Isaiah 28-33
Expanded Bible
Warnings to Israel
28 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] Samaria [C the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel], the pride of ·Israel’s [L Ephraim’s] drunken people!
That beautiful ·crown [wreath; garland] of flowers is ·just a dying plant [fading]
set on ·a hill above [L the head of] a rich valley ·where drunkards live [of those overcome with wine].
2 Look, the Lord has someone who is strong and powerful.
Like a storm of hail and ·strong [destructive] wind,
like a sudden flood of water pouring over the country,
he will throw Samaria down to the ground [L with his hand].
3 That city, the pride of ·Israel’s [L Ephraim’s] drunken people,
will be trampled underfoot.
4 That beautiful ·crown [wreath; garland] of flowers is ·just a dying plant [fading]
set on ·a hill above [L the head of] a rich valley.
That city will be like the first ripe fig of summer.
Anyone who sees it
quickly ·picks it [takes it in hand] and ·eats [swallows] it.
5 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
·will be like [L will be] a beautiful crown,
·like a wonderful [a beautiful] ·crown of flowers [wreath; garland; diadem]
for ·his people who are left alive [the remnant of his people].
6 Then he will give ·wisdom [a spirit of justice/judgment] to ·the judges who must decide cases [L those who sit in judgment]
and strength to those who battle at the city gate.
7 But now those leaders ·are drunk [reel] with wine;
they ·stumble [stagger] from drinking too much ·beer [T strong drink; C alcoholic beverage made from grain].
The priests and prophets ·are drunk [stagger] with ·beer [T strong drink]
and are ·filled with [swallowed by; or confused because of] wine.
They stumble from too much ·beer [T strong drink].
·The prophets [L They] ·are drunk [stagger] when they see their visions;
·the judges [they] stumble ·when they make their decisions [in judgment].
8 Every table is covered with vomit,
so there is not a clean place anywhere.
9 ·The Lord is trying to teach the people a lesson [L Who is he teaching knowledge?];
·he is trying to make them understand his teachings [L To whom is he explaining the message?].
·But the people are like babies too old for breast milk [Those weaned from milk?],
·like those who no longer nurse at their mother’s breast [Those taken from the breast?].
10 So ·they make fun of the Lord’s prophet and say [or the Lord must repeat himself again and again; L For it is]:
“·A command here, a command there [T Precept upon precept, precept upon precept].
·A rule here, a rule there [T Line upon line, line upon line; C Hebrew: tsav latsav tsav latsav / kav lakav kav lakav; it may be the people mocking the words of the prophets as nonsense; or it may refer to God repeating himself because the people will not listen].
A little lesson here, a little lesson there [L A little there, a little there].”
11 So the Lord will use ·strange words [mocking/stammering lips] and foreign ·languages [tongues]
to speak to these people.
12 God said to them,
“Here is a place of rest;
let the ·tired people [weary] come and rest.
This is the place of peace.”
But the people would not listen.
13 So the words of the Lord will be,
“·A command here, a command there [T Precept upon precept, precept upon precept].
·A rule here, a rule there [T Line upon line, line upon line].
·A little lesson here, a little lesson there [L A little there, a little there; C see v. 10; God now uses the same words to mimic the foreign language of the Assyrian invaders].”
They will fall back and be ·defeated [broken];
they will be ·trapped and captured [snared and taken].
14 So listen to the Lord’s message, you who ·brag [mock; scoff; Prov. 1:22; 9:7, 8, 12; 13:1],
you ·leaders [L who rule this people] in Jerusalem.
15 You say, “We have made an ·agreement [treaty; covenant] with death;
we have a ·contract [agreement; pact] with ·death [or the grave; L Sheol].
When ·terrible punishment [an overwhelming scourge/flood] passes by,
it won’t ·hurt [touch; reach] us.
Our lies ·will keep us safe [L are our refuge],
and ·our tricks [falsehood] ·will hide us [is our refuge/shelter].”
16 Because of these things, this is what the Lord God says:
“I will ·put [lay; establish] a stone in the ground in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple],
a tested stone.
·Everything will be built on this important and precious rock [L …a precious cornerstone for a firm foundation].
Anyone who trusts in it will never ·be disappointed [or panic; waver; be shaken; Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:6].
17 I will use justice as a measuring line
and ·goodness [righteousness] as the ·standard [plumb line].
