Isaiah 2

1 The thing that Isaiah son of Amoz has seen concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

This is the message that [Yahweh showed me in a vision], concerning Jerusalem and [the rest of] Judea:

2 And it has come to pass, In the latter end of the days, The mountain of YHWH’s house is established, Above the top of the mountains, And it has been lifted up above the heights, And all the nations have flowed to it.

[I saw that] in the future, the hill on which Yahweh’s temple is built will be the most important place on the earth; it will be [as though it is] the highest mountain, [as though] it has been raised up above all other hills; and people from all over the world will come there.

3 And many peoples have gone and said, “Come, and we go up to the mountain of YHWH, To the house of the God of Jacob, And He teaches us of His ways, And we walk in His paths, For a law goes forth from Zion, And a word of YHWH from Jerusalem.

People from many people-groups will say [to each other], “Come, let’s go up to the hill, to the temple of Yahweh, to worship the God whom Jacob [worshiped]. [There] Yahweh will teach us what he [desires us to know], in order that our behavior will [please] him. His teaching will be given [to us] in Jerusalem, and [we will take] his message from Jerusalem [to other places/nations].

4 And He has judged between the nations, And has given a decision to many peoples, And they have beat their swords to plowshares, And their spears to pruning-hooks, Nation does not lift up sword to nation, Nor do they learn anymore—war.

Yahweh will listen to the disputes between nations and he will settle their arguments. [Then, instead of fighting against each other], they will hammer their swords into plow blades, and they will hammer their spears into pruning knives. [The armies of] nations will no longer fight against each other, and they will not [even] train men to fight in battles/wars.”

5 O house of Jacob, come, And we walk in the light of YHWH.”

You Israeli people, let’s walk in the light [MET] that comes from Yahweh!

6 For You have left Your people, the house of Jacob. For they have been filled from the east, And [are] sorcerers like the Philistines, And strike hands with the children of strangers.

[Yahweh, ] you have abandoned [us] your people who are descendants of Jacob, because everywhere your people practice the customs of people who live east [of Israel]. Your people also perform rituals to find out what will happen in the future, like the people in Philistia do. They make agreements/treaties with (pagans/people who do not know you).

7 And its land is full of silver and gold, And there is no end to its treasures, And its land is full of horses, And there is no end to its chariots,

Israel is full of silver and gold; there are very many (treasures/valuable things) here. The land is full of war horses and war chariots.

8 And its land is full of idols, It bows itself to the work of its hands, To that which its fingers have made,

[But] the land is [also] full of idols; the people worship things that they have made with their own hands.

9 And the low bows down, and the high is humbled, And You do not accept them.

So now they will be humbled and they will be caused to become disgraced— Yahweh, do not forgive them!

10 Enter into a rock, and be hidden in dust, Because of the fear of YHWH, And because of the honor of His excellence.

All you people should crawl into [the caves in] the rock cliffs! You should hide [in pits/holes] in the ground because of being afraid of Yahweh and of his glorious and awesome power.

11 The haughty eyes of man have been humbled, And the loftiness of men has been bowed down, And YHWH alone has been set on high in that day.

Yahweh will cause you people to no longer be arrogant, and he will stop you from being proud. Only Yahweh will be praised/honored on that day.

12 For a day [is] to YHWH of Hosts, For every proud and high one, And for every lifted up and low one,

The Commander of the armies of angels has chosen a day when [he will judge] those who are proud, every one of them [DOU], and he will humble them.

13 And for all cedars of Lebanon, The high and the exalted ones, And for all oaks of Bashan,

[He will get rid of all those who think they should be admired like] [MET] the tall cedar trees in Lebanon, and [like] all the great oak trees in the Bashan [region].

14 And for all the high mountains, And for all the exalted heights,

He will [get rid of all those who think they are as great as] [MET] all the high hills and even the high mountains.

15 And for every high tower, And for every fortified wall,

He will [get rid of all those who think that they are] high towers and high strong walls [inside of or behind which they will be safe].

16 And for all ships of Tarshish, And for all desirable pictures.

He will destroy all [those who are rich because they own] big ships that carry goods [to other countries] and [they own other] beautiful ships.

17 And the haughtiness of man has been bowed down, And the loftiness of men humbled, And YHWH alone has been set on high in that day.

He will cause people to no longer be arrogant and he will cause them to stop being proud. Only Yahweh will be praised/honored on that day.

18 And the idols—they completely pass away.

All idols will (disappear/be destroyed).

19 And [men] have entered into caverns of rocks, And into caves of dust, Because of the fear of YHWH, And because of the honor of His excellence, In His rising to terrify the earth.

When Yahweh comes to shake/terrify the people on the earth, they will run to hide in caves in rock cliffs and in holes/pits in the ground, because of being afraid of Yahweh and of his glorious and awesome power.

20 In that day man casts his idols of silver, And his idols of gold, That they have made for him to worship, To moles, and to bats,

On that day, people will get rid of all their gold and silver idols that they made to worship, and they will throw them to the bats and rats.

21 To enter into cavities of the rocks, And into clefts of the high places, Because of the fear of YHWH, And because of the honor of His excellence, In His rising to terrify the earth.

Then they will crawl into caves and hide in the crags in the cliffs. [They will do that to escape from] the dreadful [punishments] that Yahweh will cause them to endure, from [what he will do because] he is glorious and awesome, when he comes to shake/terrify the people on the earth.

22 Cease yourselves from man, Whose breath [is] in his nostrils, For—in what is he esteemed?

[So, ] do not trust that people [will save you], because people are [as powerless as] [MET] their own breath. People certainly cannot help you [RHQ]!