From the Greek Septuagint text as was used by First Century Christians

NOTE: Is it poetry or isn’t it poetry? Since many of the Chapters of Isaiah were written in the Hebrew poetic style, you will recognize a deliberate cadence to the words. Why poetry? Because it provided memory aids so the thoughts could be readily recalled to mind. Then the message could thereafter be spread throughout the population via the most common medium of communication at the time, song.

Chapter 1

¹ These are the visions that IsaiJah (the son of Amoz) saw during the reigns of UzziJah, JoTham, Ahaz, and HezekiJah, the kings of Judah, about things that were to come upon Judah and Jerusalem.

² Hear, O heavens and [pay attention] O earth, for Jehovah spoke and He said: ‘I fathered sons and I raised them, but they have disregarded Me. ³ The ox knows its owner and the burro knows the stable of its master, but Israel doesn’t know Me and My people do not understand.’

⁴ Woe to you O sinful nation, for you’re a people who are filled up with sins. You’re an evil seed and sons that are lawless, for you have abandoned Jehovah, and provoked the Holy One of Israel to rage, so you’ve now been pushed to the rear!

⁵ Why be struck for [your] lawlessness? The whole head is in misery, and the whole heart is in great distress. ⁶ From head to foot nothing is healthy, for your wounds and contusions are inflamed and unhealed, since no one has dressed them or applied oil, nor have they come here to bind them. ⁷ Your land lies desolate and your cities have been burned, for the [land] before you has been devoured… it’s been destroyed by strangers, and wiped away by alien peoples.

⁸ The daughter of Zion will be abandoned, as though she were a shack in a vineyard… like a shed in a cucumber garden, and like a city under siege. ⁹ And unless Jehovah of Armies, should choose to leave us a seed, we will become like Sodom and GomorRah!

¹⁰ Hear the word of Jehovah, O you rulers of Sodom! O you people of GomorRah; Pay attention to the Law of our God! ¹¹ ‘What good are sacrifices that you offer to Me?’ asks Jehovah. ‘I’m full of the whole burnt offerings of rams, as well as the fat of lambs, and I don’t want the blood of bulls or male goats, ¹² nor do I want you appearing before Me! Who required such things from your hands? You won’t continue to tread in My courtyard!

¹³ ‘If you bring fine flour it’s in vain, and your incense is disgusting to Me. I can no longer endure your New Moons, nor your holidays or your Sabbaths. ¹⁴ With My whole being I’ve come to detest, your fasting, Sabbath keeping, New Moons, and holidays. With you I am filled [to the brim], and will no longer [overlook] all your sins. ¹⁵ So, I’ll turn My eyes when you hold out your hands, and no matter how often you pray I won’t hear it, because your hands are filled up with blood!

¹⁶ ‘Bathe yourselves and get clean! Remove the wickedness in your lives from My eyes! Stop being wicked and ¹⁷ learn to do good; insist on [judgments that are] righteous; rescue those who’ve been wronged; give decisions [in favor of] orphans, and do justice for all the widows… ¹⁸ and then you can come and plead before me,’ says Jehovah. ‘Then if your sins should be crimson red, [I’ll make them] to be white as snow. And even if they are like scarlet, I’ll make them as white as fine wool.

¹⁹ ‘If you will but listen to Me, and then find yourselves in great need, good things from the earth you will eat. ²⁰ But if you don’t listen and are never in need, I’ll send a sword to consume you.’

[Jehovah actually] said these things.

²¹ How did the faithful City of Zion, become a whore so worthy of judgment? For there are murderers where justice once slept. ²² All your silver is tainted, and your merchants mix water in their wine. ²³ Your rulers resist all persuasion, and they serve as partners to thieves. They’re lovers of bribes and of [gifts]; no one will stand up for orphans; and none pay attention to justice for widows!

²⁴ ‘Because of this,’ says the Lord (Jehovah of Armies), ‘woe to you, Israel’s mighty, for My rage won’t cease against the contrary, and against My enemies I will bring judgment! ²⁵ I will bring My hand against you, and purify you ‘til you’re clean! I’ll destroy all those resisting persuasion; I’ll remove all the lawless from among you; ²⁶ and I will cut down the proud. Then I’ll give you judges like those in the past, and your counselors will be like those at the start, so you will be called The Righteous City… the trustworthy mother-city of Zion.

²⁷ ‘Through justice and mercy she’ll be saved from [enslavement], ²⁸ when the lawless and sinners are broken, and those leaving Jehovah are totally gone. ²⁹ Then all will be ashamed of the idols they preferred, and of the [sacred] gardens they desired. ³⁰ Or else they’ll become like pine trees shedding needles, and like parks without any water. ³¹ Their strength [will be weak] like the stubble of hemp, and the things that they do will be like the sparks, that incinerate the lawless and the sinners together, for no one will come to put out [their flames].

Chapter 2

¹ These are the words that came to IsaiJah (the son of Amoz) regarding Judah and Jerusalem.

² In the very last days, the Mountain of Jehovah will be seen, and the House of God will be over all mountains. It will be raised above all the hills, and all the nations will come there. ³ Many nations will go there and say, ‘Come, let’s climb the mountain of Jehovah, and go to the [Temple] of Jacob’s God. For, there He will show us His way, and that’s the way we will go.’

From out of Zion there will come Law, and from Jerusalem, the Word of Jehovah. ⁴ He’ll judge in the midst of the nations, and He will correct many peoples. Then they’ll cut their swords into plow shears, and [they’ll shape] their spears into sickles; then nations will not lift their swords against nations, nor will they learn war anymore.

⁵ Now, O house of Jacob; Come and let’s go to the light of Jehovah, ⁶ because He has forsaken His people (the house of Jacob). For, just as it was in the beginning, their [land] has become filled up with takers, and Philistine children have been born among them. ⁷ They’ve filled their [land] with silver and gold, and there’s no limit to all of their wealth.

They’ve filled the land up with horses, and the numbers of their chariots have no limits. ⁸ They have filled up their land, with the disgusting works of their hands; they bow before things that they made with their fingers… ⁹ then all the people bow down before them, and this brings disgrace to each man. So there’s no way that I will now spare them!

¹⁰ So, go to the rocks and hide in the ground, in fear of Jehovah and the glory of His might, for He will arise to devastate the land! ¹¹ Because, the eyes of Jehovah are very high, but the eyes of men are very low; so men will soon become low, and Jehovah will be then be raised high in that day. ¹² For the day of Jehovah of Armies, is coming upon the insulting and proud. And those who [think themselves] high and important, will then be brought [to the ground]. ¹³ Then every tall Lebanese cedar; every tall oak tree of Bashan; ¹⁴ every high mountain and every high hill; ¹⁵ every high tower and every high wall; ¹⁶ every boat in the sea, and the beauty of [all their sails]; ¹⁷ and every man will be small. The pride of men will [fall] in that day, and Jehovah alone will be high.

¹⁸ When He arises to wipe out the land, men will hide all [their idols], which they’ve made with their hands; ¹⁹ they’ll hide them in caves, in cracks between rocks, and in burrows that are under the ground, before the fear of Jehovah, and before the glory of His might. ²⁰ Then men will toss all those disgusting things, that they’ve made with their hands (their worthless things made of silver and gold, which they made to bow down before), in front of the bats in their caves, and in the cracks between rocks, in fear of Jehovah and the glory of His might, when He arises to wipe-out the land.

Chapter 3

¹ Stop being like men who must breathe through their noses, for [what real value] do they have? Look at the Lord, Jehovah of Armies, for He’ll remove the men and the women, who live in Jerusalem and Judah, along with the strength of [their] bread, as well as the strength of [their] water; ² their giants, their strong, their soldiers, their judges; their prophets, their thinkers, their elders; ³ their generals and finest counselors; as well as their wisest of builders; and the most discerning of listeners.

⁴ Then Jehovah will appoint very young men, to be their rulers in order to mock them. ⁵ Then they’ll make the people act as though drunk; the men will all be belligerent, and [each will rise] against his own neighbor; young boys will attack those who are old, and those without honor will oppose the mighty. ⁶ Then men will grab hold of their brothers, and families will go to their fathers and say, ‘You have clothes, so you be our leader… you provide us with food!’

⁷ But in that day they’ll reply, ‘I will not be your leader, for there’s no bread or clothes in my house. So, over these men I won’t serve as ruler.’

⁸ Jerusalem has been forsaken and Judea’s debased! For, the tongues of their people now speak against [God], and they speak instead of things that are lawless… they refuse to make any changes. ⁹ Their glory has now been debased; their faces show no sign of shame; and they publicly announce and admit, to sins that are as those of Sodom. So, woe to their lives for they’ve taken wicked council! ¹⁰ They say: ‘Come let’s [lock] up the righteous, because they’re inconvenient to us.’ So, they’ll eat the fruits of their works.

¹¹ Woe to all of the lawless, for the evil deeds being done by their hands, will soon be brought down upon them!

¹² O my people; Those whom you owe are gleaning from you… those whom you owe now lord over you!

O my people; Those who say you are blest have misled you, and they’re [clouding] the roads for your feet. ¹³ So, now you are judged by Jehovah, and against His own people He now stands to judge. ¹⁴ For, Jehovah Himself is judge of the elders, as well as the rulers of His people.

‘And you [O elders and rulers]; Why have you set My vineyard on fire? Why are the poor [now slaves] in your homes? ¹⁵ Why are you wronging My people, and disgracing the face of the poor?’ asks the Lord, Jehovah of Armies!

¹⁶ This is what Jehovah has said: ‘Because the daughters of Zion are proud, and walk with their [noses] held high, then beckon with their eyes and walk tiny footsteps, dragging their underwear with their feet, ¹⁷ Jehovah will debase the daughters of Zion, and expose their condition in that day. ¹⁸ Jehovah will remove the glory of their clothes… their fringes, and crescents, ¹⁹ and the necklaces they wear; their facial ornaments and ²⁰ [headdresses], as well as their armlets and bracelets; their wreaths, their rings, and right armbands; ²¹ their earrings, purple fringes, and purple decorations; ²² as well as the cloths for their homes… their coverings that you can see through; ²³ fine linens interwoven with blue and scarlet cloth; linen interwoven with gold and blue threads, and the lightweight coverings for their couches. ²⁴ And instead of pleasant odors there’ll be clouds of dust; instead of belts, they’ll tie ropes on their [waists]. And because of the things that they’ve done, instead of golden [combs] for their heads they’ll be bald; and instead of fine purple underclothes, they will have to wear sackcloth.

²⁵ ‘Then the sons you love most will fall by the sword… your mighty will be cut down and disgraced. ²⁶ You’ll mourn [the loss] of your [prized possessions], and you’ll be left behind all alone, beaten down to the ground.’

Chapter 4

¹ In that day; Seven women will grab hold of a man and then say, ‘We’ll [buy] our own bread and wear our own clothes, but let us be called by your name, in order to remove all our scorn!’

² In that day; The glory of the council of God, will shine upon the whole earth, in order to elevate and glorify, all in Israel who remain. ³ And the few in Jerusalem and Zion that are left, will then all be called holy… all those in Jerusalem [whose names] have been written, [within God’s scroll of] life. ⁴ For, Jehovah will wash away all the filth, from the sons and daughters of Zion. He’ll remove all the blood from Jerusalem’s midst, with the spirit of judgment and fire. ⁵ Then He’ll come and every place on Mount Zion, will be under the shadow of a cloud each day, and the light of a flaming, smoking fire each night, so their glory will be under [His] shelter. ⁶ It’ll be a shade of protection from the heat, and a shelter from rain and bad weather.

Chapter 5

¹ I’ll now sing [a song] to the One that I love… a song of my loved One concerning His vineyard.

A vineyard belonged to One who was loved…
A horn of plenty in a bountiful land.
² Around it I built a palisade and fence,
Then the choicest of grapevines I planted.

I built a tower in its midst,
And then I dug out a winepress.
I waited for it to grow grapes,
But all it produced was thorn bushes.

³ And now, you who dwell in Jerusalem… yes you men of Judea,
Now judge between My vineyard and Me!

⁴ What can I do for My vineyard,
That hasn’t been already done?
I waited for it to grow grapes,
But all it produced was thorn bushes.

⁵ So, I’ll tell you what I’ll do to My vineyard:
I’ll take down its gate and let be ravaged.
I’ll demolish its wall and let it be trampled.
⁶ I’ll abandon My vineyard and no longer prune it, nor will it ever be hoed.

It’ll return [to the way that it was]…
The uncultivated land of thorn bushes.
Then I’ll give an order to the clouds,
Not to provide it any more rain.

⁷ Now, the house of Israel is the vineyard,
Of Jehovah of Armies,
And the men of Judah are the loved ones He planted.

I waited for it to produce what was just,
But lawlessness was what it produced…
Not a tower of justice, just cries of distress.

⁸ So, woe to those who gather in houses,
And those in the fields roundabout them.
For, when all your neighbors are taken away,
Will you not live alone in the land,
⁹ When Jehovah of Armies hears of these things?

For, if there should be many houses,
There’ll also be great desolation,
And no one will live there again.

¹⁰ And though ten teams of oxen may work the land,
It’ll only produce one clay-pot full.
And though six large measures are planted,
Only three measures will grow.

¹¹ Woe to those who rise early,
To spend their days chasing liquor,
And then stay up late drinking it,
For they will burn along with their wine.

¹² They drink to [the sounds] of the harp and the lute,
Along with tambourines and pipes,
And fail to consider the works of Jehovah…
The works of His hands they fail to contemplate.

¹³ So, captives My people will become,
Because they’ve forgotten Jehovah.
Many will have died of hunger and thirst,
¹⁴ So the place of the dead has widened its soul,
And opened its mouth wide to devour.
The glorious will go down with both great and rich,
And all who hold them in high regard.

¹⁵ A people will then be cut down, and their men will all be dishonored,
Those who [walked proud] will be abased.
¹⁶ But the justice of Jehovah of Armies will be raised…
Because of His justice, our holy God will be glorified.

¹⁷ Then those ripping it apart will graze like bulls…
Those who desolate the land will eat all their lambs.

¹⁸ So, woe to those who draw sins as with ropes,
And lawlessness as a yoke on a bull…
¹⁹ Those saying, ‘Let Him come do whatever He wishes,
But do it quickly so we can all see it…
Let the will of the Holy One of Israel come to pass,
So we can all know what it is!’

²⁰ Woe to those who call evil good,
And those who call good things evil;
Those who turn darkness into light, and light back into darkness;
Those who make bitterness sweet, and turn the sweet into bitter.

²¹ Woe to those who think themselves wise,
And think that they’ve gained much knowledge.
²² Woe to your strong ones and those drinking wine…
All the mighty and those who are mixing their liquor;
²³ Those who give judgments for the irreverent,
Because they’ve been paid bribes…
Those who’ve taken justice from the righteous.

²⁴ Because of this, they’ll be burned up like stubble;
Like coals of fire, leaping flames will consume them.
Their roots will then be like dust,
And their flowers will ascend like dust clouds.
For they rejected the Laws of Jehovah of Armies…
They’ve despised the Holy One of Israel’s words.

²⁵ So, Jehovah of Armies is enraged with His people,
And He raised His hand and He struck them.
[By the smell] of rotting flesh the mountains were enraged,
For they became like manure in the roads.

Yet, even this did not [soften] His rage,
Or still the raising of His [mighty arm].

²⁶ So, He’ll raise a sign to far away nations;
He’ll whistle to them from the ends of the earth,
And they’ll take quick notice and nimbly come.
²⁷ They won’t get hungry or tired,
Nor will they slumber or sleep.
They’ll not untie their belts from their waists,
Nor will they loosen their sandals.

²⁸ With their bows stretched very tight,
And with arrows that are sharp;
With the feet of their horses like solid rocks,
And as blasts from their chariot wheels,
²⁹ They will advance as though lions,
That come with their cubs alongside them,
Then they’ll grab and yell like wild beasts;
They’ll throw them out and no one will save them.

³⁰ Due to them He’ll also yell in that day,
Like the sounds of the roaring of seas.
Then they’ll look to the heavens above,
And [to the ground] underneath them,
And all they will see is hard darkness,
In their [time] of distress.

