Isaiah 34

Judgment Against the Nations

1Come near, you nations, and listen;




pay attention, you peoples!†

Let the earth† hear, and all that is in it,

the world, and all that comes out of it!†

2The LORD is angry with all nations;

his wrath is upon all their armies.

He will totally destroy[79] † them,

he will give them over to slaughter.†

3Their slain will be thrown out,

their dead bodies will send up a stench;†

the mountains will be soaked with their blood.†

4All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved†

and the sky rolled up† like a scroll;

all the starry host will fall†

like withered leaves from the vine,

like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

5My sword† has drunk its fill in the heavens;

see, it descends in judgment on Edom,†

the people I have totally destroyed.†

6The sword 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 in Bozrah

and a great slaughter in Edom.

7And the wild oxen will fall with them,

the bull calves and the great bulls.†

Their land will be drenched with blood,

and the dust will be soaked with fat.

8For the LORD has a day of vengeance,†

a year of retribution, to uphold Zion’s cause.

9Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch,

her dust into burning sulfur;

her land will become blazing pitch!

10It will not be quenched night and day;

its smoke will rise forever.†

From generation to generation it will lie desolate;†

no one will ever pass through it again.

11The desert owl[80] † and screech owl[81] will possess it;

the great owl[82] and the raven will nest there.

God will stretch out over Edom

the measuring line of chaos

and the plumb line† of desolation.

12Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom,

all her princes† will vanish† away.

13Thorns will overrun her citadels,

nettles and brambles her strongholds.†

She will become a haunt for jackals,†

a home for owls.

14Desert creatures will meet with hyenas,†

and wild goats will bleat to each other;

there the night creatures will also repose

and find for themselves places of rest.

15The owl will nest there and lay eggs,

she will hatch them, and care for her young under the shadow of her wings;

there also the falcons† will gather,

each with its mate.

16Look in the scroll† of the LORD and read:

None of these will be missing,

not one will lack her mate.

For it is his mouth† that has given the order,

and his Spirit will gather them together.

17He allots their portions;†

his hand distributes them by measure.

They will possess it forever

and dwell there from generation to generation.†


Isaiah 35

Joy of the Redeemed

1The desert† and the parched land will be glad;

the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.†

Like the crocus, 2it will burst into bloom;

it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.†

The glory of Lebanon† will be given to it,

the splendor of Carmel† and Sharon;

they will see the glory of the LORD,

the splendor of our God.†

3Strengthen the feeble hands,

steady the knees† that give way;

4say to those with fearful hearts,

“Be strong, do not fear;

your God will come,

he will come with vengeance;†

with divine retribution

he will come to save you.”

5Then will the eyes of the blind be opened†

and the ears of the deaf† unstopped.

6Then will the lame† leap like a deer,

and the mute tongue† shout for joy.

Water will gush forth in the wilderness

and streams† in the desert.

7The burning sand will become a pool,

the thirsty ground bubbling springs.†

In the haunts where jackals† once lay,

grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

8And a highway† will be there;

it will be called the Way of Holiness.†

The unclean† will not journey on it;

it will be for those who walk in that Way;

wicked fools will not go about on it.[83]

9No lion† will be there,

nor will any ferocious beast† get up on it;

they will not be found there.

But only the redeemed† will walk there,

10and the ransomed of the LORD will return.

They will enter Zion with singing;

everlasting joy† will crown their heads.

Gladness and joy will overtake them,

and sorrow and sighing will flee away.†


Isaiah 36

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem

1In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib† king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. 2Then the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. When the commander stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field,† 3Eliakim† son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna† the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to him.




4The 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? 5You say you have strategy and military strength—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel† against me? 6Look now, you are depending on Egypt,† that splintered reed† of a staff, which pierces a man’s hand and wounds him if he leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. 7And if you say to me, “We are depending on the LORD our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed,† saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar”?†

8“ ‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! 9How then can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt† for chariots and horsemen?† 10Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this land without the LORD? The LORD himself told† me to march against this country and destroy it.’ ”

11Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,† since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

12But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the men sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own filth and drink their own urine?”

13Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew,† “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! 14This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you! 15Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’†

16“Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and fig tree† and drink water from his own cistern,† 17until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

18“Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 19Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? 20Who of all the gods† of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”

21But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”†

22Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said.


Isaiah 37

Jerusalem’s Deliverance Foretold

1When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD. 2He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.† 3They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth† and there is no strength to deliver them. 4It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard.† Therefore pray for the remnant† that still survives.”

5When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, 6Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid† of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. 7Listen! I am going to put a spirit in him so that when he hears a certain report,† he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.’ ”

8When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.†

9Now Sennacherib received a report† that Tirhakah, the Cushite[84] king [of Egypt], was marching out to fight against him. When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: 10“Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.’† 11Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered?† 12Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my forefathers† deliver them—the gods of Gozan, Haran,† Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? 13Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, or of Hena or Ivvah?”

