (J)lifting up of Yourself, nations disperse.
Your plunder is gathered as the caterpillar gathers;
Like an infestation of locusts, people storm it.
The Lord is (K)exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has (L)filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
And He will be the [c](M)stability of your times,
A (N)wealth of salvation, wisdom, and (O)knowledge;
The (P)fear of the Lord is his treasure.
Behold, their brave men cry out [d]in the streets,
The [e](Q)ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.
The highways are desolate, [f]the (R)traveler has ceased,
He has (S)broken the covenant, he has despised the cities,
He has no regard for mankind.
(T)The land mourns and wastes away,
(U)Lebanon is shamed and withers;
(V)Sharon is like a desert plain,
And Bashan and Carmel [g]lose their foliage.
10 “Now (W)I will arise,” says the Lord,
“Now I will be exalted, now I will be lifted up.
11 You have (X)conceived [h]chaff, you will give birth to stubble;
[i]My (Y)breath will consume you like a fire.
12 The peoples will be burned to lime,
(Z)Like cut thorns which are burned in the fire.

13 “You who are far away, (AA)hear what I have done;
And you who are near, [j]acknowledge My might.”
14 (AB)Sinners in Zion are terrified;
(AC)Trembling has seized the godless.
“Who among us can live with (AD)the consuming fire?
Who among us can live with everlasting (AE)burning?”
15 One who (AF)walks righteously and speaks with integrity,
One who rejects [k]unjust gain
And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe;
One who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed
And (AG)shuts his eyes from looking at evil;
16 He will dwell on the heights,
(AH)His refuge will be the [l]impregnable rock;
(AI)His bread will be given him,
His water will be sure.

17 Your eyes will see (AJ)the King in His beauty;
They will see (AK)a distant land.
18 Your heart will meditate on (AL)terror:
“Where is (AM)one who counts?
Where is one who weighs?
Where is one who counts the towers?”
19 You will no longer see a fierce people,
A people of [m](AN)unintelligible speech [n]which no one comprehends,
Of a stammering tongue [o]which no one understands.
20 (AO)Look at Zion, the city of our appointed feasts;
Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an (AP)undisturbed settlement,
(AQ)A tent which will not be folded;
Its stakes will never be pulled up,
Nor any of its ropes be torn apart.
21 But there the majestic One, the Lord, will be for us
A place of (AR)rivers and wide canals
On which no boat with oars will go,
And on which no mighty ship will pass—
22 For the Lord is our (AS)judge,
The Lord is (AT)our lawgiver,
The Lord is (AU)our king;
(AV)He will save us—
23 Your ship’s tackle hangs slack;
It cannot hold the base of its mast firmly,
Nor spread out the sail.
Then the (AW)prey of an abundant spoil will be divided;
(AX)Those who limp will take the plunder.
24 And no resident will say, “I am (AY)sick”;
The people who live [p]there will be (AZ)forgiven their wrongdoing.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 33:2 Some ancient versions our
  2. Isaiah 33:2 Lit arm
  3. Isaiah 33:6 Or faithfulness
  4. Isaiah 33:7 Lit outside
  5. Isaiah 33:7 Lit messengers
  6. Isaiah 33:8 Lit one who passes along the way
  7. Isaiah 33:9 Lit shake off
  8. Isaiah 33:11 Lit dry grass
  9. Isaiah 33:11 One ancient version; MT Your breath will
  10. Isaiah 33:13 Lit know
  11. Isaiah 33:15 Lit gain of extortioners
  12. Isaiah 33:16 Lit stronghold of rock
  13. Isaiah 33:19 Lit deepness of lip
  14. Isaiah 33:19 Lit from hearing
  15. Isaiah 33:19 Lit there is no understanding
  16. Isaiah 33:24 Lit in it

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