Isaiah 33

1 Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and that dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! When thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; when thou shalt make an end of dealing treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

Woe to you who destroy, but you weren't destroyed; and who betray, but nobody betrayed you. When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed; and when you have made an end of betrayal, you will be betrayed.

2 Jehovah, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be their arm every morning, yea, our salvation in the time of trouble.

LORD, be gracious to us. We have waited for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

3 At the noise of the tumult the peoples fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.

At the noise of the thunder, the peoples have fled. When you lift yourself up, the nations are scattered.

4 And your spoil shall be gathered [like] the gathering of the caterpillar: as the running of locusts shall they run upon it.

Your spoil will be gathered as the caterpillar gathers. Men will leap on it as locusts leap.

5 Jehovah is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with justice and righteousness;

The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high. He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.

6 and he shall be the stability of thy times, the riches of salvation, wisdom and knowledge: the fear of Jehovah shall be your treasure.

There will be stability in your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is your treasure.

7 Behold, their valiant ones cry without; the messengers of peace weep bitterly.

Look, their valiant ones cry outside; the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.

8 The highways are desolate, the wayfaring man ceaseth. He hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.

The highways are desolate, the traveler ceases. He has broken the covenant, he has despised the witnesses; he has no regard for man.

9 The land mourneth, it languisheth; Lebanon is ashamed, is withered; the Sharon is become as a desert, and Bashan and Carmel are stripped.

The land mourns and languishes. Lebanon is confounded and withers away. Sharon is like a desert, and Bashan and Carmel are stripped bare.

10 Now will I arise, saith Jehovah; now will I be exalted, now will I lift up myself.

"Now I will arise," says the LORD; "Now I will lift myself up. Now I will be exalted.

11 Ye shall conceive dry grass, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath shall devour you [as] fire.

You will conceive chaff. You will bring forth stubble. Your breath is a fire that will devour you.

12 And the peoples shall be [as] burnings of lime, [as] thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.

The peoples will be like the burning of lime, like thorns that are cut down and burned in the fire.

13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and ye that are near, acknowledge my might.

Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and, you who are near, acknowledge my might."

14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling hath surprised the hypocrites: Who among us shall dwell with the consuming fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting flames?

The sinners in Zion are afraid. Trembling has seized the godless ones. Who among us can live with the devouring fire? Who among us can live with everlasting burning?

15 — He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from taking hold of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil:

He who walks righteously, and speaks blamelessly; He who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing to take a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from looking at evil—

16 he shall dwell on high, the fortresses of the rocks shall be his high retreat; bread shall be given him, his water shall be sure.

he will dwell on high. His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks. His bread will be supplied. His waters will be sure.

17 Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty; they shall behold the land that is far off.

Your eyes will see the king in his beauty. They will see a distant land.

18 Thy heart shall meditate on terror: Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?

Your heart will meditate on the terror. Where is he who counted? Where is he who weighed? Where is he who counted the towers?

19 Thou shalt no more see the fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst comprehend, of a stammering tongue that cannot be understood.

You will no longer see the fierce people, a people of a deep speech that you can't comprehend, with a strange language that you can't understand.

20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tent that shall not be removed, the stakes whereof shall never be pulled up, neither shall any of its cords be broken;

Look at Zion, the city of our appointed festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that won't be removed. Its stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken.

21 but there Jehovah is unto us glorious, — a place of rivers, of broad streams: no galley with oars shall go there, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.

But there the LORD will be with us in majesty, a place of broad rivers and streams, in which no galley with oars will go, neither will any gallant ship pass by there.

22 For Jehovah is our judge, Jehovah, our lawgiver, Jehovah, our king: he will save us.

For the LORD is our judge. The LORD is our lawgiver. The LORD is our king. He will save us.

23 Thy tacklings are loosed; they strengthen not the socket of their mast, they cannot spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.

Your rigging is untied. They couldn't strengthen the foot of their mast. They couldn't spread the sail. Then the prey of a great spoil was divided. The lame took the prey.

24 And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven [their] iniquity.

The inhabitant won't say, "I am sick." The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity.