Where rebellion leaves ashes, Jehovah plants a world of joy.

Isaiah 65 and 66

“I have let myself be searched for by those who did not ask for me; I have let myself be found by those who did not look for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that was not calling on my name.

I have spread out my hands all day long to a stubborn people, To those walking in the way that is not good, Following their own thoughts; A people who constantly offend me to my face, Sacrificing in gardens and making sacrificial smoke on bricks. They sit among graves, And they pass the night in hidden places, Eating the flesh of pigs, And the broth of foul things is in their vessels.

They say, ‘Keep to yourself; do not approach me, For I am holier than you.’ These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire burning all day long.

Look! It is written before me; I will not stand still, But I will repay them, I will repay them in full measure For their errors and for the errors of their forefathers as well,” says Jehovah.

“Because they have made sacrificial smoke on the mountains And have reproached me on the hills, I will first measure out their wages in full.”

This is what Jehovah says:

“Just as when new wine is found in a cluster of grapes And someone says, ‘Do not destroy it, for there is some good in it,’ So I will do for the sake of my servants; I will not destroy them all. I will bring out of Jacob an offspring And out of Judah the one to inherit my mountains; My chosen ones will take possession of it, And my servants will reside there. Sharʹon will become a pasture for sheep And the Valley of Aʹchor a resting-place for cattle, For my people who search for me.

But you are among those forsaking Jehovah, Those forgetting my holy mountain, Those setting a table for the god of Good Luck, And those filling up cups of mixed wine for the god of Destiny. So I will destine you for the sword, And all of you will bow down to be slaughtered, Because I called, but you did not answer, I spoke, but you did not listen; You kept doing what was bad in my eyes, And you chose what displeased me.”

Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says:

“Look! My servants will eat, but you will go hungry. Look! My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty. Look! My servants will rejoice, but you will suffer shame. Look! My servants will shout joyfully because of the good condition of the heart, But you will cry out because of the pain of heart And you will wail because of a broken spirit. You will leave behind a name that my chosen ones will use as a curse, And the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will put each of you to death, But his own servants he will call by another name; So that anyone who seeks a blessing for himself in the earth Will be blessed by the God of truth, And anyone who swears an oath in the earth Will swear by the God of truth. For the former distresses will be forgotten; They will be concealed from my eyes.

For look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be called to mind, Nor will they come up into the heart. So exult and be joyful forever in what I am creating. For look! I am creating Jerusalem a cause for joy And her people a cause for exultation. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people; No more will there be heard in her the sound of weeping or a cry of distress.”

“No more will there be an infant from that place who lives but a few days, Nor an old man who fails to live out his days. For anyone who dies at a hundred will be considered a mere boy, And the sinner will be cursed, even though he is a hundred years of age. They will build houses and live in them, And they will plant vineyards and eat their fruitage. They will not build for someone else to inhabit, Nor will they plant for others to eat. For the days of my people will be like the days of a tree, And the work of their hands my chosen ones will enjoy to the full. They will not toil for nothing, Nor will they bear children for distress, Because they are the offspring made up of those blessed by Jehovah, And their descendants with them. Even before they call out, I will answer; While they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, The lion will eat straw just like the bull, And the serpent’s food will be dust. They will do no harm nor cause any ruin in all my holy mountain,” says Jehovah.

Isaiah 66

This is what Jehovah says:

“The heavens are my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where, then, is the house that you could build for me, And where is my resting-place?”

“My own hand has made all these things, And this is how they all came to be,” declares Jehovah. “To this one, then, I will look, To the one humble and broken in spirit who trembles at my word.

The one slaughtering the bull is like one striking down a man. The one sacrificing a sheep is like one breaking the neck of a dog. The one offering a gift—like the blood of a pig! The one presenting a memorial offering of frankincense is like one saying a blessing with magical words. They have chosen their own ways, And they take delight in what is disgusting. So I will choose ways to punish them, And the very things they dread I will bring upon them. Because when I called, no one answered; When I spoke, there were none who listened. They kept doing what was bad in my eyes, And they chose to do what displeased me.”

Hear the word of Jehovah, you who tremble at his word:

“Your brothers who hate you and exclude you because of my name said, ‘May Jehovah be glorified!’ But He will appear and bring you joy, And they are the ones who will be put to shame.”

There is a sound of uproar from the city, a sound from the temple! It is the sound of Jehovah repaying his enemies what they deserve. Before she went into labor, she gave birth. Before birth pangs came to her, she delivered a male child. Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Will a land be brought to birth in one day? Or will a nation be born all at once? Yet, as soon as Zion went into labor, she gave birth to her sons.

“Will I bring it to the point of birth and then not bring it forth?” says Jehovah. “Or would I cause the birth and then shut the womb?” says your God.

Rejoice with Jerusalem and be joyful with her, all you who love her. Exult greatly with her, all you who are in mourning over her, For you will nurse and be fully satisfied from her breast of consolation, And you will drink deeply and find delight in the abundance of her glory.

For this is what Jehovah says:

“Here I am extending to her peace just like a river And the glory of nations like a flooding torrent. You will nurse and be carried on the hip, And you will be bounced on the knees. As a mother comforts her son, So I will keep comforting you; And over Jerusalem you will be comforted. You will see this, and your heart will rejoice, Your bones will flourish just like new grass. And the hand of Jehovah will become known to his servants, But he will denounce his enemies.”

“For Jehovah will come as a fire, And his chariots are like a storm wind, To repay in furious anger, To rebuke with flames of fire. For with fire Jehovah will execute judgment, Yes, with his sword, against all flesh; And the slain of Jehovah will be many.

Those sanctifying themselves and cleansing themselves to enter the gardens following one who is in the center, those eating the flesh of pigs and loathsome things and mice, they will all come to their end together,” declares Jehovah.

“Since I know about their works and their thoughts, I am coming to gather people of all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory.

I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who escape to the nations—to Tarʹshish, Pul, and Lud, those who draw the bow, to Tuʹbal and Jaʹvan, and to the faraway islands—who have not heard a report about me or seen my glory; and they will proclaim my glory among the nations.

They will bring all your brothers out of all the nations as a gift to Jehovah, on horses, in chariots, in covered wagons, on mules, and on swift camels, up to my holy mountain, Jerusalem,” says Jehovah, “just as when the people of Israel bring their gift in a clean vessel into the house of Jehovah.”

“I will also take some for the priests and for the Levites,” says Jehovah.

“For just as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making will remain standing before me,” declares Jehovah, “so your offspring and your name will remain.”

“And from new moon to new moon and from sabbath to sabbath, All flesh will come in to bow down before me,” says Jehovah.

“And they will go out and look on the carcasses of the men who rebelled against me; For the worms on them will not die, And their fire will not be extinguished, And they will become something repulsive to all people.”

#bible #reading #isaiah

here we go again

“Where Is the Certificate?” (50:1–3) > Speaker: Jehovah

This is what Jehovah says: “Where is the divorce certificate of your mother, whom I sent away? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Look! It was because of your own errors you were sold, And because of your own transgressions your mother was sent away. Why, then, was no one here when I came? Why did no one answer when I called? Is my hand too short to redeem, Or is there no power in me to rescue? Look! With my rebuke I dry up the sea; I make rivers a desert. Their fish rot for lack of water, And they die because of thirst. I clothe the heavens with gloom, And I make sackcloth their covering.”

👂 The Obedient Servant (50:4–9)

Speaker: The Servant

The Sovereign Lord Jehovah has given me the tongue of those taught, So that I may know how to answer the tired one with the right word. He awakens me morning by morning; He awakens my ear to listen like the taught ones. The Sovereign Lord Jehovah has opened my ear, And I was not rebellious. I did not turn in the opposite direction. I offered my back to those striking me And my cheeks to those who plucked them bare. I did not hide my face from humiliating things and from spit. But the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will help me. That is why I will not feel humiliated. That is why I have set my face like a flint, And I know that I will not be put to shame. The One who declares me righteous is near. Who can accuse me? Let us stand up together. Who has a case against me? Let him approach me. Look! The Sovereign Lord Jehovah will help me. Who will pronounce me guilty? Look! They will all wear out like a garment. A moth will eat them up.

🔥 Two Ways to Walk (50:10–11)

Speaker: Jehovah

Who among you fears Jehovah And listens to the voice of his servant? Who has walked in deep darkness, without any brightness? Let him trust in the name of Jehovah and support himself on his God. “Look! All of you who are igniting a fire, Making sparks fly, Walk in the light of your fire, Among the sparks you have set ablaze. This is what you will have from my hand: In sheer pain you will lie down.