Chapter 6

¹ It was during the year that King UzziJah died, that I saw Jehovah sitting on a high, lofty throne, and the [Temple] was filled with His glory. ² Seraphim stood all around Him, each of whom had six wings that touched the wings of those next to them. Their first two wings covered their front sides; the second two wings covered their feet; and they flew with their third two wings. ³ And they were shouting to each other and saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!’

⁴ Well, the threshold of the [Temple shook] at the sound of their shouting, and the [Temple] became filled with smoke. ⁵ And I said, ‘O, I’m so unworthy and hurt by this, because I’m just an unclean man who lives among people with unclean lips. For, I have beheld the King – Jehovah of Armies – I’ve seen Him with my own eyes!’

⁶ Then one of the seraphim was sent to me, and in his hand he carried a [burning] coal that he took from the Altar with tongs. ⁷ Then he touched it to my mouth and said, ‘{Look!} This has touched your lips and it will remove all your lawless deeds and purge all your sins.’

⁸ Then I heard the voice of Jehovah ask, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go to these people?’

And I replied, ‘Look! Here I am, send me!’

⁹ Then He said: ‘Go and say to these people, When it comes to hearing you will hear, but you’ll be unable to comprehend. And when it comes to seeing you will see, but there’s no way that you will understand!

¹⁰ ‘For, the hearts of these people have become hardened, so their ears listen slow and their eyelids are closed; thus they won’t hear with their ears, nor will they see with their eyes, and their hearts just won’t comprehend, to make them turn back so I’d heal them.’

¹¹ And I asked, ‘Until when, O Jehovah?’

And He said: ‘Until all the cities lie desolate, and no one lives there anymore; until no men are left in the houses, and the land is totally deserted. ¹² Then God will distance Himself from men, as those who are left in the land multiply. ¹³ But only a tenth will remain, for they’ve been [cut down] like pine trees. However; Like an acorn that stays in its shell, the holy seed will remain in the stump.’

Chapter 7

¹ It was in the days of Ahaz (the son of JoTham, the son of UzziJah) the king of Judah, that Rezin (the king of Aram) and Pekah (the son of RemaliJah) the king of Israel came to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but they were unable to conquer it. ² So when the house of David was told that Aram had joined forces with EphraIm, they were shaken, and the lives of the people were shaken like a forest of trees in a windstorm.

³ Then Jehovah told IsaiJah, ‘You and your son JaSub (the one who you left behind) must now go to meet with [King] Ahaz, at the upper wash-women’s pool. ⁴ Tell him: Do nothing at all and don’t be afraid… don’t allow those two smoking firebrands, to make you feel weak [in your knees]. For, when I [send] the anger of My rage, you will once more be [saved].

⁵ ‘And as for the sons of Aram and RemaliJah; because they wickedly got together and said, ⁶ We will go to Judea together, to fight against them and make them our subjects, then set the son of TabeAl as their ruler, ⁷ this is what Jehovah of Armies has said: There’s no way that this plan will succeed… it just will not happen. ⁸ But the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. And in sixty-five years EphraIm’s kingdom, [will be destroyed] by these people. ⁹ For, the head of EphraIm is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of RemaliJah. But if you don’t have faith you won’t understand.’

¹⁰ Then Jehovah [sent a message to] to Ahaz, saying, ¹¹ ‘Ask for a sign from Jehovah your God, either from the depths or the heights.’

¹² And Ahaz replied, ‘There’s no way that I’ll ask, nor will I put Jehovah to the test!’

¹³ Then he said, ‘Listen O house of David! If it’s too small a thing for you to supply men for a war, then how can you fight a war for Jehovah? ¹⁴ Because of this, Jehovah Himself is going to give you a sign! Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you are to call his name EmManuEl. ¹⁵ He will eat butter and honey before he knows, whether he prefers to be wicked, or whether he chooses to do good. ¹⁶ For, before the boy knows good or evil, by resisting the wicked persuasions, he will choose to do what is good.

‘Then the land of two kings that you had once feared, will be totally abandoned! ¹⁷ And God will bring the king of Assyria, upon you, your people, and the house of your father… days that haven’t come since the time, that EphraIm was separated from Judah.

¹⁸ ‘In that day Jehovah will whistle, for the flies that cover the river of Egypt, and bees will come down from Assyria. ¹⁹ They will come and settle in the ravines; in burrows in the rocks and in caves; and in every hole and in trees. ²⁰ In that that day; Jehovah will use Assyria’s king, to take a razor and shave all those drunks, on the other side of the river. He’ll shave their heads and the hair on their feet, and then he’ll cut off their beards.

²¹ ‘But in that day each man who remains, will have a cow and two sheep. ²² So there’ll be plenty of milk for those who are left, and [plenty of] butter and honey to eat. ²³ Yet in that day; Where once grew thousands of grapevines, valued at thousands of silver coins; there will grow just thorn bushes, for cultivation will have ceased. ²⁴ With bows and arrows they will [hunt] there, for the land will be wild and covered with thorns.

²⁵ ‘And thereafter; All mountains that can be plowed will be plowed; there won’t be any more fear; and the uncultivated land of thorn bushes, will become a pasture for sheep, and a land to be trampled by oxen.’

Chapter 8

¹ Then Jehovah said to me, ‘Go get a large new roll of papyrus, and write upon it with the pen of a man, about the swift plundering of loot… for now it is going to happen! ² And appoint [these two] trustworthy men, to serve as My witnesses [to all]: UriJah the Priest, and ZechariJah the son of BarachiJah.’

³ Well, thereafter, I [had sex] with Prophetess, and she got pregnant and gave birth to a son. Then Jehovah said to me, ‘Call his name Quick Gloom-Swift Looting, ⁴ because, before the child knows how to call his father or mother, someone will carry the power of Damascus, and the spoils of Samaria to Assyria’s king.’

⁵ Then Jehovah spoke to me again and said, ⁶ ‘Because these people will not go, to the water of Siloam in peace, but prefer Rezin (RemaliJah’s son) as their king, {Look!} Jehovah is bringing against them, the waters of a huge and powerful river… the king of Assyria and his glory. ⁷ He will come to your valleys, and walk right up to your walls. ⁸ Then he’ll remove every man from Judea, who can raise his head or do anything at all. O EmManuEl; His camp will fill up your [land]!’

⁹ Know this, O nations, and then be nailed shut! Pay attention, all you to the ends of the earth; get ready and then be nailed shut! And if you once again should grow strong, you’ll be nailed shut once again. ¹⁰ And no matter whom you ask to get your ideas, Jehovah will wipe it away. And no matter what you say you will do, it won’t be accomplished for God is [against] you!

¹¹ This is what Jehovah said: ‘These people resist [My] persuasion, about the ways they should go, for they say: ¹² The things that You’re saying are too hard [to do]! Yet, whatever they say is too hard to do, is nothing to be feared or disturbing. ¹³ Just hold Jehovah of Armies as holy, and then He’ll be your fear… ¹⁴ yield to Him and your Holy Place He’ll become. Then upon no stone will you stumble, nor will any rock make you fall!

‘The houses of Jacob are [now] in the trap, of those lying in wait in Jerusalem’s hollows. ¹⁵ Many among them are weak, and they’re going to fall and be broken. For they will approach and carry off men, from those who once lived in safety!

¹⁶ ‘Then it’ll be easy to tell who were sealed, from those who chose not to [follow] the Law. ¹⁷ For one will say, I’ll wait on the God, from whom the house of Jacob turned their faces, and in Him I will put all my trust… ¹⁸ {Look} me and the children God gave me; for in the house of Israel they’ll serve, as miracles and signs by Jehovah of Armies… He who dwells on Mount Zion.

¹⁹ ‘And if at that time they should tell you, to go and seek those who give signs (from those who speak from the ground, or those who speak empty words from their guts), [you should ask]: Shouldn’t a nation inquire of their God?’

‘Why ask the dead about those [who are] living? ²⁰ For He gave us the Law as our helper, so we wouldn’t say things like this, [or ask] about things that won’t help us!

²¹ ‘For this, a great famine is coming upon you. Then when you’re hungry and worried, and speak wickedly of fathers and kings, you will look to the sky up above you, ²² and down at the earth underneath you, and see darkness, distress, and hard times… and it’s a darkness that will last a long time.

Chapter 9

¹ Drink this first and fast… act quickly, O lands of ZebuLun and NaphTali; you coasts and those on the Jordan’s other side, and you, O Galilee of the nations. ² The people who were traveling in darkness, then saw a [very] bright light. Yes, light will then shine upon those, who live in the place of the shadow of death! ³ He will lead most people toward gladness, and they will be as happy before him, as those who take joy in a harvest, and like those dividing up loot; ⁴ since the yoke that they wore will be removed, as will the whip that [they felt] on their necks. For, He’ll destroy the [whip] of those using it, as in the day of Midian’s war. ⁵ And they’ll have to pay for each piece of clothes, that they through treachery have won, for the people will [demand] the return of their clothes… even if they had been scorched!

⁶ To us a child has been born, and a son was given to us, upon whose shoulders the kingship will come. And his name will be called, ‘the Messenger of the Great Understanding; the Wonderful Councilor and Mighty God; the Powerful One and Prince of Peace; and Father of the Age that is Coming.’ Then upon this prince I’ll bring peace and health. ⁷ His rule from David’s throne will be great, and there’ll be no end to his peace. His kingdom will be established on judgments and justice, both now and into the age, for the zeal of Jehovah of Armies will do this.

⁸ But to Israel and Jacob, Jehovah sent death. ⁹ And all the people of EphraIm (those with haughty and insolent hearts, who settled in Samaria) will know this. And then they will say: ¹⁰ ‘All the bricks have now fallen, so come and let us shape stones; then we’ll cut down some cedars and sycamore trees, and we’ll build for ourselves a great tower.’

¹¹ But God will knock down all those, who are coming against Zion and Him. He’ll wipe all His enemies away… ¹² the Syrians from the dawn of the sun, to the Greeks from the place where it sets… those devouring Israel with their whole mouths. And even this won’t end His rage, for His hand will still be held high.

¹³ Because His people refused to turn back, until [the day] they were struck (they didn’t seek Jehovah of Armies), ¹⁴ Jehovah removed the head and the tail… the great and the small from Israel in a day. ¹⁵ The heads are the elders and highly regarded, and the prophets teaching lawlessness are the tail.

¹⁶ There are those who say ‘These people are blest,’ but they just mislead them to swallow them down. ¹⁷ And because of these things, Jehovah won’t favor their young men, nor will He show mercy on their orphans or widows, because they’re all lawless and wicked, and every mouth is unrighteous. Yet, none of these things will turn back His rage, for His hand will still be raised high.

¹⁸ Then the lawlessness will be burned as in fire… they’ll be devoured like flames through dry grass… they’ll be burned like thickets in the woods, and devoured like things in the hills. ¹⁹ And because of the anger and rage of Jehovah, the entire land will be burned, and its people will be as those burned in a fire, for a man won’t show mercy on his brother.

²⁰ Then he’ll look at his right hand in hunger, and he’ll eat his left [arm]. But eating the flesh of his arm will not fill him.

²¹ Then ManasSeh will eat EphraIm and EphraIm ManasSeh, and together they’ll come against Judah. Yet, none of these things will turn back His rage, for His hand will still be held high.

Chapter 10

¹ Woe to those who write wicked [laws], for the reasons they are written are all wicked… ² to turn equal [justice] from the poor, and to snatch away justice from the needy of My people. So, they’re ravaging widows and plundering orphans.

³ What will they do in the day of inspection? For, the difficult time will come from afar; then where will you run to for aid, and where will you leave all your wealth, ⁴ so you’re not forced to be slaves? For, you’ll fall under those who are being destroyed! Yet, even this won’t turn back His rage, for His hand will still be held high.

⁵ Woe to Assyria (the rod of My wrath)… those who hold My rage in their hands. ⁶ For, I’ll send My rage against that lawless nation, and give orders to My people to plunder and loot them, then trample their cities and turn them to dust.

⁷ But [they] aren’t thinking about this, and in their souls they will not consider. [For their king] will dismiss this from his mind, since they will destroy many nations. ⁸ Yet, if any should say to [Assyria’s king], ‘You alone are our ruler,’ ⁹ he’ll ask; ‘Have I not taken all the land above Babylon, and Calneh where the tower was built? Have I not taken Arabia, as well as Damascus and Samaria? ¹⁰ And in the same way that I’ve taken all these, I will conquer all other kingdoms!’

So shriek, O carvings in Jerusalem, ¹¹ for as I did to Samaria, and to all her idols made by hand, I’ll do to Jerusalem and her idols!’

¹² But after Jehovah completes all these things (that He’ll do to Jerusalem and Mount Zion), in His mind He’s determined to attack, Assyria’s king and the haughty glory of his eyes. ¹³ For he said: ‘I will act in a strong way. And in My wisdom and understanding, I will remove the boundaries of nations, and bring an end to their power. ¹⁴ I’ll shake the cities where they live, and grab all living there like a nest in My hands, and then I’ll deport the survivors. None will evade or contradict me; they’ll just open their mouths and chirp.’

¹⁵ Would the axe have any glory, without someone to swing it? Would the saw have any value, without someone to draw it; and can a wooden rod lift itself? ¹⁶ So, in place of your honor you’ll get dishonor, from Jehovah of Armies; and He’ll send you fire for your glory, then you’ll be consumed by the flames, ¹⁷ and this fire will then serve as Israel’s light.

He’ll make her holy by burning her in fire, and eat her like grass in the woods in that day. ¹⁸ Mountains, hills, and forests it will eat, and devour the life from the flesh. Then those who flee will be running from flames, ¹⁹ and there’ll be few left behind; in fact, a small child could write down their numbers.

²⁰ In that day; Those who remain in Jerusalem, will no longer just go along… those of Jacob who are saved, will not yield to those who have wronged them. Rather; they will be yielding to God, and to the Holy One of Israel’s truth. ²¹ Then strength will return to those left of Jacob… those who’ve put trust in their God; ²² and the people of Israel will be, like the sands of the sea, from the small number of those that remained.

²³ So, in justice this matter is being completed, for He who exacts is Jehovah. And Jehovah of Armies will act, throughout the habitation [of man]. ²⁴ For this reason Jehovah of Armies has said, ‘Don’t fear the Assyrians O My people… all you who are dwelling in Zion. Though [Assyria] will strike you with a rod, and bring you distress as he [marches] toward Egypt, ²⁵ in a short time My anger will end, and then My rage will be turned toward their plans.’

²⁶ [At that time]; Jehovah the God of the Armies will rise up against them, and bring calamity upon them, as He did to Midian in the Place of Oppression. And His rage [will be expressed] by the sea, as they are traveling toward Egypt. ²⁷ In that day; their yoke of fear He’ll remove from your backs, and that yoke will then be destroyed.

²⁸ He’ll enter the City of AngAi; he will then pass by MegidDo, and lay down his weapons at MichMash. ²⁹ He’ll [go through] the valley and enter AngAi; fear will grab hold of Rama, and the whole city of Saul will then flee. ³⁰ At that time, O daughter of GalLim, your voice will sound just like snorting. Be careful [O you] at LachIsh, and AnathOth, be very careful, ³¹ for MadMenah and those in Gebim will be startled… ³² they should all join together to survive, as [Assyria] marches its way!

O daughter of Zion; Then you must gather in the mountains, and upon Jerusalem’s hills!

³³ O Lord, Jehovah of Armies; See how Your strength puts the honored in disarray, and breaks the insolence of the haughty, in order to teach them the need to be humble! ³⁴ For, the haughty will be cut down with swords, and Lebanon will fall along with the proud.

Chapter 11

¹ From the root of Jesse a [shoot] will then sprout, and a flower will grow from his root. ² The Breath of Jehovah will rest upon him… the spirit of wisdom and understanding; the spirit of strength and of purpose; the spirit of knowledge and reverence [for God]… ³ with the spirit of the fear of God he’ll be filled. He won’t judge men by their wealth, nor scold them for the things that they say, ⁴ but he’ll judge the case of the lowly, and [give justice to] the poor of the earth. He’ll strike the earth with the words from his mouth, and destroy the godless with the breath from his lips. ⁵ Justice will be tied ‘round his waist, and his sides will be girdled with truth.