Hezekiah’s Prayer

14Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. 15And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: 16“O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God† over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17Give ear, O LORD, and hear;† open your eyes, O LORD, and see;† listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God.

18“It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands.† 19They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them,† for they were not gods† but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 20Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.[85] †”

Sennacherib’s Fall

21Then Isaiah son of Amoz† sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22this is the word the LORD has spoken against him:

“The Virgin Daughter of Zion

despises and mocks you.

The Daughter of Jerusalem

tosses her head† as you flee.

23Who is it you have insulted and blasphemed?†

Against whom have you raised your voice

and lifted your eyes in pride?†

Against the Holy One of Israel!

24By your messengers

you have heaped insults on the Lord.

And you have said,

‘With my many chariots

I have ascended the heights of the mountains,

the utmost heights of Lebanon.†

I have cut down its tallest cedars,

the choicest of its pines.

I have reached its remotest heights,

the finest of its forests.

25I have dug wells in foreign lands[86]

and drunk the water there.

With the soles of my feet

I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.†’

26“Have you not heard?

Long ago I ordained† it.

In days of old I planned† it;

now I have brought it to pass,

that you have turned fortified cities

into piles of stone.†

27Their people, drained of power,

are dismayed and put to shame.

They are like plants in the field,

like tender green shoots,

like grass sprouting on the roof,†

scorched[87] before it grows up.

28“But I know where you stay

and when you come and go†

and how you rage† against me.

29Because you rage against me

and because your insolence† has reached my ears,

I will put my hook in your nose†

and my bit in your mouth,

and I will make you return

by the way you came.†

30“This will be the sign for you, O Hezekiah:

“This year you will eat what grows by itself,

and the second year what springs from that.

But in the third year sow and reap,

plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

31Once more a remnant of the house of Judah

will take root below and bear fruit† above.

32For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant,

and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.

The zeal† of the LORD Almighty

will accomplish this.

33“Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria:

“He will not enter this city

or shoot an arrow here.

He will not come before it with shield

or build a siege ramp against it.

34By the way that he came he will return;†

he will not enter this city,”

declares the LORD.

35“I will defend† this city and save it,

for my sake† and for the sake of David† my servant!”

36Then the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian† camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! 37So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh† and stayed there.

38One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer cut him down with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat.† And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king.





Isaiah 38

Hezekiah’s Illness

1In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz† went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order,† because you are going to die; you will not recover.”




2Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3“Remember, O LORD, how I have walked† before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion† and have done what is good in your eyes.†” And Hezekiah wept† bitterly.

4Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 5“Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years† to your life. 6And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend† this city.

7“ ‘This is the LORD’s sign† to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: 8I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’ ” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.†

9A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

10I said, “In the prime of my life†

must I go through the gates of death[88] †

and be robbed of the rest of my years?†”

11I said, “I will not again see the LORD,

the LORD, in the land of the living;†

no longer will I look on mankind,

or be with those who now dwell in this world.[89]

12Like a shepherd’s tent† my house

has been pulled down† and taken from me.

Like a weaver I have rolled† up my life,

and he has cut me off from the loom;†

day and night† you made an end of me.

13I waited patiently till dawn,

but like a lion he broke† all my bones;†

day and night you made an end of me.

14I cried like a swift or thrush,

I moaned like a mourning dove.†

My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens.

I am troubled; O Lord, come to my aid!Ӡ

15But what can I say?

He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.†

I will walk humbly† all my years

because of this anguish of my soul.†

16Lord, by such things men live;

and my spirit finds life in them too.

You restored me to health

and let me live.†

17Surely it was for my benefit

that I suffered such anguish.

In your love you kept me

from the pit† of destruction;

you have put all my sins†

behind your back.†

18For the grave[90] † cannot praise you,

death cannot sing your praise;†

those who go down to the pit†

cannot hope for your faithfulness.

19The living, the living—they praise† you,

as I am doing today;

fathers tell their children†

about your faithfulness.

20The LORD will save me,

and we will sing† with stringed instruments†

all the days of our lives†

in the temple† of the LORD.

21Isaiah had said, “Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”

22Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign that I will go up to the temple of the LORD?”


Isaiah 39

Envoys From Babylon

1At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon† sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. 2Hezekiah received the envoys† gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold,† the spices, the fine oil, his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.




3Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?”

“From a distant land,†” Hezekiah replied. “They came to me from Babylon.”

4The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”

“They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”

5Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD Almighty: 6The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon.† Nothing will be left, says the LORD. 7And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.†”

8“The word of the LORD you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.†”


Isaiah 40

Comfort for God’s People

1Comfort, comfort† my people,

says your God.