🪨 Look to the Rock (51:1–3)

Speaker: Jehovah

“Listen to me, you who are pursuing righteousness, You who are seeking Jehovah. Look to the rock from which you were hewn And to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father And to Sarah who gave birth to you. For he was only one when I called him, And I blessed him and made him many. For Jehovah will comfort Zion. He will bring comfort to all her ruins, And he will make her wilderness like Eden And her desert plain like the garden of Jehovah. Exultation and rejoicing will be found in her, Thanksgiving and melodious song.

🌍 What Lasts Forever (51:4–8)

Speaker: Jehovah

“Pay attention to me, O my people, And give ear to me, my nation. For a law will go out from me, And my justice I will establish as a light to the peoples. My righteousness draws near. My salvation will go out, And my arms will judge the peoples. In me the islands will hope, And for my arm they will wait. Raise your eyes to the heavens, And look at the earth below. For the heavens will disperse in fragments like smoke; The earth will wear out like a garment, And its inhabitants will die like gnats. But my salvation will be eternal, And my righteousness will never fail. Listen to me, you who know righteousness, The people with my law in their heart. Do not be afraid of the taunts of mortal men, And do not be terrified because of their insults. For a moth will eat them up just like a garment; The clothes moth will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, And my salvation for all generations.”

💪 “Awake, Arm of Jehovah!” (51:9–11)

Speaker: The People

Awake! Awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of Jehovah! Awake as in the days of long ago, as in past generations. Was it not you who broke Rahab to pieces, Who pierced the sea monster? Are you not the one who dried up the sea, the waters of the vast deep? The one who made the depths of the sea a roadway for the repurchased ones to cross? The redeemed ones of Jehovah will return. They will come to Zion with a joyful cry, And unending joy will crown them. Exultation and rejoicing will be theirs, And grief and sighing will flee away.

🫂 “I Am the One Comforting You” (51:12–16)

Speaker: Jehovah

“I myself am the One comforting you. Why should you be afraid of a mortal man who will die And of a son of man who will wither like green grass? Why do you forget Jehovah your Maker, The One who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundation of the earth? And all day long you were in constant fear of the rage of the oppressor, As though he were in a position to bring you to ruin. Where, now, is the rage of the oppressor? The one bent over in chains will soon be set free; He will not die and go into the pit, Nor will his bread be lacking. But I am Jehovah your God, Who stirs up the sea and makes its waves boisterous —Jehovah of armies is his name. I will put my words in your mouth, And with the shadow of my hand I will cover you, In order to plant the heavens and to lay the foundation of the earth And to say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”

🍷 The Cup Removed (51:17–23)

Speaker: Jehovah

Awake! Awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk from the hand of Jehovah his cup of wrath. You have drunk the goblet; You have drained out the cup causing staggering. Not one of all the sons whom she bore is there to guide her, And not one of all the sons whom she raised has taken hold of her hand. These two things have befallen you. Who will sympathize with you? Destruction and devastation, hunger and sword! Who will comfort you? Your sons have fainted. They lie down at every street corner Like wild sheep in the net. They are full of the wrath of Jehovah, the rebuke of your God. So please listen to this, O woman afflicted and drunk, though not with wine. This is what your Lord Jehovah says, your God who defends his people: “Look! I will take from your hand the cup causing staggering, The goblet, my cup of wrath; You will never drink it again. I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, Those who said to you, ‘Bow down so that we may walk over you!’ So you made your back like the ground, Like a street for them to walk on.”

#poetry #bible #isaiah

“If only you would pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river.”

Isaiah 48

Jehovah:

Hear this, O house of Jacob, You who call yourselves by the name of Israel And who have come from the waters of Judah, You who swear by the name of Jehovah And who call on the God of Israel, Though not in truth and righteousness.

For they call themselves after the holy city And seek the support of the God of Israel, Whose name is Jehovah of armies.

“The former things I told you long ago. From my own mouth they went out, And I made them known. Suddenly I took action, and they came about.

Because I knew how stubborn you are —That your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead is copper—

I told you long ago. Before it came about, I caused you to hear it, So that you could not say, ‘My idol did this; My carved image and my metal image commanded this.’

You have heard and seen all of this. Will you not declare it?

From now on I am announcing new things to you, Guarded secrets that you have not known.

Only now are they being created, and not long ago, Things that you never heard before today, So that you cannot say, ‘Look! I already know them.’

No, you have not heard, you have not known, And in the past your ears were not opened. For I know that you are very treacherous, And you have been called a transgressor from birth.

But for the sake of my name I will hold back my anger; For my own praise I will restrain myself toward you, And I will not do away with you.

Look! I have refined you, but not in the form of silver. I have tested you in the smelting furnace of affliction.

For my own sake, for my own sake I will act, For how could I let myself be profaned? I give my glory to no one else.

Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I have called. I am the same One. I am the first; I am also the last.

My own hand laid the foundation of the earth, And my right hand spread out the heavens. When I call to them, they stand up together.

Gather together, all of you, and listen. Who among them has announced these things? Jehovah has loved him. He will carry out his delight against Babylon, And his arm will come against the Chaldeans.

I myself have spoken, and I have called him. I have brought him, and his way will be successful.

Come near to me, and hear this. From the very start I have not spoken in secret. From the time it happened I was there.”

Narrator:

And now the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has sent me, and his spirit.

Jehovah:

“This is what Jehovah says, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel:

‘I, Jehovah, am your God, The One teaching you to benefit yourself, The One guiding you in the way you should walk.

If only you would pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

Your offspring would be as many as the sand And your descendants as its grains. Their name would never be cut off or annihilated from before me.’

Go out from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Announce it with a joyful cry! Proclaim it! Make it known to the ends of the earth.

Say: ‘Jehovah has repurchased his servant Jacob. They did not become thirsty when he led them through devastated places. He caused water to flow out of the rock for them; He split a rock and made water gush out.’”

“There is no peace,” says Jehovah, “for the wicked.”

Isaiah 49

Servant:

Listen to me, you islands, And pay attention, you faraway nations.

Jehovah has called me before I was born. From the time I was in my mother’s womb he has made mention of my name.

He made my mouth like a sharp sword; He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand. He made me a polished arrow; He concealed me in his quiver.

He said to me: “You are my servant, O Israel, Through whom I will show my splendor.”

But I said:

“I have toiled for nothing. I used up my strength for an unreality, in vain. But surely my judgment is with Jehovah, And my wages with my God.”

And now Jehovah, the One who formed me from the womb as his servant, Has said for me to bring Jacob back to him, So that Israel may be gathered to him.

I will be glorified in the eyes of Jehovah, And my God will have become my strength.

Jehovah:

“And he said:

‘It is not enough that you are my servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob And to bring back those who were preserved of Israel.

I have also given you as a light of nations, So that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.’”

“This is what Jehovah, the Repurchaser of Israel, his Holy One, says To the one who is despised, To the one who is detested by the nation, To the servant of rulers:

‘Kings will see and rise up, And princes will bow down Because of Jehovah, who is faithful, The Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.’”

“This is what Jehovah says:

‘In a time of favor I answered you, And in a day of salvation I helped you; I kept safeguarding you to give you as a covenant for the people, To rehabilitate the land, To cause them to possess their desolate inheritances,

To say to the prisoners, “Come out!” And to those in the darkness, “Show yourselves!”

By the roadways they will feed, Along all the worn paths will be their pastures.

They will not go hungry, nor will they thirst, Nor will scorching heat or the sun beat down on them. For the One who has mercy on them will lead them, And he will guide them by the springs of water.

I will make all my mountains into a road, And my highways will be raised up.

Look! These are coming from far away, And look! these from the north and from the west, And these from the land of Sinim.’”

Shout for joy, you heavens, and rejoice, you earth. Let the mountains become cheerful with a joyful cry. For Jehovah has comforted his people, And he shows mercy to his own afflicted ones.

Zion:

“Jehovah has abandoned me, And Jehovah has forgotten me.”

Jehovah:

“Can a woman forget her nursing child Or have no compassion for the son of her womb? Even if these women forget, I would never forget you.

Look! On my palms I have engraved you. Your walls are always before me.

Your sons hurry back. Those who tore you down and devastated you will depart from you.

Raise your eyes and look all around. They are all gathering together. They are coming to you.