⁶ Then the wolf and the lamb together will feed; the leopard will nap with the kid; bulls, calves, and lions together will graze, and they’ll be led by a small child. ⁷ The ox and the bear will graze by each other; together their young ones [will play], and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

⁸ On the burrows of asps a young child will play, and he’ll put his hands in the bed of young asps. ⁹ For, none will do any harm, and none will destroy on My holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah, as the seas are covered by water.

¹⁰ In that day; There’ll be the root of Jesse – the one who’ll arise to rule [all] the nations. In him the nations will hope, and upon him honor will rest. ¹¹ In that day; God will show the zeal of His hands, on behalf of the few who still remain… the remnant from Assyria and Egypt, and from Babylon, Ethiopia, and Elam… those who come from the sunrise, and those who come from Arabia. ¹² For He will raise a flag to the nations.

Then He will gather the Israelites, who were being destroyed, and He’ll collect the scattered of Judah, from the four [corners] of the earth. ¹³ He’ll remove the jealousy of EphraIm, and the enemies of Judea will all be destroyed. Then EphraIm will not be jealous of Judah, nor will Judah oppress them again. ¹⁴ But [at that time] they’ll all join together, and [attack] the Philistines in the west… they’ll plunder those from the sunrise and Edom. And though Moab will be the first to be conquered, sons of Ammon will be the first to submit.

¹⁵ Then Jehovah will [part] Egypt’s [Red] Sea, and He’ll lay His hand upon their [Nile] River… against its seven ravines He’ll send gales, so it can be walked on in sandals. ¹⁶ And this will serve as a path for My people… all those who are still left behind, and for those who’ve remained in Assyria. Then to Israel it will be like the day, when they [first] came out of Egypt.

Chapter 12

¹ And in that day they will say, ‘O Jehovah I praise You, for though You were angry with us, Your rage has now turned away, and You’ve shown mercy upon us. ² Look… my God and my Savior! I’ll do what He says and not be afraid, for Jehovah is my glory and praise, and He has become my salvation.’

³ Then water will be drawn from the springs of salvation, ⁴ and in that day you will say: ‘Sing in praise to Jehovah! Yell [in praise of] His Name! His honorable deeds announce to all nations! Mention that His Name has been raised! ⁵ Sing praises to the Name of the Lord, for all the great things that He’s done! Announce these things throughout the whole earth! ⁶ Shout aloud and be joyful, all who you are living in Zion, for the Holy One of Israel, has now been raised high in her midst!’

Chapter 13

¹ This is the vision that IsaiJah (the son of Amoz) saw against Babylon.

² On the crests of the mountains raise the flag, and before it shout aloud… do not fear!

Open up O you rulers… put your hands [to your mouths] and call out for aid, ³ for I’m in command and I’m giving the order, to giants who are coming to fill up My rage. Together they’re coming in joy and shouting insults.’

⁴ There’s a voice like the sound of many nations, that is [being heard from] the mountains. It’s like the sound of many kings, and an assembly of many peoples; for Jehovah of Armies has given the orders, to a nation of warriors with weapons, ⁵ and they’re coming from a land far away… from the extremities of the foundations of the sky. It’s the Lord and His warriors that are coming, to ruin the habitation of man.

⁶ Shriek, for the day of Jehovah is near, and destruction by God swiftly approaches! ⁷ Because of this, all hands will go limp, and the lives of every man will be fearful. ⁸ All their elders will be disturbed, and they will have pains like women giving birth. So, they’ll sympathize with each other, and among each other they’ll be in shock… their faces will be changed into flames! ⁹ For, {Look!} the day of Jehovah is coming. It’s a day of incurable rage… the anger to destroy man’s habitation, and to wipe away all the sinners. ¹⁰ Then the stars in the sky (including Orion), and the arrangement of the heavens will not shine. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon won’t give out its light.

¹¹ I’ll give instructions to this evil world, and the sins of the irreverent I’ll destroy… I’ll destroy the insolence of the lawless, and I’ll abase the insolence of the proud. ¹² Then those left behind will be rarer than gold… men will be rarer than Ophir’s [gold]. ¹³ For, the skies will then be enraged, and the foundations of the earth will be shaken, by the anger and rage of Jehovah of Armies, in that day when His wrath will arrive.

¹⁴ Then the remaining will flee as though they were deer, and like sheep they will stray. No way will a man return to his people, for men will flee from their homes. ¹⁵ Then, whoever is captured will be [killed], and those who’re collected will fall by the sword. ¹⁶ Before them their kids will be dashed to the ground; their homes will be ruined and their women all tainted.

¹⁷ {Look!} Against you I’m arousing the Medes… those who think nothing of your silver, and have no need of your gold! ¹⁸ They’ll break the bows of your young men, and show no mercy on your children… their eyes will spare none of your children.

¹⁹ Then Babylon (the capital of the king of Chaldea), will be wiped out by God like Sodom and GomorRah. ²⁰ Through the age no one will live there… for generations no one will go there. Arabs won’t go there and shepherds won’t rest there. ²¹ But wild animals will indeed go there to rest, and fill all their houses with growling. It’ll be a home for demons who’ll dance there; ²² [scavenger birds] will then dwell there, and hedgehogs will build nests in their homes.

Chapter 14

¹ This will all happen quickly… it will take little time, for the days will not drag on. But Jehovah will show mercy on Jacob (Israel will still be His chosen), and they will rest in their land. Then to them foreigners will be added… to the house of Jacob they’ll be added. ² They will accept the nations among them… as an inheritance they’ll bring them to their place. Then, there within the land of our God, male and female servants will be many, and those who once took them as captives, will then in turn be their captives… they’ll dominate those who once ruled them.

³ And in that day; Jehovah will bring rest from your grief and your rage, and the hard labor in which you once slaved. ⁴ Then against the king of Babylon himself, you will take up this wail… you will say in that day: ‘O how much rest [we now enjoy], from he who once required so much… how much rest [we now have from] our masters, ⁵ for Jehovah has broken the yoke of the sinners, as well as the yoke of their rulers. ⁶ He struck a nation in [His] rage, [and brought] incurable calamity upon them… He spared none and He wasn’t persuaded to desist, ⁷ so now the whole earth is shouting in joy! ⁸ The trees of Lebanon are joyful and say, From the time that you were laid low, no one has come here to cut us!

⁹ ‘From below the grave was bitter when it met you, for all the giants who once ruled the earth, have now been gathered against you. The kings of the nations will arise from their thrones, ¹⁰ and then to you they will say: Have you now been captured as we were; and are you now considered as one of us? ¹¹ Your glories and joys have gone down to their graves, and beneath you they’ll make a bed of decay, where you will be covered with worms!’

¹² ‘O how the bright one has fallen from the sky (the one that arises at dawn); for you who [once conquered] nations, have now been broken to the ground. (Note: This text could also be rendered: ‘O how you have fallen from the sky; Shriek, O one that arises at dawn, for you who [once conquered] nations, have now been broken to the ground’). ¹³ For you once said in your heart, I will ascend to the sky, and put my throne above all the stars. I will sit upon a high mountain… on the highest mountains to the north. ¹⁴ I’ll be higher than the clouds, and like the Most High I’ll be.

¹⁵ ‘But now you’ll go down to the grave, and to the foundations of the earth. ¹⁶ Then those who see you will wonder and say: Is this the man who provoked the whole earth… is he the one who shook kings… ¹⁷ the one who brought desolation, to the habitation of man… he who demolished its cities, and he who set no slaves free?’

¹⁸ Though all kings of the nations sleep in honor, and every man within his own house, ¹⁹ you’ll be tossed in the mountains like the dead… you’ll be abhorred like others who were stabbed through with swords, and who went to the place of the dead. ²⁰ Like clothes that are befouled by blood, you’ll never be pure or be clean, for, you destroyed My land and killed all My people. So, no way will you last through the ages, O you seed of what’s evil.

²¹ Prepare your children to be slaughtered, because of the sins of their fathers, so they won’t rise and inherit the land, and then fill the whole earth with wars! ²² ‘For, I will rise up against them,’ says Jehovah of Armies; ‘I’ll destroy their names, their remains, and their seed.’

Then Jehovah said: ²³ ‘I will desolate Babylon’s lands, and make it a place where hedgehogs will dwell. It will then become nothing… it’ll be a pit of destruction.’

²⁴ Then Jehovah of Armies said, ‘This is how it will happen… this is the way it will be, for this is what I have decided: [Babylon] will remain in order ²⁵ to destroy, all the Assyrians from My land and My [Holy] Mountain. They’ll be trampled and their yoke will be removed, as their dignity will be taken from their shoulders.’

²⁶ This is the plan that Jehovah laid out, for the habitation of man; and this is His high hand over the nations. ²⁷ For, who can erase the Most Holy’s plans, and who can stay His hand when it’s held high?

²⁸ In the year that King Ahaz died, these words came [to IsaiJah]:

²⁹ Do not be joyful, O you Philistines, because He broke the yoke of those who’d attacked you. For, from the snake’s seed young asps will come, and these young will become flying serpents.

³⁰ Though He will feed all the poor, and peace will rest on the paupers, your seed will starve and be wiped away… those who remain will be gone.

³¹ So shriek, O you city gates, and cry aloud O you cities, for the Philistines are being disturbed! Smoke is coming from the north, and none will be left [alive] there.

Now, what answer can the kings of the nations supply? For, it was Jehovah who laid the foundation of Zion, and by Him many peoples will be saved!

Chapter 15

¹ This is the word against Moab.

Moab’s land will be destroyed in the night… by night its walls will be broken. ² In Dibon, your altars will all be destroyed, and you’ll then ascend there to weep.

And let out a shriek upon Nebo, there within the land of Moab, for every head will be shaved, and all the arms will be shackled. ³ Sackcloth will be worn in their squares; under her roofs they will mourn; and there will be shrieking and crying, within her squares and her streets!

⁴ There’ll be shouting in HeshBon, as well as in EliAleh, and the sounds will be heard in JaHaz. For the loins of Moab’s land will cry out, and in her soul she will know; ⁵ for in the heart of Moab there’ll be shouting, all the way up to ZoAr. They’ll be like a three-year-old heifer, [that’s being led to the slaughter]. So on the ascent to LuHith there’ll be weeping, and on the road to HoRoNaim there’ll be yelling, for there will be trembling and defeat!

⁶ At NimRim the water will be gone; her crops will fail and there’ll be no green grass, ⁷ so how can it be her salvation? For, I’ll bring the Arabians to her valleys, and then they all will be captured.

⁸ There will be screaming and shrieking, throughout the land of Moab to EglaIm, and there will be screams to the well of ElIm. ⁹ For, the waters of Dimon will be filled up with blood, because I’m bringing the Arabs against Dimon, and then they’ll remove the seed of Moab… AriEl and all who remain in Adama.

Chapter 16

¹ Then I will send a male lamb, to serve as lord of the land; for, is the mountain of Zion’s daughter just a bare rock? ² So you, O you daughter of Moab, will become like a bird that’s flies all around, after her young have been taken!

And Arnon, sit down and discuss it, ³ then prepare for continuous mourning, because at noon there’ll be darkness, and [your people] will be startled and fleeing. So do not start your celebrations, ⁴ for with you will travel the exiles of Moab, and they will be your protection, from the faces of those who pursue you. For, your alliance in war will be lifted away, and your ruler will perish and be trampled to the ground.

⁵ Then, from a throne [based on] mercy, all [things will then be] made right; for one from David’s tent will then sit [on that throne], who will judge and inquire in rightness and truth, and he will bring swift justice.

⁶ We have heard the insults of Moab, and they’ve been very insulting. [We’ve noticed] his pride, his insults, and rage… and there are no reasons for this. ⁷ So in Moab there will be shrieking… throughout the land there’ll be screaming. But you’ll care for those who are dwelling in Seth, and you won’t be ashamed.

⁸ In the plains of HeshBon they’ll mourn, over the grapevines of SibMah; for the nations will swallow them down, and up to JaZer they’ll trample her grapevines. There’s no way that you’ll get back together, because in the desert you’ll wander! Those whom she sent away are abandoned, for they’ve crossed over the sea. ⁹ And for this I will cry as will those of JaZer, who are weeping for the grapevines of SibMah.

O HeshBon and EliAleh; Your trees have all been cut down, and I’ll trample your harvests and crops, so they will also soon fail! ¹⁰ Then there’ll be no leaping for joy in your vineyards, since the reasons for joy will be gone. None will tread wine in the wine vats, for the [growing of grapes] will have ceased. ¹¹ So, My insides will play like a harp over Moab, but My feelings are like a wall that’s rebuilt.

¹² ‘This will cause you all to feel shame, for I’m tired of the shrines of Moab… [the places] where she went to pray, before things she’d made with her hands. And now there’s no way they can save her.

¹³ ‘This is what Jehovah said against Moab. ¹⁴ And then Jehovah spoke and said this: ‘In three years (in the length of employment of a servant) Moab will meet her dishonor; all her wealth [will be gone], with only a few peasants will remain there.’

Chapter 17

¹ This is the word against Damascus.

{Look!} Damascus will be lifted from among all the cities, for it will [soon] meet its downfall. ² Then through the ages it will serve as a bed… a resting place and safe haven for flocks. ³ No more will it be a fortified place (a place where EphraIm finds refuge); there will not be a kingdom in Damascus, and no Syrians will then be left there.

‘But it will be better for you, than for Israel’s sons and their glory,’ says Jehovah of Armies. ⁴ ‘For, the glory of Jacob will end in that day, and his bountiful glory will be shaken. ⁵ It’ll be the same as during a harvest, or when someone reaps grain… when someone gathers grain in a valley filled with rocks. ⁶ For, all that remains will be stubble… just two or three olive pits, on the tops of tall trees, where four or five branches remain.’

This is what [Jehovah] the God of Israel has said: ⁷ ‘In that day all men will have to rely, upon the One who has made them… to the Holy One of Israel their eyes should turn back. ⁸ They shouldn’t rely on their shrines, or on the things that they’ve made with their hands. In that day they’ll not look to the trees, or to their disgusting things; ⁹ for your cities will be abandoned in that day, as were those of the Amorites and Hivites, before the faces of Israel’s sons. Desolate places they will become, ¹⁰ for you’ve forsaken your Savior, God… yes, you have forgotten your God!

‘Because of this you’ll plant insecurely, and [you’ll plant] seeds you’re unsure of. ¹¹ About the right day to plant you’ll be misled. And if you should sow in the morning, the seeds will then rot in the harvest. So the fathers of men will then choose by lot, to which of their sons they will [feed] it.

¹² ‘Woe to the multitudes of nations, for you will also be disturbed; you’ll be disturbed like a sea [in a storm], ¹³ which will carry many nations as by a raging flood. [God] will scold them and then they will flee… He’ll pursue them from a great distance. Then they’ll be like dust on the mountains, which is being [blown] in the wind, and like clouds of dust raised by wheels. ¹⁴ Toward the evening there will be mourning, and before the dawn they’ll no longer be.’

This is the lot of those who despoil us… it’s the inheritance of those who’ve inherited us.

Chapter 18

¹ Woe to you, O land of winged boats, beyond the rivers of Ethiopia; ² those sending paper treaties and letters across water; for, to a nation that’s been raised will go messengers of light… [they will go] to a strange and ill-tempered people. Who is [this far away nation]? It’s a nation by whom you don’t want to be trampled. ³ It’s a land where they live by the rivers, and their place will [soon] be a standard, that is lifted [atop] the tall mountains, and like the signal of the blowing of trumpets. ⁴ Because, this is what Jehovah has told me: ‘Though My city is protected from noontime heat, and as by clouds of dew before harvest; ⁵ when the flowers are in blossom and young grapes have formed, I’ll remove the grape clusters with a sickle, and cut the small branches from the vines, ⁶ then leave them behind for the birds of the skies, and the wild beasts of the earth. Then all the winged creatures of the skies, and all the wild beasts of the earth, will be gathered there to consume them.’

⁷ Then gifts will be offered to Jehovah of Armies, by a people who’ve been afflicted and plucked out… a people who’ve been great [through] the ages; a nation that’s been trampled down, but in whom some hope still remains. For they will [live] from the rivers of that [land], to the mountain of the Name of Jehovah of Armies.

