Isaiah 33
33
1Tragedy is coming to you, you destroyer who has not experienced destruction yourself, you deceiver who has not experienced deception yourself! When you have finished with your destroying, you will be destroyed yourself. When you are finished with your deceiving, you will be deceived yourselves.
2Lord, please be kind to us; we put our confidence in you. Be the strength we rely on every morning; be our salvation in times of trouble. 3When you roar, the peoples run away; when you prepare for action, the nations scatter! 4You plunder defeated enemy armies#33:4. “Defeated enemy armies”: supplied for clarity. This is usually taken to refer to the defeat of the Assyrians under Sennacherib. like caterpillars eating up plants; like an attack of swarming locusts.
5The Lord is praised for he lives in highest heaven; he has filled Zion with justice and right. 6He will be your constant support throughout your lives an abundant source of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. Reverence for the Lord is what makes Zion rich.
7But look! Even your bravest soldiers are crying loudly in the street; the messengers you sent to ask for peace are weeping bitterly. 8Your highways are deserted; nobody's traveling on your roads anymore. He breaks the treaty;#33:8. “Treaty”: or “covenant.” In the context here it probably refers to a treaty between Israel and Assyria that the Assyrians have broken, not caring what anybody thinks. he despises the witnesses;#33:8. “Witnesses”: Dead Sea Scrolls reading. Hebrew MT reads “cities.” he doesn't care about anybody. 9Israel#33:9. “Israel”: literally, “The land.” is in mourning and fades away; Lebanon withers in shame; the fields of Sharon have become a desert; the forests of Bashan and Carmel have shed their leaves.
10“But now I'm going to intervene!” says the Lord. “I'm prepared to act! I will show myself to be above all others! 11All you give birth to is only dry grass, all you deliver is just stubble. Your breath is a fire that will burn you up. 12You people will be burned to ashes like thorns that are cut down and thrown into the fire. 13Those of you who are far away, recognize what I have accomplished; those of you who are nearby, recognize how powerful I am.”
14The sinners who live in Zion tremble with fear; those who are irreligious are overcome with terror. They ask,#33:14. “They ask”: supplied for clarity. “Who can live with this fire that consumes everything? Who can live among such everlasting burning?”
15Those who live right and speak the truth, those who refuse to profit from extortion and refuse to take bribes, who don't listen to plots to kill people, who close their eyes rather than look at evil. 16They will live on high; they will be protected by the mountain fortresses; they will always be provided with food and will always have water.
17You will see the king in his wonderful appearance, and you will view a land that stretches into the distance. 18In your mind you will think about the terrifying things that were expected, and then ask yourself, “Where are the enemy officials—the scribes who were to record events, the treasurers who were to weigh the looted money, the surveyors who were to count and destroy the towers?”#33:18. This verse has been expanded to supply clarity to what seems to be the intended meaning—that the Assyrian officials who had been brought in expectation of a victory over Jerusalem have all disappeared. 19You won't see these offensive people anymore with their barbaric language that sounds like someone stammering and is impossible to understand.
20On the contrary, you'll see Zion as a festival city. You will view Jerusalem as a quiet and peaceful place. It will be like a tent that's never taken down, whose tent-pegs are never pulled up, whose guy ropes never snap. 21Right here our majestic Lord will be like a place of broad rivers and waters that no enemy ship with oars can cross—no great ship can pass. 22For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king. He is the one who will save us. 23The rigging on your ship hangs loose so the mast isn't secure and the sail can't be spread. Then all the looted treasure you're carrying will be divided among the victors#33:23. “Among the victors”: supplied for clarity.—even those who are lame will have their share. 24Nobody in Israel will say, “I'm sick,” and those who live there will have their guilt removed.
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Isaiah 33: FBV
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Isaiah 33
33
Jerusalem Will Be Safe
1You defeated my people.
Now you're in for trouble!
You've never been destroyed,
but you will be destroyed;
you've never been betrayed,
but you will be betrayed.
When you have finished
destroying and betraying,
you will be destroyed
and betrayed in return.
2Please, Lord, be kind to us!
We depend on you.
Make us strong each morning,
and come to save us
when we are in trouble.
3Nations scatter when you roar
and show your greatness.#33.3 greatness: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 3.
4We attack our enemies
like swarms of locusts;#33.4 locusts: Insects like grasshoppers that travel in swarms and cause great damage to crops.
we take everything
that belongs to them.#33.4 them: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 4.
5You, Lord, are above all others,
and you live in the heavens.
You have brought justice
and fairness to Jerusalem;
6you are the foundation
on which we stand today.
You always save us and give
true wisdom and knowledge.
Nothing means more to us#33.6 Nothing … us: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
than obeying you.
The Lord Will Do Something
7Listen! Our bravest soldiers
are running through the streets,
screaming for help.#33.7 Listen … help: Or “The Lord heard our shouts and will come to help us.”
Our messengers hoped for peace,
but came home crying.
8No one travels anymore;
every road is empty.
Treaties are broken,
and no respect is shown
to any who keep promises.#33.8 to any … promises: The Dead Sea Scrolls; the Standard Hebrew Text “to those in the cities.”
9Fields are dry and barren;
Mount Lebanon wilts
with shame.
Sharon Valley is a desert;
the forests of Bashan and Carmel
have lost their leaves.
10But the Lord says,
“Now I will do something
and be greatly praised.
11Your deeds are straw
that will be set on fire
by your very own breath.
12You will be burned to ashes
like thorns in a fire.
13Everyone, both far and near,
come look at what I have done.
See my mighty power!”
Punishment and Rewards
14Those terrible sinners
on Mount Zion tremble
as they ask in fear,
“How can we possibly live
where a raging fire
never stops burning?”
15But there will be rewards
for those who live right
and tell the truth,
for those who refuse
to take money by force
or accept bribes,
for all who hate murder
and violent crimes.
16They will live in a fortress
high on a rocky cliff,
where they will have food
and plenty of water.
The Lord Is Our King
17With your own eyes
you will see the glorious King;
you will see his kingdom
reaching far and wide.
18Then you will ask yourself,
“Where are those officials
who terrified us and forced us
to pay such heavy taxes?”
19You will never again have to see
the proud people who spoke
a strange and foreign language
you could not understand.
20Look to Mount Zion
where we celebrate
our religious festivals.
You will see Jerusalem,
secure as a tent with pegs
that cannot be pulled up
and fastened with ropes
that can never be broken.
21Our wonderful Lord
will be with us!
There will be deep rivers
and wide streams
safe from enemy ships.#33.21 safe … ships: This probably means that Jerusalem will have a lot of water, without the danger of attacks from enemy ships.
The Lord Is Our Judge
22The Lord is our judge
and our ruler;
the Lord is our king
and will keep us safe.
23But your nation#33.23 your nation: Possibly Judah or Assyria. is a ship
with its rigging loose,
its mast shaky,
and its sail not spread.
Someday even you that are lame
will take everything you want
from your enemies.
24The Lord will forgive your sins,
and none of you will say,
“I feel sick.”
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
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