Isaiah 2

1 This is what Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

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

2 It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of Yahweh’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all nations shall flow 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 Many peoples shall go and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the law shall go out of Zion, and Yahweh’s word 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 He will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

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 House of Jacob, come, and let’s walk in the light of Yahweh.

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

6 For you have forsaken your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled from the east, with those who practice divination like the Philistines, and they clasp hands with the children of foreigners.

[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 Their land is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures. Their land also is full of horses, neither is there any end of their 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 Their land also is full of idols. They worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.

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

9 Man is brought low, and mankind is humbled; therefore don’t forgive them.

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

10 Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of his majesty.

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 lofty looks of man will be brought low, the arrogance of men will be bowed down, and Yahweh alone will be exalted 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 there will be a day of Yahweh of Armies for all that is proud and arrogant, and for all that is lifted up, and it shall be brought low—

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 for all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, for all the 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 for all the high mountains, for all the hills that are lifted up,

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 for every lofty tower, 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 for all the ships of Tarshish, and for all pleasant imagery.

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 The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the arrogance of men shall be brought low; and Yahweh alone shall be exalted 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 The idols shall utterly pass away.

All idols will (disappear/be destroyed).

19 Men shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake the earth mightily.

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, men shall cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which have been made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the 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 go into the caverns of the rocks, and into the clefts of the ragged rocks, from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake the earth mightily.

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 Stop trusting in man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for of what account is he?

[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]!