Isaiah

Isaiah

“The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz,

which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem

in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.”

“Hear, O heavens, give ear, O earth—YHWH has spoken.”

“I raised children—but they have rebelled against Me.

The ox knows its owner… but Israel does not know.”

“Ah, sinful nation—laden with iniquity!

From head to foot, no soundness—only wounds and bruises.

Your land is desolate, your cities burned with fire.”

“Unless YHWH had left a remnant,

we would have become like Sodom.”

Empty Worship Rejected

“What is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?”

“I am weary of burnt offerings.

New moons and Sabbaths—I cannot endure iniquity and assembly.”

The Call to Repent

“Wash yourselves—make yourselves clean.

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Correct oppression.”

“Come now, let us reason together,” says YHWH.

“Though your sins are like scarlet—they shall be white as snow.”

“If you are willing—you shall eat the good of the land.

But if you refuse—by the sword you shall be devoured.”

———

“In the latter days, the mountain of YHWH’s house

will be established above the hills—nations shall flow to it.”

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of YHWH,

to the house of the God of Jacob.”

“He will judge between nations…

They shall beat their swords into plowshares.”

The Day of YHWH

“YHWH has forsaken His people—full of idols, soothsayers, and silver.”

“Enter the rock—hide in the dust,

for the terror of YHWH and the glory of His majesty.”

“The pride of man shall be humbled—

YHWH alone shall be exalted in that day.”

———

“YHWH removes supply and support—hero and warrior, judge and prophet…”

“I will make boys their princes—infants will rule over them.”

“Jerusalem staggers. Judah falls—

their tongue and deeds are against YHWH.”

Woe to the Proud Women

“They walk with outstretched necks,

mincing as they go—jingling with anklets.”

“YHWH will strip away their finery…

Instead of beauty—branding.”

———

“In that day, seven women will take hold of one man, saying:

‘Let us be called by your name—take away our reproach.’”

“In that day, the Branch of YHWH shall be glorious and beautiful.”

“He who is left in Zion shall be called holy—written among the living.”

“YHWH will wash away filth…

and create a canopy of cloud and fire over Zion.”

“His glory shall be a shelter and refuge from storm and heat.”

———

“My beloved had a vineyard…

He dug it, cleared it, planted choice vines…”

“What more could I have done?

When I looked for justice—behold, bloodshed.”

“So I will remove its hedge—it shall be trampled.”

Six Woes:

Woe to those who join house to house—until there is no room

Woe to early drinkers—but not for justice

Woe to those who draw sin with cords of deceit

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil

Woe to the wise in their own eyes

Woe to heroes at drinking—but who acquit the guilty for a bribe

“Therefore, YHWH’s anger burns—

His hand is stretched out still.”

“He lifts a signal to nations far away—they come swiftly.”

———

“In the year that King Uzziah died,

I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up,

and the train of His robe filled the temple.”

Seraphim stood above Him, each with six wings:

“Holy, holy, holy is YHWH of Hosts;

the whole earth is full of His glory!”

The thresholds shook, and the house was filled with smoke.

Isaiah’s Cry and Cleansing

“Woe is me! I am undone—

for I am a man of unclean lips… and my eyes have seen the King.”

One of the seraphim took a coal from the altar and touched his lips:

“Your guilt is taken away; your sin is atoned for.”

The Call and the Message

YHWH said:

“Whom shall I send?”

Isaiah replied:

“Here I am—send me!”

YHWH said:

“Go, and say to this people:

‘Keep listening, but do not understand…’”

Isaiah asked:

“How long, O Lord?”

He answered:

“Until cities lie waste without inhabitant…”

“Yet a tenth will remain… and the holy seed is its stump.”

———

Ahaz, king of Judah, was afraid—Aram and Israel had joined forces.

YHWH said to Isaiah:

“Take your son Shear-jashub and meet Ahaz.”

“Be careful, be quiet—do not fear these two smoldering stumps.

They shall not stand.”

Ahaz Refuses a Sign

YHWH said:

“Ask for a sign, from the depth or height.”

Ahaz replied:

“I will not ask—I will not test YHWH.”

Isaiah answered:

“Is it too little to weary men, that you weary God also?”

The Sign

“Therefore YHWH Himself will give you a sign:

Behold, the young woman shall conceive and bear a son,

and shall call his name Immanuel.”

“Before the boy knows good from evil, the land you dread will be deserted.”

———

YHWH told Isaiah:

“Write on a large tablet: Maher-shalal-hash-baz (‘Swift to plunder, quick to spoil’).”

Isaiah’s wife bore a son, and YHWH said:

“Before the boy says ‘Father’ or ‘Mother,’

Damascus and Samaria will fall.”

The River Will Overflow

“Because this people refused the waters of Shiloah…

therefore the king of Assyria will overflow like a mighty river—

filling even Judah up to the neck.”

Do Not Fear Their Fear

“Do not call conspiracy what this people calls conspiracy.

Do not fear what they fear—YHWH of Hosts is your fear.”

“He will be a sanctuary—

and a stone of stumbling to both houses of Israel.”

“Bind up the testimony—seal the teaching among My disciples.”

“I and the children YHWH has given me are signs and wonders in Israel.”

“Should not a people inquire of their God?”

———

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.

On those dwelling in deep shadow—a light has dawned.”

“You have shattered the yoke of his burden.”

The Child and the Government

“For unto us a child is born,

unto us a son is given;

and the government will be upon His shoulder.”

“And His name shall be called:

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Father Everlasting,

Prince of Peace.”