The lies you ·hide behind [take refuge in] will be ·destroyed [swept away] as if by hail.
·They [Your hiding place/shelter] will be washed away as if in a flood.
18 Your ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with death will be ·erased [annulled];
your contract with ·death [or the grave; L Sheol] will not ·help you [stand; last].
When ·terrible punishment [overwhelming scourge/flood] comes,
you will be ·crushed [beaten down] by it.
19 Whenever ·punishment [L it] comes, it will take you away.
It will come morning after morning;
it will ·defeat you [sweep through] by day and by night.
Those who understand this punishment will be terrified.”
20 ·You will be like the person who tried to sleep
on a bed that was too short [L For the bed is too short to stretch out on]
and ·with a blanket that [L the blanket] was too narrow
to wrap around himself.
21 The Lord will ·fight [L rise up] as he did at Mount Perazim [2 Sam. 5:20].
He will be ·angry [rouse himself] as he was in the Valley of Gibeon [Josh. 10:10–14].
He will do his work, his ·strange [peculiar] work.
He will finish his job, his ·strange [unusual] job.
22 Now, ·you must not make fun of these things [do not mock; or stop your mocking],
or the ·ropes [or chains; bonds] around you will become ·tighter [or heavier].
The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has ·told me [decreed to me]
how the whole ·earth [land] will be destroyed.
The Lord Punishes Fairly
23 Listen closely to ·what I tell you [my voice];
·listen carefully to [pay attention to; heed] what I say.
24 ·A farmer does not [L Does the plower…?] plow his field all the time;
·he does not [L does he…?] go on working the soil.
25 ·He makes [Does he not make…?] the ground flat and smooth.
Then he plants the dill and scatters the cumin.
·He plants [Does he not plant…?] the wheat in rows,
the barley in its special place,
and other wheat as a border around the field.
26 His God ·teaches [instructs] him
and ·shows [teaches] him the right way.
27 A farmer doesn’t use ·heavy boards to crush [a sledge to thresh] dill;
he doesn’t use a wagon wheel to crush cumin.
He uses a small stick to break open the dill,
and with a ·stick [rod; flail] he opens the cumin.
28 The grain is ground to make bread.
People do not ruin it by ·crushing [threshing] it forever.
The farmer separates the wheat from the chaff with his cart,
but he does not let his horses ·grind [crush] it.
29 This lesson [C that the Lord’s punishment fits the sin] also comes from the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts],
who gives wonderful ·advice [counsel; 9:6], who ·is very wise [or gives excellent/great wisdom].
Warnings to Jerusalem
29 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] you, Ariel [C another name for Jerusalem, perhaps meaning either “lion” or “altar hearth”; v. 2],
the city where David ·camped [lived; settled; or besieged; C David first conquered, then lived in the city; 2 Sam. 5:6–9].
Your festivals have continued
year after year.
2 I will ·attack [threaten; bring distress to] ·Jerusalem [L Ariel; v. 1],
and that city will be filled with ·sadness [mourning] and ·crying [lamentation].
It will be like an ·altar [or altar hearth; C the Hebrew word sounds like Ariel, perhaps indicating that Jerusalem will burn like an altar] to me.
3 I will ·put armies all around you [encamp against/besiege you; C same word as in v. 1];
I will surround you with towers
and with ·devices to attack [siege works against] you.
4 You will be pulled down and will speak from the ground;
I will hear your voice rising from the ·ground [or underworld].
It will sound like the voice of a ghost;
your words will come like a whisper from the ·dirt [dust].
5 Your ·many [multitude of] enemies will become like fine dust;
the many ·cruel people [ruthless hordes] will be like chaff that is blown away.
·Everything will happen very quickly [L Suddenly, in an instant…; C this phrase may go with what comes before or after].
6 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will come
with thunder, earthquakes, and great noises,
with ·storms [whirlwind], ·strong winds [tempest], and a fire that ·destroys [devours].
7 Then all the nations that fight against ·Jerusalem [L Ariel; v. 1]
will be like a dream;
all the nations that ·attack [besiege; bring distress to] her
will be like a vision in the night.
8 They will be like a hungry man who dreams he is eating,
but when he awakens, he is still hungry.
They will be like a thirsty man who dreams he is drinking,
but when he awakens, he is still weak and thirsty.
