Isaiah 31–33

Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt

31Woe^p to those who go down to Egypt^q for help,

who rely on horses,^r

who trust in the multitude of their chariots^s

and in the great strength of their horsemen,

but do not look to the Holy One^t of Israel,

or seek help from the Lord.^u

²Yet he too is wise^v and can bring disaster;^w

he does not take back his words.^x

He will rise up against that wicked nation,^y

against those who help evildoers.

³But the Egyptians^z are mere mortals and not God;^a

their horses^b are flesh and not spirit.

When the Lord stretches out his hand,^c

those who help will stumble,

those who are helped^d will fall;

all will perish together.^e

⁴This is what the Lord says to me:

“As a lion^f growls,

a great lion over its prey—

and though a whole band of shepherds^g

is called together against it,

it is not frightened by their shouts

or disturbed by their clamor^h—

so the Lord Almighty will come downⁱ

to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.

⁵Like birds hovering^j overhead,

the Lord Almighty will shield^k Jerusalem;

he will shield it and deliver^l it,

he will ‘pass over’^m it and will rescue it.”

⁶Return,ⁿ you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted^o against. ⁷For in that day^p every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold^q your sinful hands have made.^r

⁸“Assyria^s will fall by no human sword;

a sword, not of mortals, will devour^t them.

They will flee before the sword

and their young men will be put to forced labor.^u

⁹Their stronghold^v will fall because of terror;

at the sight of the battle standard^w their commanders will panic,^x”

declares the Lord,

whose fire^y is in Zion,

whose furnace^z is in Jerusalem.

The Kingdom of Righteousness

32See, a king^a will reign in righteousness

and rulers will rule with justice.^b

²Each one will be like a shelter^c from the wind

and a refuge from the storm,^d

like streams of water^e in the desert^f

and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

³Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,^g

and the ears^h of those who hear will listen.

⁴The fearful heart will know and understand,ⁱ

and the stammering tongue^j will be fluent and clear.

⁵No longer will the fool^k be called noble

nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

⁶For fools speak folly,^l

their hearts are bent on evil:^m

They practice ungodlinessⁿ

and spread error^o concerning the Lord;

the hungry they leave empty^p

and from the thirsty they withhold water.

⁷Scoundrels use wicked methods,^q

they make up evil schemes^r

to destroy the poor with lies,

even when the plea of the needy^s is just.^t

⁸But the noble make noble plans,

and by noble deeds^u they stand.^v

The Women of Jerusalem

⁹You women^w who are so complacent,

rise up and listen^x to me;

you daughters who feel secure,^y

hear what I have to say!

¹⁰In little more than a year^z

you who feel secure will tremble;

the grape harvest will fail,^a

and the harvest of fruit will not come.

¹¹Tremble,^b you complacent women;

shudder, you daughters who feel secure!^c

Strip off your fine clothes^d

and wrap yourselves in rags.^e

¹²Beat your breasts^f for the pleasant fields,

for the fruitful vines^g

¹³and for the land of my people,

a land overgrown with thorns and briers^h—

yes, mournⁱ for all houses of merriment

and for this city of revelry.^j

¹⁴The fortress^k will be abandoned,

the noisy city deserted;^l

citadel and watchtower^m will become a wasteland forever,

the delight of donkeys,ⁿ a pasture for flocks,^o

¹⁵till the Spirit^p is poured on us from on high,

and the desert becomes a fertile field,^q

and the fertile field seems like a forest.^r

¹⁶The Lord’s justice^s will dwell in the desert,^t

his righteousness^u live in the fertile field.

¹⁷The fruit of that righteousness^v will be peace;^w

its effect will be quietness and confidence^x forever.

¹⁸My people will live in peaceful^y dwelling places,

in secure homes,^z

in undisturbed places of rest.^a

¹⁹Though hail^b flattens the forest^c

and the city is leveled^d completely,

²⁰how blessed you will be,

sowing^e your seed by every stream,^f

and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.^g

Distress and Help

33Woe^h to you, destroyer,

you who have not been destroyed!

Woe to you, betrayer,

you who have not been betrayed!

When you stop destroying,

you will be destroyed;ⁱ

when you stop betraying,

you will be betrayed.^j

²Lord, be gracious^k to us;

we long for you.

Be our strength^l every morning,

our salvation^m in time of distress.ⁿ

³At the uproar of your army,^o the peoples flee;^p

when you rise up,^q the nations scatter.

⁴Your plunder,^r O nations, is harvested^s as by young locusts;^t

like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.

⁵The Lord is exalted,^u for he dwells on high;^v

he will fill Zion with his justice^w and righteousness.^x

⁶He will be the sure foundation for your times,

a rich store of salvation^y and wisdom and knowledge;

the fear^z of the Lord is the key to this treasure.^aa

⁷Look, their brave men^b cry aloud in the streets;

the envoys^c of peace weep bitterly.

⁸The highways are deserted,

no travelers^d are on the roads.^e

The treaty is broken,^f

its witnesses^b are despised,

no one is respected.

⁹The land dries up^g and wastes away,

Lebanon^h is ashamed and withers;ⁱ

Sharon^j is like the Arabah,

and Bashan^k and Carmel^l drop their leaves.

¹⁰“Now will I arise,^m” says the Lord.

“Now will I be exalted;ⁿ

now will I be lifted up.

¹¹You conceive^o chaff,

you give birth^p to straw;

your breath is a fire^q that consumes you.

¹²The peoples will be burned to ashes;^r

like cut thornbushes^s they will be set ablaze.^t”

¹³You who are far away,^u hear^v what I have done;

you who are near, acknowledge my power!

¹⁴The sinners^w in Zion are terrified;

trembling^x grips the godless:

“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?^y

Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”

¹⁵Those who walk righteously^z

and speak what is right,^a

who reject gain from extortion^b

and keep their hands from accepting bribes,^c

who stop their ears against plots of murder

and shut their eyes^d against contemplating evil—

¹⁶they are the ones who will dwell on the heights,^e

whose refuge^f will be the mountain fortress.^g

Their bread will be supplied,

and water will not fail^h them.

¹⁷Your eyes will see the kingⁱ in his beauty^j

and view a land that stretches afar.^k

¹⁸In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:^l

“Where is that chief officer?

Where is the one who took the revenue?

Where is the officer in charge of the towers?^m”

¹⁹You will see those arrogant peopleⁿ no more,

people whose speech is obscure,

whose language is strange and incomprehensible.^o

²⁰Look on Zion,^p the city of our festivals;

your eyes will see Jerusalem,

a peaceful abode,^q a tent^r that will not be moved;^s

its stakes will never be pulled up,

nor any of its ropes broken.

²¹There the Lord will be our Mighty^t One.

It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.^u

No galley with oars will ride them,

no mighty ship^v will sail them.

²²For the Lord is our judge,^w

the Lord is our lawgiver,^x

the Lord is our king;^y

it is he who will save^z us.

²³Your rigging hangs loose:

The mast is not held secure,

the sail is not spread.

Then an abundance of spoils will be divided

and even the lame^a will carry off plunder.^b

²⁴No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”;^c

and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.^d