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Everlasting Peace(A)

Here is the message which God gave to Isaiah son of Amoz about Judah and Jerusalem:

In days to come
    the mountain where the Temple stands
    will be the highest one of all,
    towering above all the hills.
Many nations will come streaming to it,
    and their people will say,
“Let us go up the hill of the Lord,[a]
    to the Temple of Israel's God.
He will teach us what he wants us to do;
    we will walk in the paths he has chosen.
For the Lord's teaching comes from Jerusalem;
    from Zion he speaks to his people.”

(B)He will settle disputes among great nations.
They will hammer their swords into plows
    and their spears into pruning knives.
Nations will never again go to war,
    never prepare for battle again.

Now, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light which the Lord gives us!

Arrogance Will Be Destroyed

O God, you have forsaken your people, the descendants of Jacob! The land is full of magic practices from the East and from Philistia.[b] The people follow foreign customs. Their land is full of silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses, and there is no end to their chariots. Their land is full of idols, and they worship objects that they have made with their own hands.

Everyone will be humiliated and disgraced. Do not forgive them, Lord!

10 (C)They will hide in caves in the rocky hills or dig holes in the ground to try to escape from the Lord's anger and to hide from his power and glory! 11 A day is coming when human pride will be ended and human arrogance destroyed. Then the Lord alone will be exalted. 12 On that day the Lord Almighty will humble everyone who is powerful, everyone who is proud and conceited. 13 He will destroy the tall cedars of Lebanon and all the oaks in the land of Bashan. 14 He will level the high mountains and hills, 15 every high tower, and the walls of every fortress. 16 He will sink even the largest and most beautiful ships. 17-18 Human pride will be ended, and human arrogance will be destroyed. Idols will completely disappear, and the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.

19 People will hide in caves in the rocky hills or dig holes in the ground to try to escape from the Lord's anger and to hide from his power and glory, when he comes to shake the earth. 20 When that day comes, they will throw away the gold and silver idols they have made, and abandon them to the moles and the bats. 21 When the Lord comes to shake the earth, people will hide in holes and caves in the rocky hills to try to escape from his anger and to hide from his power and glory.

22 Put no more confidence in mortals. What are they worth?

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 2:3 Mount Zion, the hill in Jerusalem which formed part of the area on which the Temple was built.
  2. Isaiah 2:6 Probable text The land … Philistia; Hebrew unclear.

The Mountain of the Lord(A)

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:(B)

In the last days(C)

the mountain(D) of the Lord’s temple will be established
    as the highest of the mountains;(E)
it will be exalted(F) above the hills,
    and all nations will stream to it.(G)

Many peoples(H) will come and say,

“Come, let us go(I) up to the mountain(J) of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law(K) will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.(L)
He will judge(M) between the nations
    and will settle disputes(N) for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.(O)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,(P)
    nor will they train for war anymore.

Come, descendants of Jacob,(Q)
    let us walk in the light(R) of the Lord.

The Day of the Lord

You, Lord, have abandoned(S) your people,
    the descendants of Jacob.(T)
They are full of superstitions from the East;
    they practice divination(U) like the Philistines(V)
    and embrace(W) pagan customs.(X)
Their land is full of silver and gold;(Y)
    there is no end to their treasures.(Z)
Their land is full of horses;(AA)
    there is no end to their chariots.(AB)
Their land is full of idols;(AC)
    they bow down(AD) to the work of their hands,(AE)
    to what their fingers(AF) have made.
So people will be brought low(AG)
    and everyone humbled(AH)
    do not forgive them.[a](AI)

10 Go into the rocks, hide(AJ) in the ground
    from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty!(AK)
11 The eyes of the arrogant(AL) will be humbled(AM)
    and human pride(AN) brought low;(AO)
the Lord alone will be exalted(AP) in that day.(AQ)

12 The Lord Almighty has a day(AR) in store
    for all the proud(AS) and lofty,(AT)
for all that is exalted(AU)
    (and they will be humbled),(AV)
13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,(AW) tall and lofty,(AX)
    and all the oaks of Bashan,(AY)
14 for all the towering mountains
    and all the high hills,(AZ)
15 for every lofty tower(BA)
    and every fortified wall,(BB)
16 for every trading ship[b](BC)
    and every stately vessel.
17 The arrogance of man will be brought low(BD)
    and human pride humbled;(BE)
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,(BF)
18     and the idols(BG) will totally disappear.(BH)

19 People will flee to caves(BI) in the rocks
    and to holes in the ground(BJ)
from the fearful presence(BK) of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,(BL)
    when he rises to shake the earth.(BM)
20 In that day(BN) people will throw away
    to the moles and bats(BO)
their idols of silver and idols of gold,(BP)
    which they made to worship.(BQ)
21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks(BR)
    and to the overhanging crags
from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,(BS)
    when he rises(BT) to shake the earth.(BU)

22 Stop trusting in mere humans,(BV)
    who have but a breath(BW) in their nostrils.
    Why hold them in esteem?(BX)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 2:9 Or not raise them up
  2. Isaiah 2:16 Hebrew every ship of Tarshish