“Of the increase of His rule and peace there shall be no end—

upon the throne of David… to establish it forever.”

“The zeal of YHWH of Hosts will accomplish this.”

Judgment Continues

“Though His anger is not turned away,

His hand is still stretched out.”

Four sins are judged:

Pride of Ephraim and Samaria

False prophets and leaders

Devourers of their own people

Unrighteous decrees and oppression

———

“Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees,

who rob the poor and crush the needy…”

“What will you do on the day of judgment?”

Assyria, the Rod of My Anger

YHWH says:

“Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger…

I will send him against a godless nation.”

But Assyria boasts:

“By my strength I removed boundaries and took treasures.”

YHWH replies:

“Shall the axe boast over the one who hews with it?”

A Remnant Will Return

“The Holy One will burn with fire—like a forest in a single day.”

“Yet a remnant will return…

The remnant of Jacob to the Mighty God.”

The Yoke Shall Be Broken

“His yoke shall be broken because of the anointing.”

YHWH describes the advance of the enemy—from Aiath to Nob.

The LORD Will Strike Down the Lofty

“Behold, the Lord will lop off the boughs with terror.

The lofty will be brought low.

The forest of Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.”

———

“A shoot shall come forth from the stump of Jesse,

and a Branch from his roots shall bear fruit.”

“The Spirit of YHWH shall rest upon Him—

the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and might,

the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of YHWH.”

“He shall not judge by what He sees,

but with righteousness He shall judge the poor

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.”

“He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth.”

A Kingdom of Peace

“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,

the leopard shall lie with the young goat…

and a little child shall lead them.”

“They shall not hurt or destroy

on all My holy mountain,

for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of YHWH

as the waters cover the sea.”

The Nations Will Seek Him

“In that day, the Root of Jesse shall stand as a banner for the peoples—

to Him shall the nations inquire.”

“YHWH will gather the outcasts of Israel…

and reunite Judah and Ephraim.”

“With the wind of His Spirit He will make a path across the sea.”

———

“In that day you will say:

‘I give thanks to You, O YHWH.

Though You were angry with me,

Your anger turned away—and You comforted me.’”

“Behold, God is my salvation;

I will trust and not be afraid.”

“Sing to YHWH, for He has done glorious things.

Let this be known in all the earth!”

“Cry aloud and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,

for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel!”

———

“The oracle concerning Babylon,

which Isaiah son of Amoz saw.”

“Raise a banner on a bare hill.

Summon the nations for battle!”

“YHWH is mustering an army for war—

to destroy the whole land.”

The Day of YHWH

“Wail—for the day of YHWH is near.”

“Every hand will go limp.

Their faces will burn with terror.”

“Behold, the day of YHWH comes,

cruel with wrath and fierce anger.”

“The stars will not give light.

The sun will be dark when it rises.”

Judgment on the Proud

“I will punish the world for its evil,

and the wicked for their iniquity.”

“I will make man more rare than fine gold.”

Fall of Babylon Foretold

“Like hunted gazelles, they will scatter.”

“Their infants will be dashed to pieces…

Their houses plundered.”

“Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them…”

“Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,

will be like Sodom and Gomorrah—overthrown by God.”

———

“YHWH will have compassion on Jacob…

and give them rest from sorrow and slavery.”

A Proverb Against the King of Babylon

“How the oppressor has ceased!

YHWH has broken the staff of the wicked.”

“Sheol beneath is stirred to meet you…

It raises the shades to greet you.”

“You are brought down to Sheol—your pomp is laid low.”

“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining one, son of the dawn!”

“You said in your heart:

‘I will ascend to heaven…

I will sit on the mount of assembly…

I will make myself like the Most High.’”

“But you are brought down to the pit.”

YHWH's Purpose Stands

“I will rise up against them,” says YHWH,

“and cut off name and remnant from Babylon.”

“This is the plan purposed against the whole earth—

who can annul it?”

———

“An oracle concerning Moab:

Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night…

Dibon has gone up to its high places to weep.”

“In every head is baldness, every beard cut off.”

“The armed men of Moab cry aloud—

their hearts tremble.”

YHWH Weeps Over Moab

“My heart cries out for Moab…

the waters of Nimrim are dried up.”

“The grass withers…

the abundance is gone.”

“For I will bring an end to the pride of Moab…”

———

“Send the lamb to the ruler of the land,

from Sela across the desert to Mount Zion.”

“Let the outcasts of Moab dwell with you.

Be a shelter to them from the destroyer.”

“For a throne will be established in steadfast love…

and on it will sit one in faithfulness—

in the tent of David.”

The Pride of Moab

“We have heard of the pride of Moab—how great is his arrogance!”

“Therefore Moab wails—her people wail for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth.”

“Joy and gladness are taken away from the orchards…”

“My inner being moans for Moab like a harp.”

“But in three years… the glory of Moab will be brought low.”

———

“An oracle concerning Damascus:

Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city—it will become a ruin.”

“The cities of Aroer are forsaken…

The fortress will disappear from Ephraim.”

The Glory Fades

“In that day, the glory of Jacob will fade…”

“Only gleanings will remain, like after the olive harvest.”

Idolatry Exposed

“You have forgotten the God of your salvation.”

“Though you plant pleasant plants and sow imported vines…

the harvest will flee away in a day of sickness.”

Nations Roar—YHWH Rebukes

“The nations roar like many waters…

but YHWH will rebuke them.”

“They will be chased like chaff on the mountains,

like tumbleweed before the storm.”

———

“Ah, land of whirring wings beyond the rivers of Cush (Ethiopia)…

that sends envoys by sea.”

“Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth… feared far and wide.”

YHWH’s Watchful Stillness

“For thus says YHWH:

‘I will quietly look from My dwelling…

like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in harvest heat.’”

“Before the harvest… He will cut off the shoots.”

Tribute to YHWH

“At that time tribute will be brought to YHWH of Hosts

from a people tall and smooth…

to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of YHWH.”

———

“Behold, YHWH rides on a swift cloud

and comes to Egypt.”

“The idols of Egypt will tremble…

brother will fight against brother.”

“The spirit of Egypt will be emptied…

I will confound their counsel.”

Collapse of Economy and Wisdom

Waters of the Nile will dry

Fishermen will mourn

Workers in flax and cloth will be ashamed

Princes of Zoan are fools

YHWH has mingled a spirit of confusion

A Future for Egypt

“In that day, five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan.”

“There will be an altar to YHWH in the midst of Egypt…”

“YHWH will strike Egypt—but then heal.”

A Triad of Blessing

“In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria…”

“Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria…

A blessing in the midst of the earth.”

“Blessed be Egypt My people,

and Assyria the work of My hands,

and Israel My inheritance.”

———

“In the year that Sargon king of Assyria sent his commander to attack Ashdod…”

YHWH said to Isaiah:

“Remove your sackcloth, and take off your sandals.”

Isaiah walked naked and barefoot for three years,

as a sign against Egypt and Cush.

The Meaning

“So shall the king of Assyria lead away the captives of Egypt and Cush,

young and old—naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered.”

“They shall be dismayed and ashamed.”

“And those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will say:

‘Behold, this is what happened to those we trusted.

How shall we escape?’”

———

1. The Fall of Babylon (Desert by the Sea)

“As whirlwinds in the Negev sweep on,

so it comes from the desert—from a fearsome land.”

“A harsh vision is told to me:

The traitor betrays, the destroyer destroys.”

“My heart staggers, trembling has seized me…

They prepare the table, they spread the rugs—eat and drink!”

“Arise, princes! Oil the shield!”

“For thus YHWH said to me:

‘Go, set a watchman… and let him announce what he sees.’”

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon!

And all her carved images are shattered on the ground.”

2. Oracle Concerning Edom (Dumah)

“Someone calls from Seir:

‘Watchman, what of the night?’”

The watchman replies:

“Morning comes—and also the night.

If you would inquire—come again.”

3. Oracle Concerning Arabia

“O caravans of Dedanites,

bring water for the thirsty…

for fugitives flee the sword.”

“In a year, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end.”

———

“What is the matter with you,

that you have gone up to the housetops?”

“Your slain are not slain by the sword…

All your leaders have fled together.”

YHWH’s Lament

“I will weep bitterly.

Do not comfort Me for the ruin of My people.”

“You looked to the weapons of the House of the Forest…

But you did not look to Him who made it.”

“The Lord YHWH of Hosts called for weeping and sackcloth…

but behold, joy and gladness.”

‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!’

“Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for.”

Judgment Against Shebna

“What right do you have to cut out a tomb for yourself on high?”

“YHWH will hurl you away violently.

He will seize you like a ball and toss you into a wide land.”

Eliakim Will Be Raised

“I will clothe him with your robe…

I will place on his shoulder the key of David.

What he opens, none shall shut.”

———

“Wail, O ships of Tarshish—your harbor is destroyed!”

“Be still, inhabitants of the coast.”

“Tyre was a merchant of nations,

whose traders were princes.”

The Judgment

“YHWH has stretched out His hand over the sea…

to shake the kingdoms.”

“He has given command concerning Canaan—

to destroy its strongholds.”

“This is the exultant city…

whose feet carried her to far-off lands.”

But After Seventy Years

“YHWH will revisit Tyre.

She will return to her wages as a prostitute with all the kingdoms.”

“Yet her profit will be holy to YHWH…

for those who dwell in His presence.”

———

“Behold, YHWH lays the earth waste—

and scatters its inhabitants.”

“As with the people, so with the priest…

the buyer, the seller… the lender, the borrower.”

“The earth mourns and withers.”

The Reason

“They have transgressed the laws,

violated the statutes,

broken the everlasting covenant.”

“Therefore a curse devours the earth.”

Few Are Left

“The wine mourns, the vine languishes,

all joy has grown dark.”

“Cities lie desolate…

the gates battered into ruin.”

But Some Lift Their Voice

“They lift up their voice—they shout for joy…

from the west they sing of the majesty of YHWH.”

“Glory to the Righteous One!”

“But I say: Woe is me! For traitors betray.”

Final Judgment

“The earth is broken, split open, violently shaken.”

“The moon is confounded, the sun ashamed—

for YHWH of Hosts reigns on Mount Zion.”

———

“O YHWH, You are my God.

I will exalt You, I will praise Your Name.”

“You have made the city a heap…

a palace of foreigners is a ruin.”

“You have been a stronghold to the poor…

a shelter from the storm.”

The Feast on the Mountain

“On this mountain, YHWH of Hosts will make a feast

of rich food, aged wine, marrow, and the finest bread.”

The Shroud Removed

“He will swallow up the covering cast over all peoples—

the veil spread over all nations.”

“He will swallow up death forever!”

“The Sovereign YHWH will wipe away every tear…”

“Behold, this is our God—we have waited for Him!”

———

“In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

We have a strong city—

YHWH sets up salvation as walls and ramparts.”

“Open the gates,

that the righteous nation may enter—one that keeps faith.”

