Isaiah 29:1–10

Woe to David’s City

29 Woed to you, Ariel, Ariel,e

the cityf where David settled!

Add year to year

and let your cycle of festivalsg go on.

2 Yet I will besiege Ariel;h

she will mourn and lament,i

she will be to me like an altar hearth.a j

3 I will encamp against you on all sides;

I will encirclek you with towers

and set up my siege worksl against you.

4 Brought low, you will speak from the ground;

your speech will mumblem out of the dust.n

Your voice will come ghostlikeo from the earth;

out of the dust your speech will whisper.p

5 But your many enemies will become like fine dust,q

the ruthlessr hordes like blown chaff.s

Suddenly,t in an instant,

6 the Lord Almighty will comeu

with thunderv and earthquakew and great noise,

with windstorm and tempestx and flames of a devouring fire.y

7 Then the hordes of all the nationsz that fight against Ariel,a

that attack her and her fortress and besiege her,

will be as it is with a dream,b

with a vision in the night—

8 as when a hungry person dreams of eating,

but awakensc hungry still;

as when a thirsty person dreams of drinking,

but awakens faint and thirsty still.d

So will it be with the hordes of all the nations

that fight against Mount Zion.e

9 Be stunned and amazed,f

blind yourselves and be sightless;g

be drunk,h but not from wine,i

stagger,j but not from beer.

10 The Lord has brought over you a deep sleep:k

He has sealed your eyesl (the prophets);m

he has covered your heads (the seers).n