2Speak tenderly† to Jerusalem,

and proclaim to her

that her hard service has been completed,†

that her sin has been paid for,

that she has received from the LORD’s hand

double† for all her sins.

3A voice of one calling:

“In the desert prepare

the way† for the LORD[91];

make straight in the wilderness

a highway for our God.[92] †

4Every valley shall be raised up,

every mountain and hill made low;

the rough ground shall become level,†

the rugged places a plain.

5And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,

and all mankind together will see it.†

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.Ӡ

6A voice says, “Cry out.”

And I said, “What shall I cry?”

“All men are like grass,†

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.

7The grass withers and the flowers fall,

because the breath† of the LORD blows on them.

Surely the people are grass.

8The grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word† of our God stands forever.†”

9You who bring good tidings† to Zion,

go up on a high mountain.

You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,[93]

lift up your voice with a shout,

lift it up, do not be afraid;

say to the towns of Judah,

“Here is your God!”†

10See, the Sovereign LORD comes† with power,

and his arm† rules† for him.

See, his reward† is with him,

and his recompense accompanies him.

11He tends his flock like a shepherd:†

He gathers the lambs in his arms

and carries them close to his heart;

he gently leads those that have young.

12Who has measured the waters† in the hollow of his hand,†

or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?†

Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,

or weighed the mountains on the scales

and the hills in a balance?

13Who has understood the mind[94] of the LORD,

or instructed him as his counselor?†

14Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him,

and who taught him the right way?

Who was it that taught him knowledge†

or showed him the path of understanding?

15Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;

they are regarded as dust on the scales;

he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.

16Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,

nor its animals† enough for burnt offerings.

17Before him all the nations† are as nothing;†

they are regarded by him as worthless

and less than nothing.†

18To whom, then, will you compare God?†

What image† will you compare him to?

19As for an idol,† a craftsman casts it,

and a goldsmith† overlays it with gold†

and fashions silver chains for it.

20A man too poor to present such an offering

selects wood that will not rot.

He looks for a skilled craftsman

to set up an idol that will not topple.†

21Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

Has it not been told† you from the beginning?

Have you not understood† since the earth was founded?†

22He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,

and its people are like grasshoppers.†

He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,†

and spreads them out like a tent† to live in.

23He brings princes† to naught

and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.†

24No sooner are they planted,

no sooner are they sown,

no sooner do they take root in the ground,

than he blows† on them and they wither,

and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

25“To whom will you compare me?†

Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.

26Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:†

Who created† all these?

He who brings out the starry host† one by one,

and calls them each by name.

Because of his great power and mighty strength,

not one of them is missing.†

27Why do you say, O Jacob,

and complain, O Israel,

“My way is hidden from the LORD;

my cause is disregarded by my God”?†

28Do you not know?

Have you not heard?†

The LORD is the everlasting† God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.†

29He gives strength to the weary†

and increases the power of the weak.

30Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men† stumble and fall;

31but those who hope† in the LORD

will renew their strength.†

They will soar on wings like eagles;†

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.†


Isaiah 41

The Helper of Israel

1“Be silent† before me, you islands!†

Let the nations renew their strength!

Let them come forward† and speak;

let us meet together† at the place of judgment.

2“Who has stirred† up one from the east,†

calling him in righteousness to his service[95]?

He hands nations over to him

and subdues kings before him.

He turns them to dust† with his sword,

to windblown chaff† with his bow.

3He pursues them and moves on unscathed,

by a path his feet have not traveled before.

4Who has done this and carried it through,

calling forth the generations from the beginning?†

I, the LORD—with the first of them

and with the last†—I am he.”

5The islands† have seen it and fear;

the ends of the earth tremble.

They approach and come forward;

6each helps the other

and says to his brother, “Be strong!”

7The craftsman encourages the goldsmith,†

and he who smooths with the hammer

spurs on him who strikes the anvil.

He says of the welding, “It is good.”

He nails down the idol so it will not topple.

8“But you, O Israel, my servant,

Jacob, whom I have chosen,

you descendants of Abraham† my friend,†

9I took you from the ends of the earth,†

from its farthest corners I called you.

I said, ‘You are my servant’;

I have chosen† you and have not rejected you.

10So do not fear, for I am with you;†

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help† you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

11“All who rage† against you

will surely be ashamed and disgraced;†

those who oppose† you

will be as nothing and perish.†

12Though you search for your enemies,

you will not find them.†

Those who wage war against you

will be as nothing† at all.

13For I am the LORD, your God,

who takes hold of your right hand†

and says to you, Do not fear;

I will help† you.

14Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob,

O little Israel,

for I myself will help you,” declares the LORD,

your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

15“See, I will make you into a threshing sledge,†

new and sharp, with many teeth.

