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.

Woe, spoiler! And you not spoiled, And treacherous! And they did not deal treacherously with you, When you finish, O spoiler, you are spoiled, When you finish dealing treacherously, They deal treacherously with 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 YHWH, favor us, We have waited for You, Be their arm, in the mornings, Indeed, our salvation in time of adversity.

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

From the voice of a multitude peoples have fled, From Your exaltation nations have been scattered.

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 Your spoil has been gathered, A gathering of the caterpillar, As a running to and fro of locusts He is running on it.

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

YHWH is set on high, for He is dwelling on high, He filled Zion [with] judgment and righteousness,

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 has been the steadfastness of your times, The strength of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge, Fear of YHWH—it [is] His treasure.

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

Behold, “Their Ariel,” they have cried outside, Messengers of peace weep 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.

Highways have been desolated, He who passes along the path has ceased, He has broken covenant, He has despised enemies, He has not esteemed a 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 land has mourned, languished, Lebanon has been confounded, Sharon has been withered as a wilderness, And Bashan and Carmel are shaking.

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

Now I arise, says YHWH, Now I am exalted, now I am lifted up.

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

You conceive chaff, you bear stubble; Your spirit—a fire [that] devours you.

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

And peoples have been [as] burnings of lime, Thorns, as sweepings, they burn with fire.

13 Ye [that are] far off, hear what I have done; and ye [that are] near, acknowledge my might.

Hear, you far off, that which I have done, And know, you near ones, My might.

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?

Sinners have been afraid in Zion, Trembling has seized the profane: Who dwells for us—consuming fire, Who dwells for us—burnings of the age?

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;

Whoever is walking righteously, And is speaking uprightly, Kicking against gain of oppressions, Shaking his hands from taking hold on a bribe, Stopping his ear from hearing of blood, And shutting his eyes from looking on 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 inhabits high places, Strongholds of rock [are] his high tower, His bread has been given, his waters steadfast.

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

Your eyes see a king in his beauty, They see a far-off land.

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

Your heart meditates [on] terror, Where [is] he who is counting? Where [is] he who is weighing? Where [is] he who is counting the towers?

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.

You do not see the strong people, A people deeper of lip than to be understood, Of a scorned tongue, there is no understanding.

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.

See Zion, the city of our meetings, Your eyes see Jerusalem—a quiet habitation, A tent not taken down, its pins are not removed forever, And none of its cords are 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 YHWH [is] mighty for us there, A place of rivers—streams of broad sides, No ship with oars goes into it, And a mighty ship does not pass over it.

22 For the LORD [is] our judge, the LORD [is] our lawgiver, the LORD [is] our king; he will save us.

For YHWH, ours who is judging, YHWH our lawgiver, YHWH our King—He saves 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 ropes have been left, They do not correctly strengthen their mast, They have not spread out a sail, Then a prey of much spoil has been apportioned, The lame have taken spoil.

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

Nor does an inhabitant say, “I was sick”; The people dwelling in it [are] forgiven of [their] iniquity!