It will be the same way with ·all the [the multitude of] nations
who fight against Mount Zion.
9 ·Be surprised and amazed [Shock yourselves and be shocked].
Blind yourselves ·so that you cannot see [and be blind].
Become drunk, but not from wine.
Trip and fall, but not from ·beer [T strong drink; C alcoholic beverage made from grain].
10 The Lord has ·made you go into [L poured out on you] a deep sleep.
He has closed your eyes. (The prophets are your eyes.)
He has covered your heads. (The seers [C another name for prophets] are your heads.)
11 This vision is like the words of a ·book [scroll] that is closed and sealed. You may give the book to someone who can read and tell that person to read it. But he will say, “I can’t read the book, because it is sealed.” 12 Or you may give the book to someone who cannot read and tell him to read it. But he will say, “I don’t know how to read.”
13 The Lord says:
“These people ·worship me [L come near to me] with their mouths,
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their ·worship [awe; fear] is based on
nothing but human ·rules [L commandments that have been taught].
14 So [L look; T behold] I will continue to ·amaze [astound] these people
by doing more and more ·miracles [wonders].
·Their wise men will lose their wisdom [L The wisdom of the wise will perish];
·their wise men will not be able to understand [L the discernment of the discerning will disappear; 1 Cor. 1:19].”
Warnings About Other Nations
15 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] those who ·try
to hide [deeply hide; or hide too deep to see] ·things [plans; counsel] from the Lord
and who do their work in darkness.
They ·think no one will see them or know what they do [L say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?”].
16 You ·are confused [L turn things upside down!].
You think the clay is equal to the potter.
·You think that an object can [or Should the thing formed…?] tell the one who made it,
“You didn’t make me [10:15; Rom. 9:20].”
This is like a pot telling ·its maker [the potter],
“You don’t ·know anything [understand].”
A Better Time Is Coming
17 In a very short time, Lebanon will become ·rich farmland [a fertile/fruitful field],
and the ·rich farmland [fertile/fruitful field] will seem like a forest.
18 ·At that time [L In that day] the deaf will hear the words in a ·book [scroll].
·Instead of having [L From; Out of] darkness and gloom, the blind will see.
19 The Lord will make the ·poor people [humble; lowly; meek] ·happy [rejoice];
·they [L the poor/needy] will ·rejoice [delight; exult] in the Holy One of Israel [1:4].
20 Then the ·people without mercy [ruthless; tyrants] will come to an end;
·those who do not respect God [the scoffer/mocker/arrogant] will disappear.
Those who ·enjoy [are intent on; have an eye for] doing evil will be ·gone [cut off/down]:
21 those who ·lie about others in court [bear false testimony; L make a person a sinner with a word],
those who trap ·people in court [L the arbiter at the city gate],
those who ·lie and [with false charges/testimony] take justice from innocent people in court.
22 This is what the Lord who ·set free [redeemed; rescued] Abraham says to the ·family [L house] of Jacob:
“Now ·the people of Jacob [L Jacob] will not be ashamed
or ·disgraced [L their faces turn pale] any longer.
23 When they see all their children,
the children I made with my hands,
they will ·say my name is holy [honor/sanctify my name].
They will ·agree [recognize; acknowledge] that the Holy One of Jacob [1:4] is holy,
and they will ·respect [stand in awe of; fear] the God of Israel.
24 People who ·do wrong [wander/err in spirit] will now understand.
Those who complain will accept ·being taught [insight; instruction].”
Warnings to the Stubborn Nation
30 The Lord said,
“·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] these ·stubborn [rebellious] children.
They ·make plans [take counsel], but ·they don’t ask me to help them [L not of/from me].
They make ·agreements with other nations [alliances], ·without asking [not of/from] my Spirit.
They are adding ·more and more sins to themselves [L sin upon sin].
2 They go down to Egypt for help
without asking me about it first.
They ·hope they will be saved by [L seek protection in the strength of] ·the king of Egypt [L Pharaoh];
they ·want Egypt to protect them [L seek refuge in the shade of Egypt].
3 But ·hiding in Egypt [L the protection of Pharaoh] will bring you only shame;
Egypt’s ·protection [L shade] will only disappoint you.
4 Your officers have gone to Zoan [C in northern Egypt; 19:11],
and your messengers have gone to Hanes [C in southern Egypt],
5 but they will be put to shame,
because Egypt is useless to them.