You will thresh the mountains and crush them,

and reduce the hills to chaff.

16You will winnow† them, the wind will pick them up,

and a gale will blow them away.

But you will rejoice in the LORD

and glory† in the Holy One of Israel.

17“The poor and needy search for water,†

but there is none;

their tongues are parched with thirst.

But I the LORD will answer† them;

I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

18I will make rivers flow† on barren heights,

and springs within the valleys.

I will turn the desert† into pools of water,

and the parched ground into springs.†

19I will put in the desert

the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive.

I will set pines in the wasteland,

the fir and the cypress together,†

20so that people may see and know,

may consider and understand,

that the hand of the LORD has done this,

that the Holy One of Israel has created† it.

21“Present your case,” says the LORD.

“Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.†

22“Bring in [ your idols] to tell us

what is going to happen.†

Tell us what the former things were,

so that we may consider them

and know their final outcome.

Or declare to us the things to come,†

23tell us what the future holds,

so we may know† that you are gods.

Do something, whether good or bad,†

so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear.

24But you are less than nothing†

and your works are utterly worthless;

he who chooses you is detestable.†

25“I have stirred up one from the north,† and he comes—

one from the rising sun who calls on my name.

He treads† on rulers as if they were mortar,

as if he were a potter treading the clay.

26Who told of this from the beginning, so we could know,

or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’?

No one told of this,

no one foretold it,

no one heard any words† from you.

27I was the first to tell† Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’

I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good tidings.†

28I look but there is no one†—

no one among them to give counsel,†

no one to give answer when I ask them.

29See, they are all false!

Their deeds amount to nothing;†

their images are but wind† and confusion.


Isaiah 42

The Servant of the LORD

1“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen one† in whom I delight;

I will put my Spirit† on him

and he will bring justice to the nations.

2He will not shout or cry out,

or raise his voice in the streets.

3A bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;†

4he will not falter or be discouraged

till he establishes justice on earth.

In his law the islands will put their hope.Ӡ

5This is what God the LORD says—

he who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it,†

who gives breath† to its people,

and life to those who walk on it:

6“I, the LORD, have called† you in righteousness;†

I will take hold of your hand.

I will keep† you and will make you

to be a covenant† for the people

and a light for the Gentiles,†

7to open eyes that are blind,†

to free† captives from prison†

and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

8“I am the LORD; that is my name!†

I will not give my glory to another†

or my praise to idols.

9See, the former things have taken place,

and new things I declare;

before they spring into being

I announce them to you.”

Song of Praise to the LORD

10Sing to the LORD a new song,†

his praise from the ends of the earth,†

you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,†

you islands, and all who live in them.

11Let the desert† and its towns raise their voices;

let the settlements where Kedar† lives rejoice.

Let the people of Sela sing for joy;

let them shout from the mountaintops.†

12Let them give glory† to the LORD

and proclaim his praise in the islands.

13The LORD will march out like a mighty† man,

like a warrior he will stir up his zeal;†

with a shout† he will raise the battle cry

and will triumph over his enemies.†

14“For a long time I have kept silent,

I have been quiet and held myself back.

But now, like a woman in childbirth,

I cry out, I gasp and pant.

15I will lay waste† the mountains and hills

and dry up all their vegetation;

I will turn rivers into islands

and dry up† the pools.

16I will lead† the blind† by ways they have not known,

along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;

I will turn the darkness into light before them

and make the rough places smooth.†

These are the things I will do;

I will not forsake† them.

17But those who trust in idols,

who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’

will be turned back in utter shame.†

Israel Blind and Deaf

18“Hear, you deaf;†

look, you blind, and see!

19Who is blind† but my servant,†

and deaf like the messenger† I send?

Who is blind like the one committed† to me,

blind like the servant of the LORD?

20You have seen many things, but have paid no attention;

your ears are open, but you hear nothing.Ӡ

21It pleased the LORD

for the sake of his righteousness

to make his law† great and glorious.

22But this is a people plundered and looted,

all of them trapped in pits†

or hidden away in prisons.†

They have become plunder,

with no one to rescue them;

they have been made loot,

with no one to say, “Send them back.”

23Which of you will listen to this

or pay close attention† in time to come?

24Who handed Jacob over to become loot,

and Israel to the plunderers?

Was it not the LORD,

against whom we have sinned?

For they would not follow† his ways;

they did not obey his law.

25So he poured out on them his burning anger,

the violence of war.

It enveloped them in flames,† yet they did not understand;

it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.†


Isaiah 43

Israel’s Only Savior

1But now, this is what the LORD says—

he who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed† you, O Israel:†

“Fear not, for I have redeemed† you;

I have summoned you by name;† you are mine.