As surely as I am living,” declares Jehovah, “You will clothe yourself with all of them as with ornaments, And you will fasten them on yourself as a bride does.

Although your places were devastated and desolate and your land was in ruins, Now it will become too cramped for those dwelling there, And those who swallowed you down will be far away.

The sons born when you were bereaved will say in your hearing, ‘This place is too cramped for me. Make room for me to dwell here.’

And you will say in your heart, ‘Who has fathered these for me, Since I am a woman bereaved of children and barren, Exiled and taken prisoner? Who has raised these? Look! I was left all alone, So where have these come from?’”

“This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says:

‘Look! I will raise up my hand to the nations, And I will lift up my signal to the peoples.

They will bring your sons in their arms And carry your daughters on their shoulders.

Kings will become caretakers for you, And their princesses will be your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground And lick the dust of your feet, And you will have to know that I am Jehovah; Those hoping in me will not be put to shame.’”

“Can those already captured be taken from a mighty man, Or can the captives of the tyrant be rescued?”

“But this is what Jehovah says:

‘Even the captives of a mighty man will be taken away, And those captured by the tyrant will be rescued.

I will oppose those who oppose you, And I will save your own sons.

I will make those who mistreat you eat their own flesh, And as with sweet wine, they will become drunk with their own blood.

And all people will have to know that I am Jehovah, Your Savior and your Repurchaser, The Powerful One of Jacob.’”

—

Hear this, O house of Jacob, You who call yourselves by the name of Israel+ And who have come from the waters of* Judah, You who swear by the name of Jehovah+ And who call on the God of Israel, Though not in truth and righteousness.+ 2 For they call themselves after the holy city+ And seek the support of the God of Israel,+ Whose name is Jehovah of armies. 3 “The former* things I told you long ago. From my own mouth they went out, And I made them known.+ Suddenly I took action, and they came about.+ 4 Because I knew how stubborn you are —That your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead is copper+— 5 I told you long ago. Before it came about, I caused you to hear it, So that you could not say, ‘My idol did this; My carved image and my metal image* commanded this.’ 6 You have heard and seen all of this. Will you not declare it?+ From now on I am announcing new things to you,+ Guarded secrets that you have not known. 7 Only now are they being created, and not long ago, Things that you never heard before today, So that you cannot say, ‘Look! I already know them.’ 8 No, you have not heard,+ you have not known, And in the past your ears were not opened. For I know that you are very treacherous,+ And you have been called a transgressor from birth.+ 9 But for the sake of my name I will hold back my anger;+ For my own praise I will restrain myself toward you, And I will not do away with you.+ 10 Look! I have refined you, but not in the form of silver.+ I have tested* you in the smelting furnace of affliction.+ 11 For my own sake, for my own sake I will act,+ For how could I let myself be profaned?+ I give my glory to no one else.* 12 Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I have called. I am the same One.+ I am the first; I am also the last.+ 13 My own hand laid the foundation of the earth,+ And my right hand spread out the heavens.+ When I call to them, they stand up together. 14 Gather together, all of you, and listen. Who among them has announced these things? Jehovah has loved him.+ He will carry out his delight against Babylon,+ And his arm will come against the Chal·deʹans.+ 15 I myself have spoken, and I have called him.+ I have brought him, and his way will be successful.+ 16 Come near to me, and hear this. From the very start I have not spoken in secret.+ From the time it happened I was there.” And now the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has sent me, and* his spirit. 17 This is what Jehovah says, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel:+ “I, Jehovah, am your God, The One teaching you to benefit yourself,+ The One guiding you in the way you should walk.+ 18 If only you would pay attention to my commandments!+ Then your peace would become just like a river+ And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.+ 19 Your offspring would be as many as the sand And your descendants as its grains.+ Their name would never be cut off or annihilated from before me.” 20 Go out from Babylon!+ Flee from the Chal·deʹans! Announce it with a joyful cry! Proclaim it!+ Make it known to the ends of the earth.+ Say: “Jehovah has repurchased his servant Jacob.+ 21 They did not become thirsty when he led them through devastated places.+ He caused water to flow out of the rock for them; He split a rock and made water gush out.”+ 22 “There is no peace,” says Jehovah, “for the wicked.”+ 49 Listen to me, you islands, And pay attention, you faraway nations.+ Jehovah has called me before I was born.+ From the time I was in my mother’s womb he has made mention of my name. 2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword; He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand.+ He made me a polished arrow; He concealed me in his quiver. 3 He said to me: “You are my servant, O Israel,+ Through whom I will show my splendor.”+ 4 But I said: “I have toiled for nothing. I used up my strength for an unreality, in vain. But surely my judgment is with Jehovah, And my wages* with my God.”+ 5 And now Jehovah, the One who formed me from the womb as his servant, Has said for me to bring Jacob back to him, So that Israel may be gathered to him.+ I will be glorified in the eyes of Jehovah, And my God will have become my strength. 6 And he said: “It is not enough that you are my servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob And to bring back those who were preserved of Israel. I have also given you as a light of nations,+ So that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.”+ 7 This is what Jehovah, the Repurchaser of Israel, his Holy One,+ says to the one who is despised,+ to the one who is detested by the nation, to the servant of rulers: “Kings will see and rise up, And princes will bow down Because of Jehovah, who is faithful,+ The Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”+ 8 This is what Jehovah says: “In a time of favor I answered you,+ And in a day of salvation I helped you;+ I kept safeguarding you to give you as a covenant for the people,+ To rehabilitate the land, To cause them to possess their desolate inheritances,+ 9 To say to the prisoners, ‘Come out!’+ And to those in the darkness,+ ‘Show yourselves!’ By the roadways they will feed, Along all the worn paths* will be their pastures. 10 They will not go hungry, nor will they thirst,+ Nor will scorching heat or the sun beat down on them.+ For the One who has mercy on them will lead them,+ And he will guide them by the springs of water.+ 11 I will make all my mountains into a road, And my highways will be raised up.+ 12 Look! These are coming from far away,+ And look! these from the north and from the west, And these from the land of Siʹnim.”+ 13 Shout for joy, you heavens, and rejoice, you earth.+ Let the mountains become cheerful with a joyful cry.+ For Jehovah has comforted his people,+ And he shows mercy to his own afflicted ones.+ 14 But Zion kept saying: “Jehovah has abandoned me,+ and Jehovah has forgotten me.”+ 15 Can a woman forget her nursing child Or have no compassion for the son of her womb? Even if these women forget, I would never forget you.+ 16 Look! On my palms I have engraved you. Your walls are always before me. 17 Your sons hurry back. Those who tore you down and devastated you will depart from you. 18 Raise your eyes and look all around. They are all gathering together.+ They are coming to you. “As surely as I am living,” declares Jehovah, “You will clothe yourself with all of them as with ornaments, And you will fasten them on yourself as a bride does. 19 Although your places were devastated and desolate and your land was in ruins,+ Now it will become too cramped for those dwelling there,+ And those who swallowed you down+ will be far away.+ 20 The sons born when you were bereaved will say in your hearing, ‘This place is too cramped for me. Make room for me to dwell here.’+ 21 And you will say in your heart, ‘Who has fathered these for me, Since I am a woman bereaved of children and barren, Exiled and taken prisoner? Who has raised these?+ Look! I was left all alone,+ So where have these come from?’”+ 22 This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: “Look! I will raise up my hand to the nations, And I will lift up my signal* to the peoples.+ They will bring your sons in their arms* And carry your daughters on their shoulders.+ 23 Kings will become caretakers for you,+ And their princesses will be your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground+ And lick the dust of your feet,+ And you will have to know that I am Jehovah; Those hoping in me will not be put to shame.”+ 24 Can those already captured be taken from a mighty man, Or can the captives of the tyrant be rescued? 25 But this is what Jehovah says: “Even the captives of a mighty man will be taken away,+ And those captured by the tyrant will be rescued.+ I will oppose those who oppose you,+ And I will save your own sons. 26 I will make those who mistreat you eat their own flesh, And as with sweet wine, they will become drunk with their own blood. And all people* will have to know that I am Jehovah,+ Your Savior+ and your Repurchaser,+ The Powerful One of Jacob.”+

#poetry #bible #isaiah

You shall not stand

Isaiah 45-47

Isaiah This is what Jehovah says to his anointed one, to Cyrus, Whose right hand I have taken hold of To subdue nations before him, To disarm kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:

“Before you I will go, And the hills I will level. The copper doors I will break in pieces, And the iron bars I will cut down.

