Isaiah 34:9–12

9 Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch,

her dust into burning sulfur;

her land will become blazing pitch!

10 It will not be quenched night or day;

its smoke will rise forever.

From generation to generation it will lie desolate;

no one will ever pass through it again.

11 The desert owl and screech owl will possess it;

the great owl and the raven will nest there.

God will stretch out over Edom

the measuring line of chaos

and the plumb line of desolation.

12 Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom,

all her princes will vanish away.

9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch,

And the dust thereof into brimstone,

And the land thereof shall become burning pitch.

10 It shall not be quenched night nor day;

The smoke thereof shall go up for ever:

From generation to generation it shall lie waste;

None shall pass through it for ever and ever.

11 But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it;

The owl also and the raven shall dwell in it:

And he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness.

12 They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there,

And all her princes shall be nothing.

9 The streams of Edom will be filled with burning pitch,

and the ground will be covered with fire.

10 This judgment on Edom will never end;

the smoke of its burning will rise forever.

The land will lie deserted from generation to generation.

No one will live there anymore.

11 It will be haunted by the desert owl and the screech owl,

the great owl and the raven.

For God will measure that land carefully;

he will measure it for chaos and destruction.

12 It will be called the Land of Nothing,

and all its nobles will soon be gone.

9 Its streams shall be turned into pitch,

And its dust into brimstone;

Its land shall become burning pitch.

10 It shall not be quenched night or day;

Its smoke shall ascend forever.

From generation to generation it shall lie waste;

No one shall pass through it forever and ever.

11 But the pelican and the porcupine shall possess it,

Also the owl and the raven shall dwell in it.

And He shall stretch out over it

The line of confusion and the stones of emptiness.

12 They shall call its nobles to the kingdom,

But none shall be there, and all its princes shall be nothing.

9 Edom’s rivers will be like hot tar.

Its dirt will be like burning sulfur.

Its land will be like burning tar.

10 The fires will burn night and day;

the smoke will rise from Edom forever.

Year after year that land will be empty;

no one will ever travel through that land again.

11 Birds and small animals will own that land,

and owls and ravens will live there.

God will make it an empty wasteland;

it will have nothing left in it.

12 The important people will have no one left to rule them;

the leaders will all be gone.

9 And the streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. 10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever; from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever. 11 But the pelican and the porcupine shall possess it; and the owl and the raven shall dwell therein: and he will stretch over it the line of confusion, and the plummet of emptiness. 12 They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there; and all its princes shall be nothing.

9 And the torrents thereof shall be turned into pitch, and its dust into brimstone; yea, the land thereof shall become burning pitch: 10 it shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever. 11 And the pelican and the bittern shall possess it, and the great owl and the raven shall dwell in it. And he shall stretch out upon it the line of waste, and the plummets of emptiness. 12 Of her nobles who should proclaim the kingdom, none are there; and all her princes shall be nought.

9 Edom’s streams will be turned to tar. 

Its soil will be turned to burning sulfur. 

Its land will become blazing tar. 

10 They will not be extinguished day or night, 

and smoke will always go up from them. 

Edom will lie in ruins for generations. 

No one will ever travel through it. 

11 Pelicans and herons will take possession of the land. 

Owls and crows will live there. 

He will stretch the measuring line of chaos 

and the plumb line of destruction over it. 

12 There are no nobles to rule a kingdom. 

All of its princes have disappeared. 

9 Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch,

her soil into sulfur;

her land will become burning pitch.

10 It will never go out—day or night.

Its smoke will go up forever.

It will be desolate, from generation to generation;

no one will pass through it forever and ever.

11 The desert owl and the screech owl will possess it,

and the great owl and the raven will dwell there.

The Lord will stretch out a measuring line

and a plumb line over her

for her destruction and chaos.

12 No nobles will be left to proclaim a king,

and all her princes will come to nothing.

9 And the streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch

and her soil into sulfur;

her land shall become burning pitch.

10 Night and day it shall not be quenched;

its smoke shall go up forever.

From generation to generation it shall lie waste;

no one shall pass through it forever and ever.

11 But the desert owl and the screech owl shall possess it;

the great owl and the raven shall live in it.

He shall stretch the line of confusion

and the plummet of chaos over it.

12 They shall call its nobles No Kingdom There,

and all its princes shall be nothing.

9 And its streams shall be changed to pitch and its soil to sulfur,

and its land shall become like burning pitch.

10 Night and day it shall not be quenched;

its smoke shall go up forever.

From generation to generation it shall be in ruins;

forever and ever there will be no one who passes through her.

11 But the large bird and the hedgehog shall take possession of it,

and the owl and the raven shall live in it.

And he shall stretch the measuring line of confusion out over it,

and the plumb line of emptiness.

12 Its nobles—but no kingdom is there—shall call,

and all its princes shall be nothing.

9 The streams of Edom will be turned into tar.

Its dust will be turned into blazing sulfur.

Its land will become burning tar.

10 The fire will keep burning night and day.

It can’t be put out.

Its smoke will go up forever.

Edom will lie empty for all time to come.

No one will ever travel through it again.

11 The desert owl and screech owl will make it their home.

The great owl and the raven will build their nests there.

God will use his measuring line

to show how completely Edom will be destroyed.

He will use his plumb line

to show how empty Edom will become.

12 Edom’s nobles won’t have anything left there

that can be called a kingdom.

All of its princes will vanish.

9 Its streams will be turned into pitch,

And its loose earth into brimstone,

And its land will become burning pitch.

10 It will not be quenched night or day;

Its smoke will go up forever.

From generation to generation it will be desolate;

None will pass through it forever and ever.

11 But pelican and hedgehog will possess it,

And owl and raven will dwell in it;

And He will stretch over it the line of desolation

And the plumb line of emptiness.

12 Its nobles—there is no one there

Whom they may proclaim king—

And all its princes will be nothing.