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[a]And he replied: Go and say to this people:

Listen carefully, but do not understand!
Look intently, but do not perceive!(A)
10 Make the heart of this people sluggish,
    dull their ears and close their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears,
    and their heart understand,
    and they turn and be healed.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 6:9–10 Isaiah’s words give evidence that he attempted in every way, through admonition, threat, and promise, to bring the people to conversion (cf. 1:18–20), so it is unlikely that this charge to “harden” is to be understood as Isaiah’s task; more probably it reflects the refusal of the people, more particularly the leaders, who were supposed to “see,” “hear,” and “understand,” a refusal which would then lead to a disastrous outcome (vv. 11–12).

He said, “Go(A) and tell this people:

“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
    be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’(B)
10 Make the heart of this people calloused;(C)
    make their ears dull
    and close their eyes.[a](D)
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,(E)
    understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”(F)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 6:10 Hebrew; Septuagint ‘You will be ever hearing, but never understanding; / you will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / 10 This people’s heart has become calloused; / they hardly hear with their ears, / and they have closed their eyes