It will give no help and will be of no ·use [benefit; advantage];
it will cause them only shame and ·embarrassment [disgrace].”
God’s Message to Judah
6 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about the ·animals [beasts] in ·southern Judah [the South; L the Negev]:
·Southern Judah is a dangerous place [L Though a land of trouble and distress]
full of lions and lionesses,
·poisonous snakes [adders] and ·darting [or flying, fiery] ·snakes [serpents].
·The messengers travel through there with their wealth [L They carry their riches] on the backs of donkeys
and their treasure on the ·backs [humps] of camels.
They carry them to a nation that cannot help them,
7 to Egypt whose help is ·useless [L worthless and futile].
So I call that country Rahab [C mythical sea monster symbolic of chaos; 51:9; Ps. 89:10] the ·Do-Nothing [Harmless; Silenced].
8 Now write this on a ·sign [tablet] for the people,
·write this [inscribe it] on a scroll,
so that for the days to come
this will be a witness forever.
9 These people are ·like children who lie and refuse to obey [L a rebellious nation, lying children];
children who refuse to listen to the Lord’s ·teachings [law; instruction; L Torah].
10 They tell the seers [C another name for prophets],
“Don’t see any more visions!”
They say to the prophets,
“Don’t tell us ·the truth [what is right]!
Say ·things that will make us feel good [pleasant/smooth things];
·see only good things for us [L prophesy illusions].
11 Stop blocking our path.
Get out of our way.
·Stop telling us about [or Rid us of]
the Holy One of Israel [1:4].”
12 So this is what the Holy One of Israel says:
“You people have ·refused to accept [rejected; despise] this message
and have depended on ·cruelty [oppression] and ·lies [deceit] to help you.
13 You are guilty of these things.
So you will be like a high wall ·with cracks in it [cracked and bulging]
that falls suddenly and ·breaks into small pieces [or in a flash/instant].
14 You will be like a clay jar that breaks,
smashed into many pieces.
Those pieces will be too small
to take coals from the fire
or to get water from a ·well [cistern].”
15 This is what the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel [1:4], says:
“If you ·come back to me [repent] and ·trust [rest in] me, you will be saved.
If you will be calm and trust me, you will be strong.”
But you ·don’t want to do that [refused; would not].
16 You say, “No, we need horses to ·run away on [flee].”
So you will ·run away on horses [L flee].
You say, “We will ride away on fast horses.”
So those who chase you will be fast.
17 One enemy will make threats,
and a thousand of your men will ·run away [flee; Deut. 32:30].
Five enemies will make threats,
and all of you will run from them.
You will be left alone like a flagpole on a hilltop,
like a ·banner [standard; signal flag] on a hill.
18 The Lord ·wants [is waiting] to ·show his mercy [be gracious] to you.
He ·wants to rise and [or is exalted and wants to] ·comfort [show compassion to] you.
The Lord is a ·fair [just] God,
and everyone who waits for ·his help [L him] will be ·happy [blessed].
The Lord Will Help His People
19 You people who live on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will not ·cry [weep] anymore. The Lord will hear your crying, and he will ·comfort [be gracious to] you. When he hears you, he will ·help [answer] you. 20 The Lord has given you ·sorrow and hurt like the bread and water you ate every day [L the bread of adversity and the water of affliction]. ·He is your teacher; he will not continue to hide [or But your teachers will no longer be hidden] from you, but you will see your ·teacher [or teachers] with your own eyes. 21 If you go the wrong way—to the right or to the left—you will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the right way. ·You should go this way [L Walk in it].” 22 Then you will ·ruin [destroy; desecrate] your statues covered with silver and gold. You will throw them away like ·filthy rags [unclean things; a menstrual cloth; Lev. 15:19–24] and say, “Go away!”
23 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord will send rain for the seeds you ·plant [sow] in the ground, and the ground will grow food for you. The harvest will be ·rich [fat] and ·great [plentiful], and ·you will have plenty of food in the fields for your animals [L your cattle will graze in large pastures]. 24 Your oxen and donkeys that work the soil will have ·all the food they need [the best grain; seasoned feed]. ·You will have to use shovels and pitchforks to spread all their food […winnowed with fork and shovel]. 25 Every mountain and hill will have streams flowing with water. ·These things will happen after many people are killed and [L …in the day of great slaughter when] the towers are pulled down. 26 ·At that time [L In that day] the light from the moon will be bright like the sun, and the light from the sun will be seven times brighter than now, like the light of seven days. These things will happen when the Lord ·bandages his broken [binds up the broken limbs of his] people and heals the ·hurts he gave them [wounds he inflicted].
