18Their bows will strike down the young men;
they will have no mercy on infants
nor will they look with compassion on children.
19Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms,
the glory† of the Babylonians’[39] pride,
will be overthrown† by God
like Sodom and Gomorrah.†
20She will never be inhabited†
or lived in through all generations;
no Arab† will pitch his tent there,
no shepherd will rest his flocks there.
21But desert creatures† will lie there,
jackals will fill her houses;
there the owls will dwell,
and there the wild goats will leap about.
22Hyenas will howl in her strongholds,†
jackals† in her luxurious palaces.
Her time is at hand,†
and her days will not be prolonged.
1The LORD will have compassion† on Jacob;
once again he will choose† Israel
and will settle them in their own land.
Aliens† will join them
and unite with the house of Jacob.
2Nations will take them
and bring† them to their own place.
And the house of Israel will possess the nations†
as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’s land.
They will make captives of their captors
and rule over their oppressors.†
3On the day the LORD gives you relief† from suffering and turmoil and cruel bondage, 4you will take up this taunt† against the king of Babylon:
How the oppressor† has come to an end!
How his fury[40] has ended!
5The LORD has broken the rod of the wicked,†
the scepter of the rulers,
6which in anger struck down peoples†
with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued nations
with relentless aggression.†
7All the lands are at rest and at peace;
they break into singing.†
8Even the pine trees† and the cedars of Lebanon
exult over you and say,
“Now that you have been laid low,
no woodsman comes to cut us down.”
9The grave[41] † below is all astir
to meet you at your coming;
it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you—
all those who were leaders in the world;
it makes them rise from their thrones—
all those who were kings over the nations.
10They will all respond,
they will say to you,
“You also have become weak, as we are;
you have become like us.Ӡ
11All your pomp has been brought down to the grave,
along with the noise of your harps;
maggots are spread out beneath you
and worms† cover you.
12How you have fallen† from heaven,
O morning star,† son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
13You said in your heart,
“I will ascend† to heaven;
I will raise my throne†
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.[42]
14I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.Ӡ
15But you are brought down to the grave,
to the depths† of the pit.
16Those who see you stare at you,
they ponder your fate:†
“Is this the man who shook the earth
and made kingdoms tremble,
17the man who made the world a desert,†
who overthrew its cities
and would not let his captives go home?”
18All the kings of the nations lie in state,
each in his own tomb.
19But you are cast out† of your tomb
like a rejected branch;
you are covered with the slain,
with those pierced by the sword,
those who descend to the stones of the pit.†
Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
20you will not join them in burial,
for you have destroyed your land
and killed your people.
will never be mentioned† again.
21Prepare a place to slaughter his sons
for the sins of their forefathers;†
they are not to rise to inherit the land
and cover the earth with their cities.
22“I will rise up against them,”
declares the LORD Almighty.
“I will cut off from Babylon her name and survivors,
her offspring and descendants,†”
declares the LORD.
23“I will turn her into a place for owls†
and into swampland;
I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,”
declares the LORD Almighty.
A Prophecy Against Assyria
24The LORD Almighty has sworn,†
“Surely, as I have planned, so it will be,
and as I have purposed, so it will stand.†
25I will crush the Assyrian† in my land;
on my mountains I will trample him down.
His yoke† will be taken from my people,
and his burden removed from their shoulders.†”
26This is the plan† determined for the whole world;
this is the hand† stretched out over all nations.
27For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?
His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?†
A Prophecy Against the Philistines
28This oracle† came in the year King Ahaz† died:
29Do not rejoice, all you Philistines,†
that the rod that struck you is broken;
from the root of that snake will spring up a viper,†
its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.
30The poorest of the poor will find pasture,
and the needy† will lie down in safety.†
But your root I will destroy by famine;†
it will slay† your survivors.
31Wail, O gate!† Howl, O city!
Melt away, all you Philistines!
A cloud of smoke comes from the north,†
and there is not a straggler in its ranks.
32What answer shall be given
to the envoys† of that nation?
“The LORD has established Zion,†
and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.†”
A Prophecy Against Moab
Beards and Hairstyles in the Biblical World
Isaiah 15 In Isaiah 15:2 the prophet declared that every head was shaved and every beard cut off. In context, it is clear that this was a sign of mourning;1 shaving the head and face was evidently not ordinary fashion but a way of expressing overwhelming grief. Baldness was subjected to mockery (2Ki 2:23–25; we find the same attitude in the Greek comedies of Aristophanes in the late fifth century B.C.), while luxuriant hair seems to have been viewed as a sign of strength and vigor. But how did people in the ancient world typically wear their hair?
Fashions in hairstyles and beards varied in different times and places in the Biblical world. Paul stated that, in his cultural context, it was a disgrace for men to wear their hair long or for women to have theirs shorn (1Co 11:6, 14–15). Samson and Absalom both had long hair (Jdg 16:13–19; 2Sa 14:26), but the very fact that the Bible draws attention to this may indicate that this practice was outside the norm. Israelite men typically wore their beards long, although during the intertestamental period and the New Testament period, under the influence of Greek culture, some Jewish men were clean shaven. It is possible that some professions called for distinctive hairstyles. For example, Mesopotamian physicians may have shaved their heads, and Mesopotamian slaves were required to wear a particular hairstyle, with dire consequences for unlawfully altering it.
The god Hermes (note beard and hairstyle)
Preserving Bible Times; © Dr. James C. Martin; permission of The Istanbul Archaeological Museum
The Israelites, however, had some distinctive customs. Men were forbidden to trim their hair along the sides or the edges of their beards (Lev 19:27). A Nazirite who had made a vow did not allow a razor to touch his hair until that vow had been completed; at that time his hair was shaved and cast into the fire under the sacrifice of the fellowship offering he had presented to God (Nu 6:5–21). Hair and beards could have symbolic significance as well. While cutting off another man’s beard was considered an insult (2Sa 10:4–5), cutting one’s own hair or beard was a sign of mourning (Isa 15:2). Ezekiel, for example, shaved off his hair and beard as a symbol of the coming destruction of Jerusalem (Eze 5:1ff.).
Ar in Moab is ruined,†
destroyed in a night!
Kir in Moab is ruined,
destroyed in a night!
2Dibon goes up to its temple,
to its high places† to weep;
Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba.
Every head is shaved†
and every beard cut off.
3In the streets they wear sackcloth;
on the roofs and in the public squares†
they all wail,
prostrate with weeping.†
4Heshbon and Elealeh† cry out,
their voices are heard all the way to Jahaz.