“You will keep him in perfect peace,

whose mind is stayed on You—because he trusts in You.”

“Trust in YHWH forever,

for YHWH God is an everlasting rock.”

“The path of the righteous is level;

You make smooth the way of the just.”

Longing for YHWH

“My soul longs for You in the night;

my spirit earnestly seeks You.”

“When Your judgments are in the earth,

the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.”

Resurrection Hinted

“Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.

Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust!”

“For Your dew is a dew of light,

and the earth will give birth to the dead.”

———

“In that day YHWH will punish with His great, hard, and strong sword—

Leviathan, the fleeing serpent…

the twisting serpent…

and He will slay the dragon in the sea.”

The Vineyard of Delight

“I, YHWH, am its keeper.

I water it every moment—lest anyone harm it.”

“Let them make peace with Me—let them make peace.”

“In days to come, Jacob shall take root…

Israel shall blossom and fill the world with fruit.”

The Iniquity Purged

“By this, Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for…

when he makes all the altar stones like chalk.”

“The fortified city lies desolate.”

A Great Gathering

“YHWH will thresh from the Euphrates to Egypt,

and you will be gathered one by one, O children of Israel.”

“In that day a great trumpet will sound—

and the outcasts will come and worship YHWH in Jerusalem.”

———

“Woe to the proud crown of Ephraim’s drunkards…

fading like a flower on the head of a fertile valley.”

“Behold, the Lord has one who is strong and mighty.”

A Glorious Crown

“In that day, YHWH of Hosts will be a crown of beauty…

a spirit of justice… strength to those who turn back battle at the gate.”

The Mocking Priests

“They reel with wine… stagger with strong drink.

Priest and prophet stumble in vision.”

“To whom will He teach knowledge?

Line upon line, precept upon precept…”

“For by people of strange lips He will speak to this people.”

The Covenant with Death

“You said: ‘We have made a covenant with death…

When the overwhelming scourge passes through, it will not touch us.’”

“Therefore thus says YHWH:

‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stone, a tested stone…

a cornerstone—sure foundation.

He who trusts will not be in haste.’”

“Your covenant with death will be annulled.”

Plow and Harvest Parable

“Does the plowman plow continually? No…

He knows the right way—he teaches justice.

This comes from YHWH, whose counsel is wonderful.”

———

“Woe to Ariel, Ariel, the city where David camped!”

“I will distress Ariel…

yet it shall be to Me like Ariel.”

“You will be visited by thunder, earthquake, and flame.”

“All the nations who fight against Ariel will vanish like a dream.”

Blindness and Sealed Vision

“The vision has become to you like words of a sealed scroll.”

“YHWH has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep…

the prophets and seers are covered.”

Lip Service and Heart Distance

“This people draws near with their mouth…

but their hearts are far from Me.”

“I will again do a marvelous thing…

the wisdom of the wise shall perish.”

Clay and the Potter

“Shall the potter be regarded as clay?”

“In that day, the deaf shall hear the words of a scroll…

and the eyes of the blind shall see.”

“The meek shall obtain fresh joy…

and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.”

———

“Woe to the rebellious children…

who carry out a plan—but not Mine.”

“They set out to go to Egypt,

without asking My counsel.”

“Egypt’s help is worthless and empty.

Therefore I call her: Rahab Who Sits Still.”

A Scroll of Witness

“Write it before them…

for this is a rebellious people, lying children.”

“They say: ‘Speak to us smooth things—turn aside from the way.’”

The Crushing Wall

“Because you despise this word…

your iniquity will be like a wall that bulges and suddenly collapses.”

YHWH Longs to Be Gracious

“In returning and rest you shall be saved—

in quietness and trust shall be your strength.”

“But you would not…”

YHWH Will Rise

“YHWH waits to be gracious to you.”

“Though YHWH gives you the bread of adversity…

your Teacher will no longer hide.”

“You shall hear a voice behind you:

‘This is the way—walk in it.’”

The Day of Healing

“You will defile your idols and scatter them as unclean.”

“Then He will give rain for your seed…

and the oxen will eat seasoned fodder.”

“There will be streams on every high hill…”

“The light of the moon will be as the sun…

and the sun will be sevenfold.”

“YHWH will bind up the brokenness of His people.”

———

“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,

who rely on horses and trust in chariots…”

“But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel.”

“Egypt is man, and not God—

their horses are flesh, and not spirit.”

“YHWH will stretch out His hand…

both the helper and the helped will fall.”

YHWH Will Protect Jerusalem

“As birds hovering,

so will YHWH of Hosts protect Jerusalem—

He will shield and deliver it.”

“Turn to Him from whom you have deeply rebelled.”

“On that day, every idol will be cast away.”

“Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man…”

———

“Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,

and princes will rule with justice.”

“Each will be like a shelter from the wind…

like streams of water in a dry place.”

The Eyes Will See, and Ears Will Hear

“Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed…

and the tongue of the stammerers will speak clearly.”

Fools and Nobles Exposed

“The fool will no longer be called noble…”

“The noble plans noble things—and on noble things he stands.”

Women at Ease Warned

“Tremble, you women who are at ease—strip yourselves, and mourn.”

“Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high…”

A Peaceful Future

“Then justice will dwell in the wilderness…

and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.”

“My people will abide in peaceful habitations…”

“Blessed are you who sow beside all waters.”

———

“Woe, O destroyer, who yourself have not been destroyed…”

“YHWH is exalted, for He dwells on high—

He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.”

The Prayer of the Righteous

“Be our arm every morning—our salvation in time of trouble.”

“At the sound of Your thunder, the nations flee.”