2When you pass through the waters,†

I will be with you;†

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,†

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.†

3For I am the LORD, your God,†

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

I give Egypt for your ransom,

Cush[96] † and Seba in your stead.†

4Since you are precious and honored in my sight,

and because I love† you,

I will give men in exchange for you,

and people in exchange for your life.

5Do not be afraid,† for I am with you;†

I will bring your children† from the east

and gather you from the west.

6I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’

and to the south,† ‘Do not hold them back.’

Bring my sons from afar

and my daughters† from the ends of the earth—

7everyone who is called by my name,†

whom I created for my glory,

whom I formed and made.†”

8Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,†

who have ears but are deaf.†

9All the nations gather together†

and the peoples assemble.

Which of them foretold† this

and proclaimed to us the former things?

Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,

so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”

10“You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD,

“and my servant† whom I have chosen,

so that you may know and believe me

and understand that I am he.

Before me no god† was formed,

nor will there be one after me.

11I, even I, am the LORD,

and apart from me there is no savior.†

12I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—

I, and not some foreign god† among you.

You are my witnesses,†” declares the LORD, “that I am God.

13Yes, and from ancient days† I am he.

No one can deliver out of my hand.

When I act, who can reverse it?Ӡ

God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness

14This is what the LORD says—

your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

“For your sake I will send to Babylon

and bring down as fugitives† all the Babylonians,[97] †

in the ships in which they took pride.

15I am the LORD, your Holy One,

Israel’s Creator, your King.”

16This is what the LORD says—

he who made a way through the sea,

a path through the mighty waters,†

17who drew out† the chariots and horses,

the army and reinforcements together,†

and they lay there, never to rise again,

extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

18“Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

19See, I am doing a new thing!†

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the desert†

and streams in the wasteland.

20The wild animals honor me,

the jackals† and the owls,

because I provide water† in the desert

and streams in the wasteland,

to give drink to my people, my chosen,

21the people I formed for myself

that they may proclaim my praise.†

22“Yet you have not called upon me, O Jacob,

you have not wearied yourselves for me, O Israel.†

23You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,

nor honored† me with your sacrifices.†

I have not burdened you with grain offerings

nor wearied you with demands† for incense.†

24You have not bought any fragrant calamus† for me,

or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices.

But you have burdened me with your sins

and wearied† me with your offenses.†

25“I, even I, am he who blots out

your transgressions,† for my own sake,†

and remembers your sins no more.†

26Review the past for me,

let us argue the matter together;†

state the case† for your innocence.

27Your first father sinned;

your spokesmen† rebelled against me.

28So I will disgrace the dignitaries of your temple,

and I will consign Jacob to destruction[98]

and Israel to scorn.†


Isaiah 44

Israel the Chosen

1“But now listen, O Jacob, my servant,†




Israel, whom I have chosen.

2This is what the LORD says—

he who made you, who formed you in the womb,

and who will help† you:

Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant,

Jeshurun,† whom I have chosen.

3For I will pour water† on the thirsty land,

and streams on the dry ground;

I will pour out my Spirit† on your offspring,

and my blessing on your descendants.†

4They will spring up like grass in a meadow,

like poplar trees† by flowing streams.†

5One will say, ‘I belong to the LORD’;

another will call himself by the name of Jacob;

still another will write on his hand,† ‘The LORD’s,’†

and will take the name Israel.

The LORD, Not Idols

6“This is what the LORD says—

Israel’s King† and Redeemer,† the LORD Almighty:

I am the first and I am the last;†

apart from me there is no God.

7Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it.

Let him declare and lay out before me

what has happened since I established my ancient people,

and what is yet to come—

yes, let him foretell† what will come.

8Do not tremble, do not be afraid.

Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?

You are my witnesses. Is there any God† besides me?

No, there is no other Rock;† I know not one.”

9All who make idols are nothing,

and the things they treasure are worthless.†

Those who would speak up for them are blind;

they are ignorant, to their own shame.

10Who shapes a god and casts an idol,

which can profit him nothing?†

11He and his kind will be put to shame;†

craftsmen are nothing but men.

Let them all come together and take their stand;

they will be brought down to terror and infamy.†

12The blacksmith† takes a tool

and works with it in the coals;

he shapes an idol with hammers,

he forges it with the might of his arm.†

He gets hungry and loses his strength;

he drinks no water and grows faint.

13The carpenter† measures with a line

and makes an outline with a marker;

he roughs it out with chisels

and marks it with compasses.

He shapes it in the form of man,†

of man in all his glory,

that it may dwell in a shrine.†

14He cut down cedars,

or perhaps took a cypress or oak.

He let it grow among the trees of the forest,

or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.

15It is man’s fuel† for burning;

some of it he takes and warms himself,

he kindles a fire and bakes bread.