Chapter 19

¹ This is the vision against Egypt.

{Look!} Jehovah sits upon a nimble cloud, and to Egypt He is going, to shake the idols that they made with hands, which now stand in front of His face, and their hearts will then be pierced through. ² For Egyptians will [fight] with Egyptians… all men will wage war against brothers and neighbors. City will rise against city, and house [will rise] against house. ³ The spirit of the Egyptians will be disturbed, and I’ll wipe away all their plans. Then they’ll inquire of their statues and gods, and their prophets and those who speak from the ground; ⁴ but I’ll give the Egyptians to hard taskmasters, and appoint hard kings over them.

And Jehovah of Armies said this: ⁵ ‘Egyptians will drink water from the sea, because their river will dry up and fail… ⁶ their rivers and aqueducts will all fail, and all their water will dry. ⁷ Even the reed and papyrus marshes, as well as the greenery near the rivers, and all the crops that are planted thereby, will be dried up and [blown] by the wind.

⁸ ‘Then all those who fish, all who cast hooks, all who use dragnets, and all who cast nets in the river, will [have good reason to] moan and to mourn. ⁹ And those who shred flax, and those who weave linen, ¹⁰ will also be grieved and ashamed. Those who brew beer will be very concerned, and the lives of all will be painful.

¹¹ ‘Then fools will be appointed their rulers; and as councilors to the king there in Tanes, will be those who’ll tell him stupid things. For they will say to the king: We are the sons of wise men, and [we were born] sons of kings! ¹² So, where are they now, all of your wise men? Let them now come and tell you, what Jehovah of Armies has planned against Egypt.’

¹³ The rulers in Tanes have all failed, and though rulers in Memphis are haughty, they will cause Egypt and its tribes to stray. ¹⁴ Because Jehovah has concocted for them, the spirit of an addiction to delusions. And this will cause Egypt to [stagger], like drunks who go outside to vomit together.

¹⁵ Egypt won’t know its head from its tail, or discern a beginning or an end. ¹⁶ In that day; the men of Egypt will all act like women, and before the hand of Jehovah they’ll shake, for He will cause this to happen.

¹⁷ Then the Egyptians will fear the land of Judea, and they’ll fear those who call themselves Jews, for Jehovah of Armies has plans against them.

¹⁸ In that day; In five cities of Egypt, they’ll speak the CanaAnite tongue, and swear oaths in the Name of Jehovah of Armies; and the City of Asedek will then be renamed, ‘The City of the One [God].’

¹⁹ In that day; There’ll be an Altar to Jehovah in Egypt. There’ll also be a monument to Jehovah at their borders, ²⁰ which will serve as a sign through the age, that to Jehovah Egypt belongs. Then they’ll call to Jehovah whenever they’re oppressed, and He will send someone to save them… He’ll deliver them and bring justice.

²¹ So, to the Egyptians the Lord will be known… all Egypt will know Jehovah in that day. To Him they’ll offer sacrifices and gifts… make vows to Jehovah and pay them. ²² For, after Jehovah brings calamity on Egypt, He’ll heal them and they’ll turn to the Lord… He’ll listen to them and He’ll heal them.

²³ In that day; There’ll be a road between Assyria and Egypt, where the Assyrians will travel to Egypt, and the Egyptians will travel to Assyria; and the Assyrians will then serve the Egyptians.

²⁴ In that day; Israel will be third among Assyria and Egypt, when it comes to their land being praised. ²⁵ For, thus says the praise of Jehovah of Armies: ‘Praise My people in Egypt, as well as those in Assyria, and My inheritance Israel.’

Chapter 20

¹ In the year that Tartan entered AshDod (when he was sent by Sargon the king of the Assyrians, and waged a war against AshDod and took it), ² Jehovah spoke to IsaiJah (the son of Amoz) and said: ‘Remove the sackcloth from your loins, and untie the sandals from your feet.’ And he did so, walking naked and barefoot!

³ And Jehovah said: ‘As My servant IsaiJah walks naked and barefoot, such signs and miracles will be sent, to Egyptians and Ethiopians for three years. ⁴ For, the king of Assyria will lead you as captives (Ethiopia and Egypt’s young and old), naked and barefoot to show Egypt’s shame.

⁵ ‘The Ethiopians who rely on Egyptians, will then be vanquished and shamed, for their [only] glory was [Egypt]. ⁶ And then they’ll say to those in the islands: {Look!} We thought we could run to them for our aid, but from the King of Assyria, they were unable to save us, so how can we be delivered?’

Chapter 21

¹ The Desert Vision.

As a blast [of air] that blows through the desert, from out of a land that is arid, ² a frightening and hard vision came to me, concerning those who ignore and disregard, and those who are lawless in their lawlessness. The [Medes] and the Persians had come against me, so I started to moan and to comfort myself; ³ because of this my loins became feeble, and I was filled as someone with birth pains. Then unrighteously I chose not to hear it, and I rushed away not to see it. ⁴ In my heart I wandered away; in lawlessness I was immersed, and my life was wrapped up in fear.

⁵ Prepare the table to eat and to drink… awaken the rulers and pull out the shields; ⁶ for this is what the Lord said to me: ‘Go and stand as a watchman, and then announce what you see!’

⁷ Then I beheld two riders approaching; one [was riding] a burro, and the other [was riding] a camel.

⁸ [And I was told]: ‘Listen… call out to UriJah, from Jehovah’s watch tower!’

And he said: ‘I just stood there all day, and I watched the camp throughout the night. ⁹ Look, someone is coming… and upon a double chariot he’s riding! He’s shouting that Babylon has fallen, along with all of her idols… her idols have been smashed to the ground!’

¹⁰ So hear this, all you who remain, and those of you who are grieving… hear what I heard from Jehovah of Armies, for it’s what the God of Israel is announcing to you!

¹¹ The vision of Edom.

He called to me from Seir and He said, ‘Stand guard upon the [city] walls! ¹² Stand guard from morning ‘til night! Keep close watch with Me and you’ll live! ¹³ Then in the evening you must bed down, in the woods on the road leading to Dedan, ¹⁴ and bring some water for the thirsty you’ll meet… those from the place called Tema! [Also bring] bread loaves for all who are fleeing, ¹⁵ because of those being slaughtered… because of all who must wander… because of those who are brandishing swords… because of all those with stretched bows… and because of all who’ve fallen in battle!’

¹⁶ Then Jehovah said this: ‘In a year (as the year of someone who’s hired), the glory of Cedar will be gone, ¹⁷ and few of Cedar’s great bowmen remain, for Jehovah the God of Israel has spoken.’

Chapter 22

¹ The matter of the valley of Zion.

What has happened to you, that you’ve foolishly climbed up on your roofs? ² For your city is now filled with screaming. Yet your slain were not killed by the broadsword, and your people aren’t dead because of a war. ³ All your rulers fled [in fear of] the bow, and now they’re all tied up together. All your strong ones have fled, and because of this I said, ‘Let me go somewhere and bitterly cry!’

⁴ Do not offer me comfort, over the destruction of the daughter of my people, ⁵ for this is a day of disturbance, as well as trampling and destruction… it’s an addiction to delusions by Jehovah of Armies.

They wander in the valley of Zion… from the small to the great, on the mountains they wander. ⁶ But the Elamites gathered [their arrows], and all their men who ride horses, and they gathered in battle array. ⁷ So with chariots your beautiful valleys will be filled, while horsemen block all your gates. ⁸ In that day they’ll reveal Judah’s gates, and survey the city’s best houses. ⁹ In the houses of David they’ll find hidden places, and they’ll see how many there are.

¹⁰ But you will divert [all the] water, to the city’s ancient pool, and demolish the walls of many houses, to fortify Jerusalem’s walls. ¹¹ Between the two walls you’ll bring yourselves water; you’ll send it inside to the ancient pool; but you’ll fail to look to the One who first made it… to its Creator you will not look. ¹² So, Jehovah of Armies calls for tears in that day… for the beating of chests and the shaving [of heads], as well as the wearing of sackcloth.

¹³ But they were all happy and leaping for joy… they’ll be slaughtering calves and sacrificing sheep, then eating the meat and drinking the wine, saying: ‘Let’s eat and drink for tomorrow we die!’

¹⁴ Since to the ears of Jehovah of Armies, so much [bad] has been revealed, these sins will not be forgiven, until the time that you die!

¹⁵ Then Jehovah of Armies said this: ‘Now go and enter My [Holy Place]; go to SomNan the keeper of stores, and then ask: ¹⁶ Just why are you here… what [business] do you really have here? Why have you carved a memorial for yourself… why have you made a memorial, and depicted yourself in this Temple’s stone? ¹⁷ {Look!} Jehovah of Armies will now throw you out… He’ll wipe away such a man! Your [official] clothes He’ll remove, as well as the crown of honor [that you wear]! ¹⁸ Then He’ll throw you into a dungeon, and that is where you will die! He’ll turn your good chariot into one of dishonor, and trample the palaces of your rulers… ¹⁹ [He’ll] remove your position and station!

²⁰ ‘In that day I will call to My servant, EliAkim the son of HelkiJah, ²¹ and put your [official] garments on him, then I will give him your crown… I’ll entrust your administration to his hands, and he’ll become like a father, to those in Jerusalem and Judah.

²² ‘Then the key to the house of David, I will put ‘round his shoulders… he will open and none will unlock it! To him I’ll give the glory of David; he’ll rule and none will dispute this. ²³ Then I’ll make him the ruler of a place that’s secure, and upon a throne of glory he’ll sit, within the house of his father. ²⁴ And the honorable ones of the house of his father (from the least to the great), will then rely upon him. And all the small [sacred] vessels and cups, will depend upon him in that day.’

²⁵ Jehovah of Armies has declared: ‘This man will be removed and another entrenched, in a trustworthy place. He’ll be removed and he’ll fall, and all his glory will just waste away, for Jehovah [of Armies] has spoken.’

Chapter 23

¹ The matter of Tyre.

Shriek, O boats of Carthage, for [Tyre] has perished and they’ll no longer [sail out of] Cyprus, for [Tyre] has been led as a captive!

² To whom can I liken the people who live there… to Phoenician traders, who pass through seas and deep waters, ³ and to the seed of the traders… as traders to nations they carry the harvests.

⁴ ‘Be ashamed, O Sidon,’ said the sea! And the power of the sea then replied, ‘I haven’t had pains and haven’t given birth, nor have I fed young or raised virgins. ⁵ But when Egypt hears what has happened to Tyre, they’ll be overtaken with grief.’

⁶ Go on to Carthage and shriek, all you who live on the islands! ⁷ For, wasn’t she the reason for your insolence… in the beginning before she was [lost]?

⁸ Who planned these things against Tyre? Isn’t she best… isn’t she strong? Why, her merchants were the glorious rulers of the earth!

⁹ It was Jehovah of Armies who laid out the plans, to disable the insolence of these glorious ones… to dishonor the glories of the earth!

¹⁰ Now you’ll be forced now to work your land, for boats will no longer be [sailing] from Carthage, ¹¹ and your hands will no longer control the seas, O you the provoker of kings. For it was Jehovah of Armies… it was He who gave orders to destroy CanaAn’s strength, ¹² saying: ‘No longer will you continue to insult, and wrong the daughter of Zion. And even if you should travel to Cyprus, you will not find any rest there. ¹³ And if you should go to the land of Chaldea, the Assyrians will destroy even that, so for you there will not be any rest, because her walls will have fallen.’

¹⁴ So, shriek you boats out of Carthage, because your fortress has been destroyed! ¹⁵ This is how it will be in that day: For seventy years Tyre will be forsaken… the length of the lives of both men and kings. Then after seventy years have elapsed, Tyre will become like the song of a whore. ¹⁶ So, pick up your harp and wander, O you whore who has been forgotten! Play the harp and sing well, so there’ll be someone who remembers!

¹⁷ And after seventy years have passed by, God will go and revisit Tyre, and she’ll be restored to her ancient state. Once again she’ll be a market for all the kingdoms, of man’s habitation on the face of the earth. ¹⁸ And then her trading will become, as a holy wage to Jehovah; for their [profits] won’t be brought back to them, but to those who dwell before Jehovah… all [the wealth of] her trade [will be theirs], to eat and drink and fill themselves up, as a compact memorial to Jehovah.

Chapter 24

¹ {Look!} Jehovah will waste [your] habitation… He will make it quite desolate. He will uncover its face, and scatter those living upon it. ² And [those who are left] will then be like Priests; servants will then become masters; handmaids will then become ladies; those who buy will be those who then sell; those who borrow will then be the lenders, and those who owe will be those who are owed.

³ With corruption your land will be wasted, and by plundering the land will be plundered… these things were said by the mouth of Jehovah. ⁴ And then the whole earth will be mourning, for the arrangement will then be laid waste, and the exalted in the land will all mourn, ⁵ for [the land] is now thought of as lawless, on account of those who live there, because they have broken the Laws of Jehovah… they’ve wiped away and traded away, the Sacred Agreement of the ages. ⁶ So this curse will devour [your] land, because those who live there have sinned! Then just the poor will live in the land, and just a few men will remain there.

⁷ The wine will mourn and the grapevines will moan, over all the lives of those they made joyful. ⁸ The joyful sounds of tambourines will have ceased, and those pleased with themselves will be gone, along with the wealth of the godless, and they’ll no longer hear the sounds of the harp.

⁹ At that time they’ll all be ashamed, because those who drink won’t drink the wine, so it will all then turn [sour]. ¹⁰ All your cities will be empty, and all the houses will be locked, thus none will be able to enter. ¹¹ So, shriek for the wine everywhere, for the joy of the land has now ceased… yes it has all gone away! ¹² And what will be left behind, is just desolate cities, and the abandoned houses will be consumed. ¹³ All these things will happen to the land, there in the midst of the nations.

In the same way that you would glean olives; that’s how they will be gleaned… as though all the gathering of crops will have ceased. ¹⁴ So they will cry in loud voices… but those who remain in the land will rejoice, all together in the glory of Jehovah.

Then the waters of the seas will be shaken, ¹⁵ and the glory of Jehovah will then be [made known], throughout the islands of the sea… and the Name Jehovah will be honored. ¹⁶ [For all the peoples will be saying]: ‘O Jehovah, God of Israel; Of [Your] miracles we’ve heard to the [ends] of the earth, and that there’s hope for those who respect You.’ And once more all will then say: ‘Woe to those who’ve annulled… yes those who’ve annulled the Law [of Jehovah], ¹⁷ because fear, the pit, and a snare are upon you, O you who once dwelled in the land. ¹⁸ For those fleeing in fear will fall into the pit, and those climbing from the pit will be captured by snares.’

The windows of the heavens will then open, and the foundations of the land will be shaken. ¹⁹ A disturbance will disturb the whole earth, and perplexity will perplex the whole land. ²⁰ It will be tipped and then shaken, as [a horn] that’s filled with the fruits of the earth… it will then topple and fall, like someone who’s dizzy and drunk, never to get up again, because that’s [the land] where the lawless grew stronger.

²¹ God will raise His hand in that day, against the arrangement of the heavens, and against the kings of the earth. ²² They’ll be gathered as one congregation, and be locked in a dungeon inside a castle, and remain there through many generations.

²³ Then the bricks will melt and the walls will all fall; the moon will be sad and the sun will be shamed; for the Lord will reign from Zion in Jerusalem, and before the elders He’ll be glorified.

Chapter 25

¹ Jehovah my God, I’ll glorify You, and to Your Name I’ll sing praises, because of the wonderful things You have done, and because [Your] ancient council has proven true… may it be!

² The cities have been turned into [large] heaps of rubble… fortified cities whose foundations were strong… cities of the godless that won’t be rebuilt through the age. ³ Because of this I praise You… with the poor and the wronged I will praise You, ⁴ for You’ve been a helper to the cities of the meek, and You rescue all the depressed, since they’ve had no one to save them from the wicked… You’re a protection to those who are thirsting, and an inviting breeze to those who’ve been wronged.