The King in His Beauty

“Your eyes will behold the King in His beauty;

they will see a land that stretches afar.”

Zion Secure

“Look on Zion… a tent that shall not be moved.”

“YHWH will be our judge, lawgiver, and king—

He will save us.”

“No inhabitant will say, ‘I am sick’—

the people will be forgiven their iniquity.”

———

“Draw near, O nations, to hear!

Let the earth listen.”

“YHWH is enraged against all nations…

He has devoted them to destruction.”

“Their slain shall be cast out…

the heavens shall roll up like a scroll.”

Edom Devastated

“My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens…

it descends for judgment upon Edom.”

“Its streams will become pitch…

thorns shall grow in its palaces…”

“It shall be the haunt of jackals and hyenas…

the owl and the vulture shall possess it.”

“Seek and read from the scroll of YHWH:

Not one of these shall be missing…

His Spirit has gathered them.”

———

“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad…

the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus.”

“It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing.”

“They shall see the glory of YHWH,

the majesty of our God.”

Strengthen the Weak

“Strengthen the weak hands…

say to the anxious heart:

‘Be strong—fear not!

Behold, your God will come with vengeance…

He will come and save you.’”

Restoration of Senses and Land

“The eyes of the blind shall be opened…

the lame shall leap like a deer…

water shall break forth in the wilderness.”

“A highway shall be there,

and it shall be called the Way of Holiness.”

“The redeemed shall walk there…

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

———

In the 14th year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.

He sent the Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem with a large army.

They stood at the aqueduct, and Hezekiah’s officials—Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah—met them.

The Rabshakeh’s Speech

“Say to Hezekiah: ‘What is your trust? Do you think words are strategy?’”

“You trust in Egypt? That broken reed will pierce your hand.”

“You say you trust YHWH? Was it not Hezekiah who removed His high places?”

“Come now—make a wager with my master.

I’ll give you 2,000 horses—if you can find riders.”

“Have I come without YHWH?

YHWH said to me: ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’”

The Officials Interrupt

They said:

“Speak in Aramaic—we understand it. Do not speak Hebrew in the hearing of the people.”

But the Rabshakeh shouted louder:

“Do not let Hezekiah deceive you!

Do not let him make you trust in YHWH!”

“Make peace with me—each of you will eat from his own vine…”

“Has any god delivered his land from the king of Assyria?”

The people were silent.

———

When Hezekiah heard, he tore his clothes, covered himself in sackcloth, and went to the house of YHWH.

He sent for Isaiah:

“It is a day of distress… perhaps YHWH will hear.”

Isaiah replied:

“Do not be afraid.

I will put a spirit in him—he shall hear a rumor and return to his land.”

The Second Threat

Sennacherib sent a letter:

“Do not let your God deceive you.

Look what I have done to all nations. Their gods did not save them.”

Hezekiah’s Prayer

He spread the letter before YHWH and prayed:

“O YHWH of Hosts… You alone are God.

Incline Your ear. Open Your eyes.”

“Yes, they destroyed nations.

But they were not gods—just wood and stone.”

“Now, save us—so that all the kingdoms may know that You alone are YHWH.”

Isaiah’s Word to Hezekiah

“Because you prayed—I have heard.”

“The virgin daughter of Zion despises you.

Whom have you mocked? The Holy One of Israel.”

“I will put My hook in your nose… and turn you back.”

A Sign for Hezekiah

“This year you will eat what grows by itself…

next year what springs from that…

and in the third year—sow and reap.”

“The surviving remnant shall again take root.”

The Angel of YHWH Strikes

That night, the angel of YHWH struck down 185,000 in the Assyrian camp.

Sennacherib returned to Nineveh.

While worshiping in the house of Nisroch, his sons assassinated him.

———

Hezekiah became sick and was near death.

Isaiah said:

“Set your house in order—you shall die.”

Hezekiah wept and prayed:

“Remember how I have walked with You.”

YHWH said:

“I have heard your prayer. I will add fifteen years to your life.”

The Sign: The Shadow Reversed

Isaiah said:

“Shall the shadow go forward or backward ten steps?”

Hezekiah said: “Let it go backward.”

The shadow on the steps of Ahaz turned back ten steps.

Hezekiah’s Psalm of Deliverance

“In the noontide of my days—I was consigned to the gates of Sheol.”

“YHWH, by these things men live… restore me to health and let me live.”

“You have cast all my sins behind Your back.”

“The living, the living will praise You—like I do this day.”

———

Merodach-baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift.

Hezekiah showed them everything—treasures, weapons, storehouses.

Isaiah Confronts

“What did they see?”

“Everything,” Hezekiah replied.

Isaiah said:

“Behold, the days are coming when all you have will be carried to Babylon—nothing shall be left.”

“Some of your sons will be taken—they will serve in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

Hezekiah replied:

“The word of YHWH is good…

for there will be peace and truth in my days.”

———

“Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God.

“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem… her warfare is ended… her iniquity is pardoned.”

“A voice cries in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of YHWH,

make straight a highway for our God.’”

The Glory of YHWH

“Every valley shall be lifted… every mountain made low.”

“The glory of YHWH shall be revealed—

and all flesh shall see it together.”

The Word Stands Forever

“All flesh is grass…

the grass withers, but the word of our God stands forever.”

Behold Your God

“He will tend His flock like a shepherd—

He will gather the lambs in His arms.”

Who Has Measured the Heavens?

“Who has measured the waters in His hand?

Who taught Him justice?”

“The nations are like a drop in a bucket…

like dust on the scales.”