But he also fashions a god and worships it;

he makes an idol and bows† down to it.

16Half of the wood he burns in the fire;

over it he prepares his meal,

he roasts his meat and eats his fill.

He also warms himself and says,

“Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”

17From the rest he makes a god, his idol;

he bows down to it and worships.

He prays† to it and says,

“Save† me; you are my god.”

18They know nothing, they understand† nothing;

their eyes† are plastered over so they cannot see,

and their minds closed so they cannot understand.

19No one stops to think,

no one has the knowledge or understanding† to say,

“Half of it I used for fuel;

I even baked bread over its coals,

I roasted meat and I ate.

Shall I make a detestable† thing from what is left?

Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”

20He feeds on ashes,† a deluded† heart misleads him;

he cannot save himself, or say,

“Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?†”

21“Remember† these things, O Jacob,

for you are my servant, O Israel.

I have made you, you are my servant;†

O Israel, I will not forget you.†

22I have swept away† your offenses like a cloud,

your sins like the morning mist.

Return† to me,

for I have redeemed† you.”

23Sing for joy,† O heavens, for the LORD has done this;

shout aloud, O earth† beneath.

Burst into song, you mountains,†

you forests and all your trees,

for the LORD has redeemed Jacob,

he displays his glory† in Israel.

Jerusalem to Be Inhabited

24“This is what the LORD says—

your Redeemer,† who formed you in the womb:

I am the LORD,

who has made all things,

who alone stretched out the heavens,†

who spread out the earth by myself,

25who foils† the signs of false prophets

and makes fools of diviners,†

who overthrows the learning of the wise†

and turns it into nonsense,†

26who carries out the words† of his servants

and fulfills† the predictions of his messengers,

who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’

of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be built,’

and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them,’†

27who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,

and I will dry up your streams,’

28who says of Cyrus,† ‘He is my shepherd

and will accomplish all that I please;

he will say of Jerusalem,† “Let it be rebuilt,”

and of the temple,† “Let its foundations be laid.” ’


Isaiah 45

1“This is what the LORD says to his anointed,




to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold† of

to subdue nations† before him

and to strip kings of their armor,

to open doors before him

so that gates will not be shut:

2I will go before you

and will level† the mountains[99];

I will break down gates of bronze

and cut through bars of iron.†

3I will give you the treasures† of darkness,

riches stored in secret places,†

so that you may know† that I am the LORD,

the God of Israel, who summons you by name.†

4For the sake of Jacob my servant,†

of Israel my chosen,

I summon you by name

and bestow on you a title of honor,

though you do not acknowledge† me.

5I am the LORD, and there is no other;†

apart from me there is no God.†

I will strengthen you,†

though you have not acknowledged me,

6so that from the rising of the sun

to the place of its setting†

men may know there is none besides me.†

I am the LORD, and there is no other.

7I form the light and create darkness,

I bring prosperity and create disaster;†

I, the LORD, do all these things.

8“You heavens above, rain† down righteousness;†

let the clouds shower it down.

Let the earth open wide,

let salvation† spring up,

let righteousness grow with it;

I, the LORD, have created it.

9“Woe to him who quarrels† with his Maker,

to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground.

Does the clay say to the potter,†

‘What are you making?’

Does your work say,

‘He has no hands’?

10Woe to him who says to his father,

‘What have you begotten?’

or to his mother,

‘What have you brought to birth?’

11“This is what the LORD says—

the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:

Concerning things to come,

do you question me about my children,

or give me orders about the work of my hands?†

12It is I who made the earth

and created mankind upon it.

My own hands stretched out the heavens;†

I marshaled their starry hosts.†

13I will raise up Cyrus[100] † in my righteousness:

I will make all his ways straight.

He will rebuild my city

and set my exiles free,

but not for a price or reward,†

says the LORD Almighty.”

14This is what the LORD says:

“The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,[101]

and those tall Sabeans—

they will come over to you

and will be yours;

they will trudge behind you,

coming over to you in chains.†

They will bow down before you

and plead† with you, saying,

‘Surely God is with you,† and there is no other;

there is no other god.’ ”

15Truly you are a God who hides† himself,

O God and Savior of Israel.

16All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced;†

they will go off into disgrace together.

17But Israel will be saved† by the LORD

with an everlasting salvation;†

you will never be put to shame or disgraced,

to ages everlasting.

18For this is what the LORD says—

he who created the heavens,

he is God;

he who fashioned and made the earth,

he founded it;

he did not create it to be empty,†

but formed it to be inhabited†—

he says:

“I am the LORD,

and there is no other.†

19I have not spoken in secret,†

from somewhere in a land of darkness;

I have not said to Jacob’s descendants,†

‘Seek me in vain.’

I, the LORD, speak the truth;

I declare what is right.†

20“Gather together† and come;

assemble, you fugitives from the nations.