⁵ You rescued the worried and thirsty in Zion… from godless men You have saved us. ⁶ Then Jehovah of Armies, will hold a banquet for the nations, and they’ll drink wine in joy on this mountain… ⁷ and anoint with perfumed oil on this mountain.

You will do all these things to the nations, because this is a plan for all nations. ⁸ Then death [that plagues all] will be swallowed; Jehovah will take away tears from each face; and from the peoples of the earth He’ll remove all disgrace… this was said by the mouth of Jehovah.

⁹ And in that day they will say, ‘Look… it’s our God in whom we have hoped… it is He who brought us salvation. This is Jehovah… we’ve waited for Him! We’ll shout praises in joy for our salvation!’

¹⁰ Then on this mountain God will bring rest, and the land of Moab will be trampled, as a threshing floor is trampled with wagons. ¹¹ He’ll unfold His hands to humble and grab them… for their insolence He will destroy them, and knock the high walls of their homes to the ground.

Chapter 26

¹ In that day they’ll sing this song within Judah:

‘Look! [Ours will be] a strong city!
For, He’ll establish a wall and a rampart to save us!
² Open O gates and then enter,
O people who guard justice and truth…
³ Those who’ve grabbed truth and guard peace!

⁴ ‘Upon You we’ve hoped through the age,
Great God of the age, O Jehovah,
⁵ For You’ve humbled and brought down those who lived high…
Fortified cities You have thrown down…
You’ve torn them down to the ground.
⁶ Then treaded them with Your feet as though footstools.

⁷ ‘The way of the reverent has been straightened,
And a way is prepared for the Godly.
⁸ For, the way of Jehovah is justice.

‘We have hoped in Your Name, and You we’ve never forgotten,
⁹ For, this is what we desired with our lives!
In the night, O my God, [I] rise early to You,
For, Your orders are bringing light to the land.

‘Learn justice, O you who live on the earth!
¹⁰ For, the irreverent will soon be all gone,
They’ll never learn justice on this earth,
Nor will they ever be truthful.
So please remove the ungodly,
That they may not gaze on the glory of [God]!

¹¹ ‘O Jehovah; Your arm was held high, but they didn’t know it,
And when they know it they’ll be shamed.
Then zeal will take hold of an ignorant people,
And fire will devour all those who oppose us.

¹² ‘O Jehovah our God, bring us peace!
For, it’s You’ve who’ve given us all things!
¹³ O Jehovah our God, please own us!
For we know no other, Jehovah,
And we have called on Your Name.

¹⁴ ‘The dead will never see life,
Nor can any doctor revive them.
For this, You attacked and destroyed,
And took every man from among them.

¹⁵ ‘O Jehovah;
Add to them all the bad things…
Add bad things to the glorious of the earth!
¹⁶ O Jehovah;
Though in affliction, we never forgot You…
In hard times we followed Your instructions.

¹⁷ ‘And like a woman with birth pangs…
One who screams and then she gives birth,
So we have been as Your loved ones.

¹⁸ ‘In fear of You, O Jehovah,
We have conceived in the womb.
We went into labor and gave birth,
By the spirit of Your salvation…
By the things that You’ve done on the earth.

‘We will not fall, though others will fall,
¹⁹ But the dead will be raised from their tombs.
Then all on the earth will be joyful,
For, as dew You’ll send them a cure,
While the lands of the godless will fall.

‘Proceed, O my people, to enter your bedrooms…
Go inside and lock all your doors,
Then hide in there for a while!
Because this will happen, then that;
And the rage of Jehovah will pass.

‘{Look!} From His Holy Place Jehovah sends rage,
Upon those who live in the land.
Then the ground won’t cover all of the blood,
Nor [the bodies] of those whom He destroys.

Chapter 27

¹ ‘In that day;
God will bring His great holy sword,
Against the dragon (the crooked fleeing snake)
And He’ll kill the dragon (the one in the sea).’

² Also in that day;
There will be a good vineyard,
And the desire to sing about it this song:

³ ‘She’s a fortified city, that is under attack,
It was a folly that I [offered her] water,
For, she will be captured by night,
And by day her walls will then fall.

⁴ ‘There are none who’ve failed to have her,
So Jehovah did all that He promised;
She is now to be burned ⁵ and those who live there will scream:
With Him, let us make peace…
Yes, [with Him] we should make peace!

⁶ ‘Then the children of Jacob will return,
And Israel will burst forth and blossom…
Their habitation will be filled with its fruit.

⁷ ‘Will they be struck down… those who once cut down others?
Will he who killed many, now be destroyed?
⁸ For, he sent them out to wage war
And then to berate,
Those with harsh spirits; who killed in a spirit of rage.

⁹ ‘Then the lawlessness of Jacob will be gone,
And to him will be brought this blessing: I will remove all his sins.

‘Then they’ll take all the stones from their shrines,
And grind them to powder and dust.
Their [sacred] poles will no longer be,
And their idols will be chopped like a forest.

¹⁰ ‘Flocks that were spared will then dwell there…
Flocks that had been left behind.

‘They wage warll spend much time in the pastures,
And there they will have time to rest.
¹¹ But they won’t spend time eating green grass,
Because it has dried [into hay].

‘Come, O women who’ve seen what has happened,
For, you’re a people who don’t understand.
Don’t show pity on those who make [idols]…
Show no mercy on those who have shaped them.

¹² ‘In that day, the ducts from the River RhinoCora,
Will then be closed by Jehovah.
But the sons of Israel will be gathered one by one…
¹³ And in that day they’ll blow a loud trumpet.

‘Then those lost in Assyria will return,
As well as those who are lost down in Egypt.
And they will bow to Jehovah,
On His Holy Mountain in Jerusalem.’

Chapter 28

¹ Woe to that insolent crown, that’s worn by EphraIm’s hired help… the flower of the one who has fallen from glory, atop the mountain of thick branches… those who are drunk without wine. ² For, {Look!} the rage of Jehovah is strong and it’s hard… it’s like hail that falls with great force, in a place where there’s nowhere to [run]. It’s like a flood that drags away [homes], in a land where He will bring rest, to your hands and your feet.

³ This crown of insolence of those who were hired, by EphraIm will soon be trampled down, ⁴ and its flower (its hope of glory) will fall, on the tops of high mountains like the shoots of a fig. Then whoever sees it in front of his hands, will wish to take it and swallow it down.

⁵ In that day, Jehovah of Armies, will be [the only] crown of hope… the crown of glory to the remnant of My people. ⁶ For in the spirit of fairness they’ll be spared… by justice and the strength of destruction restrained.

⁷ But there are those who stagger and wander, because of their liquor and wine. It’s because of the liquor (and because they’ve swallowed the wine), that the priests and prophets are out of their minds. And when they sober up they will wander, which will be easy for [all men] to see.

⁸ A curse will then devour their plans, for the plans that they have are for wealth.

⁹ To whom have we announced all this evil… to whom have we announced this great message? To those being weaned from the milk, and those being drawn from the breast.

¹⁰ Problems upon problems; hope after hope; yes, still a little… yes, still a little bit more; ¹¹ for with foul words from their lips, they’ll speak to this people in another tongue, ¹² and then they will tell them: ‘Those who are hungry are the unworthy, so they will soon be destroyed.’ (And they will not wish to hear this).

¹³ Then they will receive this oracle of God: ‘Problems upon problems; hope after hope; yes, still a little… yes, still a little bit more,’ and they will be exposed to great danger. For first they’ll retreat, and then they’ll be broken and captured.

¹⁴ Because of this, hear the word of Jehovah: ‘O men who are being attacked, and rulers of Jerusalem’s people: ¹⁵ You say that you’ve made a pact with the grave… that you’ve made a treaty with death, and that if a windstorm should blow, it will not blow upon you… for you’ve put your hope in [your] lies, and you [think] that they’ll bring you shelter.

¹⁶ ‘Because of this,’ says Jehovah; ‘{Look!} Upon the foundation of Zion, I will place a valuable stone… a costly, select cornerstone, to serve as its foundation… and those trusting in it will not be disgraced.

¹⁷ ‘Then in place hope there’ll be judgments, and upon My charity I’ll also put weights. Then those who rely in vain on the lie, will not be passed by the storm. ¹⁸ So your treaty with death will then be removed, and you won’t adhere to your hope in the grave.

‘Then by the blast you’ll be crushed… ¹⁹ when it passes through, it will take you. Morning after morning it’ll blow upon you, as well as during the night, and the only hope that it brings will be bad.

²⁰ ‘Learn how to hear, O you who’ve been squeezed! There’s no way you’ll be able to fight it! For, you’ll be weakened and captured.

²¹ ‘Jehovah will make mountains of the godless, and in Gibeon’s valley He’ll execute His rage… yes there He’ll do His bitter deed. But His rage will be brought in strange ways… the rotten deeds will be strange. ²² Then for you there’ll be no joy, for in your bonds you’ll be left without strength.’

Yes, these things will all happen… it’s what He will do on the land… it’s what Jehovah of Armies has told me. ²³ So, give ear and pay attention to my voice! Pay attention and hear all my words!

²⁴ Doesn’t it take all day to prepare for the plowing? And doesn’t the sower prepare before working the ground? ²⁵ Doesn’t he level its face, before planting pepperwort or cumin; or wheat, spelt, and barley on its borders? ²⁶ That’s how you’ll be corrected, in the fairness of your God, and then you’ll [have reasons] for joy. ²⁷ You can’t scrub pepperwort in order to clean it, or run wagon wheels on the cumin! You beat pepperwort [to shake off the seeds], ²⁸ and cumin should be eaten with bread. So, I won’t be angry through the ages, nor will the bitterness of My voice trample on you, ²⁹ for miracles will come by Jehovah of Armies.

Accept [My] counsel and know that [your reasons for] comfort are wasted!

Chapter 29

¹ Woe to the City of the Altar of God, on which King David waged war.

Gather your crops year after year, for with the Moabites you’ll eat them. ² Then I’ll squeeze the City of the Altar of God, and her strength and her wealth will be Mine. ³ I’ll encircle [your city] like David, and throw up a siege mound against you. Siege towers I’ll build around you, ⁴ and your words will be brought to the ground… into the ground your words will go down, then you’ll speak like those who speak from the ground; and from the ground your voice will grow weak.

⁵ The wealth of your godless will then become, like clouds of dust from wheels that pass by. For as many as dust will be those who oppress you.

⁶ It will happen right away (in a moment); for you’ll receive a visit from Jehovah of Armies, with thunder, disasters, and with great noise… with blasts of wind, and the flames of a fire that consumes. ⁷ And to you it will be like a dream, when all the wealth of many nations, marches on the City of the Altar of God. For the soldiers of those who oppress her, against Jerusalem will gather.

⁸ Then, to those who are sleeping, and those awake who are eating and drinking, it will all seem like a dream. And this is what they will dream: Those who get thirsty and drink, will still be thirsty when they wake up. Then their lives will be without hope, for the wealth of many nations will march against Zion.

⁹ Be tipsy, be dizzy, and be amazed, but not from liquor or wine, ¹⁰ for Jehovah has given you frustration to drink! Then He’ll close the lids of the eyes of their prophets, as well as their rulers and seers; ¹¹ and all that is written within this sealed scroll, will be given to a man who knows how to read, and to him you will say ‘Read these things!’

But he will say, ‘I’m unable to read this, because this has all been sealed up!’

¹² Then you’ll hand this scroll to a man who can’t read, and you will tell him to read it; but he will say ‘I can’t read.’

¹³ Then Jehovah said: ‘These people approach Me with their mouths, and with their lips they offer Me praises, but in their hearts they’re really far away, so it’s in vain that they are worshiping Me. They are teaching the ideas and instructions of men! ¹⁴ And because of this, {Look!} I will come, and bring a change on these people… yes I will transpose them! I’ll destroy the wisdom of their wise, and hide the understanding of their discerning.’

¹⁵ So, woe to those with complicated plans, which aren’t according to Jehovah! And woe to those who make secret plans, and do things in the cover of darkness. For they ask; ‘Who has seen us and will know us, or know of the things we have done?’

¹⁶ Aren’t you just clay in the hands of a potter? Can the shaped thing say to its shaper, ‘You did not really shape me?’ Or can the made thing say to its maker, ‘I don’t like the way that you made me?’

¹⁷ Soon the position of Lebanon will be changed. Her mountains will be changed into crop fields, and the crops on the mountains will be thought of as forests. ¹⁸ But in that day even those who are deaf, will hear the words of this scroll. Then those in the darkness and those in the fog, and the eyes of the blind will be able to see it! ¹⁹ Because of Jehovah, the poor will then shout in joy, and those who’ve given up will be filled with joy. ²⁰ For, the lawless and the evil will have failed; the proud will then be destroyed; and those who break laws will be gone, ²¹ with those who led men into sin with their words. Then all who reproved at the gates, will be thought of as those who have stumbled, for they have twisted [the law], and those who are righteous they’ve wronged.

²² ‘And concerning the house of Jacob,’ says Jehovah; ‘those I selected from the sons of Abraham: Jacob will not be shamed, nor will their faces be sad, ²³ but when their young see the things that I’ll do… {Look!} because of Me, they’ll make My Name holy… they will [praise] the Holy One of Jacob, and fear Israel’s God.

²⁴ ‘Then those with wandering spirits, will have to learn understanding; those who complain will learn to obey; and stuttering tongues will learn to speak peace.’

Chapter 30

¹ ‘Woe, O children of apostates,’ says Jehovah, ‘because you searched for direction from others, and made treaties that were not by My Spirit… you added sins to your sins. ² You [sent ambassadors] down into Egypt, and asked for help from the Pharaoh… you sought shelter from Egypt, but you failed to seek Me! ³ So, yo’re shamed for seeking the protection of Pharaoh, and scorned for relying on Egypt; ⁴ for in Tanes the messengers of the chiefs are all bad.

⁵ ‘It’s foolish to labor for others, who’ll be no benefit or help; for they’ll just bring shame and scorn upon you.’

⁶ This is the vision of the four-footed creatures in the desert:

In difficult times of distress, [there stands] the lion and its cub. And there are asps and the young of winged asps… those who carry wealth upon burros and camels, to a nation that’ll be no benefit or help… they’ll just bring shame and scorn upon them. ⁷ The only benefits that Egypt will bring, is just emptiness and waste. So tell them that the comfort they will bring is in vain!

⁸ Sit down and write this on a tablet of a scroll, for it’s about the times and the days, which [our God has] appointed… [of things that will happen] in the ages. ⁹ For a people are resisting persuasion; they’re lying sons who refuse to listen to God’s Law. ¹⁰ They’re the ones who are saying to the Prophets, ‘Don’t come to us with His pronouncements!’ And to those who see visions they say ‘Don’t tell us! But if you must speak, tell another addicting delusion. ¹¹ Turn us away from this road… shift us away from this course, and remove the curse of Israel from us!’

¹² And because of this, thus says the Holy One of Israel: ‘Since you’ve resisted the persuasion of these words, and put your hope in a lie… because you grumbled and would not put trust [in my words], ¹³ this is what will happen to you: This sin will be like the walls of a city, that will now fall and lead to a capture, for your downfall is immediately at hand. ¹⁴ And like the breaking of a thin ceramic pot, this crash won’t be just into parts… pieces you can find and pick up from the coals, with which you can hold a little water.’

¹⁵ This is what the Lord Jehovah (the Holy One of Israel) has said: ‘You should moan, turn back, and be saved! Remember the foolishness you once relied on… how you chose not to listen, and then how weak you became.

¹⁶ ‘But you say you’ll escape from those riding horses… that you’ll flee and say We’re light riders! But those chasing you will be faster.

¹⁷ Thousands will flee at the voice of one man, and multitudes will flee at the voice of just five. But you will be left all alone, like a pole on top of a mountain, and like a flag flying high on a hill.’

¹⁸ And again you’ll [turn] to [your] God, and [hope] that He’ll have pity on you. And because of this, He’ll be [moved] to show mercy, since your judge is Jehovah your God. Blest are all those who stick close to Him, ¹⁹ for in Zion the holy ones will still remain!

But Jerusalem started crying, saying: ‘Please show me mercy!’ And He will show mercy upon you. For, when He hears the sounds of your cries, He’ll pay attention to you. ²⁰ Then Jehovah will give you a little bread and water, and those who misled will be no longer near you. Your eyes will see those who try to mislead you, ²¹ and your ears will hear those who follow to trick you… they’ll say ‘This is the way we must go; let’s go this way or that!’