Therefore the armed men of Moab cry out,
and their hearts are faint.
5My heart cries out over Moab;†
her fugitives flee as far as Zoar,
as far as Eglath Shelishiyah.
They go up the way to Luhith,
weeping as they go;
on the road to Horonaim†
they lament their destruction.†
6The waters of Nimrim are dried up†
and the grass is withered;†
the vegetation is gone
and nothing green is left.
7So the wealth they have acquired† and stored up
they carry away over the Ravine of the Poplars.
8Their outcry echoes along the border of Moab;
their wailing reaches as far as Eglaim,
their lamentation as far as Beer Elim.
9Dimon’s[43] waters are full of blood,
but I will bring still more upon Dimon[44]—
a lion† upon the fugitives of Moab
and upon those who remain in the land.
to the ruler of the land,
from Sela,† across the desert,
to the mount of the Daughter of Zion.†
2Like fluttering birds
pushed from the nest,†
so are the women of Moab
at the fords of the Arnon.†
3“Give us counsel,
render a decision.
Make your shadow like night—
at high noon.
Hide the fugitives,†
do not betray the refugees.
4Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you;
be their shelter from the destroyer.”
The oppressor† will come to an end,
and destruction will cease;
the aggressor will vanish from the land.
5In love a throne† will be established;
in faithfulness a man will sit on it—
one from the house[45] of David†—
one who in judging seeks justice†
and speeds the cause of righteousness.
6We have heard of Moab’s† pride†—
her overweening pride and conceit,
her pride and her insolence—
but her boasts are empty.
7Therefore the Moabites wail,†
they wail together for Moab.
Lament and grieve
for the men[46] † of Kir Hareseth.†
8The fields of Heshbon wither,
the vines of Sibmah also.
The rulers of the nations
have trampled down the choicest vines,
which once reached Jazer
and spread toward the desert.
Their shoots spread out
and went as far as the sea.
9So I weep,† as Jazer weeps,
for the vines of Sibmah.
O Heshbon, O Elealeh,
I drench you with tears!
The shouts of joy over your ripened fruit
and over your harvests† have been stilled.
10Joy and gladness are taken away from the orchards;†
no one sings or shouts in the vineyards;
no one treads† out wine at the presses,†
for I have put an end to the shouting.
11My heart laments for Moab† like a harp,
my inmost being† for Kir Hareseth.
12When Moab appears at her high place,
she only wears herself out;
when she goes to her shrine† to pray,
it is to no avail.†
13This is the word the LORD has already spoken concerning Moab. 14But now the LORD says: “Within three years, as a servant bound by contract would count them, Moab’s splendor and all her many people will be despised,† and her survivors will be very few and feeble.”†
An Oracle Against Damascus
1An oracle concerning Damascus:†
Damascus
Isaiah 17 Damascus was, and still is, the capital city of Syria. As is the case today, ancient Damascus was often set against ancient Israel.
Continuous occupation of Damascus since antiquity makes excavation of ancient remains there virtually impossible. Nevertheless Assyrian, Syrian and Egyptian sources all shed light on the Biblical data. The city’s location along the fertile Barada River at the crossroads of major trade routes (the Via Maris and the King’s Highway) ensured continued prosperity. Damascus is mentioned in a number of ancient writings. In a text at the temple of Amon at Karnak, for example, Thutmose III of Egypt claims to have forced Damascus to submit to him (c. 1482 B.C.). Damascus was the dominant city of Aram (Syria) from the eleventh century B.C. to its annexation by Assyria in 732 B.C.1 The city and its kings had numerous dealings with the kings of Israel:
• David subjugated the Aramean kingdom of Syria, but King Rezin of Damascus (r. c. 955–925 B.C.) regained independence during Solomon’s reign.
• Ben-hadad I (r. c. 900–860 B.C.) entered an alliance with Asa of Judah to attack Baasha of Israel (1Kgs 15:16–22), and Ben-hadad II (r. c. 860–843 B.C.) began an expansion that took most of Israel’s Transjordanian territories.2 This project was interrupted in 853 B.C. when Damascus, Israel and other nations combined to check Assyrian expansion under Shalmaneser III at the Battle of Qarqar.3
• Under Hazael (r. c. 843–796 B.C.) Syria’s expansion into Israel and Judah continued, despite losses Damascus suffered against Assyria.4
• Ben-Hadad III (r. c. 796–770 B.C.) was successful against Israel early in his reign and later headed a coalition against Zakur, king of Hamath.5 Under Jeroboam II Israel recovered territory previously lost to Damascus.
• Rezin (r. c. 750–732 B.C.) and Pekah of Israel tried to force Ahaz of Judah to join an anti-Assyrian coalition, but Ahaz paid Tiglath-Pileser III to attack Damascus, resulting in its annexation into Assyria and in the death of Rezin.6
Damascus continued as an influential provincial city under Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. It was a major cosmopolitan center during the New Testament era, when it was home to a large Jewish community. Thus Saul of Tarsus traveled there searching for early Christians. “Straight Street” of Acts 9:11 may have been a major thoroughfare from the Roman period, called in Latin the cardo maximus.
1. See “Syria/Aram.”
2. See “Ben-Hadad I and II.”
3. See “Ahab and the Battle of Qarqar.”
4. See “Hazael, the Nemesis of Israel.”
5. See “Ben Hadad III of Aram and Jehoash of Israel.”
6. See “Ahaz, King of Judah, and Rezin, King of Aram” and “The Syro-Ephraimite War.”
“See, Damascus will no longer be a city
but will become a heap of ruins.†
2The cities of Aroer will be deserted
and left to flocks,† which will lie down,
with no one to make them afraid.†
3The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim,
and royal power from Damascus;
the remnant of Aram will be
like the glory† of the Israelites,”†
declares the LORD Almighty.
4 “In that day the glory of Jacob will fade;
the fat of his body will waste† away.
5It will be as when a reaper gathers the standing grain
and harvests† the grain with his arm—
as when a man gleans heads of grain
in the Valley of Rephaim.
6Yet some gleanings will remain,†
as when an olive tree is beaten,†
leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches,
four or five on the fruitful boughs,”
declares the LORD, the God of Israel.
7In that day men will look† to their Maker
and turn their eyes to the Holy One† of Israel.
8They will not look to the altars,
the work of their hands,†
and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles[47]
and the incense altars their fingers have made.
9In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation.
10You have forgotten† God your Savior;†
you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress.