27 Look! The ·Lord [L the name of the Lord; C the name represents the person] comes from far away.
His anger is like a fire with thick clouds of smoke.
His ·mouth is [lips are] filled with anger,
and his tongue is like a ·burning [consuming; devouring] fire.
28 His breath is like a rushing river,
which rises to the ·throat [neck].
He will ·judge [L sift; shake] the nations as if he is sifting them through the strainer of destruction.
He will place in their mouths a bit that will lead them ·the wrong way [astray].
29 You will ·sing happy songs [L have a song]
as on the nights you begin a festival.
You will be happy like people ·listening to [or playing; L going with] flutes
as they come to the mountain of the Lord,
to the Rock of Israel.
30 The Lord will cause all people to hear his ·great [majestic; glorious] voice
and to see his powerful arm come down with anger,
like a ·great fire that burns everything [consuming/devouring fire],
like a great storm with much rain and hail.
31 Assyria will be ·afraid [terrorized; or shattered] when it hears the voice of the Lord,
because he will strike Assyria with a rod.
32 ·When the Lord punishes Assyria with a rod [L Every stroke he lays on them with his punishing club/rod],
he will beat them to the music of tambourines and harps;
he will fight against them with his mighty weapons.
33 ·Topheth [or The burning place; C perhaps located in the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna); Jer. 7:31–32] has been made ready for a long time;
it is ready for the king.
It was made deep and wide
with much wood and fire.
And the Lord’s breath will come
like a stream of ·burning sulfur [T brimstone] and set it on fire.
Warnings About Relying on Egypt
31 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] those people who go down to Egypt for help.
·They think horses will save them [L …who rely on horses].
·They think [L …who trust in] their many chariots
and strong horsemen will save them [Ps. 20:7].
But they don’t trust God, the Holy One of Israel [1:4],
or ask the Lord for help.
2 But he is wise and can bring them disaster.
He does not ·change his warnings [take back his words].
He will rise up and fight against the ·evil people [L house of evildoers]
and against those who try to help ·evil people [sinners; workers of iniquity].
3 The Egyptians are only people and are not God.
Their horses are ·only animals [L flesh] and are not spirit.
The Lord will stretch out his arm,
and the one who helps will stumble,
and the people who wanted help will fall.
All of them will ·be destroyed [perish] together.
4 The Lord says this to me:
“When a lion or a ·lion’s cub [young lion],
stands over ·the dead animal it has killed [its prey] and roars.
A band of shepherds
may be assembled against it,
but the lion will not be afraid of their yelling
or upset by their noise.
So the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will come down
to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.
5 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will ·defend [protect] Jerusalem
like birds flying over their nests.
He will ·defend [protect] and save it;
he will ‘pass over’ and save Jerusalem.”
6 You children of Israel, come back to the God you ·fought [rebelled; revolted] against. 7 ·The time is coming when [L For in that day] each of you will ·stop worshiping [throw/cast away] idols of gold and silver, which ·you sinned by making [your sinful hands have made].
8 “Assyria will ·be defeated [fall] by a sword, but not ·the sword of a person [of man];
Assyria will be ·destroyed [devoured], but not by a person’s sword.
Assyria will run away from the ·sword of God [L sword],
but its young men will be caught and made slaves.
9 ·They will panic, and [From terror] their ·protection [or strong ones; rock] will be destroyed.
Their ·commanders [officers; princes] will be terrified when they see ·God’s battle flag [L the standard/flag],”
says the Lord,
whose fire is in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; 1:27]
and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
A Good Kingdom Is Coming
32 A king will rule in ·a way that brings justice [righteousness; justice],
and ·leaders [rulers; princes] will ·make fair decisions [rule in justice].
2 Then each ruler will be like a shelter from the wind,
like a ·safe place [refuge] in a storm,
like streams of water in a dry land,
like a cool shadow from a large rock in a ·hot [thirsty; weary] land.
3 Then the eyes of those who see will ·see the truth [not be closed],
and the ears of those who hear will listen.