²² Then you’ll remove your silver-plated idols, and those that are covered with gold, and crush them into fine powder, and throw them into the wind. You’ll reject them like the [flow] of [menstruation], and throw them away like manure.

²³ Then there will be rain [to grow] seeds on your land, and bread will be plentiful and fat in your land. Your cattle will graze in fields large and fertile; ²⁴ your bulls will work the ground and eat straw, and prepare the barley to be winnowed.

²⁵ And in that day, after many are destroyed, and all the towers will have fallen, water will stream from the mountains and hills. ²⁶ Then the moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter, in that day when Jehovah heals His broken people, and heals the grief of their disaster.

²⁷ {Look!} After a long time, the Name Jehovah, will come in burning rage and with glory. The omen from His lips is an omen of rage, and the flames of His rage are consuming. ²⁸ His Breath is like water that races through a ravine, which comes to the neck to create a division; then He will disturb all the nations, for their addiction to delusions, and He’ll [allow] these delusions to chase them and catch them.

²⁹ Then, when you enter the Holy Place, you should do so in joy… as though it is a holiday! You should be joyful [and play tunes] as you go, to the Mountain of Jehovah, Israel’s God. ³⁰ You should sing to the Lord with the glory of your voice, for by the fury of His arm He shows His rage… like lightning, He violently strikes, and as a flame [of fire] He consume… like rain and hail being driven by storms.

³¹ By the voice of Jehovah, the Assyrians will be conquered… He’ll strike and bring calamity upon them. ³² But He is always nearby, to help all those relying upon Him… those carrying their tambourines and harps. Yet, He will wage war against all who revolt, ³³ then after some days He’ll let them return; for, wasn’t the Kingdom prepared just for them?

As a ravine that is deep, and as piles of wood near a fire, so is the rage of Jehovah… like a ravine that’s filled with burning sulfur.

Chapter 31

¹ Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help – those who put trust in chariots and horses (for there are many chariots and a great number of horses), because they just didn’t listen – for they put no trust in the Holy One of Israel, and they did not search for their God. ² So He wisely brought bad things upon them, that His Word would not be annulled. He’ll rise against the homes of the wicked, and oppose their wicked, vain hopes.

³ The Egyptians are just men… they aren’t Gods! And their horses are no help at all, because they too are just flesh. So, Jehovah will raise His hand against them, and make those who are helping them tired, and then together, they will all perish.

⁴ For, the Lord said this to me: ‘In the same way that a lion or its cub, roars over the game that he’s taken, and continues to roar over it, until the mountains are filled with his voice, and all the prey will have vanished, because they’ve been scared by the greatness of his rage; so Jehovah of Armies will go down, to march upon Zion and her mountains. ⁵ For Jehovah of Armies can be like a bird… over Jerusalem He can fly, to rescue, protect, and to save her.’

⁶ O you sons of Israel who now meet, in orderto discuss lawless things; Turn back! ⁷ For in that day they’ll reject all the idols – the things that are made of silver and gold – that they have made with their hands. ⁸ Then [Assyria] will fall but not by man’s sword… he’ll not be devoured by swords, nor will he flee before swords, yet all their young men will be vanquished… ⁹ they’ll be picked up like rocks for a siege mound and vanquished, and those who are fleeing will be captured.

This is what Jehovah said: ‘Blest are those who have seeds in Zion, and those having families in Jerusalem.’

Chapter 32

¹ {Look!} Then a righteous king will be reigning, and governors will then rule in justice. ² The words that were hidden will flow like a river… they will flow like water out of Zion, and gloriously shine upon a thirsty land.

³ Then men won’t rely upon men, but ears they’ll be given to hear; ⁴ and the hearts of the weak will pay attention (they’ll listen), and those with stuttering tongues, will then learn to speak peace. ⁵ They’ll not [appoint] morons to rule anymore, or tell the officers to be quiet! ⁶ Because, the morons just say foolish things, and plan wasteful things in their hearts. They do things that are lawless, and against Jehovah speaks delusions, to scatter the lives of the hungry, and bring waste to the lives of the thirsty.

⁷ The recommendations of the wicked are just plans to do bad. What they say is done to corrupt lowly ones, and they’ll use unrighteous words to overrule, the words of the lowly in legal matters. ⁸ But the godly will consult with the discerning, and what they suggest is the thing that will last.

⁹ [Hey, all] you rich women; wake up and listen to My voice… you daughters who live in hope, hear My words! ¹⁰ Speak of each day in grief, but with hope. For, the crops have all been consumed, the planting has come to an end, and it will not soon resume.

¹¹ So, be amazed and then worry, all you who’ve been trying to persuade! ¹² Strip off your clothes ‘til you’re naked, then wrap your waists and beat your breasts, for the desirable things of the fields, as well as the produce of grapevines! ¹³ For, the land of My people has become just thorn bushes, so the grass will all dry and joy will be taken from each home. ¹⁴ The houses will then be abandoned; wealth will [flow] from the cities; and then the best houses and towns, will all be like caves through the age… a place of joy for wild burros, as well as pastures for shepherds.

¹⁵ But when [God’s] Breath flows from the heights, the desert will become fruitful fields, and the fields will be thought of as forests. ¹⁶ Then judgment will rest in the desert, justice will dwell on [Mount] Carmel, ¹⁷ and righteousness and peace will abound. This righteousness will reach out and bring rest, to the faithful throughout the age. ¹⁸ Then His people will live in a city of peace, and those who’ve been saved will rest and live richly.

¹⁹ Then, if hail should fall, it won’t fall on you. And the submissive who live in the forests, will be as those who live in the plains. ²⁰ For, those who plant will be blest, and where [cows] and burros tred there’ll be water.

Chapter 33

¹ Woe to those who cause misery, but who are made miserable by no one; and those who show no respect, but themselves are highly respected. For, those who show no respect, will be captured and then handed over, like a moth that was caught in a robe and destroyed.

² O Jehovah, show mercy upon us, for we are relying on You. Destroy the seed of those resisting persuasion, but save us in our time of oppression!

³ By Your fearful sounds the peoples are amazed, and in this fear the nations are scattered. ⁴ Then You’ll gather Your spoils great and small, as though You were picking up locusts.

⁵ Holy is the God who lives in the sky, for Zion will be filled with equity and justice; ⁶ and to the Law they’ll be handed over, and our treasure will be our salvation. For in it are wisdom and knowledge, as well as great reverence for Jehovah… indeed; these are the treasures of the righteous.

⁷ {Look!} Those who fear You will truly be frightened, and they’ll yell out in fear over You. For, messengers You will send [to bring] peace, [which, to the unrighteous will cause] bitter weeping, ⁸ because their [bad] ways will have ended. And the nations will be in great fear, because of the treaties they’ve broken, and because they’ve shown no respect.

⁹ Then the land will mourn and Lebanon will be shamed. But marshes will become just like Sharon, as Galilee and Carmel will shine.

¹⁰ ‘And then I’ll arise,’ says Jehovah; ‘I’ll be glorified and respected. ¹¹ And when you see it you’ll understand, for your strength will be all in vain; your spirits will be devoured by fire; ¹² and the nations will be used to consume [you], like a thorn bush in a field that’s been tossed in a fire.

¹³ ‘From a distance they will hear what I’ve done; and those who approach will know of My strength. ¹⁴ For, the lawless will be gone from Zion, and the irreverent will then start to tremble.’

Who will announce it to you… that the fire has been started? Who will tell what has happened, to this place of the ages? ¹⁵ He who is walking uprightly; he who tells it just as it is; he who hates what’s lawless and unjust; he whose hands shake off bribes; he whose ears close to judgments of blood, and whose eyelids are closed to injustice. ¹⁶ He’ll live high in a cave of strong rocks; his bread will be given to him; and he can trust [that he will have] water.

¹⁷ Then your eyes will see a glorious king, and a land far away; ¹⁸ and the person you are will contemplate fear.

Where are all of the scribes? Where are all the advisors? Where are the accountants who keep records? ¹⁹ From small to the great they don’t take advice, nor do they listen to warnings, against their treating the peoples as worthless… so none understand what they’re being told.

²⁰ O great city on [Mount] Zion, look upon our salvation… your eyes will see Jerusalem as a rich city, filled with tents that will not be shaken… its tent poles will remain through the ages, and its tent cords won’t be pulled up, ²¹ for you’ll be called by the Name of the Lord.

There’ll be long aqueducts and wide rivers, but you will not travel upon them, nor will boats then be rowed there.

²² My God Jehovah will not pass me by, for Jehovah [God] is our judge… He’s our ruler and king, and Jehovah Himself will bring us salvation!

²³ But, all your ropes will be torn, and your masts will be weak; they’ll lean, so their sails can’t be unfurled, and their flags will never be raised, until it all has been plundered… it will be plundered by even the lame. ²⁴ But the people who live there won’t say they are tired, because their sins will all be forgiven.

Chapter 34

¹ Listen O nations, and pay attention you rulers! Hear, O earth and all those who live there – the habitation of man and all those who dwell there – ² for the rage of Jehovah is upon all the nations… His rage is upon all their numbers, to destroy and to hand them over for slaughter. ³ Their slain and their dead will be just thrown away; their smell will ascend [to the heavens], and their blood will rain on the mountains.

⁴ Then all the powers of the skies will just melt; the sky will be wrapped like a scroll, and all the stars will then fall, like the leaves of a grapevine or fig tree. ⁵ For, My sword will then become drunk in the sky, and {Look!} upon the land of Edom it will fall… upon the people who’ve been judged for destruction. ⁶ In Boser (Bozrah?) the sword of the Lord will be filled, with blood that has become thick, upon the fat of lambs, goats, and rams, which will serve as a sacrifice to God, when a great slaughter is brought upon Edom. ⁷ For, stout men will be slaughtered and thrown down, along with the rams and the bulls. And the land will be drunk on their blood, all the way to its borders, and it will be filled with their fat.

⁸ For, it’s Jehovah’s Judgment day, and a year of payback for the judgment of Zion. ⁹ Then her valleys will be filled up with tar, and her land [will be covered with] sulfur. ¹⁰ So, her land will burn with tar day and night, and it won’t be extinguished through the ages. Her smoke will keep on ascending, and she will lie desolate for generations… she’ll lie desolate a very long time. ¹¹ Then birds, hedgehogs, and ibises, as well as crows will all dwell there, and a surveyor’s line will mark her desolation, for she will be lived in [by demons].

¹² Then she will be without rulers, because her kings and her great men are gone. ¹³ So, thorns will grow in their cities and forts… they’ll be the properties of chained [demons], as well as ostrich courtyards. ¹⁴ Then the demons will meet with those who are chained, and they will yell to each other. So the chained [spirits] will rest there, because they’ll have found a place to retire.

¹⁵ Hedgehogs too will build nests there, and in safety their young will play on the ground. There stags will all meet together, then stare at each other face to face. ¹⁶ They’ll pass in large numbers and none will then perish, so they will not have to search for each other. For, Jehovah has given them all their instructions, and He will gather them with His Breath. ¹⁷ Then He’ll cast lots on their behalf, and divide up the land for their grazing, which they will inherit through the ages, and rest there from generation to generation.

Chapter 35

¹ Be glad, O you thirsty desert! Cry out in joy and blossom as a lily! ² Then the desert by the Jordan will cry out and blossom, for it will be given Lebanon’s glory, as well as the honor of [Mount] Carmel. My people will see the glory of Jehovah, and the full stature of their God.

³ Be strong, forsaken hands and weak knees! ⁴ Take comfort, O you with faint-hearted minds! Be strong and don’t be afraid, for {Look!} with His judgments, our God will [bring] justice… He Himself will come here and save us! ⁵ Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will then hear. ⁶ The lame will leap like a stag, and stammering tongues will speak clearly.

For, a spring will break open in the desert, and through a thirsty land will flow water. ⁷ Then dry places will be turned into marshes; in a land that was dry there’ll be springs of water; and among reeds and marshes birds will find joy.

⁸ Then there will be a pure way; it will be called ‘The Way that is Holy.’ And nothing unclean will pass through it, so it will always be pure. Then those who were scattered will travel that way, and from it they’ll not stray again. ⁹ No lions or fierce animals will walk there, nor will they even be found there. There’ll be just those who’ve been ransomed… ¹⁰ those gathered by Jehovah will then go there.

They’ll return to Zion in joy, and with the joy of ages on their heads; for blessings will be upon all their heads; they’ll be filled with happiness and leaping for joy, for from distress, moaning, and grief they’ve escaped.

Chapter 36

¹ It was in the fourteenth year of the reign of HezekiJah that SenNacherIb, the king of Assyria, [marched against] the fortified cities of Judea and took them. ² Then the king of Assyria sent RabShakeh from LachIsh to King HezekiJah in Jerusalem with a huge army, and he [set up camp] by the aqueduct to the upper pool, on the road to the field of the washerwomen.

³ Then EliAkim (the son of HilkiJah) [the King’s] house manager, the scribe Shebna, and JoAh (the son of Asaph) the recorder, went out to meet with him. ⁴ And RabShakeh said to them, ‘Speak to HezekiJah and tell him that this is what the great king of Assyria has said: What are you relying on? ⁵ Have you worked out a plan with the words from your lips about how you’re going to fight this battle? So, who are you relying on, so that you’re resisting my persuasion? ⁶ Look; you’re relying on that fractured reed stick, Egypt, which, if a man should put his weight on it, will go through and puncture his hand. That’s all Pharaoh the king of Egypt and those who are relying on him amount to.

⁷ ‘And if you should say that you’re relying on your God Jehovah; isn’t He the same One whose high places and altars were removed by HezekiJah, who then told Judah and Jerusalem to bow before the Altar here?

⁸ ‘Why not join with my lord, the king of Assyria, and I’ll give you two-thousand horses (that is, if you’re able to provide enough riders for them)… ⁹ can your leaders who are relying on the Egyptians provide you with horses and riders?

¹⁰ ‘Why, do you think that it was without Jehovah that we were able to ascend to this place to wage war against it? It was Jehovah who told me to go to this land and destroy it!’

¹¹ And EliAkim, Shebna, and JoAh told RabShakeh, ‘Please speak to your servants in Syriac, so we alone can hear what you’re saying. Don’t speak to us in Judean! Why must you speak so that the men along the wall can hear you?’

¹² And RabShakeh replied, ‘Do you think my lord sent me to speak these words just to your lord? For, aren’t these men who are sitting along the walls the ones that will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?’

¹³ Then RabShakeh stood up and yelled in a loud voice in Judean, ‘Pay attention to the words of the great king of the Assyrians! ¹⁴ This is what the king said: Don’t let HezekiJah’s words fool you; because there’s no way that he can save you! ¹⁵ And don’t let HezekiJah tell you that God will rescue you; for there’s no way that He will save this city from the hands of the king of Assyria!

¹⁶ ‘The king of Assyria says, ‘Don’t listen to HezekiJah! If you want to receive his blessings, come here to me and you’ll each eat from your own grapevines and fig trees, and drink water from your own wells. ¹⁷ Because, when I come there, I will take you to a land that will become yours! It’s a land of grain, wine, bread, and vineyards!

¹⁸ ‘So, don’t let HezekiJah deceive you and say, God will rescue us! Have any of the gods of the nations been able to rescue his own place out of the hands of the king of Assyria? ¹⁹ Where is the god of HaMath or ArPhad? Where is the god of the City of SepharVaim? Have they been able to rescue Samaria from my hands? ²⁰ Which of the gods of all these nations is the one who rescued his own land from my hand? So, how can Jehovah save Jerusalem from my hands?’

²¹ Well, everyone stayed silent and no one answered a word to him, because the king had decreed that no one was to give a reply.

²² Then EliAkim (the son of HelkiJah) the house manager, Shebna the scribe, and JoAh (the son of Asaph) the recorder, ripped their clothes and returned to HezekiJah to tell him what RabShakeh had said.