Therefore, though you set out the finest plants
and plant imported vines,
11though on the day you set them out, you make them grow,
and on the morning† when you plant them, you bring them to bud,
yet the harvest will be as nothing†
in the day of disease and incurable pain.†
12Oh, the raging of many nations—
they rage like the raging sea!†
Oh, the uproar of the peoples—
they roar like the roaring of great waters!
13Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters,
when he rebukes† them they flee† far away,
driven before the wind like chaff† on the hills,
like tumbleweed before a gale.†
14In the evening, sudden terror!
Before the morning, they are gone!†
This is the portion of those who loot us,
the lot of those who plunder us.
A Prophecy Against Cush
1Woe to the land of whirring wings[48]
along the rivers of Cush,[49] †
2which sends envoys by sea
in papyrus† boats over the water.
Go, swift messengers,
to a people tall and smooth-skinned,
to a people feared far and wide,
an aggressive† nation of strange speech,
whose land is divided by rivers.†
3All you people of the world,
you who live on the earth,
when a banner† is raised on the mountains,
you will see it,
and when a trumpet sounds,
you will hear it.
4This is what the LORD says to me:
“I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place,†
like shimmering heat in the sunshine,
like a cloud of dew† in the heat of harvest.”
5For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone
and the flower becomes a ripening grape,
he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives,
and cut down and take away the spreading branches.†
6They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey
and to the wild animals;†
the birds will feed on them all summer,
the wild animals all winter.
7At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD Almighty
from a people tall and smooth-skinned,
from a people feared far and wide,
an aggressive nation of strange speech,
whose land is divided by rivers—
the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the LORD Almighty.†
A Prophecy About Egypt
1An oracle† concerning Egypt:†
See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud†
and is coming to Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him,
and the hearts of the Egyptians melt† within them.
2“I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian—
brother will fight against brother,†
neighbor against neighbor,
city against city,
kingdom against kingdom.†
3The Egyptians will lose heart,
and I will bring their plans to nothing;
they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead,
the mediums and the spiritists.†
4I will hand the Egyptians over
to the power of a cruel master,
and a fierce king† will rule over them,”
declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
5The waters of the river will dry up,†
and the riverbed will be parched and dry.
the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up.†
The reeds and rushes will wither,†
7also the plants along the Nile,
at the mouth of the river.
Every sown field† along the Nile
will become parched, will blow away and be no more.
8The fishermen† will groan and lament,
all who cast hooks† into the Nile;
those who throw nets on the water
will pine away.
9Those who work with combed flax will despair,
the weavers of fine linen† will lose hope.
10The workers in cloth will be dejected,
and all the wage earners will be sick at heart.
11The officials of Zoan† are nothing but fools;
the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice.
How can you say to Pharaoh,
“I am one of the wise men,†
a disciple of the ancient kings”?
12Where are your wise men† now?
Let them show you and make known
what the LORD Almighty
has planned† against Egypt.
13The officials of Zoan have become fools,
the leaders of Memphis[50] † are deceived;
the cornerstones of her peoples
have led Egypt astray.
14The LORD has poured into them
a spirit of dizziness;†
they make Egypt stagger in all that she does,
as a drunkard staggers around in his vomit.
15There is nothing Egypt can do—
head or tail, palm branch or reed.†
16 In that day the Egyptians will be like women.† They will shudder with fear† at the uplifted hand† that the LORD Almighty raises against them. 17And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified, because of what the LORD Almighty is planning† against them.
18In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance† to the LORD Almighty. One of them will be called the City of Destruction.[51]
19In that day there will be an altar† to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and a monument† to the LORD at its border. 20It will be a sign and witness to the LORD Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue† them. 21So the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge† the LORD. They will worship† with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and keep them. 22The LORD will strike† Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn† to the LORD, and he will respond to their pleas and heal† them.
23In that day there will be a highway† from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship† together. 24In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. 25The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people,† Assyria my handiwork,† and Israel my inheritance.†”
A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush
1In the year that the supreme commander,† sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it— 2at that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz.† He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth† from your body and the sandals† from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped† and barefoot.†
3Then the LORD said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign† and portent against Egypt and Cush,[52] † 4so the king† of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt’s shame.† 5Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt† will be afraid and put to shame. 6In that day the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened to those we relied on, those we fled to for help† and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?†’ ”
A Prophecy Against Babylon
1An oracle concerning the Desert† by the Sea:
Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland,†
an invader comes from the desert,
from a land of terror.
2A dire† vision has been shown to me:
The traitor betrays,† the looter takes loot.
Elam,† attack! Media, lay siege!
I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.
3At this my body is racked with pain,
pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor;†
I am staggered by what I hear,
I am bewildered by what I see.
4My heart falters,
fear makes me tremble;
the twilight I longed for
has become a horror to me.
5They set the tables,
they spread the rugs,
they eat, they drink!†
Get up, you officers,
oil the shields!
6This is what the Lord says to me:
“Go, post a lookout
and have him report what he sees.
7When he sees chariots†
with teams of horses,
riders on donkeys
or riders on camels,
let him be alert,
fully alert.”
8And the lookout[53] † shouted,
“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower;
every night I stay at my post.
9Look, here comes a man in a chariot
with a team of horses.
And he gives back the answer:
‘Babylon† has fallen,† has fallen!
All the images of its gods†
lie shattered on the ground!’ ”
10O my people, crushed on the threshing floor,†
I tell you what I have heard
from the LORD Almighty,
from the God of Israel.
A Prophecy Against Edom
11An oracle concerning Dumah[54]:†
Someone calls to me from Seir,†
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12The watchman replies,
“Morning is coming, but also the night.
If you would ask, then ask;
and come back yet again.”
A Prophecy Against Arabia
13An oracle† concerning Arabia:
You caravans of Dedanites,
who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
14bring water for the thirsty;
you who live in Tema,†
bring food for the fugitives.
from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow
and from the heat of battle.
16This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract† would count it, all the pomp† of Kedar† will come to an end. 17The survivors of the bowmen, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.†” The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.
A Prophecy About Jerusalem
1An oracle† concerning the Valley† of Vision:
What troubles you now,
that you have all gone up on the roofs,
2O town full of commotion,
O city of tumult and revelry?†
Your slain were not killed by the sword,
nor did they die in battle.
3All your leaders have fled together;
they have been captured without using the bow.
All you who were caught were taken prisoner together,
having fled while the enemy was still far away.
4Therefore I said, “Turn away from me;
let me weep† bitterly.