No One Is Like YHWH

“To whom then will you liken God?”

“He sits above the circle of the earth…”

“Lift up your eyes and see—He brings out the stars by name.”

He Gives Power to the Faint

“Even youths faint… but those who wait for YHWH shall renew their strength—

they shall mount up with wings like eagles.”

———

“Keep silence before Me, O coastlands…

let the peoples renew their strength.”

YHWH Raises One from the East

“Who stirred up one from the east?

I give nations before him.”

The Folly of Idols

“The craftsmen strengthen one another…

but they make idols that cannot move.”

Fear Not, O Jacob

“You are My servant—I have chosen you.”

“Fear not, for I am with you…

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

YHWH Will Help the Poor and Needy

“I will make rivers in the desert…

that they may see and know:

the hand of YHWH has done this.”

Challenge to the Idols

“Present your case—tell us what is to come.”

“Behold, you are nothing—an abomination is he who chooses you.”

———

“Behold My Servant, whom I uphold,

My chosen, in whom My soul delights.”

“He will not cry aloud…

a bruised reed He will not break.”

“He will faithfully bring forth justice.”

A Covenant for the People

“I have called You in righteousness…

to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners.”

“I am YHWH—that is My Name;

My glory I give to no other.”

Sing to YHWH a New Song

“Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice…”

“YHWH goes out like a mighty man… He cries aloud.”

A Blind and Deaf Servant

“Who is blind but My servant?

He sees many things—but does not observe.”

“It pleased YHWH to magnify His law and make it glorious.”

———

“Fear not—I have redeemed you.

I have called you by name—you are Mine.”

“When you pass through waters—I will be with you.”

“You are precious in My eyes…

and I love you.”

YHWH Alone Saves

“Before Me no god was formed,

nor shall there be any after Me.”

“I, I am YHWH—and besides Me there is no savior.”

You Are My Witnesses

“You are My witnesses,” says YHWH,

“and My servant whom I have chosen.”

Forget the Former Things

“Behold, I am doing a new thing!

Do you not perceive it?”

“I will make rivers in the desert…”

You Have Not Called Upon Me

“Yet you have not called upon Me…

but have burdened Me with your sins.”

“I, I am He who blots out your transgressions—for My own sake.”

———

“Fear not, My servant Jacob…

I will pour water on thirsty ground,

and My Spirit on your offspring.”

There Is No Other Rock

“I am the First and the Last—besides Me there is no god.”

“Who is like Me? Let him declare it.”

The Folly of Idolatry

“A man cuts down a tree…

with part he makes a fire—and with the rest, he makes a god and bows down.”

“He feeds on ashes—a deluded heart has led him astray.”

Remember These Things

“I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud—return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

“Sing, O heavens!

For YHWH has redeemed Jacob!”

———

“Thus says YHWH to His anointed, Cyrus,

whose right hand I have grasped…”

“I will go before you and level exalted places.”

“I will give you treasures of darkness…

that you may know it is I, YHWH.”

I Am YHWH, and There Is No Other

“I form light and create darkness…

I make well-being and create calamity.”

“Woe to him who strives with his Maker!”

“Shall the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’”

Salvation for All Nations

“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth.”

“To Me every knee shall bow,

every tongue shall swear allegiance.”

“Only in YHWH is righteousness and strength.”

———

“Bel bows down, Nebo stoops.

Their idols are on beasts of burden…

they themselves go into captivity.”

YHWH Carries His People

“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob…

who have been borne by Me from birth.”

“Even to your old age, I am He.

I will carry, I will bear, and I will rescue.”

There Is None Like YHWH

“To whom will you liken Me?

Those who pour out gold and silver…

and worship a god that cannot move or answer.”

He Declares the End from the Beginning

“I am God—and there is no other.”

“I call a bird of prey from the east…

I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass.”

———

“Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon.”

“Take the millstones and grind meal…

uncover your veil—bare your leg.”

“Your nakedness shall be uncovered…

I will take vengeance, and no one shall intercede.”

YHWH Our Redeemer

“Our Redeemer—YHWH of Hosts is His Name—

the Holy One of Israel.”

Babylon’s Arrogance and Judgment

“You said: ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’

But evil shall come upon you suddenly.”

“Your enchantments and sorceries shall not save you.”

“No fire shall warm you…

these are ashes.”

———

“Hear this, O house of Jacob,

who swear by the name of YHWH…

but not in truth or righteousness.”

“I declared the former things long ago—

lest you say, ‘My idol did them.’”

For His Name’s Sake

“For My Name’s sake I defer My anger…

for the sake of My praise I restrain it.”

“Behold, I have refined you—not as silver—

I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”

“For My own sake, I will act.

My glory I will not give to another.”

YHWH’s Call to His People

“Listen to Me… I am He.

From the beginning I have not spoken in secret.”

“YHWH God has sent Me—and His Spirit.”

“Oh, that you had paid attention to My commandments!

Then your peace would have been like a river.”

“Go out from Babylon—declare this with a shout!”

———

“Listen to Me, O coastlands…

YHWH called Me from the womb.”

“He made My mouth like a sharp sword…

He hid Me in His quiver.”

The Servant’s Apparent Futility

“I said: ‘I have labored in vain…’

Yet surely My reward is with My God.”

“It is too light a thing for You to raise up Jacob alone—

I will make You a light to the nations.”

“Kings shall see and arise…

because of YHWH who is faithful.”

Zion’s Complaint and YHWH’s Reply

“Zion said: ‘YHWH has forsaken me…’”

“Can a woman forget her nursing child?

