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 to you who destroy, but you weren’t destroyed, and who betray, but nobody betrayed you! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed; and when you have finished betrayal, you will be betrayed.

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.

LORD, be gracious to us. We have waited for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation also in the 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 noise of the thunder, the peoples have fled. When you lift yourself up, the nations are 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.

Your plunder will be gathered as the caterpillar gathers. Men will leap on it as locusts leap.

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

The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high. He has filled Zion with justice 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.

There will be stability in your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is your treasure.

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

Behold, their valiant ones cry outside; the ambassadors 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.

The highways are desolate. The travelling man ceases. The covenant is broken. He has despised the cities. He doesn’t respect 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 mourns and languishes. Lebanon is confounded and withers away. Sharon is like a desert, and Bashan and Carmel are stripped bare.

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

“Now I will arise,” says the LORD. “Now I will lift myself up. Now I will be exalted.

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

You will conceive chaff. You will give birth to stubble. Your breath is a fire that will devour you.

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

The peoples will be like the burning of lime, like thorns that are cut down and burnt in the fire.

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

Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and, you who are near, acknowledge 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?

The sinners in Zion are afraid. Trembling has seized the godless ones. Who amongst us can live with the devouring fire? Who amongst us can live with everlasting burning?

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 who walks righteously and speaks blamelessly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing to take a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from looking at 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 dwell on high. His place of defence will be the fortress of rocks. His bread will be supplied. His waters will be sure.

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 beauty. They will see a distant 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 meditate on the terror. Where is he who counted? Where is he who weighed? Where is he who counted 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 will no longer see the fierce people, a people of a deep speech that you can’t comprehend, with a strange language that you can’t understand.

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.

Look at Zion, the city of our appointed festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that won’t be removed. Its stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords 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 majesty, a place of wide rivers and streams, in which no galley with oars will go, neither will any gallant ship pass by there.

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 lawgiver. The LORD is our king. He will 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 rigging is untied. They couldn’t strengthen the foot of their mast. They couldn’t spread the sail. Then the prey of a great plunder was divided. The lame took the prey.

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

The inhabitant won’t say, “I am sick.” The people who dwell therein will be forgiven their iniquity.