Isaiah’s Call and Mission
1 In the year that King Uzziah h died, I saw the Lord i seated on a high and lofty j throne, k and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphim F were standing above him; they each had six wings: l with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. m 3 And one called to another:
Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Armies;
his glory n fills the whole earth. o
4 The foundations of the doorways shook p at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 Then I said:
because I am a man of unclean lips
and live among a people of unclean lips, r
and because my eyes have seen the King,
the LORD of Armies.
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar s with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth t with it and said:
Now that this has touched your lips,
your iniquity is removed
and your sin is atoned for. u
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking:
Who should I send?
Who will go for us?
I said:
Here I am. Send me.
Go! Say to these people:
Keep listening, but do not understand; v
keep looking, but do not perceive.
10 Make the minds H of these people dull;
deafen their ears and blind their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes
and hear with their ears,
understand with their minds,
turn back, and be healed. w
11 Then I said, “Until when, Lord? ” x And he replied:
Until cities lie in ruins without inhabitants, y
houses are without people,
the land is ruined and desolate,
12 and the LORD drives the people far away,
leaving great emptiness in the land.
13 Though a tenth will remain in the land,
it will be burned again.
Like the terebinth or the oak
that leaves a stump when felled,