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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.”