Isaiah 33:1–13

The Lord Will Judge Assyria

33How terrible it will be for you, you who destroy others!

Assyria, you haven’t been destroyed yet.

How terrible for you, you who turn against others!

Others haven’t turned against you yet.

When you stop destroying,

you will be destroyed.

When you stop turning against others,

others will turn against you.

²Lord, show us your favor.

We long for you to help us.

Make us strong every morning.

Save us when we’re in trouble.

³When the nations hear you thunder, they run away.

When you rise up against them, they scatter.

⁴Nations, what you have taken in battle is destroyed.

It’s as if young locusts had eaten it up.

Like large numbers of locusts,

people rush to get it.

⁵The Lord is honored. He lives in heaven.

He will fill Zion’s people with what is fair and right.

⁶He will be the firm foundation for their entire lives.

He will give them all of the wisdom, knowledge and saving power they will ever need.

Respect for the Lord is the key to that treasure.

⁷Look! Judah’s brave men cry out loud in the streets.

The messengers who were sent to bring peace sob bitter tears.

⁸The wide roads are deserted.

No one travels on them.

Our peace treaty with Assyria is broken.

Those who witnessed it are looked down on.

No one is respected.

⁹The land is filled with sadness and wastes away.

Lebanon is full of shame and dries up.

The rich land of Sharon is like the Arabah Desert.

The trees of Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.

¹⁰“Now I will take action,” says the Lord.

“Now I will be honored.

Now I will be respected.

¹¹Assyria, your plans and actions are like straw.

Your anger is a fire that will destroy you.

¹²The nations will be burned to ashes.

They will be like bushes that are cut down and set on fire.

¹³“You nations far away, listen to what I have done!

My people who are near, recognize how powerful I am!