Isaiah 29:17–24

Is it not yet a very little while

until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field,

and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest?

In that day the deaf shall hear

the words of a book,

and out of their gloom and darkness

the eyes of the blind shall see.

The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord,

and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.

For the ruthless shall come to nothing

and the scoffer cease,

and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off,

who by a word make a man out to be an offender,

and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate,

and with an empty plea turn aside him who is in the right.

Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob:

“Jacob shall no more be ashamed,

no more shall his face grow pale.

For when he sees his children,

the work of my hands, in his midst,

they will sanctify my name;

they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob

and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

And those who go astray in spirit will come to understanding,

and those who murmur will accept instruction.”

In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field

and the fertile field seem like a forest?

In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll,

and out of gloom and darkness

the eyes of the blind will see.

Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord;

the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

The ruthless will vanish,

the mockers will disappear,

and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down—

those who with a word make someone out to be guilty,

who ensnare the defender in court

and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice.

Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the descendants of Jacob:

“No longer will Jacob be ashamed;

no longer will their faces grow pale.

When they see among them their children,

the work of my hands,

they will keep my name holy;

they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob,

and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding;

those who complain will accept instruction.”

Isn’t it true that in just a little while

Lebanon will become an orchard,

and the orchard will seem like a forest?

On that day the deaf will hear

the words of a document,

and out of a deep darkness

the eyes of the blind will see.

The humble will have joy

after joy in the Lord,

and the poor people will rejoice

in the Holy One of Israel.

For the ruthless one will vanish,

the scorner will disappear,

and all those who lie in wait with evil intent

will be killed—

those who, with their speech,

accuse a person of wrongdoing,

who set a trap for the one mediating at the city gate

and without cause deprive the righteous of justice.

Therefore, the Lord who redeemed Abraham says this about the house of Jacob:

Jacob will no longer be ashamed,

and his face will no longer be pale.

For when he sees his children,

the work of my hands within his nation,

they will honor my name,

they will honor the Holy One of Jacob

and stand in awe of the God of Israel.

Those who are confused will gain understanding,

and those who grumble will accept instruction.

Soon—and it will not be very long—

the forests of Lebanon will become a fertile field,

and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops.

In that day the deaf will hear words read from a book,

and the blind will see through the gloom and darkness.

The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord.

The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

The scoffer will be gone,

the arrogant will disappear,

and those who plot evil will be killed.

Those who convict the innocent

by their false testimony will disappear.

A similar fate awaits those who use trickery to pervert justice

and who tell lies to destroy the innocent.

That is why the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the people of Israel,

“My people will no longer be ashamed

or turn pale with fear.

For when they see their many children

and all the blessings I have given them,

they will recognize the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob.

They will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

Then the wayward will gain understanding,

and complainers will accept instruction.

In a very little while shall not Lebanon change into a fruitful land,

and the fruitful land be regarded as a forest?

And on that day, the deaf shall hear the words of a scroll,

and the eyes of the blind shall see out of gloom and darkness.

And the meek have joy after joy in Yahweh,

and the needy of the people shall rejoice in the holy one of Israel.

For the tyrant shall be no more,

and the scoffer shall come to an end.

And all those lying in wait for evil shall be cut off;

those who mislead a person into sin with a word

and set a trap for the arbitrator in the gate

and guide away the righteous by emptiness.

Therefore Yahweh, who redeemed Abraham, says this to the house of Jacob:

“Jacob will no longer be ashamed,

and his face will no longer grow pale.

For when he sees his children,

the work of my hands, in his midst,

they will treat my name as holy,

and they will treat the holy one of Jacob as holy,

and they will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

And those who err in spirit will acquire understanding,

and those who grumble will learn instruction.

Is it not yet a very little while,

And Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field,

And the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book,

And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord,

And the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed,

And all that watch for iniquity are cut off:

That make a man an offender for a word,

And lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate,

And turn aside the just for a thing of nought.

Therefore thus saith the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob,

Jacob shall not now be ashamed,

Neither shall his face now wax pale.

But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him,

They shall sanctify my name,

And sanctify the Holy One of Jacob,

And shall fear the God of Israel.

They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding,

And they that murmured shall learn doctrine.