Do not try to console me
over the destruction of my people.Ӡ
5The Lord, the LORD Almighty, has a day
of tumult and trampling and terror†
in the Valley of Vision,
a day of battering down walls
and of crying out to the mountains.
with her charioteers and horses;
Kir† uncovers the shield.
7Your choicest valleys are full of chariots,
and horsemen are posted at the city gates;†
8the defenses of Judah are stripped away.
And you looked in that day
to the weapons† in the Palace of the Forest;†
9you saw that the City of David
had many breaches in its defenses;
you stored up water
in the Lower Pool.†
10You counted the buildings in Jerusalem
and tore down houses to strengthen the wall.
11You built a reservoir between the two walls†
for the water of the Old Pool,†
but you did not look to the One who made it,
or have regard for the One who planned it long ago.
12The Lord, the LORD Almighty,
called you on that day
to weep† and to wail,
to tear out your hair† and put on sackcloth.†
13But see, there is joy and revelry,
slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep,
eating of meat and drinking of wine!†
“Let us eat and drink,” you say,
“for tomorrow we die!”†
14The LORD Almighty has revealed this in my hearing:† “Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned† for,” says the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
15This is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says:
“Go, say to this steward,
to Shebna,† who is in charge of the palace:
16What are you doing here and who gave you permission
to cut out a grave† for yourself here,
hewing your grave on the height
and chiseling your resting place in the rock?
17“Beware, the LORD is about to take firm hold of you
and hurl you away, O you mighty man.
18He will roll you up tightly like a ball
and throw† you into a large country.
There you will die
and there your splendid chariots will remain—
you disgrace to your master’s house!
19I will depose you from your office,
and you will be ousted from your position.
20“In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim† son of Hilkiah. 21I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22I will place on his shoulder the key† to the house of David;† what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.† 23I will drive him like a peg† into a firm place;† he will be a seat[55] of honor† for the house of his father. 24All the glory of his family will hang on him: its offspring and offshoots—all its lesser vessels, from the bowls to all the jars.
25“In that day,” declares the LORD Almighty, “the peg† driven into the firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and will fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut down.” The LORD has spoken.†
A Prophecy About Tyre
For Tyre is destroyed
and left without house or harbor.
From the land of Cyprus[56]
word has come to them.
2Be silent, you people of the island
and you merchants of Sidon,
whom the seafarers have enriched.
3On the great waters
came the grain of the Shihor;
the harvest of the Nile[57] † was the revenue of Tyre,†
and she became the marketplace of the nations.
4Be ashamed, O Sidon,† and you, O fortress of the sea,
for the sea has spoken:
“I have neither been in labor nor given birth;
I have neither reared sons nor brought up daughters.”
5When word comes to Egypt,
they will be in anguish at the report from Tyre.
6Cross over to Tarshish;
wail, you people of the island.
7Is this your city of revelry,†
the old, old city,
whose feet have taken her
to settle in far-off lands?
8Who planned this against Tyre,
the bestower of crowns,
whose merchants are princes,
whose traders are renowned in the earth?
9The LORD Almighty planned it,
to bring low† the pride of all glory
and to humble† all who are renowned† on the earth.
10Till[58] your land as along the Nile,
O Daughter of Tarshish,
for you no longer have a harbor.
11The LORD has stretched out his hand† over the sea
and made its kingdoms tremble.
He has given an order concerning Phoenicia[59]
that her fortresses be destroyed.†
12He said, “No more of your reveling,†
O Virgin Daughter† of Sidon, now crushed!
“Up, cross over to Cyprus[60];
even there you will find no rest.”
13Look at the land of the Babylonians,[61]
this people that is now of no account!
The Assyrians† have made it
a place for desert creatures;
they raised up their siege towers,
they stripped its fortresses bare
and turned it into a ruin.†
14Wail, you ships of Tarshish;†
your fortress is destroyed!
15At that time Tyre† will be forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king’s life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:
16“Take up a harp, walk through the city,
O prostitute forgotten;
play the harp well, sing many a song,
so that you will be remembered.”
17At the end of seventy years, the LORD will deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire as a prostitute† and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. 18Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the LORD;† they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the LORD,† for abundant food and fine clothes.
The LORD’s Devastation of the Earth
1See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth†
and devastate it;
he will ruin its face
and scatter its inhabitants—
2it will be the same
for priest as for people,†
for master as for servant,
for mistress as for maid,
for seller as for buyer,†
for borrower as for lender,
for debtor as for creditor.†
3The earth will be completely laid waste
and totally plundered.†
The LORD has spoken this word.
4The earth dries up and withers,
the world languishes and withers,
the exalted† of the earth languish.
5The earth is defiled† by its people;
they have disobeyed† the laws,
violated the statutes
and broken the everlasting covenant.
6Therefore a curse consumes the earth;
its people must bear their guilt.
Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up,†
and very few are left.
7The new wine dries up and the vine withers;†
all the merrymakers groan.†
8The gaiety of the tambourines† is stilled,
the noise† of the revelers has stopped,
9No longer do they drink wine† with a song;
the beer is bitter† to its drinkers.
10The ruined city lies desolate;
the entrance to every house is barred.
11In the streets they cry out for wine;
all joy turns to gloom,†
all gaiety is banished from the earth.
12The city is left in ruins,
its gate is battered to pieces.
13So will it be on the earth
and among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten,†
or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.
14They raise their voices, they shout for joy;†
from the west they acclaim the LORD’s majesty.
15Therefore in the east give glory† to the LORD;
exalt† the name of the LORD, the God of Israel,
in the islands of the sea.
16From the ends of the earth we hear singing:
“Glory† to the Righteous One.”
But I said, “I waste away, I waste away!
Woe to me!
The treacherous betray!
With treachery the treacherous betray!†”
17Terror and pit and snare† await you,
O people of the earth.
18Whoever flees at the sound of terror
will fall into a pit;
whoever climbs out of the pit
will be caught in a snare.
The floodgates of the heavens† are opened,
the foundations of the earth shake.†
19The earth is broken up,
the earth is split asunder,†
the earth is thoroughly shaken.
20The earth reels like a drunkard,†
it sways like a hut in the wind;
so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion†
that it falls—never to rise again.
21In that day the LORD will punish†
the powers in the heavens above
and the kings on the earth below.
22They will be herded together
like prisoners† bound in a dungeon;†
they will be shut up in prison
and be punished[62] after many days.†
23The moon will be abashed, the sun† ashamed;
for the LORD Almighty will reign†
on Mount Zion† and in Jerusalem,
and before its elders, gloriously.†
Praise to the LORD
1O LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done marvelous things,†
things planned† long ago.