I will give you the treasures in the darkness And the hidden treasures in the concealed places, So that you may know that I am Jehovah, The God of Israel, who is calling you by your name.

For the sake of my servant Jacob and of Israel my chosen one, I am calling you by your name. I am giving you a name of honor, although you did not know me.

I am Jehovah, and there is no one else. There is no God except me. I will strengthen you, although you did not know me,

In order that people may know From the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides me. I am Jehovah, and there is no one else.

I form light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, Jehovah, am doing all these things.

You heavens, rain down from above; Let the clouds pour down righteousness. Let the earth open up and be fruitful with salvation, And let it cause righteousness to spring up at the same time. I, Jehovah, have created it.

Woe to the one who contends with his Maker, For he is just an earthenware fragment Among the other earthenware fragments lying on the ground! Should the clay say to the Potter: “What are you making?” Or should your work say: “He has no hands”?

Woe to the one who says to a father: “What do you become father to?” And to a woman: “What are you giving birth to?”

This is what Jehovah says, the Holy One of Israel, the One who formed him: “Would you question me about the things coming And command me about my sons and the works of my hands?

I made the earth and created man on it. I stretched out the heavens with my own hands, And I give orders to all their army.

I have raised up a man in righteousness, And I will make all his ways straight. He is the one who will build my city And set my exiles free without a price or a bribe,” says Jehovah of armies.

This is what Jehovah says:

“The profit of Egypt and the merchandise of Ethiopia and the Sabeans, tall of stature, Will come over to you and become yours. They will walk behind you in chains. They will come over and bow down to you. To you they will say in prayer, ‘Surely God is with you, And there is no one else; there is no other God.’”

Truly you are a God who conceals himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.

They will all be put to shame and be humiliated; The makers of idols will all go off in disgrace.

But Israel will be saved by Jehovah with an everlasting salvation. You will not be put to shame or disgraced for all eternity.

For this is what Jehovah says, The Creator of the heavens, the true God, The One who formed the earth, its Maker who firmly established it, Who did not create it simply for nothing, but formed it to be inhabited:

“I am Jehovah, and there is no one else.

I did not speak in a concealed place, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me simply for nothing.’ I am Jehovah, who speaks what is righteous and declares what is upright.

Gather together and come. Approach together, you escapees from the nations. They know nothing, those who carry around carved images And pray to a god that cannot save them.

Make your report, present your case. Let them consult together in unity. Who foretold this long ago And declared it from times past? Is it not I, Jehovah? There is no other God but me; A righteous God and a Savior, there is none besides me.

Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, For I am God, and there is no one else.

By myself I have sworn; The word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, And it will not return: To me every knee will bend, Every tongue will swear loyalty And say, ‘Surely in Jehovah are true righteousness and strength. All those enraged against him will come before him in shame.

In Jehovah all the offspring of Israel will prove to be right, And in him they will make their boast.’”

Bel bends down, Nebo stoops over. Their idols are loaded on animals, on beasts of burden, Like baggage that burdens the weary animals. They stoop and bend down together; They cannot rescue the loads, And they themselves go into captivity.

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob, and all you who remain of the house of Israel, You whom I have supported from birth and carried from the womb.

Until you grow old I will be the same; Until your hair is gray I will keep bearing you. As I have done, I will carry you and bear you and rescue you.

To whom will you liken me or make me equal or compare me, So that we should resemble each other?

There are those who lavish gold from their purse; They weigh out the silver on the scale. They hire a metalworker, and he makes it into a god. Then they prostrate themselves, yes, they worship it.

They lift it to their shoulders; They carry it and put it in its place, and it just stands there. It does not move from its place. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; It cannot rescue anyone from distress.

Remember this, and take courage. Take it to heart, you transgressors.

Remember the former things of long ago, That I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there is no one like me.

From the beginning I foretell the outcome, And from long ago the things that have not yet been done. I say, ‘My decision will stand, And I will do whatever I please.’

I am calling a bird of prey from the sunrise, From a distant land the man to carry out my decision. I have spoken, and I will bring it about. I have purposed it, and I will also carry it out.

Listen to me, you who are stubborn of heart, You who are far away from righteousness.

I have brought my righteousness near; It is not far away, And my salvation will not delay. I will grant salvation in Zion, my splendor to Israel.”

Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon. Sit down on the ground where there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans, For never again will people call you delicate and pampered. Take a hand mill and grind flour. Remove your veil. Strip off your skirt, uncover your legs. Cross over the rivers.

Your nakedness will be uncovered. Your shame will be exposed. I will take vengeance, And no man will stand in my way.

“The One repurchasing us —Jehovah of armies is his name— Is the Holy One of Israel.”

Sit there silently and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; No more will they call you Mistress of Kingdoms.

I grew indignant at my people. I profaned my inheritance, And I gave them into your hand. But you showed them no mercy. Even on the elderly you placed a heavy yoke.

You said: “I will always be the Mistress, forever.” You did not take these things to heart; You did not consider how the matter would end.

Now hear this, O lover of pleasure, Who sits in security, who says in her heart: “I am the one, and there is no one else. I will not become a widow. I will never know the loss of children.”

But these two things will come upon you suddenly, in one day: Loss of children and widowhood. In full measure they will come upon you Because of your many sorceries and all your powerful spells.

You trusted in your wickedness. You said: “No one sees me.” Your wisdom and knowledge are what led you astray, And you say in your heart: “I am the one, and there is no one else.”

But calamity will come upon you, And none of your charms will stop it. Adversity will befall you; you will not be able to avert it. Sudden ruin will come upon you like you have never known.

Go ahead, then, with your spells and your many sorceries, With which you have toiled from your youth. Perhaps you may be able to benefit; Perhaps you may strike people with awe.

You have grown weary with the multitude of your advisers. Let them stand up now and save you, Those who worship the heavens, who gaze at the stars, Those giving out knowledge at the new moons About the things that will come upon you.

Look! They are like stubble. A fire will burn them up. They cannot save themselves from the power of the flame. These are not charcoals for keeping warm, And this is not a fire to sit in front of.

So your charmers will become to you, Those with whom you toiled from your youth. They will wander, each one in his own direction. There will be no one to save you.

https://soundcloud.com/wolfinwool-115608528/isaiah-45-47-esv2-26p-bg-36p?ref=thirdParty&p=i&c=1&si=8FDBF824A7294A00AB913B6EE710B71A&utm_source=thirdParty&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

#poetry #bible #isaiah

Dead gods tell no tales, only the True and Living God's name will endure forever. No marketing required.

Now this is what Jehovah says, your Creator, O Jacob, the One who formed you, O Israel:

Do not be afraid, for I have repurchased you. I have called you by your name. You belong to me.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not flood over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame singe you.

For I am Jehovah your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt as a ransom for you, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.

For you became precious in my eyes. You were honored, and I have loved you. So I will give people in place of you and nations in exchange for your life.

Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bring your offspring from the east and gather you together from the west. I will say to the north, “Give them up!” and to the south, “Do not hold them back. Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who is called by my name and whom I created for my own glory, whom I have formed and made.”

Bring out a people who are blind, though they have eyes, and who are deaf, though they have ears.

Let all the nations assemble in one place, and let the peoples be gathered together. Who among them can tell this? Or can they cause us to hear the former things? Let them present their witnesses to prove themselves right, or let them hear and say, “It is the truth.”

“You are my witnesses,” declares Jehovah, “yes, my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and have faith in me and understand that I am the same One. Before me no God was formed, and after me there has been none.

I—I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior.

I am the One who declared and saved and made known when there was no foreign god among you. So you are my witnesses,” declares Jehovah, “and I am God. Also, I am always the same One, and no one can snatch anything out of my hand. When I act, who can prevent it?”

This is what Jehovah says, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel:

For your sakes I will send to Babylon and bring down all the bars of the gates, and the Chaldeans, in their ships, will cry out in distress.

I am Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.

This is what Jehovah says, the One making a way through the sea and a path through turbulent waters, the One who draws out the war chariot and the horse, the army together with the mighty warriors:

They will lie down and not get up. They will be extinguished, snuffed out like a burning wick.

Do not remember the former things, and do not dwell on the past.

Look! I am doing something new. Even now it is springing up. Do you not recognize it?

I will make a way through the wilderness and rivers through the desert. The wild beast of the field will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I provide water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, for my people, my chosen one, to drink, the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.

But you have not called on me, O Jacob, because you grew weary of me, O Israel.