Even if she does—I will not forget you.”

“Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands.”

The Restoration of the Exiles

“Your builders hasten…

your destroyers shall go out from you.”

“Lift up your eyes—your children come!”

“Then you will say: ‘Who has borne me these?’”

———

“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce?”

“Is My hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?”

“I clothed the heavens with blackness.”

The Obedient Servant Speaks

“The Lord YHWH has given Me

the tongue of those who are taught…

to sustain the weary with a word.”

“Morning by morning He awakens My ear…

and I was not rebellious.”

“I gave My back to those who strike…

My cheeks to those who pull out the beard…

I did not hide My face from disgrace and spitting.”

He Who Vindicates Me Is Near

“Let him who strikes Me come near.

Behold, YHWH helps Me—who will condemn Me?”

“Let him who walks in darkness trust in the Name of YHWH.”

The Warning

“You who kindle your own fire…

walk by the light of your torches—

this is what you shall have from My hand:

you shall lie down in torment.”

———

“Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness…

look to the rock from which you were hewn.”

“Look to Abraham… I called him alone and blessed him.”

YHWH Will Comfort Zion

“Joy and gladness will be found in her…

thanksgiving and the voice of song.”

“My justice will be a light to the peoples.

My arm will bring salvation.”

Fear Not Mortal Man

“I am He who comforts you.

Who are you that you fear man who dies?”

“You have forgotten YHWH your Maker…

who stretched out the heavens.”

Wake Up, O Arm of YHWH!

“Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces?

Who dried up the sea for the redeemed to pass over?”

The Ransomed Will Return

“The redeemed of YHWH shall return with singing…

sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

I Have Put My Words in Your Mouth

“I have covered you with the shadow of My hand…”

———

“Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O Zion.”

“Shake off the dust… loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter.”

My People Shall Know My Name

“My people were sold for nothing… and My Name is continually blasphemed.”

“Therefore My people shall know My Name.”

How Beautiful Are the Feet

“How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of him who brings good news…

who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”

“Break forth together into singing, O ruins of Jerusalem!”

YHWH Has Bared His Holy Arm

“All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.”

“Depart… touch no unclean thing.

YHWH will go before you—and be your rear guard.”

———

“Who has believed what we have heard?

To whom has the arm of YHWH been revealed?”

“He grew up like a young plant…

He had no beauty that we should desire Him.”

He Was Despised and Rejected

“A man of sorrows, acquainted with grief…

we hid our faces… we esteemed Him not.”

He Bore Our Suffering

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…

He was pierced for our transgressions,

crushed for our iniquities.”

“Upon Him was the punishment that brought us peace…

by His wounds we are healed.”

The Lamb to the Slaughter

“He was oppressed… yet He opened not His mouth.”

“He was like a lamb led to slaughter…

and like a sheep before its shearers is silent.”

Cut Off from the Land of the Living

“He was cut off… stricken for the transgression of My people.”

“They made His grave with the wicked…

though He had done no violence.”

It Pleased YHWH to Crush Him

“He shall see His offspring… He shall prolong His days.”

“By His knowledge the Righteous One will justify many…

and He shall bear their iniquities.”

“Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great…”

“He bore the sin of many…

and made intercession for the transgressors.”

———

“Sing, O barren one… for more are the children of the desolate.”

“Enlarge the place of your tent…”

Your Maker Is Your Husband

“For a brief moment I hid My face…

but with everlasting love I will have compassion.”

“This is like the days of Noah to Me…

My covenant of peace shall not be removed.”

You Shall Be Established in Righteousness

“No weapon formed against you shall succeed.”

“This is the heritage of the servants of YHWH—

and their vindication from Me,” declares YHWH.

———

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters!

And he who has no money—come, buy and eat!”

“Incline your ear… hear, that your soul may live.”

“I will make with you an everlasting covenant—

My steadfast love for David.”

Seek YHWH While He May Be Found

“Let the wicked forsake his way…

and return to YHWH, that He may have compassion.”

My Thoughts Are Higher

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts…

neither are your ways My ways.”

“As the heavens are higher than the earth—

so are My ways higher than yours.”

The Word Will Not Return Empty

“As rain and snow come down and do not return…

so shall My word be—it shall accomplish what I purpose.”

You Shall Go Out with Joy

“The mountains and hills shall burst into song…

the trees shall clap their hands.”

“Instead of the thorn shall come the cypress…”

“It shall be to YHWH for a name—an everlasting sign.”

———

“Keep justice, and do righteousness—

for My salvation is near, and My righteousness will be revealed.”

“Blessed is the one who holds it fast—who keeps the Sabbath, and does not profane it.”

Inclusion of Outsiders

“Let not the foreigner say,

‘YHWH will surely separate me.’

Let not the eunuch say, ‘I am a dry tree.’”

“To the eunuchs who keep My covenant—

I will give a name better than sons and daughters.”

A House of Prayer for All Peoples

“The foreigners who join themselves to YHWH…

I will bring to My holy mountain.”

“My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

“YHWH gathers the outcasts of Israel—and others besides.”

———

“The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart…

But the righteous is taken away from evil.”

“He enters peace—they rest in their beds.”

Idolatry and Apostasy

“But you, come here, sons of a sorceress…”

“You made your bed with them…

and you have not remembered Me.”

“Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied?”

The High and Holy One

“I dwell in the high and holy place—

and also with the contrite and lowly in spirit.”

“Peace, peace to the far and to the near…

but the wicked are like the tossed sea—it cannot be still.”

“There is no peace for the wicked.”