Ignorant† are those who carry† about idols of wood,

who pray to gods that cannot save.†

21Declare what is to be, present it—

let them take counsel together.

Who foretold† this long ago,

who declared it from the distant past?

Was it not I, the LORD?

And there is no God apart from me,†

a righteous God and a Savior;

there is none but me.

22“Turn† to me and be saved,†

all you ends of the earth;†

for I am God, and there is no other.

23By myself I have sworn,†

my mouth has uttered in all integrity†

a word that will not be revoked:†

Before me every knee will bow;

by me every tongue will swear.†

24They will say of me, ‘In the LORD alone

are righteousness† and strength.’ ”

All who have raged against him

will come to him and be put to shame.†

25But in the LORD all the descendants of Israel

will be found righteous and will exult.†


Isaiah 46

Gods of Babylon

1Bel† bows down, Nebo stoops low;

their idols are borne by beasts of burden.[102]

The images that are carried† about are burdensome,

a burden for the weary.

2They stoop and bow down together;

unable to rescue the burden,

they themselves go off into captivity.†

3“Listen† to me, O house of Jacob,

all you who remain of the house of Israel,

you whom I have upheld since you were conceived,

and have carried since your birth.

4Even to your old age and gray hairs†

I am he,† I am he who will sustain you.

I have made you and I will carry you;

I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

5“To whom will you compare me or count me equal?

To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?†

6Some pour out gold from their bags

and weigh out silver on the scales;

they hire a goldsmith† to make it into a god,

and they bow down and worship it.†

7They lift it to their shoulders and carry† it;

they set it up in its place, and there it stands.

From that spot it cannot move.

Though one cries out to it, it does not answer;

it cannot save† him from his troubles.

8“Remember† this, fix it in mind,

take it to heart, you rebels.

9Remember the former things, those of long ago;†

I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like me.†

10I make known the end from the beginning,

from ancient times,† what is still to come.

I say: My purpose will stand,†

and I will do all that I please.

11From the east I summon a bird of prey;

from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.

What I have said, that will I bring about;

what I have planned, that will I do.

12Listen† to me, you stubborn-hearted,

you who are far from righteousness.†

13I am bringing my righteousness near,

it is not far away;

and my salvation will not be delayed.

I will grant salvation to Zion,

my splendor† to Israel.


Isaiah 47

The Fall of Babylon

1“Go down, sit in the dust,

Virgin Daughter† of Babylon;

sit on the ground without a throne,

Daughter of the Babylonians.[103] †

No more will you be called

tender or delicate.†

2Take millstones† and grind† flour;

take off your veil.†

Lift up your skirts,† bare your legs,

and wade through the streams.

3Your nakedness† will be exposed

and your shame† uncovered.

I will take vengeance;†

I will spare no one.”

4Our Redeemer—the LORD Almighty is his name†—

is the Holy One of Israel.

5“Sit in silence, go into darkness,†

Daughter of the Babylonians;

no more will you be called

queen of kingdoms.†

6I was angry† with my people

and desecrated my inheritance;

I gave them into your hand,†

and you showed them no mercy.

Even on the aged

you laid a very heavy yoke.

7You said, ‘I will continue forever—

the eternal queen!’†

But you did not consider these things

or reflect† on what might happen.†

8“Now then, listen, you wanton creature,

lounging in your security†

and saying to yourself,

‘I am, and there is none besides me.†

I will never be a widow†

or suffer the loss of children.’

9Both of these will overtake you

in a moment,† on a single day:

loss of children† and widowhood.

They will come upon you in full measure,

in spite of your many sorceries†

and all your potent spells.†

10You have trusted† in your wickedness

and have said, ‘No one sees me.’†

Your wisdom† and knowledge mislead† you

when you say to yourself,

‘I am, and there is none besides me.’

11Disaster will come upon you,

and you will not know how to conjure it away.

A calamity will fall upon you

that you cannot ward off with a ransom;

a catastrophe you cannot foresee

will suddenly† come upon you.

12“Keep on, then, with your magic spells

and with your many sorceries,†

which you have labored at since childhood.

Perhaps you will succeed,

perhaps you will cause terror.

13All the counsel you have received has only worn you out!†

Let your astrologers† come forward,

those stargazers who make predictions month by month,

let them save† you from what is coming upon you.

14Surely they are like stubble;†

the fire will burn them up.

They cannot even save themselves

from the power of the flame.†

Here are no coals to warm anyone;

here is no fire to sit by.

15That is all they can do for you—

these you have labored with

and trafficked† with since childhood.

Each of them goes on in his error;

there is not one that can save you.