You have not brought me sheep for your whole burnt offerings or glorified me with your sacrifices. I have not compelled you to bring me a gift, nor have I made you weary by demanding frankincense.

You did not buy me sweet cane with your money, and with the fat of your sacrifices you did not satisfy me.

Instead, you have burdened me with your sins and made me weary with your errors.

I, I am the One who is blotting out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

Remind me; let us bring our case against each other. Tell your side of it to prove you are in the right.

Your first forefather sinned, and your own spokesmen have rebelled against me.

So I will profane the princes of the holy place, and I will give Jacob over to destruction and subject Israel to insulting words.

Now listen, O Jacob my servant, and you, O Israel, whom I have chosen.

This is what Jehovah says, your Maker and the One who formed you, who has helped you from the womb:

Do not be afraid, my servant Jacob, and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

For I will pour out water on the thirsty one and flowing streams on the dry ground. I will pour out my spirit on your offspring and my blessing on your descendants.

They will spring up among the green grass like poplars by the streams of water.

One will say, “I belong to Jehovah.” Another will call himself by the name of Jacob. Yet another will write on his hand, “Belonging to Jehovah.” And he will adopt the name of Israel.

This is what Jehovah says, the King of Israel and his Repurchaser, Jehovah of armies:

I am the first and I am the last. There is no God but me.

Who is there like me? Let him call out and tell it and prove it to me. From the time I established the people of long ago, let them tell both the things to come and what will yet happen.

Do not be in dread, and do not become paralyzed with fear. Have I not told each of you beforehand and declared it?

You are my witnesses. Is there any God but me? No, there is no other Rock. I know of none.

All who form carved images amount to nothing, and their cherished objects will be of no benefit. As their witnesses, they see nothing and know nothing, so those who made them will be put to shame.

Who would form a god or cast a metal image that can bring no benefit?

Look! All his associates will be put to shame. The craftsmen are mere humans. Let them all assemble and take their stand. They will be terrified and be put to shame together.

The metalsmith works the iron over the coals with his tool. He forms it with hammers, working it with his powerful arm. Then he grows hungry and his strength fails. He drinks no water and grows tired.

The wood-carver stretches the measuring line, tracing out the pattern with red chalk. He works it with a wood scraper and traces it with a compass. He patterns it after a man, with the beauty of a man, to sit in a house.

There is one whose work is to cut down cedars. He selects a certain type of tree, an oak, and he lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel tree, and the rain makes it grow.

Then it becomes fuel for a man to make fires. He takes part of it to warm himself. He builds a fire and bakes bread. But he also makes a god and worships it. He makes it into a carved image and bows down before it.

Half of it he burns up in a fire. With that half he roasts the meat that he eats and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm as I watch the fire.”

But the rest of it he makes into a god, into his carved image. He bows down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.”

They know nothing, they understand nothing, because their eyes are sealed shut and they cannot see, and their heart has no insight.

No one reflects in his heart or has understanding, saying: “Half of it I burned up in a fire, and on its coals I baked bread and roasted meat to eat. Should I then make the rest of it into a detestable thing? Should I worship a block of wood from a tree?”

He feeds on ashes. His own deluded heart has led him astray. He cannot save himself, nor does he say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

Remember these things, O Jacob, and you, O Israel, for you are my servant. I formed you, and you are my servant. O Israel, I will not forget you.

I will blot out your transgressions as with a cloud and your sins as with a thick cloud.

Return to me, for I will repurchase you.

Shout joyfully, you heavens, for Jehovah has acted! Shout in triumph, you depths of the earth! Shout for joy, you mountains, you forest and all your trees!

For Jehovah has repurchased Jacob, and on Israel he displays his splendor.

This is what Jehovah says, your Repurchaser, who formed you since you were in the womb:

I am Jehovah, who made everything. I stretched out the heavens by myself, and I spread out the earth. Who was with me?

I frustrate the signs of the empty talkers and make diviners act like fools, confounding the wise men and turning their knowledge into foolishness.

I make the word of my servant come true and completely fulfill the predictions of my messengers.

I say of Jerusalem, “She will be inhabited,” and of the cities of Judah, “They will be rebuilt, and I will restore her ruins.”

I say to the deep waters, “Be evaporated, and I will dry up all your rivers.”

I say of Cyrus, “He is my shepherd, and he will completely carry out all my will.”

I say of Jerusalem, “She will be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Your foundation will be laid.”

#poetry #bible #isaiah

Who of us can live with unquenchable flames? —The one who walks in continual righteousness.

ISAIAH:

Woe to you, you destroyer who has not been destroyed; You betrayer who has not been betrayed! When you finish destroying, you will be destroyed. When you finish betraying, you will be betrayed.

O Jehovah, show us favor. Our hope is in you. Become our arm every morning, Yes, our salvation in the time of distress.

At the sound of turmoil peoples flee. When you rise up, nations scatter.

As the voracious locusts gather, so your spoil will be gathered; People will rush on it like swarms of locusts.

Jehovah will be exalted, For he resides in the heights above. He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.

He is the stability of your times; An abundance of salvation, wisdom, knowledge, and the fear of Jehovah —This is his treasure.

Look! Their heroes cry out in the street; The messengers of peace weep bitterly.

The highways are deserted; There is no one traveling on the pathways. He has broken the covenant; He has rejected the cities; He shows no regard for mortal man.

The land mourns and withers away. Lebanon is ashamed; it has decayed. Sharon has become like the desert, And Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.

JEHOVAH:

“Now I will rise up, Now I will exalt myself; Now I will magnify myself.

You conceive dried grass and give birth to stubble. Your own spirit will consume you like a fire.

And peoples will become as the burnings of lime. As thorns cut down, they will be set ablaze with fire.

You who are far away, listen to what I will do! And you who are nearby, acknowledge my might!”

ISAIAH:

The sinners in Zion are in dread; Trembling has seized the apostates: ‘Who of us can live where there is a consuming fire? Who of us can live with unquenchable flames?’

The one who walks in continual righteousness, Who speaks what is upright, Who rejects dishonest, fraudulent gain, Whose hands refuse a bribe rather than grabbing it, Who closes his ear to talk of bloodshed, And who shuts his eyes to avoid seeing what is bad

—He will reside in the heights; His secure refuge will be in rocky strongholds, His bread will be provided, And his water supply will never fail.

Your eyes will behold a king in his splendor; They will see a land far away.

In your heart you will recall the terror: “Where is the secretary? Where is the one who weighed out the tribute? Where is the one who counted the towers?”

You will no more see the insolent people, A people whose language is too obscure to comprehend, Whose stammering tongue you cannot understand.

Behold Zion, the city of our festivals! Your eyes will see Jerusalem as a tranquil dwelling place, A tent that will not be moved. Never will its tent pins be pulled out, And none of its ropes will be torn apart.

But there the Majestic One, Jehovah, Will be for us a region of rivers, of wide canals, Where no galley fleet will go And no majestic ships will pass by.

For Jehovah is our Judge, Jehovah is our Lawgiver, Jehovah is our King; He is the One who will save us.

Your ropes will hang loose; They cannot hold up the mast nor spread the sail. At that time an abundance of spoil will be divided up; Even the lame will take much plunder.

And no resident will say: “I am sick.” The people dwelling in the land will be pardoned for their error.

ISAIAH 34

ISAIAH:

Come close to hear, you nations, And pay attention, you peoples. Let the earth and that which fills it listen, The land and all its produce.

For Jehovah’s indignation is against all the nations, And his wrath is against all their army. He will devote them to destruction; He will give them to the slaughter.

Their slain will be thrown out, And the stench of their carcasses will ascend; The mountains will melt because of their blood.

All the army of the heavens will rot away, And the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll. All their army will wither away, As a withered leaf falls from the vine And a shriveled fig from the fig tree.

JEHOVAH:

“For in the heavens my sword will be drenched. It will descend on Edom in judgment, On the people whom I devoted to destruction.

Jehovah has a sword; it will be covered with blood. It will be covered with the fat, With the blood of young rams and goats, With the kidney fat of rams. For Jehovah has a sacrifice in Bozrah, A great slaughter in the land of Edom.

The wild bulls will go down with them, The young bulls with the powerful ones. Their land will be drenched in blood, And their dust will be soaked with fat.”

ISAIAH:

For Jehovah has a day of vengeance, A year of retribution for the legal case over Zion.

Her streams will be changed into pitch, And her dust into sulfur, And her land will become like burning pitch.

