< Isaiah 6 >

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated in majesty on a high throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple.
In the year in which King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne high and lifted up, and the train of his robe filled the temple.
2 Seraphim stood above him, and each of them had six wings: They used two wings to cover their faces, two to cover their feet, and two to fly.
Around him stood seraphs; each one of them had six wings; with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly.
3 They were calling out to one another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; his glory fills the whole earth.
And one called to another, and said: Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of hosts; The whole earth is full of his glory.
4 The sound of their shouts made the doorposts and doorsteps shake, and the Temple was filled with smoke.
And the foundations of the thresholds were shaken with the voice of their cry. And the temple was filled with smoke.
5 I cried out, “I'm doomed! I'm going to die because I'm a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, for I've seen the King, the Lord Almighty!”
Then I said, Alas for me! I am undone! For I am a man of unclean lips, and dwell among a people of unclean lips, and mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts.
6 Then one of the seraphim flew over to me. He was holding a glowing coal that he had picked up with tongs from the altar.
Then flew one of the seraphs to me, having in his hands a glowing stone, which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.
7 He touched me on my mouth with it and told me, “Look! This has touched your lips, so now your guilt is taken away and your sin is forgiven.”
And he touched my mouth, and said, Behold, this toucheth thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is expiated.
8 Then I heard the Lord asking, “Who shall I send? Who will go and speak for us?” So I said, “I'm here! Please send me!”
And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? And I said: Behold, here am I; send me!
9 He replied, “Go and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but never understanding. Keep on seeing, but never comprehending.’
And he said: Go, and say thou to this people, Hear ye, indeed, but understand not; See ye, indeed, but perceive not!
10 Make the minds of this people insensitive; make their ears deaf and shut their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their minds, and repent and be healed.”
Make the heart of this people gross; Make their ears dull, and blind their eyes; That they may not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, Nor perceive with their hearts, and turn, and be healed.
11 Then I asked, “How long will this last, Lord?” He replied, “Until towns are ruined and empty, houses are abandoned, and the land is devastated and destroyed;
Then said I, How long, Lord? He said: Until the cities be laid waste, so that there be no inhabitant, And the houses, so that there be no man, And the land be left utterly desolate;
12 until the Lord sends the people far away and the country is totally deserted.
Until Jehovah have removed the men far away, And there be great desolation in the land.
13 Even though a tenth of the population remains in the land, it will be destroyed again. But in the same way as the terebinth and oak trees leave stumps when they're cut down, so the holy seed will remain as stump.”
And though there be a tenth part remaining in it, Even this shall again be destroyed; Yet as when the terebinth and the oak are cut down, Their stem remaineth alive, So shall a holy race be the stem of the nation.

< Isaiah 6 >