2You have made the city a heap of rubble,†
the fortified† town a ruin,
the foreigners’ stronghold† a city no more;
it will never be rebuilt.
3Therefore strong peoples will honor you;
cities of ruthless† nations will revere you.
4You have been a refuge† for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in his distress,
a shelter from the storm
and a shade from the heat.
For the breath of the ruthless†
is like a storm driving against a wall
5and like the heat of the desert.
You silence† the uproar of foreigners;
as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud,
so the song of the ruthless is stilled.
6On this mountain† the LORD Almighty will prepare
a feast† of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
the best of meats and the finest of wines.†
7On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud† that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
8he will swallow up death† forever.
The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears†
from all faces;
he will remove the disgrace† of his people
from all the earth.
The LORD has spoken.
9In that day they will say,
“Surely this is our God;†
we trusted in him, and he saved† us.
This is the LORD, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice† and be glad in his salvation.”
10The hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain;
but Moab† will be trampled under him
as straw is trampled down in the manure.
11They will spread out their hands in it,
as a swimmer spreads out his hands to swim.
God will bring down† their pride†
despite the cleverness[63] of their hands.
12He will bring down your high fortified walls
and lay them low;†
he will bring them down to the ground,
to the very dust.
A Song of Praise
1In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city;†
God makes salvation
its walls† and ramparts.
2Open the gates
that the righteous† nation may enter,
the nation that keeps faith.
3You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.
4Trust† in the LORD forever,
for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.
5He humbles those who dwell on high,
he lays the lofty city low;
he levels it to the ground†
and casts it down to the dust.
6Feet trample it down—
the feet of the oppressed,
the footsteps of the poor.†
7The path of the righteous is level;
O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth.†
8Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws,[64] †
we wait for you;
your name† and renown
are the desire of our hearts.
9My soul yearns for you in the night;
in the morning my spirit longs† for you.
When your judgments come upon the earth,
the people of the world learn righteousness.†
10Though grace is shown to the wicked,
they do not learn righteousness;
even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil†
and regard† not the majesty of the LORD.
11O LORD, your hand is lifted high,
but they do not see† it.
Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame;
let the fire† reserved for your enemies consume them.
12LORD, you establish peace for us;
all that we have accomplished you have done for us.
13O LORD, our God, other lords† besides you have ruled over us,
but your name alone do we honor.†
14They are now dead,† they live no more;
those departed spirits do not rise.
You punished them and brought them to ruin;†
you wiped out all memory of them.
15You have enlarged the nation, O LORD;
you have enlarged the nation.
You have gained glory for yourself;
you have extended all the borders† of the land.
16LORD, they came to you in their distress;†
when you disciplined them,
they could barely whisper a prayer.[65]
17As a woman with child and about to give birth†
writhes and cries out in her pain,
so were we in your presence, O LORD.
18We were with child, we writhed in pain,
but we gave birth† to wind.
We have not brought salvation† to the earth;
we have not given birth to people of the world.
their bodies will rise.
You who dwell in the dust,
wake up and shout for joy.
Your dew is like the dew of the morning;
the earth will give birth to her dead.†
20Go, my people, enter your rooms
and shut the doors† behind you;
hide† yourselves for a little while
until his wrath has passed by.†
21See, the LORD is coming† out of his dwelling†
to punish† the people of the earth for their sins.
The earth will disclose the blood† shed upon her;
she will conceal her slain no longer.
Deliverance of Israel
1In that day,
the LORD will punish with his sword,†
his fierce, great and powerful sword,
Leviathan† the gliding serpent,
Leviathan the coiling serpent;
he will slay the monster† of the sea.
2In that day—
“Sing about a fruitful vineyard:†
3I, the LORD, watch over it;
I water† it continually.
I guard it day and night
so that no one may harm it.
4I am not angry.
If only there were briers and thorns confronting me!
I would march against them in battle;
I would set them all on fire.†
5Or else let them come to me for refuge;†
let them make peace† with me,
yes, let them make peace with me.”
6In days to come Jacob will take root,
Israel will bud and blossom†
and fill all the world with fruit.†
7Has [the LORD] struck her
as he struck† down those who struck her?
Has she been killed
as those were killed who killed her?
8By warfare[66] and exile† you contend with her—
with his fierce blast he drives her out,
as on a day the east wind blows.
9By this, then, will Jacob’s guilt be atoned for,
and this will be the full fruitage of the removal of his sin:†
When he makes all the altar stones
to be like chalk stones crushed to pieces,
no Asherah poles[67] † or incense altars
will be left standing.
10The fortified city stands desolate,†
an abandoned settlement, forsaken like the desert;
there the calves graze,
there they lie down;†
they strip its branches bare.
11When its twigs are dry, they are broken off
and women come and make fires with them.
For this is a people without understanding;†
so their Maker has no compassion on them,
and their Creator† shows them no favor.†
12In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates[68] to the Wadi of Egypt,† and you, O Israelites, will be gathered† up one by one. 13And in that day a great trumpet† will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt† will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.
Woe to Ephraim
1Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s† drunkards,
The Abecedaries
Isaiah 28 An abecedary is a type of ancient inscription containing letters in a standard alphabetical order. Many such writings appear to be nothing more than the elementary exercises of school children. However, these documents still yield valuable information concerning the development and transmission of the alphabet. The earliest abecedaries were found at Ugarit (“Map 1”) and date to the fourteenth century B.C.1 The order of the letters preserved in these early documents follows the arrangement later adopted by the Hebrew, Greek, Latin and Arabic alphabets. Many have argued that the names of the letters, though not preserved in these inscriptions, must have developed simultaneously with the fixed alphabetic order by serving as a mnemonic device to aid in remembering the pattern. By analogy, modern American children use a rhyming song to learn their alphabet.
Parts of Isaiah 28:9–13 are difficult to interpret; verse 10 in particular looks like a series of nonsense rhymes. The NIV renders this as “Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there,” but this translation is something of a guess. The translational difficulty in the Hebrew can perhaps be explained by the development of mnemonic tools such as rhyming for teaching children. The nonsensical Hebrew words that appear in this passage are probably consonants plus rhyming vowel sounds, simulating an elementary school lesson. Further evidence that the Israelites made use of the alphabet for memorization purposes can be found elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible. For example, Psalms 111 and 112 are acrostic poems that follow the order of the Hebrew alphabet.2
An abecedary (text for learning the alphabet) from Greece, c. 800 B.C.