By night or by day it will not be extinguished; Its smoke will keep ascending forever. From generation to generation she will remain devastated; No one will pass through her forever and ever.

The pelican and the porcupine will possess her, And long-eared owls and ravens will reside in her. He will stretch out over her the measuring line of emptiness And the plumb line of desolation.

None of her nobles will be called to the kingship, And all her princes will come to nothing.

Thorns will grow in her fortified towers, Nettles and thorny weeds in her fortresses. She will become a lair of jackals, An enclosure for ostriches.

Desert creatures will meet up with howling animals, And the wild goat will call to its companion. Yes, there the nightjar will settle and find a place of rest.

There the arrow snake will make its nest and lay eggs, And it will hatch them and gather them in its shadow. Yes, there the kites will gather, each one with her mate.

Search in the book of Jehovah and read it out loud: Not one of them will be missing; None of them will be lacking a mate, For it is the mouth of Jehovah that has given the order, And it is his spirit that has gathered them together.

He is the One who has cast the lot for them, And his own hand has measured out their assigned place. They will possess it for all time; They will reside in it throughout all generations.

ISAIAH 35

ISAIAH:

The wilderness and the parched land will exult, And the desert plain will be joyful and blossom as the saffron.

Without fail it will blossom; It will rejoice and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, The splendor of Carmel and of Sharon. They will see the glory of Jehovah, the splendor of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the knees that are shaking.

Say to those who are anxious at heart: “Be strong. Do not be afraid. Look! Your own God will come with vengeance, God will come with retribution. He will come and save you.”

At that time the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.

At that time the lame will leap like the deer, And the tongue of the speechless will shout for joy. For waters will burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert plain.

The heat-parched ground will become a reedy pool, And the thirsty ground springs of water. In the lairs where jackals rested, There will be green grass and reeds and papyrus.

And a highway will be there, Yes, a way called the Way of Holiness. The unclean one will not travel on it. It is reserved for the one walking on the way; No one foolish will stray onto it.

No lion will be there, And no vicious wild beasts will come on it. They will not be found there; Only the repurchased ones will walk there.

Those redeemed by Jehovah will return and come to Zion with a joyful cry. Unending joy will crown their heads. Exultation and rejoicing will be theirs, And grief and sighing will flee away.

#poetry #bible #isaiah

“In returning and resting you will be saved; in quietness and trust will be your strength.”

“Woe to the stubborn sons,” declares Jehovah,

JEHOVAH:

“Who carry out plans that are not mine, Who make alliances, but not by my spirit, In order to add sin to sin.

They go down to Egypt without consulting me, To take shelter under Pharoh’s protection And to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt!

But the protection of Pharoh will become for you a reason for shame, And refuge in Egypt’s shadow a cause for humiliation.

For his princes are in Zoan, And his envoys have reached Hanes.

They will all be put to shame By a people who can bring no benefit to them, Who offer no help and no benefit, Only shame and disgrace.”

NARRATOR:

A pronouncement against the beasts of the south:

Through the land of distress and hardship, Of the lion, the roaring lion, Of the viper and the flying fiery snake, They carry their wealth on the backs of donkeys And their supplies on the humps of camels. But these things will not benefit the people.

For Egypt’s help is completely useless. So I have called this one: “Rahab, who sits still.”

JEHOVAH:

“Now go, write it on a tablet in their presence, And inscribe it in a book, So that it may serve for a future day As a permanent witness.

For they are a rebellious people, deceitful sons, Sons who are unwilling to hear the law of Jehovah.

They say to the seers, ‘Do not see,’ And to the visionaries, ‘Do not tell us truthful visions. Tell us flattering things; envision deceptive illusions. Turn aside from the way; deviate from the path. Quit putting before us the Holy One of Israel.’”

“Since you reject this word And you trust in fraud and deceit And you rely on these,

So this error will be for you like a broken wall, Like a bulging high wall ready to fall. It will crash suddenly, in an instant. It will be broken like a large potter’s jar, So completely smashed that no fragment among its pieces will be left To rake the fire from the fireplace Or to scoop water from a puddle.”

“For by returning to me and resting, you will be saved; Your strength will be in keeping calm and showing trust.” But you were unwilling.

Instead, you said: “No, we will flee on horses!” So flee you will. “And on swift horses we will ride!” So those pursuing you will be swift.

A thousand will tremble at the threat of one; At the threat of five you will flee Until what is left of you is like a mast on the top of a mountain, Like a signal pole on a hill.

But Jehovah is waiting patiently to show you favor, And he will rise up to show you mercy. For Jehovah is a God of justice. Happy are all those keeping in expectation of him.

NARRATOR:

When the people dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem, you will by no means weep. He will surely show you favor at the sound of your cry for help; He will answer you as soon as he hears it.

Though Jehovah will give you bread in the form of distress And water in the form of oppression, Your Grand Instructor will no longer hide himself, And you will see your Grand Instructor with your own eyes.

And your own ears will hear a word behind you saying, “This is the way. Walk in it,” In case you should go to the right or in case you should go to the left.

And you will defile the silver overlay of your graven images And the golden plating of your metal statues. You will cast them away like a menstrual cloth And say to them, “Be gone!”

And he will give the rain for the seed you sow in the ground, And the bread that the ground produces will be abundant and rich. In that day your livestock will graze in spacious pastures.

And the cattle and the donkeys that work the ground Will eat fodder seasoned with sorrel, Which was winnowed with the shovel and the pitchfork.

And on every tall mountain and on every high hill Will be streams and watercourses, In the day of the great slaughter when the towers fall.

And the light of the full moon will become like the light of the sun; And the light of the sun will become seven times stronger, Like the light of seven days, In the day that Jehovah binds up the breakdown of his people And heals the severe wound from the blow he inflicted.

Look! The name of Jehovah is coming from far away, Burning with his anger and with heavy clouds. His lips are full of indignation, And his tongue is like a consuming fire.

His spirit is like a flooding torrent that reaches clear to the neck, To shake the nations in a sieve of destruction; And the peoples will have a bridle in their jaws that leads them astray.

But your song will be like the one sung in the night When you prepare for a festival, And your heart will rejoice like one Who walks with a flute On his way to the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel.

Jehovah will make his majestic voice heard And reveal his arm as it descends in the heat of anger, With the flame of a consuming fire, A cloudburst and a thunderstorm and hailstones.

For because of the voice of Jehovah, Assyria will be struck with terror; He will strike it with a rod.

And every swing of his rod of punishment That Jehovah will bring down on Assyria Will be accompanied by tambourines and harps As he brandishes his arm against them in battle.

For his Topheth is already prepared; It is also made ready for the king. He has made the woodpile deep and wide, With an abundance of fire and wood. The breath of Jehovah, like a torrent of sulfur, Will set fire to it.

ISAIAH:

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for assistance, Who rely on horses, Who trust in war chariots because they are numerous, And in warhorses because they are mighty. But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, And they do not search for Jehovah.

But he is also wise and will bring calamity, And he will not take back his words. He will rise up against the house of evildoers And against those who help wrongdoers.

The Egyptians, though, are mere men and not God; Their horses are flesh and not spirit. When Jehovah stretches out his hand, Whoever offers help will stumble And whoever is helped will fall; They will all perish at the same time.

JEHOVAH:

“Just as the lion growls, a strong young lion, over its prey, When a whole group of shepherds is called together against it, And it is not terrified by their voice Or daunted by their commotion, So will Jehovah of armies come down to wage war Over Mount Zion and over her hill.

Like swooping birds, so Jehovah of armies will defend Jerusalem. He will defend her and save her. He will spare her and rescue her.”

ISAIAH:

“Return to the One against whom you have blatantly revolted, O people of Israel. For in that day each one will reject his worthless gods of silver And his valueless gods of gold, Which your own hands sinfully made.

And the Assyrian will fall by the sword, not of a man; And a sword, not of a human, will devour him. He will flee because of the sword, And his young men will be put to forced labor.

His crag will pass away because of sheer fright, And his princes will be terrified because of the signal pole,”

NARRATOR:

Declares Jehovah, Whose light is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

NARRATOR:

Look! A king will reign for righteousness, And princes will rule for justice.

And each one will be like a hiding place from the wind, A place of concealment from the rainstorm, Like streams of water in a waterless land, Like the shadow of a massive crag in a parched land.

Then the eyes of those seeing will no longer be pasted shut, And the ears of those hearing will pay attention.

The heart of those who are impetuous will ponder over knowledge, And the stammering tongue will speak fluently and clearly.