4 ·People who are now worried [or Those who are reckless; L The heart of the hasty] will be able to understand.
·Those who cannot speak clearly now [The stuttering/stammering tongue] will then be able to speak clearly and quickly.
5 Fools will not be called ·great [noble; honorable],
and people will not respect the ·wicked [scoundrel; deceiver].
6 A fool says foolish things,
and in his ·mind [heart] he ·plans evil [or commits sin].
A fool ·does things that are wicked [practices ungodliness],
and he ·says wrong things [spreads error] about the Lord.
A fool does not feed the hungry
or let thirsty people drink water.
7 The ·wicked person [scoundrel] uses evil ·like a tool [or schemes; methods].
He plans ·ways [wicked schemes] to take everything from the poor.
He destroys the poor with lies,
even when the ·poor person [needy] ·is in the right [L speak justice].
8 But a ·good leader plans to do good [honorable/noble man plans honorable/noble things],
and those ·good [honorable; noble] things make him ·a good leader [or stand firm].
Hard Times Are Coming
9 You women who are ·calm [complacent] now,
·stand [rise] up and listen to ·me [L my voice].
You ·women [L daughters] who feel ·safe [secure; self-confident] now,
hear what I say.
10 You women feel ·safe [secure; self-confident] now,
but ·after one year [L in a year and some days] you will ·be afraid [shudder; tremble].
There will be no grape harvest
and no summer fruit to gather.
11 Women, you are ·calm [complacent] now, but you should shake with fear.
Women, you feel ·safe [secure; self-confident] now, but you should tremble.
·Take [Strip] off your nice clothes
and put ·rough cloth [burlap; sackcloth] around your waist [C a sign of sorrow or despair].
12 Beat your breasts [C a sign of mourning or grief], ·because the fields that were pleasant are now empty [L for the pleasant fields].
·Cry, because the vines that once had fruit now have no more grapes [L …for the fruitful vine].
13 ·Cry for [L …for] the land of my people,
in which only thorns and weeds now grow [Gen. 3:18].
·Cry for [L …for] the city that once was happy
and for all the houses that once were filled with joy.
14 The ·palace [or fortress] will be ·empty [abandoned; deserted];
the ·noisy [bustling; populous] city will be abandoned.
·Strong cities and towers [or The citadel and the watchtower] will be empty.
Wild donkeys will love to live there, and sheep will go there to eat.
Things Will Get Better
15 This will continue until ·God pours his Spirit [L the Spirit is poured] from ·above [heaven; T on high] upon us.
Then the desert will be like ·rich farmland [a fertile/fruitful field]
and the ·rich farmland [fertile/fruitful field] like a forest [29:17; 35:1, 2].
16 Justice will ·be found [L dwell] even in the desert,
and fairness will be found in the ·rich farmland [fertile/fruitful field].
17 That fairness will bring peace,
and it will bring ·calm [quietness] and ·safety [trust; confidence] forever.
18 My people will live in peaceful places
and in ·safe [secure] homes
and in ·calm [quiet] places of rest.
19 Hail will destroy the forest,
and the city will be ·completely destroyed [brought down; laid low].
20 But you will be ·happy [blessed] as you plant seeds near every stream
and as you let [L the feet of] your cattle and donkeys wander freely.
Warnings to Assyria and Promises to God’s People
33 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] you who destroy others
but have not been destroyed yet.
·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] you, traitor,
whom no one has ·turned against yet [betrayed].
When you stop destroying,
others will destroy you.
When you stop ·turning against others [betraying],
they will ·turn against [betray] you.
2 Lord, be ·kind [gracious; merciful] to us.
We have waited for your help.
·Give us strength [L Be our arm] every morning.
·Save us [L …our salvation] ·when we are in [L in times of] trouble.
3 ·Your powerful voice makes [or At the sound of tumult] ·people [the peoples/nations] run away;
your ·greatness [majesty; or rising up] causes the nations to run away.
4 Like ·locusts [or the caterpillar], your enemies will ·take away [gather; harvest] ·the things you stole in war [your plunder].
Like locusts ·rushing about [swarming], they will take your wealth.
5 The Lord is ·very great [exalted], and he ·lives in a high place [T dwells on high].
He fills ·Jerusalem [L Zion; 1:27] with ·fairness [justice; judgment] and ·justice [righteousness].