———

“Cry aloud, do not hold back—declare to My people their sins.”

“They seek Me daily…

but they delight to know My ways—yet they forsake justice.”

The Fast YHWH Chooses

“Is not this the fast I choose:

to loose the bonds of wickedness,

to let the oppressed go free,

to break every yoke?”

“Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

to bring the homeless into your house?”

Then Your Light Shall Break Forth

“Then shall your light break forth like the dawn…

your healing shall spring up speedily.”

“You shall be called the repairer of the breach.”

“If you turn your foot from the Sabbath…

then you shall take delight in YHWH.”

———

“Behold, YHWH’s hand is not shortened—

but your iniquities have made a separation.”

“No one calls for justice…

they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.”

“They weave spider’s webs…

their feet run to evil.”

Truth Stumbles in the Streets

“Justice is turned back…

truth has stumbled in the public square.”

“YHWH saw it—and it displeased Him…

there was no one to intercede.”

YHWH’s Armor and Vengeance

“So His own arm brought salvation…

He put on righteousness as a breastplate…

and a helmet of salvation on His head.”

“He will come like a rushing stream,

driven by the breath of YHWH.”

My Covenant with Them

“And a Redeemer will come to Zion…

to those who turn from transgression.”

“This is My covenant:

My Spirit that is upon you…

My words shall not depart from your mouth,

nor your children’s, forever.”

———

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of YHWH has risen upon you!”

“For behold, darkness covers the earth…

but YHWH will arise upon you.”

Nations Will Come to Your Light

“Lift up your eyes—they gather together, they come to you.”

“The abundance of the sea shall be turned to you…

the wealth of nations shall come.”

A Glorious Zion

“Your gates shall be open continually…

they shall not be shut day or night.”

“The glory of Lebanon shall come to you…

to beautify the place of My sanctuary.”

Instead of Bronze—Gold

“I will make your overseers peace…

violence shall no more be heard in your land.”

YHWH Your Everlasting Light

“The sun shall no more be your light by day,

nor the moon by night—

but YHWH will be your everlasting light.”

“Your people shall all be righteous…

a branch of My planting, the work of My hands.”

“I am YHWH—at the right time, I will hasten it.”

———

“The Spirit of the Lord YHWH is upon Me,

because YHWH has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted…”

“To proclaim liberty to the captives,

the opening of prison to those who are bound…”

“To proclaim the year of YHWH’s favor,

and the day of vengeance of our God—

to comfort all who mourn.”

“To give them beauty for ashes,

the oil of joy instead of mourning,

the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit.”

They Shall Be Called: Oaks of Righteousness

“They shall build up ancient ruins…

and be named priests of YHWH.”

“Instead of shame—you shall have a double portion.”

“I will make an everlasting covenant with them.”

“As a bride adorns herself with jewels,

so YHWH clothes me with garments of salvation.”

———

“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent…”

“The nations shall see your righteousness…”

“You shall be called by a new name

that the mouth of YHWH will give.”

“You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of YHWH.”

No More Forsaken

“You shall no more be called Forsaken…

but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her (Hephzibah).”

“As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,

so shall your God rejoice over you.”

Watchmen and Glory

“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem…

give Him no rest until He establishes you.”

“Say to daughter Zion:

‘Behold, your salvation comes!’”

“They shall be called The Holy People,

The Redeemed of YHWH.”

———

“Who is this coming from Edom,

in crimsoned garments from Bozrah?”

“I have trodden the winepress alone…”

“I looked—but there was no one to help…”

“So My own arm brought salvation,

and My wrath upheld Me.”

YHWH’s Steadfast Love Remembered

“In all their affliction, He was afflicted…

and the angel of His presence saved them.”

“But they rebelled and grieved His holy Spirit…”

The Prophet’s Plea

“Where is He who brought them up out of the sea?”

“Look down from heaven and see…

where are Your zeal and might?”

“You are our Father—

though Abraham does not know us.”

———

“Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down!”

“When You did awesome things we did not expect…”

“Since ancient times no ear has heard,

no eye has seen a God besides You…”

“We are the clay, You are our potter…

do not be angry beyond measure.”

“Will You keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?”

———

“I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for Me.”

“All day I held out My hands to a rebellious people…”

“They provoke Me… they sit in tombs… eat unclean things…”

Two Destinies

“My servants shall eat—but you shall be hungry.

My servants shall rejoice—but you shall be ashamed.”

“Behold, My servants shall sing for gladness of heart—

but you shall cry out for pain.”

A New Heavens and a New Earth

“Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth…

the former things shall not be remembered.”

“Be glad and rejoice forever…

no more shall there be heard the sound of weeping.”

“Before they call—I will answer.”

“The wolf and the lamb shall graze together…”

“They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,”

says YHWH.

———

“Thus says YHWH:

‘Heaven is My throne, and the earth My footstool…

but to this one I will look:

he who is humble, contrite, and trembles at My word.’”

Judgment and Renewal

“Hear the word, you who tremble:

‘Your brothers who hate you… shall be put to shame.’”

“Before she was in labor—she gave birth!”

“Shall I bring to the point of birth, and not deliver?” says YHWH.

Joy in Jerusalem

“Rejoice with Jerusalem… be glad with her!”

“As a mother comforts her child—so I will comfort you.”

Final Gathering and Fire

“I will set a sign among them…

and from all nations they shall bring offerings to My holy mountain.”

“They shall see My glory.”

“And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies

of those who rebelled against Me…”

“Their worm shall not die,

their fire shall not be quenched—

and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”