Isaiah 33
1 Woe to thee that layest waste, and thou [wast] not laid waste; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to lay waste, thou shalt be wasted; [and] when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
Ho! you who make waste those who did not make you waste; acting falsely to those who were not false to you. When you have come to an end of wasting, you will be made waste, and after your false acts, they will do the same to you.
2 O LORD, be gracious to us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.
O Lord, have mercy on us; for we have been waiting for your help: be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of trouble.
3 At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.
At the loud noise the peoples have gone in flight; at your coming up the nations have gone in all directions.
4 And your spoil shall be gathered [like] the gathering of the caterpillar: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.
And the goods taken in war will be got together like the massing of young locusts; men will be rushing on them like the rushing of locusts.
5 The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.
The Lord is lifted up; his place is on high: he has made Zion full of righteousness and true religion.
6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, [and] strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD [is] his treasure.
And she will have no more fear of change, being full of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge: the fear of the Lord is her wealth.
7 Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the embassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.
See, the men of war are sorrowing outside the town: those who came looking for peace are weeping bitterly.
8 The highways lie waste, the way-faring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.
The highways are waste, no man is journeying there: the agreement is broken, he has made sport of the towns, he has no thought for man.
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 earth is sorrowing and wasting away; Lebanon is put to shame and has become waste; Sharon is like the Arabah; and in Bashan and Carmel the leaves are falling.
10 Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.
Now will I come forward, says the Lord; now will I be lifted up; now will my power be seen.
11 Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, [as] fire, shall devour you.
Your designs will be without profit, and their effect will be nothing: you will be burned up by the fire of my breath.
12 And the people shall be [as] the burnings of lime: [as] thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.
And the peoples will be like the burning of chalk: as thorns cut down, which are burned in the fire.
13 Ye [that are] far off, hear what I have done; and ye [that are] near, acknowledge my might.
Give ear, you who are far off, to what I have done: see my power, you who are near.
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 Zion are full of fear; the haters of God are shaking with wonder. Who among us may keep his place before the burning fire? who among us may see the eternal burnings?
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 whose ways are true, and whose words are upright; he who gives no thought to the profits of false acts, whose hands have not taken rewards, who will have no part in putting men to death, and whose eyes are shut against evil;
16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defense [shall be] the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters [shall be] sure.
He will have a place on high: he will be safely shut in by the high rocks: his bread will be given to him; his waters will be certain.
17 Thy eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.
Your eyes will see the king in his glory: they will be looking on a far-stretching land.
18 Thy heart shall meditate terror. Where [is] the scribe? where [is] the receiver? where [is] he that counted the towers?
Your heart will give thought to the cause of your fear: where is the scribe, where is he who made a record of the payments, where is he by whom the towers were numbered?
19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, [that thou canst] not understand.
Never again will you see the cruel people, a people whose tongue has no sense for you; whose language is strange to you.
20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thy eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle [that] shall not be taken down; not one of its stakes shall ever be removed, neither shall any of its cords be broken.
Let your eyes be resting on Zion, the town of our holy feasts: you will see Jerusalem, a quiet resting-place, a tent which will not be moved, whose tent-pins will never be pulled up, and whose cords will never be broken.
21 But there the glorious LORD [will be] to us a place of broad rivers [and] streams; in which shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass through it.
But there the Lord will be with us in his glory, ... wide rivers and streams; where no boat will go with blades, and no fair ship will be sailing.
22 For the LORD [is] our judge, the LORD [is] our lawgiver, the LORD [is] our king; he will save us.
For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our law-giver, the Lord is our king; he will be our saviour.
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 have become loose; they were not able to make strong the support of their sails, the sail was not stretched out: then the blind will take much property, the feeble-footed will make division of the goods of war.
24 And the inhabitants shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein [shall be] forgiven [their] iniquity.
And the men of Zion will not say, I am ill: for its people will have forgiveness for their sin.
