Isaiah 33

1 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.

Woe to you, O destroyer never destroyed, O traitor never betrayed! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you have finished betraying, you will be betrayed.

2 Yahweh, be gracious to us. We have waited for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

O LORD, be gracious to us! We wait for You. Be our strength every morning and our salvation in time of trouble.

3 At the noise of the thunder, the peoples have fled. When you lift yourself up, the nations are scattered.

The peoples flee the thunder of Your voice; the nations scatter when You rise.

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

Your spoil, O nations, is gathered as by locusts; like a swarm of locusts men sweep over it.

5 Yahweh is exalted, for he dwells on high. He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.

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

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

He will be the sure foundation for your times, a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure.

7 Behold, their valiant ones cry outside; the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.

Behold, their valiant ones cry aloud in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly.

8 The highways are desolate. The traveling man ceases. The covenant is broken. He has despised the cities. He doesn’t respect man.

The highways are deserted; travel has ceased. The treaty has been broken, the witnesses are despised, and human life is disregarded.

9 The land mourns and languishes. Lebanon is confounded and withers away. Sharon is like a desert, and Bashan and Carmel are stripped bare.

The land mourns and languishes; Lebanon is ashamed and decayed. Sharon is like a desert; Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.

10 “Now I will arise,” says Yahweh. “Now I will lift myself up. Now I will be exalted.

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

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

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

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

The peoples will be burned to ashes, like thorns cut down and set ablaze.

13 Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and, you who are near, acknowledge my might.”

You who are far off, hear what I have done; you who are near, acknowledge My might.”

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

The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling grips the ungodly: “Who of us can dwell with a consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting flames?”

15 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—

He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, who refuses gain from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears against murderous plots and shuts his eyes tightly against evil—

16 he will dwell on high. His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks. His bread will be supplied. His waters will be sure.

he will dwell on the heights; the mountain fortress will be his refuge; his food will be provided and his water assured.

17 Your eyes will see the king in his beauty. They will see a distant land.

Your eyes will see the King in His beauty and behold a land that stretches afar.

18 Your heart will meditate on the terror. Where is he who counted? Where is he who weighed? Where is he who counted the towers?

Your mind will ponder the former terror: “Where is he who tallies? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?”

19 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.

You will no longer see the insolent, a people whose speech is unintelligible, who stammer in a language you cannot understand.

20 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.

Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful pasture, a tent that does not wander; its tent pegs will not be pulled up, nor will any of its cords be broken.

21 But there Yahweh 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.

But there the Majestic One, our LORD, will be for us a place of rivers and wide canals, where no galley with oars will row, and no majestic vessel will pass.

22 For Yahweh is our judge. Yahweh is our lawgiver. Yahweh is our king. He will save us.

For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our King. It is He who will save us.

23 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.

Your ropes are slack; they cannot secure the mast or spread the sail. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided, and even the lame will carry off plunder.

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

And no resident of Zion will say, “I am sick.” The people who dwell there will be forgiven of iniquity.