Isaiah 33

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

Woe to them that afflict you; but no one makes you miserable: and he that deals perfidiously with you does not deal perfidiously: they that deal perfidiously shall be taken and given up, and as a moth on a garment, so shall they be spoiled.

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

Lord, have mercy upon us; for we have trusted in you: the seed of the rebellious is gone to destruction, but our deliverance was in a time of affliction.

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

By reason of the terrible sound the nations were dismayed for fear of you, and the heathen were scattered.

4 And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.

And now shall the spoils of your small and great be gathered: as if one should gather locusts, so shall they mock you.

5 YHWH is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.

The God who dwells on high is holy: Sion is filled with judgment and righteousness.

6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of YHWH is his treasure.

They shall be delivered up to the law: our salvation is our treasure: there are wisdom and knowledge and piety toward the Lord; these are the treasures of righteousness.

7 Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.

Behold now, these shall be terrified with fear of you: those whom you feared shall cry out because of you: messengers shall be sent, bitterly weeping, entreating for peace.

8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.

For the ways of these shall be made desolate: the terror of the nations has been made to cease, and the covenant with these is taken away, and you shall by no means deem them men.

9 The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.

The land mourns; Libanus is ashamed: Saron is become marshes; Galilee shall be laid bare, and Chermel.

10 Now will I rise, saith YHWH; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.

Now will I arise, says the Lord, now will I be glorified; now will I be exalted.

11 Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you.

Now shall you see, now shall you perceive; the strength of your breath, shall be vain; fire shall devour you.

12 And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.

And the nations shall be burnt up; as a thorn in the field cast out and burnt up.

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

They that are afar off shall hear what I have done; they that draw near shall know my strength.

14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

The sinners in Sion have departed; trembling shall seize the ungodly. Who will tell you that a fire is kindled? Who will tell you of the eternal place?

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

He that walks in righteousness, speaking rightly, hating transgression and iniquity, and shaking his hands from gifts, stopping his ears that he should not hear the judgment of blood, shutting his eyes that he should not see injustice.

16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

he shall dwell in a high cave of a strong rock: bread shall be given him, and his water shall be sure.

17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

You shall see a king with glory: your eyes shall behold a land from afar.

18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?

Your soul shall meditate terror. Where are the scribes? where are the counselors, where is he that numbers them that are growing up,

19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.

[even] the small and great people? with whom he took not counsel, neither did he understand [a people] of deep speech, so that a despised people should not hear, and there is no understanding to him that hears.

20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.

Behold the city of Sion, our refuge: your eyes shall behold Jerusalem, a rich city, tabernacles which shall not be shaken, neither shall the pins of her tabernacle be moved for ever, neither shall her cords be at all broken:

21 But there majestic YHWH will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.

for the name of the Lord is great to you: you shall have a place, [even] rivers and wide and spacious channels: you shall not go this way, neither a vessel with oars go [thereby].

22 For YHWH is our judge, YHWH is our lawgiver, YHWH is our king; he will save us.

For my God is great: the Lord our judge shall not pass me by: the Lord is our prince, the Lord is our king; the Lord, he shall save us.

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

Your cords are broken, for they had no strength: your meat has given way, it shall not spread the sails, it shall not bear a signal, until it be given up for plunder; therefore shall many lame men take spoil.

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

And the people dwelling among them shall by no means say, I am in pain: for their sin shall be forgiven them.