The senseless one will no longer be called generous, And the unprincipled man will not be called noble;

For the senseless one will speak nonsense, And his heart will devise harmful things, To promote apostasy and to speak what is wayward against Jehovah, To cause the hungry one to go unfed And to deprive the thirsty one of something to drink.

The devices of the unprincipled man are bad; He promotes shameful conduct To ruin the afflicted one with lies, Even when the poor speaks what is right.

But the generous one has generous intentions, And in generous endeavors he perseveres.

JEHOVAH:

“You complacent women, get up and listen to my voice! You carefree daughters, pay attention to what I say!

In a little over a year, you who are carefree will shudder, Because no fruit will have been gathered when the grape harvest ends.

Tremble, you complacent women! Shudder, you who are carefree! Strip yourselves bare, And put sackcloth around your hips.

Beat your breasts in lamentation Over the desirable fields and the fruitful vine.

For the ground of my people will be covered with thorns and briars; They will cover all the houses of rejoicing, Yes, the city of exultation.

For the fortified tower has been forsaken; The noisy city has been abandoned. Ophel and the watchtower have become a permanent wasteland, A delight for wild donkeys, A pasture for the flocks,

Until the spirit is poured out on us from above, And the wilderness becomes an orchard, And the orchard is regarded as a forest.

Then justice will reside in the wilderness, And righteousness will dwell in the orchard.

The result of true righteousness will be peace, And the fruitage of true righteousness will be lasting tranquility and security.

My people will dwell in a peaceful abiding place, In secure dwellings and in tranquil resting-places.

But the hail will flatten the forest, And the city will be completely leveled.

Happy are you who sow seed alongside all waters, Who send out the bull and the donkey.”

#poetry #bible #isaiah

Wisdom was sealed, not because it was hidden— but because it was unwanted.

ISAIAH:

Woe to the showy crown of the drunkards of Eʹphra·im And the fading blossom of its glorious beauty, Which is on the head of the fertile valley of those overcome with wine!

Look! Jehovah has someone strong and mighty. Like a thundering hailstorm, a destructive windstorm, Like a thunderstorm of powerful floodwaters, He will forcefully hurl it down to the earth.

The showy crowns of the drunkards of Eʹphra·im Will be trampled underfoot.

And the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is on the head of the fertile valley, Will become like the early fig before summer. When someone sees it, he swallows it as soon as it is in his hand.

In that day Jehovah of armies will become a glorious crown and a beautiful garland to those left of his people.
And he will become a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment
And a source of mightiness to those who repel the attack at the gate.

And these also go astray because of wine; Their alcoholic beverages make them stagger. Priest and prophet go astray because of alcohol; The wine confuses them, And they stagger from their alcohol; Their vision makes them go astray, And they stumble in judgment.

For their tables are full of filthy vomit
—There is no place without it.

To whom will one impart knowledge, And to whom will one explain the message? To those who have just been weaned from milk, Those just taken away from the breasts?

For it is “command after command, command after command, Line by line, line by line,
A little here, a little there.”

So by means of those with stammering speech and a foreign language, he will speak to this people.

He once told them: “This is the resting-place.
Let the weary one rest; this is the place of refreshment,”
But they refused to listen.

So to them the word of Jehovah will be: “Command after command, command after command, Line by line, line by line,
A little here, a little there,”

So that when they walk, They will stumble and fall backward And be broken and ensnared and caught.

So hear the word of Jehovah, you boasters, You rulers of this people in Jerusalem:

RULERS (QUOTED):

“We have made a covenant with Death,
And with the Grave we have made an agreement.
When the raging flash flood passes through, It will not reach us, For we have made a lie our refuge And we have hidden ourselves in falsehood.”

JEHOVAH:

Here I am laying as a foundation in Zion a tested stone,
The precious cornerstone of a sure foundation.
No one exercising faith will panic.

And I will make justice the measuring line
And righteousness the leveling tool.
The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, And the waters will flood out the hiding place.

Your covenant with Death will be dissolved, And your agreement with the Grave will not stand.
When the raging flash flood passes through, You will be crushed by it.

As often as it passes through, It will sweep you away;
For it will pass through morning after morning, During the day and during the night. Only terror will make them understand what was heard.

For the bed is too short to stretch out on, And the woven sheet is too narrow to wrap up in.

For Jehovah will rise up as at Mount Pe·raʹzim; He will rouse himself as in the valley near Gibʹe·on, That he may do his deed—his strange deed— And that he may carry out his work—his unusual work.

Now do not scoff,
So that your bonds may not be further tightened,
For I have heard from the Sovereign Lord, Jehovah of armies, That an extermination has been determined for all the land.

Give ear and listen to my voice;
Pay attention and listen to what I say.

NARRATOR:

Does the plower keep plowing all day before he sows seed? Does he continually break up and harrow his ground?

When he has smoothed out its surface, Does he not then scatter black cumin and sow cumin, And does he not plant wheat, millet, and barley in their places And spelt around the edges?

For He teaches him the right way; His God instructs him.

For black cumin is not crushed with a threshing sledge,
And a wagon wheel is not driven over cumin. Rather, black cumin is beaten out with a rod, And cumin with a staff.

Does a person crush grain for bread? No, he does not thresh it incessantly;
And when he drives the roller of his wagon over it with his horses, He does not crush it.

This also comes from Jehovah of armies, Whose counsel is wonderful And whose achievements are great.

ISAIAH 29

ISAIAH:

“Woe to Arʹi·el, Arʹi·el, the city where David encamped!
Continue year after year;
Let the cycle of festivals continue.

But I will bring distress on Arʹi·el,
And there will be mourning and lamentation,
And she will become to me like an altar hearth of God.

I will encamp on all sides against you, And I will besiege you with a palisade And raise up siegeworks against you.

You will be brought low; From the ground you will speak, And what you say will be muffled by dust. Your voice will come from the ground
Like the voice of a spirit medium, And your words will chirp from the dust.

The crowd of your enemies will be like fine powder,
The crowd of the tyrants just like the blowing chaff.
And it will happen in an instant, suddenly.

Jehovah of armies will give you his attention
With thunder and earthquake and a great noise, With storm wind and tempest and the flames of a consuming fire.”

Then the crowd of all the nations waging war against Arʹi·el
—All those waging war against her, The siege towers against her, And those bringing distress on her— Will become like a dream, a vision of the night.

Yes, it will be just as when someone hungry dreams that he is eating,
But he wakes up hungry,
And as when someone thirsty dreams that he is drinking, But he wakes up tired and thirsty.
So it will happen with the crowd of all the nations
That wage war against Mount Zion.

Be stunned and amazed;
Blind yourselves and be blinded.
They are drunk, but not with wine; They are staggering, but not from alcohol.

For Jehovah has poured a spirit of deep sleep on you;
He has closed your eyes, the prophets,
And he has covered your heads, the visionaries.

Every vision becomes for you like the words of a sealed book.
When they give it to someone who can read, saying: “Read this out loud, please,”
He will say: “I cannot, for it is sealed up.”

And when they give the book to someone who cannot read, saying: “Read this, please,”
He will say: “I cannot read at all.”

JEHOVAH:

“This people approach me with their mouth
And they honor me with their lips,
But their heart is far removed from me;
And their fear of me is based on commands of men that they have been taught.

Therefore, I am the One who will again do wonderful things with this people,
With wonder upon wonder;
And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the understanding of their discreet men will be hidden.”

Woe to those who go to great lengths to conceal their plans from Jehovah.
Their deeds are done in a dark place, While they say: “Who sees us?
Who knows about us?”

How you twist things!
Should the potter be regarded the same as the clay?
Should what is made say about its maker:
“He did not make me”?
And does what is formed say about its former:
“He shows no understanding”?

In just a short time, Lebʹa·non will be turned into an orchard,
And the orchard will be regarded as a forest.

In that day the deaf will hear the words of the book,
And out of the gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.

The meek will rejoice greatly in Jehovah,
And the poor among men will be joyful in the Holy One of Israel.

For the tyrant will be no more,
The boaster will come to his finish,
And all those keeping alert to do harm will be destroyed,

Those who with a false word make others guilty,
Who lay traps for the defender in the city gate,
And who with empty arguments deny justice to the righteous one.

So this is what Jehovah, who redeemed Abraham, says to the house of Jacob:

“Jacob will no longer be ashamed,
And no more will his face grow pale.