Chapter 37

¹ Well, when King HezekiJah heard this, he tore off his clothes and put on sackcloth, then he went to the [Temple] of Jehovah. ² And he sent EliAkim his house manager, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the Priests, all wearing sack cloths, to the Prophet IsaiJah (the son of Amoz), ³ and he told them to say to him: ‘This is what HezekiJah has said: Today is a day of affliction, of scorning, of scolding, and of rage; it’s a day with all the pain of giving birth, but she doesn’t have the strength to give birth. ⁴ May it be possible for Jehovah your God to hear the words of RabShakeh, who was sent by his lord the king of Assyria to berate the living God… may Jehovah your God hear the words that he said to berate Him. Then please go to Jehovah your God to beg before Him concerning those who are remaining here.’

⁵ So, the servants of King HezekiJah went to IsaiJah, ⁶ and IsaiJah told them, ⁶ ‘Tell your lord this: Jehovah says that you shouldn’t be afraid of the words that you heard the ambassadors of the king of Assyria say to berate Me. ⁷ For {Look!}, I will bring a spirit upon him, and when he hears its message he will return to his place; and there he will fall by the sword in his own land.’

⁸ In the meantime, RabShakeh had returned and caught up with the king of Assyria while he was attacking Libna, because he learned that he had departed from LachIsh. ⁹ Then TirHakah the king of Ethiopia came to fight him, and when he heard about this, [the king] returned and sent messengers to HezekiJah, telling him: ¹⁰ ‘Tell HezekiJah the king of Judea not to allow his God who he is relying on to deceive him when He says there’s no way that Jerusalem be given into the hands of the king of the Assyrians. ¹¹ {Look!} Haven’t you heard what the kings of Assyria have done to the whole earth and of the destruction they brought? So, who will rescue you? ¹² Have the gods of the nations that my father destroyed been able to rescue them… those of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph in the region of TelAssar? ¹³ Where are the kings of HaMath, and where is ArPhad? Where are the cities of SepharVaim, Henah, and Ivah?’

¹⁴ So, HezekiJah took the scroll from the messengers and read it, and he [once again] went up to the [Temple] of Jehovah, where he unrolled [the message] before Jehovah, ¹⁵ and he prayed to Jehovah saying: ¹⁶ ‘O Jehovah of Armies, God of Israel, the One who sits on the cherubs; You are the only God over all the kingdoms of the habitation of man. It is You who made the earth and the sky. ¹⁷ O Jehovah; lean Your ear toward me and hear me, O Lord! O Jehovah; open Your eyes! Look down, O Jehovah, and know and hear all the words that SenNacherIb sent to berate the living God! ¹⁸ It’s a fact, O Jehovah, that the kings of the Assyrians have conquered the entire habitation of man everywhere. ¹⁹ And amid the flames, they erected their idols in place of those that were not gods but just the works of the hands of men – things made of wood and stone – and they destroyed them.

²⁰ ‘But now, O Jehovah our God; rescue us from his hands, so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that You’re the only God!’

²¹Then IsaiJah (the son of Amoz) was sent to HezekiJah, and he said to him, ‘Jehovah the God of Israel said, I have heard what you prayed concerning SenNacherIb, the king of Assyria. ²² And this is what Jehovah God said concerning him: Against the virgin daughter of Zion you’ve sneered, and treated her as though she is worthless, so against you the daughter of Jerusalem, has now nodded her head. ²³ Do you know whom you’ve berated and provoked, or against whom you’ve raised your voice, and lifted your eyes to the heights? It’s against the Holy One of Israel! ²⁴ For, through messengers you’ve berated Jehovah, when you said I will climb up their mountains, with a vast number of chariots, to the ends of Lebanon. Then on the heights I will cut down its cedars, and the beauty of their cypress trees. Why, I went into the heights of their forests, ²⁵ where I built dams to [dry up] their [rivers]. ²⁶ Have you not heard of these things that I’ve done? I ordered it all to be done long ago. And now I’ve shown how I can destroy, nations and fortified places, as well as those living in cities and forts. ²⁷ I have weakened their hands and dried them up; they became like dry grass and hay of the roofs.

²⁸ ‘But now I know that you’re resting, from all your comings and goings, ²⁹ and all your bitterness and rage, has been directed against Me. So, now I’ll put a rein through your nose, and a bit in your lips, and I’m going to lead you on back, by the way that you came. ³⁰ And this is the sign that I’m giving you: This year you’ll eat what you planted, and in the second year you’ll eat what’s left over. Then in the third year, you’ll plant and reap… you’ll plant vineyards and eat of their fruit. ³¹ And the same will be true of all those, who still remain in Judea. They will sprout roots below, and produce grain from above. ³² Then the survivors of Jerusalem, and those who are preserved on Mount Zion, will thereafter come to the fore, for the zeal of Jehovah of Armies will do this.’

³³ So, this is what Jehovah said concerning the king of the Assyrians: ‘There’s no way that he will enter this city… he won’t shoot an arrow against it, or against it lift up a shield, nor will he surround it with a siege mound. ³⁴ But he will return by the way that he came… he will not enter this city!’

Jehovah said, ³⁵ ‘I’ll put a shield on this city and save it, because of Myself and My servant David.’

³⁶ And thereafter, one of Jehovah’s messengers came and destroyed the camp of the Assyrians… a hundred and eighty-five thousand of them! The [people] woke up the next morning and found just dead bodies! ³⁷ So SenNacherIb, the king of the Assyrians, [packed up] and left, and thereafter he lived in Nineveh. ³⁸ And it was while he was bowing in the temple of his god Nisroch that AdramMelech and ShaRezer (his sons) struck him with swords, and then they fled to Armenia. So, his son EsarHaddon started reigning in place of him.

Chapter 38

¹ At that time, HezekiJah became ill to the point of death. So, the Prophet IsaiJah (the son of Amoz) went to him and said, ‘This is what Jehovah has said: Give orders regarding your house, because you won’t live… you will die.’

² Then HezekiJah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Jehovah, ³ saying, ‘O Jehovah; Remember that I’ve walked before You in truth, with a true heart, and I’ve done [many] things to please You.’

And with that, HezekiJah broke down and cried.

⁴ Then the word of Jehovah came to IsaiJah, saying, ⁵ ‘Go tell HezekiJah that Jehovah said this: The God of your ancestor David has heard your prayer and seen your tears. So, {Look!} I will add fifteen years to your [life]. ⁶ I will also rescue you and this city from the hands of the king of Assyria, and I will put a shield around this city.

⁷ ‘And this is your sign from Jehovah, that God will do the things that He said: ⁸ {Look!} I will turn the shadow of the sun that has moved down ten stairs in the house of your fathers, and I will cause the shadow of the sun to return up the ten stairs that it went down.’

⁹ Then this is the prayer that HezekiJah the king of Judea prayed after [learning that he would] recover from his illness:

¹⁰ I prayed about my days to the heights,
For, I was at the gates of the grave,
So, I’ll forsake all the years that remain.

¹¹ And I said: ‘No more will I look to God for salvation,
Within the land of the living.
No longer in any way will I [be seen],
Among all those who still live here.

¹² ‘My family I’ve failed, and I’ve forsaken the rest of my life.
For, it left me and departed like those,
Who [who just spend the night] in a tent.
My breath has become like the end of the weaving,
To be cut off like wool on a loom.

¹³ ‘In that day I was spared until morning.
And as a lion, He broke all my bones.
From morning ’til night I was conquered,
¹⁴ So, like a swallow I let out a call,
And like a dove I meditated.

‘For my eyes failed to see the heights of the heavens.
But then Jehovah became my salvation…
¹⁵ He acted and removed the sadness from my life.’

¹⁶ O Jehovah; It was concerning this that I [prayed],
Then You reawakened my spirit…
And I’m alive because of Your comfort.

¹⁷ For, {Look!} [the thought of such] peace was bitter for me,
But You picked up my life so it would not perish,
And pushed all my sins to the rear.
¹⁸ So, those in the grave will praise You,
And those who are dying will bless You.

Those in the grave can’t wait on Your care,
¹⁹ But the living can praise You as I did.
So, from today on I’ll produce many children,
Who will shout in praise of Your justice.

²⁰ O [Jehovah] my savior; For the rest of my life I will praise You…
And I won’t cease to play on my harp,
Before the [Temple] of God.

²¹ Then IsaiJah said to HezekiJah: ‘Take a cluster of dried figs and grind them up to make a plaster [for your chest], and your health will return.’

²² And that’s when HezekiJah asked, ‘What is the sign that I’ll be able to go up to the [Temple] of God?’

Chapter 39

¹ During that time, Merodach Baladan (the son of Baladan, the king of Babylonia) sent letters, ambassadors, and gifts to HezekiJah, because he heard that he was ill to the point of death, and that he was [granted a recovery]; ² so HezekiJah was very joyful over this. As the result, he showed them his storehouses filled with spices, silver, gold, balsam, incense, perfumes, his treasury buildings, and everything in his treasuries… there wasn’t anything that HezekiJah failed to show them.

³ Then the Prophet IsaiJah came to King HezekiJah and asked, ‘What did you say to those men, and where did they come to visit you from?’

And HezekiJah replied, ‘They came from a far away land… from the land of Babylon.’

⁴ Then IsaiJah asked, ‘Did they see your [palace]?’

And HezekiJah said, ‘Yes, they saw everything in my house… there isn’t anything that I failed to show them, including everything in my treasuries.’

⁵ Then IsaiJah said, ‘Hear the word of Jehovah of Armies: ⁶ {Look!} The day will come when they will take all from your [palace] – all that your ancestors collected to this day – and carry it off to Babylon. Nothing will then be left behind!

⁷ ‘And God also said that they will take your children (those whom you have fathered), and make them eunuchs in the houses of Babylon.’

⁸ Then HezekiJah said to IsaiJah, ‘The word of Jehovah that you spoke to me is good, but may there be peace and justice in the days [of my reign]!’

Chapter 40

¹ ‘Take comfort, take comfort, My people,’ says Your God! ² ‘O Priests, speak and bring comfort, to Jerusalem’s heart, for her humiliation has been filled, and her sins are untied. Then because for her sins, she received double from His hand.’

³ There was a voice calling out from the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord! Straighten the roads of our God! ⁴ Fill every valley… flatten the mountains and hills! All crooked paths must be straightened, and the ruts in the fields must be smoothed! ⁵ Then the glory and salvation of God will be seen, for Jehovah’s the One who told us to do it.’

⁶ Then the voice shouted, ‘Yell!’

And I asked, ‘What should I yell?’

‘Yell that all flesh is just grass, and the glory of man is as the grass flowers. ⁷ For, the grass has dried up and its flowers have fallen, because the Breath of God breathed upon it. And for a fact, the grass is the people… ⁸ this grass has dried and its flowers have fallen, but the word of our God remains through the age.

⁹ ‘Climb upon the high mountain, O you announcing good news to Zion; then shout it as loud as you can, O you with good news for Jerusalem! Raise [your voice] high and don’t be afraid! To the cities of Judea [you should] say: Look; Here is Your God! ¹⁰ Look; Your Lord Jehovah is coming in strength, with His arm [lifted high] in order to conquer! Look; He is carrying the wages, for the things that before Him were done! ¹¹ Then like a shepherd He’ll tend His flock, then gather His lambs in His arms, and comfort them as though in His womb.

¹² ‘Who [else] could have measured the water in the sky, with just the span of His hand, and held all the earth in a handful? Who established the weight of the mountains, and all the forests in the yoke of a scale? ¹³ And who knows the mind of Jehovah? Who has become His counselor, and who can become His teacher? ¹⁴ From whom has He asked for advice, and who has told Him what He should do? Who has taught Him to be just, or shown Him the right understanding? ¹⁵ For, the nations [are to Him] as a drop from a bucket… they’ve been [weighed] from the crux of the yoke on a scale, and found to be [no more than] spit.

¹⁶ ‘Why, to Him all Lebanon is unfit for burning, and all four-footed creatures unfit as an offering. ¹⁷ For, all the nations are nothing, and he thinks of them as just nothing.

¹⁸ ‘To whom can Jehovah be compared? Just how would you [make an image] of Him? ¹⁹ Aren’t all statues created by [artists]? Aren’t they each carefully prepared, and cast or gilded by goldsmiths in gold? ²⁰ Doesn’t the maker choose durable wood, and in wisdom seek the best place to station his idol, so it then cannot be shaken? ²¹ Do you not know… will you not hear… hasn’t this been announced since the most ancient times?

‘Do you know how the earth was established? ²² Why, it’s He who set the curve of the earth, and those living on it are like locusts. It was He who established the skies like a vault, and stretched them as a tent where [people] can dwell. ²³ He established the rulers from nothing, and made the earth out of nothing.

²⁴ ‘[Without Him] they can’t plant or sow, nor can plants grow roots in the ground. For He can just breathe and they’ll dry up, and with a blast (like twigs) they’ll blow away.’

²⁵ ‘Now, whom can you liken to Me… can you make Me appear more important? asked the Holy One. ²⁶ Look high in the sky [and then tell Me]: Who introduced all these things? It’s the One who assembled the full number, of all the things in His cosmos; then in His great glory and the might of [His] strength, He named it all… yet you were unaware!

²⁷ ‘To Jacob would you dare to say, Why have you spoken O Israel? For, my ways have been hidden from God, so my God has removed His judgment from me, and then He just went away.

²⁸ ‘Don’t you know… have you not heard? God [exists] through the ages! It was God who prepared the ends of the earth. Yet, He doesn’t get hungry or tired, nor can His intelligence be comprehended. ²⁹ It is He who gives strength to the hungry, as well as to those who are grieving. ³⁰ Why, the youngest of men will get hungry and tired, and the best of men will lose all their strength. ³¹ But those who wait upon God will grow strong… like eagles they will grow wings. They will run and not tire out… they’ll keep going and going and never know hunger.’

Chapter 41

¹ ‘Dedicate a feast to Me, O islands, for the power of the rulers will be altered. Let them approach and speak with each other, then announce what they have decided!’

² Who awakened justice from the east, and then called out to it, so it can travel on its feet? It is He who decides between nations, and He who alone removes kings. So He’ll force them to bury their swords in the ground, and break their bows up like twigs. ³ And though it is He who pursues them, His feet will walk in ways of peace.

⁴ Who used His might to do all these things? He who called her from ancient generations; He who said ‘I am God… I’m the first, and into [the future] I am! ⁵ Nations will see Me and fear; to the ends of the earth they’ll be startled, so they’ll all approach and be drawn together. ⁶ Then neighbors will decide [to do good for] each other… they’ll offer help to their brothers and say, ⁷ ‘He who made this was strong (the blacksmith who forged it together with a hammer), but just how long can it last?’

And He will reply, ‘The coupling [of them] is very good, for I’ve strengthened [their bond] with rivets… I’ve established them so they won’t be shaken!’

⁸ But you, O Israel My servant… Jacob whom I have chosen… Abraham’s seed whom I’ve loved… ⁹ those whom I’ve snatched from the ends of the earth… I called you down from its heights and I said: ‘As My servant I chose you, and you I have not abandoned. ¹⁰ So, don’t be afraid for I’m with you… don’t stray because I’m your God… the One who gives you your strength… with My righteous right hand I’ll help you and save you.’

¹¹ {Look!} Your enemies will all be ashamed, and they will not fail to respect you, for they will no longer exist… all who oppose you will perish! ¹² You will search for them and not find them… those drunks who shout insults at you, because they will no longer be… there’ll be none to wage war against you, ¹³ for I am your God who holds your right hand!

I’m the one who is saying to you, ¹⁴ ‘O Jacob, don’t be afraid; O remnants of Israel [don’t fear], for I am your helper’ says your God. ‘O Israel; it is I who paid your ransom. ¹⁵ {Look!} Like the wheels of a thresher with new teeth I’ve made you; so you can thresh mountains and thin out the hills, turning them into dust. ¹⁶ Yes, you will winnow them all, and the wind will blow them away… by a windstorm they will be scattered. But there will be joy among Israel’s holy.’

¹⁷ Then the poor and the needy will rejoice, for they’ve searched for water and found none, and their tongues are drying from thirst. But I Jehovah, Israel’s God, will pay attention and I will not leave them. ¹⁸ On the mountains I’ll open up rivers, and I’ll put springs in the plains. I’ll turn deserts into marshes, and in thirsty ground put canals. ¹⁹ In the waterless land I’ll plant cedars and boxwoods, and myrtles, and cypress, as well as white poplars, ²⁰ so all will see it then think, and see that it came by the hand of Jehovah… it was the Holy One of Israel who [planted] them there.