Isaiah 48

Stubborn Israel

1“Listen to this, O house of Jacob,

you who are called by the name of Israel

and come from the line of Judah,

you who take oaths in the name of the LORD

and invoke† the God of Israel—

but not in truth† or righteousness—

2you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city†

and rely† on the God of Israel—

the LORD Almighty is his name:

3I foretold the former things† long ago,

my mouth announced† them and I made them known;

then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

4For I knew how stubborn† you were;

the sinews of your neck† were iron,

your forehead† was bronze.

5Therefore I told you these things long ago;

before they happened I announced them to you

so that you could not say,

‘My idols did them;†

my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’

6You have heard these things; look at them all.

Will you not admit them?

“From now on I will tell you of new things,

of hidden things unknown to you.

7They are created now, and not long ago;

you have not heard of them before today.

So you cannot say,

‘Yes, I knew of them.’

8You have neither heard nor understood;

from of old your ear has not been open.

Well do I know how treacherous you are;

you were called a rebel† from birth.

9For my own name’s sake I delay my wrath;†

for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,

so as not to cut you off.†

10See, I have refined you, though not as silver;

I have tested you in the furnace† of affliction.

11For my own sake,† for my own sake, I do this.

How can I let myself be defamed?†

I will not yield my glory to another.†

Israel Freed

12“Listen† to me, O Jacob,

Israel, whom I have called:

I am he;

I am the first and I am the last.†

13My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,†

and my right hand spread out the heavens;†

when I summon them,

they all stand up together.†

14“Come together,† all of you, and listen:

Which of [the idols] has foretold these things?

The LORD’s chosen ally

will carry out his purpose† against Babylon;

his arm will be against the Babylonians.[104]

15I, even I, have spoken;

yes, I have called† him.

I will bring him,

and he will succeed in his mission.

16“Come near† me and listen to this:

“From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret;†

at the time it happens, I am there.”

And now the Sovereign LORD has sent† me,

with his Spirit.

17This is what the LORD says—

your Redeemer,† the Holy One† of Israel:

“I am the LORD your God,

who teaches you what is best for you,

who directs† you in the way† you should go.

18If only you had paid attention† to my commands,

your peace† would have been like a river,

your righteousness† like the waves of the sea.

19Your descendants would have been like the sand,

your children like its numberlessgrains;†

their name would never be cut off†

nor destroyed from before me.”

20Leave Babylon,

flee† from the Babylonians!

Announce this with shouts of joy†

and proclaim it.

Send it out to the ends of the earth;

say, “The LORD has redeemed† his servant Jacob.”

21They did not thirst† when he led them through the deserts;

he made water flow† for them from the rock;

he split the rock

and water gushed out.†

22“There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”†


Isaiah 49

The Servant of the LORD

1Listen to me, you islands;

hear this, you distant nations:

Before I was born† the LORD called† me;

from my birth he has made mention of my name.

2He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,†

in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

he made me into a polished arrow

and concealed me in his quiver.

3He said to me, “You are my servant,†

Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.†”

4But I said, “I have labored to no purpose;

I have spent my strength in vain† and for nothing.

Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand,

and my reward† is with my God.”

5And now the LORD says—

he who formed me in the womb to be his servant

to bring Jacob back to him

and gather Israel† to himself,

for I am honored† in the eyes of the LORD

and my God has been my strength—

6he says:

“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant

to restore the tribes of Jacob

and bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,†

that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.Ӡ

7This is what the LORD says—

the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel†—

to him who was despised† and abhorred by the nation,

to the servant of rulers:

“Kings† will see you and rise up,

princes will see and bow down,

because of the LORD, who is faithful,

the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Restoration of Israel

8This is what the LORD says:

“In the time of my favor† I will answer you,

and in the day of salvation I will help you;†

I will keep† you and will make you

to be a covenant for the people,†

to restore the land†

and to reassign its desolate inheritances,

9to say to the captives,† ‘Come out,’

and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’

“They will feed beside the roads

and find pasture on every barren hill.†

10They will neither hunger nor thirst,†

nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them.†

He who has compassion† on them will guide them

and lead them beside springs† of water.

11I will turn all my mountains into roads,

and my highways† will be raised up.†

12See, they will come from afar†—

some from the north, some from the west,

some from the region of Aswan.[105] ”

13Shout for joy, O heavens;

rejoice, O earth;

burst into song, O mountains!†

For the LORD comforts† his people

and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

14But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me,

the Lord has forgotten me.”

15“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast

and have no compassion on the child she has borne?

Though she may forget,

I will not forget you!†

16See, I have engraved† you on the palms of my hands;

your walls† are ever before me.

17Your sons hasten back,

and those who laid you waste† depart from you.

18Lift up your eyes and look around;

all your sons gather† and come to you.

As surely as I live,†” declares the LORD,

“you will wear† them all as ornaments;