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Isaiah 34-36
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Isaiah 34-36
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Judgment on the Nations
34 Draw near, O nations, to hear;
O peoples, give heed!
Let the earth hear and all that fills it,
the world and all that comes from it.(A)
2 For the Lord is enraged against all the nations
and furious against all their hordes;
he has doomed them, has given them over for slaughter.(B)
3 Their slain shall be cast out,
and the stench of their corpses shall rise;
the mountains shall flow with their blood.(C)
4 All the host of heaven shall rot away,
and the skies roll up like a scroll.
All their host shall wither
like a leaf withering on a vine
or fruit withering on a fig tree.(D)
5 When my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens,
upon Edom it will fall,
upon the people I have doomed to judgment.(E)
6 The Lord has a sword; it is sated with blood;
it is gorged with fat,
with the blood of lambs and goats,
with the fat of the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah,
a great slaughter in the land of Edom.(F)
7 Wild oxen shall fall with them
and young steers with the mighty bulls.
Their land shall be soaked with blood,
and their soil made rich with fat.(G)
8 For the Lord has a day of vengeance,
a year of vindication for Zion’s cause.[a](H)
9 And the streams of Edom[b] shall be turned into pitch
and her soil into sulfur;
her land shall become burning pitch.(I)
10 Night and day it shall not be quenched;
its smoke shall go up forever.
From generation to generation it shall lie waste;
no one shall pass through it forever and ever.(J)
11 But the desert owl[c] and the screech owl[d] shall possess it;
the great owl and the raven shall live in it.
He shall stretch the line of confusion
and the plummet of chaos over it.(K)
12 They shall call its nobles No Kingdom There,
and all its princes shall be nothing.
13 Thorns shall grow over its strongholds,
nettles and thistles in its fortresses.
It shall be the haunt of jackals,
an abode for ostriches.(L)
14 Wildcats shall meet with hyenas;
goat-demons shall call to each other;
there also Lilith shall repose
and find a place to rest.(M)
15 There shall the owl nest
and lay and hatch and brood in its shadow;
there also the buzzards shall gather,
each one with its mate.(N)
16 Seek and read from the book of the Lord:
Not one of these shall be missing;
none shall be without its mate.
For his mouth, it has commanded,
and his spirit, it has gathered them.(O)
17 He has cast the lot for them;
his hand has portioned it out to them with the line.
[[They shall possess it;
from generation to generation they shall live in it.(P)
The Return of the Redeemed to Zion
35 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus(Q) 2 it shall blossom abundantly
and rejoice with joy and shouting.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
the majesty of our God.]][e](R)
3 Strengthen the weak hands
and make firm the feeble knees.(S)
4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.”(T)
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf shall be opened;(U)
6 then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert;(V)
7 the burning sand shall become a pool
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp;[f]
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.(W)
8 A highway shall be there,[g]
and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,[h]
but it shall be for God’s people;[i]
no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.(X)
9 No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.(Y)
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.(Z)
Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem
36 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, King Sennacherib of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.(AA) 2 The king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. He stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the fuller’s field.(AB) 3 And there came out to him Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the recorder.(AC)
4 The Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah: Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you base this reliance of yours?(AD) 5 Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? On whom, then, do you now rely, that you have rebelled against me?(AE) 6 See, you are relying on Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him.(AF) 7 But if you say to me, ‘We rely on the Lord our God,’ [[is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar’?]][j](AG) 8 Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. 9 How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master’s servants, when you rely on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?(AH) 10 Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.”
11 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”(AI) 12 But the Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you and not to the people sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”
13 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah, “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!(AJ) 14 Thus says the king: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you.(AK) 15 Do not let Hezekiah make you rely on the Lord by saying, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’(AL) 16 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me; then every one of you will eat from your own vine and your own fig tree and drink water from your own cistern,(AM) 17 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. 18 Do not let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Has any of the gods of the nations delivered their land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?(AN) 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?(AO) 20 Who among all the gods of these countries have delivered their countries out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?”(AP)
21 But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s command was, “Do not answer him.” 22 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.(AQ)
Footnotes
- 34.8 Or of recompense by Zion’s defender
- 34.9 Heb her streams
- 34.11 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 34.11 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 34.17–35.2 Q ms lacks 34.17–35.2
- 35.7 Cn: Heb in the haunt of jackals is her resting place
- 35.8 Q ms Gk Syr: MT A highway and a way shall be there
- 35.8 Or pass it by
- 35.8 Cn: Heb for them
- 36.7 Gk lacks: Heb adds is it not he . . . this altar’?
