< 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.
2 Jehovah, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be their arm every morning, yea, our salvation 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.
4 And your spoil shall be gathered [like] the gathering of the caterpillar: as the running of locusts shall they run upon it.
5 Jehovah is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath 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.
7 Behold, their valiant ones cry without; the messengers 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.
9 The land mourneth, it languisheth; Lebanon is ashamed, is withered; the Sharon is become as a desert, and Bashan and Carmel are stripped.
10 Now will I arise, saith Jehovah; now will I be exalted, now will I lift up myself.
11 Ye shall conceive dry grass, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath shall devour you [as] fire.
12 And the peoples shall be [as] burnings of lime, [as] thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.
13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and ye that 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?
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:
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.
17 Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty; they shall behold the land that is far off.
18 Thy heart shall meditate on terror: Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that 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.
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;
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.
22 For Jehovah is our judge, Jehovah, our lawgiver, Jehovah, 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.
24 And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven [their] iniquity.