© The Schøyen Collection; photography courtesy of Mr. Martin Schøyen
1. See “Ugarit/Ras Shamra.”
to the fading flower, his glorious beauty,
set on the head of a fertile valley†—
to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!†
2See, the Lord has one who is powerful† and strong.
Like a hailstorm† and a destructive wind,†
like a driving rain and a flooding† downpour,
he will throw it forcefully to the ground.
3That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s† drunkards,
will be trampled underfoot.
4That fading flower, his glorious beauty,
set on the head of a fertile valley,†
will be like a fig† ripe before harvest—
as soon as someone sees it and takes it in his hand,
he swallows it.
5In that day the LORD Almighty
will be a glorious crown,†
a beautiful wreath
for the remnant of his people.
6He will be a spirit of justice†
to him who sits in judgment,†
a source of strength
to those who turn back the battle† at the gate.
7And these also stagger from wine†
and reel† from beer:
Priests† and prophets† stagger from beer
and are befuddled with wine;
they reel from beer,
they stagger when seeing visions,†
they stumble when rendering decisions.
8All the tables are covered with vomit†
and there is not a spot without filth.
9“Who is it he is trying to teach?†
To whom is he explaining his message?
To children weaned† from their milk,†
to those just taken from the breast?
10For it is:
Do and do, do and do,
rule on rule, rule on rule[69];
a little here, a little there.”
11Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues†
God will speak to this people,†
12to whom he said,
“This is the resting place, let the weary rest”;†
and, “This is the place of repose”—
but they would not listen.
13So then, the word of the LORD to them will become:
Do and do, do and do,
rule on rule, rule on rule;
a little here, a little there—
so that they will go and fall backward,
be injured† and snared and captured.†
14Therefore hear the word of the LORD,† you scoffers
who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death,
with the grave[70] we have made an agreement.
When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,†
it cannot touch us,
for we have made a lie† our refuge
and falsehood[71] our hiding place.†”
16So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a tested stone,†
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who trusts will never be dismayed.†
17I will make justice† the measuring line
and righteousness the plumb line;†
hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
and water will overflow your hiding place.
18Your covenant with death will be annulled;
your agreement with the grave will not stand.†
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,†
you will be beaten down† by it.
19As often as it comes it will carry you away;†
morning after morning, by day and by night,
it will sweep through.”
The understanding of this message
will bring sheer terror.†
20The bed is too short to stretch out on,
the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.†
21The LORD will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim,†
he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon†—
to do his work,† his strange work,
and perform his task, his alien task.
22Now stop your mocking,
or your chains will become heavier;
the Lord, the LORD Almighty, has told me
of the destruction decreed† against the whole land.†
23Listen and hear my voice;
pay attention and hear what I say.
24When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually?
Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing the soil?
25When he has leveled the surface,
does he not sow caraway and scatter cummin?†
Does he not plant wheat in its place,[72]
barley in its plot,[73]
and spelt† in its field?
26His God instructs him
and teaches him the right way.
27Caraway is not threshed with a sledge,
nor is a cartwheel rolled over cummin;
caraway is beaten out with a rod,
and cummin with a stick.
28Grain must be ground to make bread;
so one does not go on threshing it forever.
Though he drives the wheels of his threshing cart over it,
his horses do not grind it.
29All this also comes from the LORD Almighty,
wonderful in counsel† and magnificent in wisdom.†
Woe to David’s City
the city where David settled!
Add year to year
and let your cycle of festivals† go on.
2Yet I will besiege Ariel;
she will mourn and lament,†
she will be to me like an altar hearth.[74]
3I will encamp against you all around;
I will encircle† you with towers
and set up my siege works against you.
4Brought low, you will speak from the ground;
your speech will mumble† out of the dust.
Your voice will come ghostlike from the earth;
out of the dust your speech will whisper.
5But your many enemies will become like fine dust,
the ruthless hordes like blown chaff.†
Suddenly,† in an instant,
6the LORD Almighty will come
with thunder and earthquake† and great noise,
with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire.
7Then the hordes of all the nations† that fight against Ariel,
that attack her and her fortress and besiege her,
will be as it is with a dream,†
with a vision in the night—
8as when a hungry man dreams that he is eating,
but he awakens,† and his hunger remains;
as when a thirsty man dreams that he is drinking,
but he awakens faint, with his thirst unquenched.
So will it be with the hordes of all the nations
that fight against Mount Zion.
9Be stunned and amazed,
blind yourselves and be sightless;
be drunk,† but not from wine,†
stagger, but not from beer.
10The LORD has brought over you a deep sleep:
He has sealed your eyes† (the prophets);†
he has covered your heads (the seers).†
11For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed† in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say to him, “Read this, please,” he will answer, “I can’t; it is sealed.” 12Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, “Read this, please,” he will answer, “I don’t know how to read.”
13The Lord says:
“These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.†
Their worship of me
is made up only of rules taught by men.[75] †
14Therefore once more I will astound these people
with wonder upon wonder;†
the wisdom of the wise† will perish,
the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.†”
15Woe to those who go to great depths
to hide their plans from the LORD,
who do their work in darkness and think,
“Who sees us?† Who will know?”†
16You turn things upside down,
as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!
Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,
“He did not make me”?
Can the pot say of the potter,†
“He knows nothing”?
17In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field†
and the fertile field seem like a forest?†
18In that day the deaf† will hear the words of the scroll,
and out of gloom and darkness
the eyes of the blind will see.†
19Once more the humble† will rejoice in the LORD;
the needy† will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20The ruthless will vanish,
the mockers† will disappear,
and all who have an eye for evil† will be cut down—
21those who with a word make a man out to be guilty,
who ensnare the defender in court†
and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice.†
22Therefore this is what the LORD, who redeemed Abraham,† says to the house of Jacob:
“No longer will Jacob be ashamed;†
no longer will their faces grow pale.
23When they see among them their children,†
the work of my hands,†
they will keep my name holy;
they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob,
and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
24Those who are wayward† in spirit will gain understanding;†
those who complain will accept instruction.Ӡ
Woe to the Obstinate Nation
1“Woe† to the obstinate children,”†
Cuneiform and Clay Tablets in the Ancient Near East
Isaiah 30 In ancient Mesopotamia the most commonly used writing material was the clay tablet (cf. Isa 30:8). The earliest ones were produced at the Sumerian city of Uruk (“Map 1”) during the fourth millennium B.C. Clay was available in such abundance and was so easy to mold into writing tablets that there was no obstacle to producing a great quantity of such tablets. Thus, over a half million tablet-documents have been discovered to date from the ancient Near East. Writing first involved carving into the clay with a sharp stick or nail—thus described as “nail-writing.”