Isaiah 34-36
New International Version
Isaiah 34-36
New International Version
Judgment Against the Nations
34 Come near, you nations, and listen;(A)
pay attention, you peoples!(B)
Let the earth(C) hear, and all that is in it,
the world, and all that comes out of it!(D)
2 The Lord is angry with all nations;
his wrath(E) is on all their armies.
He will totally destroy[a](F) them,
he will give them over to slaughter.(G)
3 Their slain(H) will be thrown out,
their dead bodies(I) will stink;(J)
the mountains will be soaked with their blood.(K)
4 All the stars in the sky will be dissolved(L)
and the heavens rolled up(M) like a scroll;
all the starry host will fall(N)
like withered(O) leaves from the vine,
like shriveled figs from the fig tree.
5 My sword(P) has drunk its fill in the heavens;
see, it descends in judgment on Edom,(Q)
the people I have totally destroyed.(R)
6 The sword(S) of the Lord is bathed in blood,
it is covered with fat—
the blood of lambs and goats,
fat from the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice(T) in Bozrah(U)
and a great slaughter(V) in the land of Edom.
7 And the wild oxen(W) will fall with them,
the bull calves and the great bulls.(X)
Their land will be drenched with blood,(Y)
and the dust will be soaked with fat.
8 For the Lord has a day(Z) of vengeance,(AA)
a year of retribution,(AB) to uphold Zion’s cause.
9 Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch,
her dust into burning sulfur;(AC)
her land will become blazing pitch!
10 It will not be quenched(AD) night or day;
its smoke will rise forever.(AE)
From generation to generation(AF) it will lie desolate;(AG)
no one will ever pass through it again.
11 The desert owl[b](AH) and screech owl[c] will possess it;
the great owl[d] and the raven(AI) will nest there.
God will stretch out over Edom(AJ)
the measuring line of chaos(AK)
and the plumb line(AL) of desolation.
12 Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom,
all her princes(AM) will vanish(AN) away.
13 Thorns(AO) will overrun her citadels,
nettles and brambles her strongholds.(AP)
She will become a haunt for jackals,(AQ)
a home for owls.(AR)
14 Desert creatures(AS) will meet with hyenas,(AT)
and wild goats will bleat to each other;
there the night creatures(AU) will also lie down
and find for themselves places of rest.
15 The owl will nest there and lay eggs,
she will hatch them, and care for her young
under the shadow of her wings;(AV)
there also the falcons(AW) will gather,
each with its mate.
16 Look in the scroll(AX) of the Lord and read:
None of these will be missing,(AY)
not one will lack her mate.
For it is his mouth(AZ) that has given the order,(BA)
and his Spirit will gather them together.
17 He allots their portions;(BB)
his hand distributes them by measure.
They will possess it forever
and dwell there from generation to generation.(BC)
Joy of the Redeemed
35 The desert(BD) and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.(BE)
Like the crocus,(BF) 2 it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.(BG)
The glory of Lebanon(BH) will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel(BI) and Sharon;(BJ)
they will see the glory(BK) of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.(BL)
3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees(BM) that give way;
4 say(BN) to those with fearful hearts,(BO)
“Be strong, do not fear;(BP)
your God will come,(BQ)
he will come with vengeance;(BR)
with divine retribution
he will come to save(BS) you.”
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened(BT)
and the ears of the deaf(BU) unstopped.
6 Then will the lame(BV) leap like a deer,(BW)
and the mute tongue(BX) shout for joy.(BY)
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams(BZ) in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground(CA) bubbling springs.(CB)
In the haunts where jackals(CC) once lay,
grass and reeds(CD) and papyrus will grow.
8 And a highway(CE) will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;(CF)
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean(CG) will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion(CH) will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;(CI)
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed(CJ) will walk there,
10 and those the Lord has rescued(CK) will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;(CL)
everlasting joy(CM) will crown their heads.
Gladness(CN) and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.(CO)
Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem(CP)
36 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s(CQ) reign, Sennacherib(CR) king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.(CS) 2 Then the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army from Lachish(CT) to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. When the commander stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field,(CU) 3 Eliakim(CV) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator,(CW) Shebna(CX) the secretary,(CY) and Joah(CZ) son of Asaph the recorder(DA) went out to him.