For when he sees his children,
Who are the work of my hands, in his midst,
They will sanctify my name;
Yes, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, And they will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

Those who are wayward in spirit will acquire understanding,
And those who complain will accept instruction.”

#poetry #bible #isaiah

I wasted away— and yet still I listened.

NARRATOR:

Look! Jehovah is emptying the land and making it desolate. He turns it upside down and scatters its inhabitants.

It will be the same for everyone: The people as well as the priest, The servant and his master, The servant and her mistress, The buyer and the seller, The lender and the borrower, The creditor and the debtor.

The land will be completely emptied; It will be completely plundered, For Jehovah has spoken this word.

The land mourns; it is wasting away. The productive land withers; it is fading away. The prominent people of the land wither.

The land has been polluted by its inhabitants, For they have bypassed the laws, Changed the regulation, And broken the lasting covenant.

That is why the curse devours the land, And those inhabiting it are held guilty. That is why the inhabitants of the land have dwindled, And very few men are left.

The new wine mourns, the vine withers, And all those cheerful at heart are sighing.

The joy of the tambourines has ceased; The noise of the revelers has ended; The happy sound of the harp has ceased.

They drink wine without song, And alcohol tastes bitter to those drinking it.

The deserted town is broken down; Every house is shut up so that no one can enter.

They cry out for wine in the streets. All rejoicing has disappeared; The joy of the land has gone.

The city is left in ruins; The gate has been crushed to a heap of rubble.

For this is how it will be in the land, among the peoples: As when an olive tree is beaten, Like the gleaning when the grape harvest comes to an end.

VOICES OF THE RIGHTEOUS:

They will raise their voice, They will shout joyfully. From the sea they will proclaim the majesty of Jehovah.

That is why they will glorify Jehovah in the region of light; In the islands of the sea they will glorify the name of Jehovah the God of Israel.

From the ends of the earth we hear songs: “Glory to the Righteous One!”

ISAIAH:

But I say: “I am wasting away, I am wasting away! Woe to me! The treacherous have acted treacherously; With treachery the treacherous have acted treacherously.”

Terror and pits and traps await you, inhabitant of the land.

Anyone fleeing from the sound of terror will fall into the pit, And anyone coming up from the pit will be caught in the trap. For the floodgates above will be opened, And the foundations of the land will quake.

The land has burst apart; The land has been shaken up; The land convulses violently.

The land staggers like a drunken man, And it sways back and forth like a hut in the wind. Its transgression weighs heavily on it, And it will fall, so that it will not rise up again.

In that day Jehovah will turn his attention to the army of the heights above And to the kings of the earth upon the earth.

And they will be gathered together Like prisoners gathered into a pit, And they will be shut up in the dungeon; After many days they will be given attention.

The full moon will be abashed, And the shining sun will be ashamed, For Jehovah of armies has become King in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, Glorious before the elders of his people.

ISAIAH (PRAYER):

O Jehovah, you are my God. I exalt you, I praise your name, For you have done wonderful things, Things purposed from ancient times, In faithfulness, in trustworthiness.

For you have turned a city into a pile of stones, A fortified town into a crumbling ruin. The foreigner’s tower is a city no more; It will never be rebuilt.

That is why a strong people will glorify you; The city of tyrannical nations will fear you.

For you have become a stronghold to the lowly, A stronghold to the poor in his distress, A refuge from the rainstorm, And a shade from the heat. When the blast of the tyrants is like a rainstorm against a wall,

As the heat in a parched land, You subdue the uproar of strangers. Like heat that is subdued by the shadow of a cloud, So the song of the tyrants is silenced.

In this mountain Jehovah of armies will make for all the peoples A banquet of rich dishes, A banquet of fine wine, Of rich dishes filled with marrow, Of fine, filtered wine.

In this mountain he will do away with the shroud that is enveloping all the peoples And the covering that is woven over all the nations.

He will swallow up death forever, And the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will wipe away the tears from all faces. The reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, For Jehovah himself has spoken it.

THE REDEEMED:

In that day they will say: “Look! This is our God! We have hoped in him, And he will save us. This is Jehovah! We have hoped in him. Let us be joyful and rejoice in the salvation by him.”

NARRATOR:

For the hand of Jehovah will rest on this mountain, And Moab will be trampled on in its place Like straw trampled into a pile of manure.

He will slap out his hands into it Like a swimmer slapping out his hands to swim, And he will bring down its haughtiness With the skillful movements of his hands.

And the fortified city, with your high walls of security, He will bring down; He will knock it down to the ground, to the very dust.

SONG OF JUDAH:

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“We have a strong city. He makes salvation its walls and its ramparts.

Open up the gates so that the righteous nation may enter, A nation that is keeping faithful conduct.

You will safeguard those who fully lean on you; You will give them continuous peace, Because it is in you that they trust.

Trust in Jehovah forever, For Jah Jehovah is the eternal Rock.

For he has brought low those inhabiting the height, the lofty city. He brings it down, He brings it down to the earth; He casts it down to the dust.

The foot will trample it, The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the lowly.”

ISAIAH:

The path of the righteous one is upright. Because you are upright, You will smooth out the course of the righteous.

As we follow the path of your judgments, O Jehovah, Our hope is in you. We long for your name and your memorial.

In the night I long for you with my whole being, Yes, my spirit keeps looking for you; For when there are judgments from you for the earth, The inhabitants of the land learn about righteousness.

Even if the wicked is shown favor, He will not learn righteousness. Even in the land of uprightness he will act wickedly, And he will not see the majesty of Jehovah.

O Jehovah, your hand is raised, but they do not see it. They will see your zeal for your people and be put to shame. Yes, the fire for your adversaries will consume them.

O Jehovah, you will grant us peace, Because everything we have done You have accomplished for us.

O Jehovah our God, other masters besides you have ruled over us, But we make mention of your name alone.

They are dead; they will not live. Powerless in death, they will not rise up. For you have turned your attention to them To annihilate them and destroy all mention of them.

You have enlarged the nation, O Jehovah, You have enlarged the nation; You have glorified yourself. You have greatly extended all the borders of the land.

O Jehovah, during distress they turned to you; They poured out their prayer in a whisper when you disciplined them.

Just as a pregnant woman about to give birth Has labor pains and cries out in pain, So we have been because of you, O Jehovah.

We became pregnant, we had labor pains, But it is as if we had given birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the land, And no one is born to inhabit the land.

JEHOVAH (PROMISE):

“Your dead will live. My corpses will rise up. Awake and shout joyfully, You residents in the dust! For your dew is as the dew of the morning, And the earth will let those powerless in death come to life.

Go, my people, enter your inner rooms, And shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a brief moment Until the wrath has passed by.

For look! Jehovah is coming from his place To call the inhabitants of the land to account for their error, And the land will expose her bloodshed And will no longer cover over her slain.”

NARRATOR:

In that day Jehovah, with his harsh and great and strong sword, Will turn his attention to Leviathan, the gliding serpent, To Leviathan, the twisting serpent, And he will kill the monster that is in the sea.

SONG OF THE VINEYARD:

In that day sing to her: “A vineyard of foaming wine! I, Jehovah, am safeguarding her. Every moment I water her. I safeguard her night and day, So that no one may harm her.

There is no wrath in me. Who will confront me with thornbushes and weeds in the battle? I will trample them and set them on fire all together.

Otherwise, let him hold fast to my stronghold. Let him make peace with me; Peace let him make with me.”

NARRATOR:

In the coming days Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and sprout, And they will fill the land with produce.

Must he be struck with the stroke of the one striking him? Or must he be killed as with the slaughter of his slain?

With a startling cry you will contend with her when sending her away. He will expel her with his fierce blast in the day of the east wind.

So in this way the error of Jacob will be atoned for, And this will be the full fruitage when his sin is taken away: He will make all the stones of the altar Like chalkstones that have been pulverized, And no sacred poles or incense stands will be left.

For the fortified city will be deserted; The pastures will be forsaken and abandoned like a wilderness. There the calf will graze and lie down And will consume her branches.

When her twigs have dried up, Women will come and break them off, Making fires with them. For this people is without understanding. That is why their Maker will show them no mercy, And the One who formed them will show them no favor.

In that day Jehovah will beat out the fruit from the flowing stream of the River to the Wadi of Egypt, And you will be gathered up one after the other, O people of Israel.

In that day a great horn will be blown, And those who are perishing in the land of Assyria And those dispersed in the land of Egypt Will come and bow down to Jehovah in the holy mountain in Jerusalem.

#reading #bible #isaiah