No one knows exactly how writing emerged, but it probably began with clay tokens that were used as record-keeping devices. Marks placed upon these tokens eventually evolved into writing. At first “nail-writing” was practiced by drawing pictures and pictographic symbols (e.g., a depiction of a man to represent a man). Today we use pictograms to communicate simple ideas. A stylized likeness of a man or woman can represent the men’s or women’s restroom; a cigarette with a circle around it and slash mark over it has come to be understood as “No smoking.” But it is impossible to communicate complex speech with such symbols.
Cuneiform receipt for the purchase of three oxen; c. 2046 B.C.
Preserving Bible Times; © Dr. James C. Martin; permission of The British Museum
As the need for record keeping increased, pictograms became more abstract and began to be formed with quick, straight strokes instead of curving lines (the picture of the man became more stylized and abstract—a symbol rather than a recognizable picture). By the third millennium B.C. cuneiform had been invented. Cuneiform (Latin for “wedge-shaped”) is so named for the shape of the mark made by a reed stylus, triangular at one end, that was pressed into wet clay to make wedge-shaped lines.
With the advent of cuneiform, writing became even more abstract. Signs could now represent not only words but also syllables, several of which could be combined to represent the syllables of a word. For example, the Sumerian word for “barley” is she. In cuneiform, the sign for barley might literally mean “barley,” but it might also denote some other word with the syllable she in it. Using English for our analogy, in this system the symbol for “man” might represent a man, but it might also represent the syllable “man-” in “manner” or “manufacture.” As the system became more sophisticated and uniform, the number of signs needed for writing was reduced. Whereas as many as 2,000 signs are known from the earliest tablets, there were only about 200 still in use by the second millennium B.C. This allowed writing to truly represent speech, with all of its complexities of vocabulary and grammar. Thus myths, legends, history and songs began to be recorded.
Another development was the linear arrangement of signs. Originally, tablets were divided into rectangular boxes into which related signs were drawn in no particular order. These boxes were arranged in vertical columns. As writing became more abstract and rapid (c. 2500 B.C.), the signs within the boxes came to be written from left to right. Later the boxes were no longer drawn, and the signs were written left to right across the face of the tablet. This also led to a standardization of sign height, much as one finds today in ruled paper.
Early pictographic script from Uruk III; Sumer, c. 3100 B.C.
© The Schøyen Collection; photography courtesy of Mr. Martin Schøyen
Cuneiform was first developed for use with the Sumerian language1 but was adapted for other Mesopotamian languages. The Akkadians adopted this form of writing, and as their realm of influence grew, cuneiform writing spread. By the second millennium B.C. the Elamites, Hurrians and Hittites were employing cuneiform to write their own languages.2 Eventually Akkadian became the international language of diplomacy, and Akkadian cuneiform spread throughout the Near East. The Amarna Letters demonstrate that cuneiform was utilized in fourteenth-century B.C. Canaan and was readable in the Egyptian royal court.
Around 1600 B.C. the Phoenicians invented the precursor to the modern alphabet. In a true alphabet signs represent not words or syllables but individual consonants and vowels. This allows for writing to use a very small number of signs. With an alphabet there are fewer signs to learn, allowing almost anyone to become literate. Also, spelling becomes more accurate and uniform, resulting in less ambiguity and confusion. The efficiency of the alphabet eventually led to the decline of cuneiform in Syria-Palestine. The Aramaic language, which was written alphabetically, replaced Akkadian as the lingua franca (language of common, commercial use) of the ancient Near Eastern world.
2. For more on these cultures, see “The Hurrians” and “Anatolia and the Hittites.”
declares the LORD,
“to those who carry out plans that are not mine,
forming an alliance,† but not by my Spirit,
heaping sin upon sin;
without consulting† me;
who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection,†
to Egypt’s shade for refuge.
3But Pharaoh’s protection will be to your shame,
Egypt’s shade will bring you disgrace.†
4Though they have officials in Zoan†
and their envoys have arrived in Hanes,
5everyone will be put to shame
because of a people† useless to them,
who bring neither help nor advantage,
but only shame and disgrace.”
6An oracle concerning the animals of the Negev:
Through a land of hardship and distress,†
of lions and lionesses,
of adders and darting snakes,†
the envoys carry their riches on donkeys’ backs,
their treasures† on the humps of camels,
to that unprofitable nation,
7to Egypt, whose help is utterly useless.
Therefore I call her
Rahab the Do-Nothing.
8Go now, write it on a tablet for them,
inscribe it on a scroll,†
that for the days to come
it may be an everlasting witness.
9These are rebellious people, deceitful† children,
children unwilling to listen to the LORD’s instruction.†
10They say to the seers,
“See no more visions†!”
and to the prophets,
“Give us no more visions of what is right!
Tell us pleasant things,†
prophesy illusions.†
11Leave this way,
get off this path,
and stop confronting† us
with the Holy One of Israel!”
12Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says:
“Because you have rejected this message,†
relied on oppression†
and depended on deceit,
13this sin will become for you
like a high wall,† cracked and bulging,
that collapses† suddenly,† in an instant.
14It will break in pieces like pottery,†
shattered so mercilessly
that among its pieces not a fragment will be found
for taking coals from a hearth
or scooping water out of a cistern.”
15This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust† is your strength,
but you would have none of it.
16You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’†
Therefore you will flee!
You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’
Therefore your pursuers will be swift!
17A thousand will flee
at the threat of one;
at the threat of five†
you will all flee† away,
till you are left
like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
like a banner on a hill.”
18Yet the LORD longs† to be gracious to you;
he rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.†
Blessed are all who wait for him!†
19O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.† How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer† you. 20Although the Lord gives you the bread† of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden† no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice† behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” 22Then you will defile your idols† overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, “Away with you!”
23He will also send you rain† for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows.† 24The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat fodder and mash, spread out with fork† and shovel. 25In the day of great slaughter, when the towers† fall, streams of water will flow† on every high mountain and every lofty hill. 26The moon will shine like the sun,† and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the LORD binds up the bruises of his people and heals† the wounds he inflicted.
27See, the Name† of the LORD comes from afar,
with burning anger† and dense clouds of smoke;
his lips are full of wrath,†
and his tongue is a consuming fire.