6 He will ·always be your safety [be the foundation/stability of your time].
He is ·full [a rich store/abundance] of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.
·Respect for [The fear of] the Lord is the greatest treasure [Prov. 1:7].
7 See, ·brave people [heroes; valiant ones] are crying out in the streets;
·those who tried to bring [envoys/ambassadors of] peace are weeping ·loudly [bitterly].
8 ·There is no one on the roads [L Highways lie desolate/deserted],
no ·one walking [travelers] in the ·paths [roads; way].
People have broken the ·agreements [treaties; covenants] they made.
They ·refuse to believe the proof from [L despise its] witnesses.
No one ·respects [cares about; regards] other people.
9 The land ·is sick and dying [dries up and withers; or mourns and languishes];
Lebanon is ashamed and ·dying [shrivels; withers].
Sharon [C a fertile plain along the Mediterranean coast] is like the desert,
and ·the trees of Bashan and Carmel are dying [L Bashan and Carmel shake off; C their leaves; these places were known for their lush trees and vegetation; 2:13; 35:2].
10 The Lord says, “Now, I will ·stand [rise] up
and ·show my greatness [L be exalted].
Now, I will ·become important to the people [L be lifted up].
11 You people ·do useless things [produce nothing; L conceive chaff/straw]
·that are like hay and straw [L you give birth to straw/stubble].
·A destructive wind [or Your breath] will ·burn [consume; devour] you like fire.
12 ·People [or The nations] will be burned ·until their bones become like lime [to ashes/lime];
they will burn quickly like ·dry [cut] thornbushes.”
13 You people in faraway lands, hear what I have done.
You people who are near me, ·learn about [or acknowledge] my ·power [might].
14 The sinners in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; 1:27] are afraid;
those who are ·separated from God [godless] shake with fear.
They say, “·Can any of us [L Who can] live through this fire that ·destroys [consumes; devours]?
Who can live near this ·fire that burns on and on [unquenchable/everlasting burning]?”
15 A person who ·does what is right [walks righteously; Ps. 15]
and speaks ·what is right [truthfully; uprightly],
who ·refuses to take [rejects; despises] ·money unfairly [profit from oppression/extortion],
who ·refuses to take money to hurt others [L shakes off his hands from grabbing a bribe],
who ·does not listen [closes his ears] to plans of murder,
who ·refuses to think about [closes his eyes to looking on] evil—
16 this is the kind of person who will ·be safe [L dwell on high/the heights].
He will ·be protected as he would be [find refuge] in a ·high, walled city [rock stronghold/fortress].
He will always have ·bread [food],
and he will not run out of water.
17 Your eyes will see the king in his ·beauty [splendor].
You will see the land that stretches far away.
18 ·You [L Your heart] will ·think about the terror of the past [L meditate on terror]:
“Where is that ·officer [scribe; taxation officer; L counter]?
Where is the ·one who collected the taxes [L weigher]?
Where is the ·officer in charge of our defense towers [one who counts the towers; C for taxation purposes]?”
19 No longer will you see those ·proud [defiant; or fierce; or barbaric] people,
whose ·strange [obscure] ·language [speech; lip] you don’t know [C the Assyrians].
whose stammering ·speech [tongue] you cannot understand.
God Will Protect Jerusalem
20 Look at ·Jerusalem [L Zion], the city of our festivals.
·Look at [L Your eyes will see] Jerusalem, that ·beautiful place of rest [quiet dwelling].
It is like a tent that will never be moved;
·the pegs that hold her in place [L its stakes] will never be pulled up,
and her ropes will never be broken.
21 There the Lord will be our Mighty One.
That land is a place with streams and wide rivers,
·but there will be no enemy boats on those rivers [L no galley with oars will go];
no ·powerful [majestic] ship will sail on them.
22 This is because the Lord is our judge.
The Lord ·makes our laws [is our lawgiver].
The Lord is our king.
He will ·save [rescue; T deliver] us.
23 The ·ropes on your boats [L ropes; cords] hang loose [C perhaps referring to the enemy ships or metaphorically to Judah].
The mast is not held firm.
The sails are not spread open.
Then ·your great wealth [an abundance of plunder] will be divided.
·There will be so much wealth that even the crippled people will carry off a share [L Even the lame will take the prey].
24 No one living in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; 1:27] will say, “I am sick.”
The people who live there will have their sins forgiven.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
