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Trouble for Assyria and Help for God’s People

33 How terrible it will be for you, you who destroy others!
    Assyria, you haven’t been destroyed yet.
How terrible for you, you who turn against others!
    Others haven’t turned against you yet.
When you stop destroying,
    you will be destroyed.
When you stop turning against others,
    others will turn against you.

Lord, have mercy on us.
    We long for you to help us.
Make us strong every morning.
    Save us when we’re in trouble.
At the roar of your army, the nations run away.
    When you rise up against them, they scatter.
Nations, what you have taken in battle is destroyed.
    It’s as if young locusts had eaten it up.
Like large numbers of locusts,
    people rush to get it.

The Lord is honored. He lives in heaven.
    He will make sure Zion’s people only do what is fair and right.
He will be the firm foundation for their entire lives.
    He will give them all the wisdom, knowledge and saving power they will ever need.
    Respect for the Lord is the key to that treasure.

Look! Judah’s brave men cry out loud in the streets.
    The messengers who were sent to bring peace weep bitter tears.
The wide roads are deserted.
    No one travels on them.
Our peace treaty with Assyria is broken.
    Those who witnessed it are looked down on.
    No one is respected.
The land dries up and wastes away.
    Lebanon is full of shame and dries up.
The rich land of Sharon is like the Arabah Desert.
    The trees of Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.

10 “Now I will take action,” says the Lord.
    “Now I will be honored.
    Now I will be respected.
11 Assyria, your plans and actions are like straw.
    Your anger is a fire that will destroy you.
12 The nations will be burned to ashes.
    They will be like bushes that are cut down and set on fire.

13 “You nations far away, listen to what I have done!
    My people who are near, recognize how powerful I am!
14 The sinners in Zion are terrified.
    They tremble with fear.
They say, ‘Who of us can live through the Lord’s destroying fire?
    Who of us can live through the fire that burns forever?’
15 People must do what is right.
    They must be honest and tell the truth.
They must not get rich by cheating others.
    Their hands must not receive money from those who want special favors.
They must not let their ears listen to plans to commit murder.
    They must close their eyes to even thinking about doing what is evil.
16 People like that will be kept safe.
    It will be as if they were living on high mountains.
    It will be as if they were living in a mountain fort.
They will have all the food they need.
    And they will never run out of water.”

17 People of Judah, you will see the king in all his glory and majesty.
    You will view his kingdom spreading far and wide.
18 You will think about what used to terrify you.
    You will say to yourself,
    “Where is that chief officer of Assyria?
Where is the one who forced us to send gifts to his king?
    Where is the officer in charge of the towers
    that were used when we were attacked?”
19 You won’t see those proud people anymore.
    They spoke a strange language.
    None of us could understand it.

20 Just look at Zion! It’s the city
    where we celebrate our regular feasts.
    Turn your eyes toward Jerusalem.
It will be a peaceful place to live in.
    It will be like a tent that will never be moved.
Its stakes will never be pulled up.
    None of its ropes will be broken.
21 There the Lord will be our Mighty One.
    It will be like a place of wide rivers and streams.
No boat with oars will travel on them.
    No mighty ship will sail on them.
22 That’s because the Lord is our judge.
    The Lord gives us our law.
The Lord is our king.
    He will save us.

23 The ropes on your ship hang loose.
    The mast isn’t very secure.
    The sail isn’t spread out.
But the Lord will strike down the Assyrians.
    Then a large amount of goods will be taken from them and divided up.
    Even people who are disabled will carry off some of it.
24 No one living in Zion will ever say again, “I’m sick.”
    And the sins of those who live there will be forgiven.

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

33 Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.

And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.

The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.

And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.

Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.

The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.

The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.

10 Now will I rise, saith the Lord; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.

11 Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you.

12 And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.

13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.

14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?

19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.

20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.

21 But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.

22 For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.

23 Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.

24 And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.