28His breath† is like a rushing torrent,
rising up to the neck.†
He shakes the nations in the sieve† of destruction;
he places in the jaws of the peoples
a bit† that leads them astray.
29And you will sing
as on the night you celebrate a holy festival;
your hearts will rejoice
as when people go up with flutes
to the mountain† of the LORD,
to the Rock of Israel.
30The LORD will cause men to hear his majestic voice
and will make them see his arm coming down
with raging anger and consuming fire,
with cloudburst, thunderstorm and hail.
31The voice of the LORD will shatter Assyria;†
with his scepter he will strike† them down.
32Every stroke the LORD lays on them
with his punishing rod
will be to the music of tambourines and harps,
as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.†
33Topheth† has long been prepared;
it has been made ready for the king.
Its fire pit has been made deep and wide,
with an abundance of fire and wood;
the breath of the LORD,
like a stream of burning sulfur,†
sets it ablaze.
Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt
1Woe to those who go down to Egypt† for help,
who rely on horses,
who trust in the multitude of their chariots†
and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
or seek help from the LORD.†
2Yet he too is wise† and can bring disaster;†
he does not take back his words.†
He will rise up against the house of the wicked,†
against those who help evildoers.
3But the Egyptians† are men and not God;†
their horses are flesh and not spirit.
When the LORD stretches out his hand,†
he who helps will stumble,
he who is helped† will fall;
both will perish together.
4This is what the LORD says to me:
“As a lion† growls,
a great lion over his prey—
and though a whole band of shepherds
is called together against him,
he is not frightened by their shouts
or disturbed by their clamor—
so the LORD Almighty will come down†
to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.
5Like birds hovering overhead,
the LORD Almighty will shield† Jerusalem;
he will shield it and deliver† it,
he will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it.”
6Return to him you have so greatly revolted against, O Israelites. 7For in that day every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold† your sinful hands have made.
8“Assyria† will fall by a sword that is not of man;
a sword, not of mortals, will devour† them.
They will flee before the sword
and their young men will be put to forced labor.†
9Their stronghold† will fall because of terror;
at sight of the battle standard their commanders will panic,”
declares the LORD,
whose fire† is in Zion,
whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
The Kingdom of Righteousness
1See, a king† will reign in righteousness
and rulers will rule with justice.†
2Each man will be like a shelter† from the wind
and a refuge from the storm,
like streams of water in the desert
and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
3Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,†
and the ears of those who hear will listen.
4The mind of the rash will know and understand,†
and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.
5No longer will the fool† be called noble
nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
6For the fool speaks folly,†
his mind is busy with evil:
He practices ungodliness†
and spreads error† concerning the LORD;
the hungry he leaves empty†
and from the thirsty he withholds water.
7The scoundrel’s methods are wicked,†
he makes up evil schemes†
to destroy the poor with lies,
even when the plea of the needy† is just.
8But the noble man makes noble plans,
and by noble deeds† he stands.
The Women of Jerusalem
9You women who are so complacent,
rise up and listen† to me;
you daughters who feel secure,†
hear what I have to say!
10In little more than a year
you who feel secure will tremble;
the grape harvest will fail,†
and the harvest of fruit will not come.
11Tremble, you complacent women;
shudder, you daughters who feel secure!
Strip off your clothes,†
put sackcloth around your waists.
12Beat your breasts† for the pleasant fields,
for the fruitful vines
13and for the land of my people,
a land overgrown with thorns and briers†—
yes, mourn for all houses of merriment
and for this city of revelry.†
14The fortress† will be abandoned,
the noisy city deserted;†
citadel and watchtower† will become a wasteland forever,
the delight of donkeys,† a pasture for flocks,
15till the Spirit† is poured upon us from on high,
and the desert becomes a fertile field,†
and the fertile field seems like a forest.†
16Justice will dwell in the desert
and righteousness live in the fertile field.
17The fruit of righteousness will be peace;†
the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence† forever.
18My people will live in peaceful dwelling places,
in secure homes,
in undisturbed places of rest.†
19Though hail† flattens the forest†
and the city is leveled† completely,
20how blessed you will be,
sowing† your seed by every stream,
and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.†
Distress and Help
1Woe to you, O destroyer,
you who have not been destroyed!
Woe to you, O traitor,
you who have not been betrayed!
When you stop destroying,
you will be destroyed;†
when you stop betraying,
you will be betrayed.†
2O LORD, be gracious to us;
we long for you.
Be our strength† every morning,
our salvation† in time of distress.
3At the thunder of your voice, the peoples flee;
when you rise up,† the nations scatter.
4Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts;
like a swarm of locusts men pounce on it.
5The LORD is exalted,† for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with justice† and righteousness.†
6He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation† and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear† of the LORD is the key to this treasure.[76]
7Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets;
the envoys† of peace weep bitterly.
8The highways are deserted,
no travelers are on the roads.†
The treaty is broken,
its witnesses[77] are despised,
no one is respected.
9The land mourns[78] † and wastes away,
Lebanon† is ashamed and withers;†
Sharon is like the Arabah,
and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.
10“Now will I arise,†” says the LORD.
“Now will I be exalted;
now will I be lifted up.
11You conceive† chaff,
you give birth† to straw;
your breath is a fire† that consumes you.
12The peoples will be burned as if to lime;
like cut thornbushes they will be set ablaze.†”
13You who are far away,† hear† what I have done;
you who are near, acknowledge my power!
14The sinners in Zion are terrified;
trembling† grips the godless:
“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?†
Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”
15He who walks righteously†
and speaks what is right,†
who rejects gain from extortion
and keeps his hand from accepting bribes,
who stops his ears against plots of murder
and shuts his eyes† against contemplating evil—
16this is the man who will dwell on the heights,
whose refuge† will be the mountain fortress.†
His bread will be supplied,
and water will not fail† him.
17Your eyes will see the king† in his beauty
and view a land that stretches afar.†
18In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:†
“Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
Where is the officer in charge of the towers?”
19You will see those arrogant people no more,
those people of an obscure speech,
with their strange, incomprehensible tongue.†
20Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals;
your eyes will see Jerusalem,
a peaceful abode,† a tent that will not be moved;†
its stakes will never be pulled up,
nor any of its ropes broken.
21There the LORD will be our Mighty One.
It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.†
No galley with oars will ride them,
no mighty ship will sail them.
22For the LORD is our judge,†
the LORD is our lawgiver,†
the LORD is our king;†
it is he who will save† us.
23Your 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† will carry off plunder.†
24No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”;†
and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.†