4 The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah:
“‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? 5 You say you have counsel and might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel(DB) against me? 6 Look, I know you are depending(DC) on Egypt,(DD) that splintered reed(DE) of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. 7 But if you say to me, “We are depending(DF) on the Lord our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed,(DG) saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar”?(DH)
8 “‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses(DI)—if you can put riders on them! 9 How then can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt(DJ) for chariots(DK) and horsemen[e]?(DL) 10 Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this land without the Lord? The Lord himself told(DM) me to march against this country and destroy it.’”
11 Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah(DN) said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,(DO) since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”
12 But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?(DP)”
13 Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew,(DQ) “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!(DR) 14 This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive(DS) you. He cannot deliver you! 15 Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver(DT) us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’(DU)
16 “Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree(DV) and drink water from your own cistern,(DW) 17 until I come and take you to a land like your own(DX)—a land of grain and new wine,(DY) a land of bread and vineyards.
18 “Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Have the gods of any nations ever delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad?(DZ) Where are the gods of Sepharvaim?(EA) Have they rescued Samaria(EB) from my hand? 20 Who of all the gods(EC) of these countries have been able to save their lands from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”(ED)
21 But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”(EE)
22 Then Eliakim(EF) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder(EG) went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn,(EH) and told him what the field commander had said.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 34:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 5.
- Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
- Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
- Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
- Isaiah 36:9 Or charioteers
Colossians 2
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Colossians 2
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
2 For I want you to know how greatly I strive for you and for those in Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ,[a](A) 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.(B) 4 I am saying this so that no one may deceive you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I rejoice to see your orderly conduct and the firmness of your faith in Christ.(C)
Fullness of Life in Christ
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.(D)
8 Watch out that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental principles[b] of the world, and not according to Christ.(E) 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.(F) 11 In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision,[c] by the removal of the body[d] of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ;(G) 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.(H) 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God[e] made you[f] alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses,(I) 14 erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed[g] the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.(J)
16 Therefore, do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food or[h] drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or Sabbaths.(K) 17 These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the body belongs to Christ. 18 Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, initiatory visions,[i] puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking,[j] 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with a growth that is from God.(L)
Warnings against False Teachers
20 If with Christ you died to the elemental principles[k] of the world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations,(M) 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings.(N) 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence.[l]
Footnotes
- 2.2 Other ancient authorities read of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ
- 2.8 Or spirits
- 2.11 Gk a circumcision made without hands
- 2.11 Other ancient authorities add of the sins
- 2.13 Gk he
- 2.13 Other ancient authorities read made us or made
- 2.15 Or divested himself of
- 2.16 Other ancient authorities read and
- 2.18 Meaning of Gk uncertain
- 2.18 Gk by the mind of his flesh
- 2.20 Or spirits
- 2.23 Or are of no value, serving only to indulge the flesh
Colossians 2
New International Version
Colossians 2
New International Version
2 I want you to know how hard I am contending(A) for you and for those at Laodicea,(B) and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart(C) and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery(D) of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.(E) 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.(F) 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit(G) and delight to see how disciplined(H) you are and how firm(I) your faith in Christ(J) is.
Spiritual Fullness in Christ
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,(K) continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted(L) and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,(M) and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy,(N) which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world(O) rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness(P) of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head(Q) over every power and authority.(R) 11 In him you were also circumcised(S) with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh[b](T) was put off when you were circumcised by[c] Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism,(U) in which you were also raised with him(V) through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.(W)
13 When you were dead in your sins(X) and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[d] alive(Y) with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,(Z) 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness,(AA) which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.(AB) 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities,(AC) he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them(AD) by the cross.[e]
Freedom From Human Rules
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you(AE) by what you eat or drink,(AF) or with regard to a religious festival,(AG) a New Moon celebration(AH) or a Sabbath day.(AI) 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come;(AJ) the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility(AK) and the worship of angels disqualify you.(AL) Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head,(AM) from whom the whole body,(AN) supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.(AO)
20 Since you died with Christ(AP) to the elemental spiritual forces of this world,(AQ) why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules:(AR) 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish(AS) with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.(AT) 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility(AU) and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Footnotes
- Colossians 2:8 Or the basic principles; also in verse 20
- Colossians 2:11 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verse 13.
- Colossians 2:11 Or put off in the circumcision of
- Colossians 2:13 Some manuscripts us
- Colossians 2:15 Or them in him
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
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