²¹ ‘But your time of judgment has approached,’ says Jehovah [our] God! ‘The time of decision has approached,’ says the Great King of Jacob. ²² So, let all [your idols] approach, and announce to you the things that will pass… as you did before when you said: We’ll pay attention with our minds, and then we will know what is coming, and what it will be in the end.

²³ ‘Tell us… Announce the things that are coming, then we will know you are gods, who can choose for yourselves good or evil… we’ll both wonder and see it at the same time. ²⁴ Then we will know where you’ve come from, and the source of the things that you’re doing. For they’ve chosen you from this land, to serve as their disgusting things.

²⁵ ‘I’ve raised the one from the north, and the one from the rising sun in the east, and they will be called by My Name. Let these rulers now come, and like the clay of a potter (as the clay that is stomped by the potter), that’s how you will be trampled.

²⁶ ‘Who’ll announce the things about the beginning, so we should know what has happened, and say that they all have come true? There’s no one who’s willing to speak, and no one who’s heard a reply. ²⁷ It is I who will raise Zion high, and bring comfort to Jerusalem on the way. ²⁸ But, {Look!} from the nations there’s no one, and no announcements have come from their idols. So, if I should ask them where they’re from, there’s no way they will give a reply. ²⁹ But you say that it’s they that made you, so they’re misleading you into folly.

Chapter 42

¹ ‘Jacob, My child, I’ll hold onto you, for Israel, my chosen, I’ve accepted. I’ve poured out My Breath upon him, and he’ll bring judgment on nations. ² He won’t cry out or raise his voice, and his voice won’t be heard out of doors. ³ No crushed reed will he break, and no smoking flax wick will he snuff. For, he will truly bring justice; ⁴ he’ll endure it and not be destroyed, until He brings justice to the earth. For in his name the nations will hope… ’ ⁵ so said [Jehovah our] God; He who made and assembled the sky; He who established the earth, and all the things that are in it; He who gave His breath to the people… breath [of life] to those who walk on it.

⁶ ‘I (Jehovah) have called you in justice… I’ll hold onto your hand and give you strength. A Sacred Agreement I gave you, to make you a race that that’s a light to the nations; ⁷ to open the eyes of the blind; to lead out those who are tied up in bonds, and those who sit in dark prisons.

⁸ ‘I am [Jehovah your] God… yes, that’s My Name. My glory I’ll give to no other, and My supremacy I will not give, to things that are carved [by human hands].

⁹ ‘Things of ancient times… {Look!} they have happened! But new things I’ll also announce. Yet, before I announce them I’ll show them to you. ¹⁰ So, sing a new hymn to Jehovah! Glorify His Name to the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea and who sail there, and all you who live on the islands!’

¹¹ So, be glad, O you deserts… and all their lands and their towns, as well as those living among cedars! For those living in [caves] will be joyful, and they’ll yell from the tops of the mountains. ¹² They’ll all give glory to God, and speak of His virtues to the islands. ¹³ Then Jehovah, the God of Armies, will [arrive], and bring an end to all wars. He will awaken His zeal and His strength, then against all His enemies He will rail: ¹⁴ ‘I’ve kept silent throughout the age, but must I always be quiet and have to endure it?

‘As a woman giving birth must endure it, I’ll now amaze and I’ll wither. ¹⁵ I’ll destroy their mountains and hills, and all their grass I will dry out. I’ll turn their rivers into islands, and all their marshes into dry land. ¹⁶ I’ll lead the blind in ways they don’t know, and cause them to walk on roads they’ve not seen. For their sake I’ll turn darkness into light, and straighten out all crooked ways.

‘These are the things that I’ll do, for I will not leave them abandoned, ¹⁷ though they have [been routed] and forced to retreat.

‘Be ashamed and feel shame, O you who rely on carved [idols]… you who say to things that are molded: You are [truly] our gods! ¹⁸ Hear, O you deaf mutes… look up and see, O you blind! ¹⁹ Who is blind but My servants? And who are the deaf but all those who [rule] them? Who is as blind as those who’ve had all? For, the servants of God have been blinded. ²⁰ Many times you’ve seen, but you were not watching. Your ears were opened, but you didn’t hear.’

²¹ Jehovah God’s Will is that He’s proven righteous, and that He’s held high [and offered] great praise.

²² I beheld and then it came to pass… the people were plundered and despoiled. In all the stores there were snares, and they all hid together in their homes. Then they all became plunder… there was no one to save all those being seized… there was no one saying, Give them back!

²³ Who will give ear to these things, and hear of the things that will happen? ²⁴ Who gave Jacob to be ravaged, and who gave Israel as plunder? Hadn’t they sinned against God? And did they not refuse to walk in His ways, or to listen to all of His Laws? ²⁵ So, He sent upon them His anger and rage; He sent them war and neighbors to burn them. Yet, none of them knew it or took it to heart.

Chapter 43

¹ Thus says Jehovah [our] God (the One who made you O Jacob; the One who shaped you O Israel): ‘Don’t be afraid for I’ve [paid] your ransom. To My Name I’ve called you and now you are Mine! ² If you pass through water I’ll be with you, and rivers won’t swallow you down. And if you should travel through fire, you won’t be consumed… its flames will not burn you. ³ For, I am Jehovah your God; the Holy One of Israel who saves you. It was I who bargained for you, with Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sheba.

⁴ ‘You once were valued and esteemed before Me; you were glorified and loved [in My eyes]. For you, I [traded] other men, and I gave rulers in behalf of your head. ⁵ So don’t be afraid, for I’m with you; and from the east I’ll lead back your seed. From the west I’ll bring you together, ⁶ and say to the north, Bring the south… don’t hold back! Bring My sons from far away lands, and My daughters from the ends of the earth… ⁷ bring all those who’ve called on My Name.

‘It was for My glory that I carefully prepared him… it was I who shaped him and made him. ⁸ I brought out a people who were blind (those who couldn’t see with their eyes, and those who were deaf, although they had ears), and it was I who assembled their rulers.

⁹ ‘So, who will announce all these things? Who’ll announce the things from ancient times? Bring on their witnesses and let them be just… let them hear and then tell the truth!

¹⁰ ‘Be a witness for Me’ says Jehovah, ‘And I’ll serve as a witness [for you]… that you are the servant I’ve chosen… know, trust, and perceive that I am!

¹¹ ‘Before Me there were no other gods, and none will there be after Me! For I am God… other than Me there are none, and I am the One who can save! ¹² For I’ve announced, I’ve delivered, and I have berated, when no alien God was among you. So, you are the witnesses for Me, and I am your God.

¹³ ‘Even from ancient times, no one could wrest you from My hands. For when I do, who can change it?’ ¹⁴ Thus says the Holy One of Israel… Jehovah God, who [paid] your ransom.

‘Because of you, I’ve sent [a message] to Babylon, to arouse all those who have fled there, and the Chaldeans will [return] their captives in boats. ¹⁵ For, I am [Jehovah, your] Holy God; Israel’s defender and king.’

¹⁶ Thus says Jehovah who made roads in the sea; who made a path between mighty waters; ¹⁷ the One who led chariots with their horses, as well as many strong [men], to a sleep from which they will not arise… who extinguished them like flax wicks: ¹⁸ ‘Do not remember the first things, and the ancient things don’t consider. ¹⁹ For {Look!} now I’ll make new things arise… and you will all know what they are! I’ll make a road through the desert, and rivers through waterless places. ²⁰ Then all the wild animals will praise Me… daughters of ostriches and those who are chained. For I will put water in the deserts, and rivers in [all the] dry places, for a chosen people to drink.

²¹ ‘They are My people whom I purchased; those who’ll describe all My virtues. ²² O Israel and Jacob; I am He who has called you, and I’ve done nothing to tire you out. ²³ You haven’t brought Me sheep or [burnt] offerings… no sacrifices have you brought to glorify Me. So, by sacrifices you weren’t enslaved, and with frankincense you were never made weary. ²⁴ You offered no silver to Me, nor did I desire the sacrificial fat. Then before Me you stood in your sins, and in all your unrighteous ways.

²⁵ ‘I am… I’m He who wiped your lawlessness away. ²⁶ Because of Myself I’ll forget all your sins, but you… you must remember, and then let’s discuss them together! First, confess to Me your lawless ways, so you can be found to be righteous!

²⁷ ‘Your fathers were the first to have sinned, and your rulers were lawless against Me. ²⁸ Your rulers have defiled My holy things, so Jacob I gave to destruction, and Israel I gave to be scorned.’

Chapter 44

¹ Now hear, O Jacob My child, and Israel whom I have chosen! ² For, Jehovah God (He who created and shaped you from the belly) says this: ‘Don’t be afraid, for you will be helped, O Jacob, My dearly-loved servant… Israel, whom I have chosen! ³ Because, I’ll provide water for the thirsty, as they go to a place without water. Then I’ll place My Breath on your seed, and My blessings upon all your children, ⁴ and they will grow like grass near [a pond], and like willows growing next to a stream. ⁵ This one will say I’m God’s [servant]; that one will say he is Jacob’s; and another will write with his hand I am God’s, and call himself by Israel’s name.

⁶ This is what God (the King of Israel; their Savior; the God of Armies) has said: ‘I am the first and the last; there is no God other than Me! ⁷ Who else is there that is like Me? Let him stand up then shout and announce it, and explain how I made man in the age! Have them announce things before they occur! ⁸ Don’t [hide] yourselves or wander away! Haven’t you heard since long ago; didn’t I report [all these things]? You are witnesses as to whether, there’s a god other than Me!

⁹ ‘But they failed to listen back then… those who shaped and carved worthless idols; those who did whatever they wished, but which did them no good. But against themselves they testify, for they did not see, nor did they know, [how much reason] they had to be shamed… those who gave shape to their mighty, and carved cast moldings of worthless things. And {Look!} those sharing with them will also be shamed – ¹⁰ those who shaped gods and carved worthless things – ¹¹ for the places they came from have withered. Let these dumb among men all be gathered, then stand together and feel some remorse… let them be shamed altogether!

¹² ‘The smith sharpens his tools, and he works it with a hammer in the coals, then he drills holes for its [handle]. With his mighty arm he creates it, as he grows hungry and weak, because he doesn’t drink any water.

¹³ ‘Then the carver selects a good piece of wood; he measures and shapes it in the beauty of a man… ¹⁴ he cuts down a cedar or an oak for himself… he takes a tree that was planted by [God], and which He made grow with the rain. ¹⁵ Then with part he [builds a fire] to get warm; some he burns to bake bread; and with whatever remains he shapes into gods, and then he bows down before them!

¹⁶ ‘He made the carvings and then bows down before them… yet, half he burned to cook meat, to prepare a roast in order to fill him. And as he sits there warming himself, he says, This is good! I’ve seen fire and now I am warm! ¹⁷ Then the rest he carves into a god, and bows before it and prays to it saying, O save me, for you are my god!

¹⁸ ‘They don’t know nor do they think, for their eyes have been blurred not to see, and they can’t comprehend with their hearts. ¹⁹ The man inside is too stupid to see, that he burned half in a fire (to bake bread), then over the flames roasted meat (which he ate), and with the rest he made something disgusting, and then, to it he bowed down!

²⁰ ‘Know that these [men] have erred, for the hearts [of their gods] are just ashes, and none are able to save him!

‘{Look!} Don’t say there’s a lie in My right hand. ²¹ Remember these things, O Israel and Jacob, for you [alone] are My servant… it’s I who shaped you as My servant! So you, O Israel, must not forget Me!

²² ‘{Look!} Your lawless deeds I’ve wiped out like clouds, and thrown all your sins in the shadows. So, return to Me and I’ll ransom you back!’

²³ So, be glad, O heavens, for Israel’s God has shown mercy! Trumpet, O foundations of the earth… yell in joy, O mountains and hills, and all the trees that are on them, for Jehovah has glorified Israel, and for Jacob He’s [paid the] ransom!

²⁴ This is what Jehovah (He who [paid your] ransom and shaped you from the belly) has said: ‘I am Jehovah… He who accomplishes all things. I alone stretched out the sky, and it is I who solidified the earth. ²⁵ Who else can erase the signs of all those, who bring omens and divinations from their hearts, and then make the intelligent retreat, by turning their counsel into foolishness… ²⁶ He who makes happen what His servants say in prayers, and proves the council of His messengers as true?’

He says to Jerusalem, ‘You’ll be lived in;’ and to the cities of Judea, ‘You’ll be rebuilt;’ and to her desolate places, ‘I will raise you!’ ²⁷ He’s saying to the abyss, ‘You’ll be empty;’ and to your rivers, ‘I’ll dry you up.’

He’s the One who is saying to Cyrus: ‘Think and then do all I want you to do.’ And to Jerusalem: ‘You’ll be rebuilt; and the foundation of My [Temple] I will lay.’

Chapter 45

¹ This is what Jehovah God says to Cyrus [His] anointed… to whom He’s grabbed hold of his right hand, and caused nations to pay attention before him: ‘[For you] the strength of kings I’ll tear open, and before you no doors and no gates will be closed! ² I’ll travel before you and level the mountains; the doors of brass I will break, and all iron bars I will shatter.

³ I’ll give you treasures unknown; I’ll open to you what’s concealed and unseen, so you will know I’m Jehovah your God; the God of Israel who calls you by name.

⁴ ‘Because of Jacob My servant, and [because of] Israel My chosen, I’ll call you by name and accept you, although you [are one] who’s not known Me.

⁵ ‘I am Jehovah, The God; and besides Me, there is no god who’s not Me. It’s I who made you strong when you didn’t know Me. ⁶ So those from the sun in the east, and those [from its setting] in the west… would know there are none beside Me.

‘I’m Jehovah God and there isn’t anymore. ⁷ It is I who prepared the light, and I who made the darkness… it is I who made the good and the bad.

‘I’m Jehovah the God who accomplishes all things. ⁸ So, be glad you heavens above, and let the clouds sprinkle justice… let the ground arise and grow mercy, and together let justice burst forth!

‘I’m Jehovah, who created [all things]. ⁹ And what excellent things I did make, as with the clay of a potter. Will he who plows, plow the earth in a day? And will the clay then dare ask the potter, What do you do since you do not work, nor do you have any hands!

¹⁰ ‘Woe to he who asks of his father, Why did you give me [life]? And he who asks of his mother, Why did you ever [give birth to me]?’

¹¹ So says Jehovah the Holy One of Israel, He who makes the things that will be: ‘Ask Me concerning My sons, and concerning the works of My hands… just ask Me! ¹² For, I made the earth and [put] man upon it. It is I who established the sky with My hands. It is I who gave instructions to the stars, ¹³ and it is I who raised a king up in justice, and made all his ways to be straight, so he will rebuild My city, and My captive people he’ll then return… but not for ransoms or gifts.’ So says Jehovah of Armies.

¹⁴ Thus says Jehovah of Armies: ‘I’ll tire out Egypt before you, as well as Ethiopians and Sabean traders… you’ll pass over men who were haughty before you, and they will then be your servants. After you they will follow… tied up and walking in chains. Then to you they’ll be [handed], and they must bow before you. To you they will pray [as though] you’re a god, and to them there will be none other. ¹⁵ For, [I am] a God that you’ve never known; the God of Israel… their Savior.

¹⁶ ‘His enemies will be shamed and remorseful, then they’ll be led off in shame.

‘Be dedicated to Me, O islands, ¹⁷ for Israel is released by Jehovah… they’ll [be free] though the age, and through ages they’ll not be shamed or remorseful.’

¹⁸ For thus says Jehovah (He who made the sky, and who [formed] the earth and made it distinct; He who did not leave it empty, but shaped it as a dwelling [for man]): ‘I am Jehovah; there are none other than Me. ¹⁹ And I haven’t spoken in secret, or in a dark place on the earth. Nor did I tell Jacob’s seed, that they should seek what is foolish!

‘I am Jehovah, the One speaking justly, and who is announcing the truth. ²⁰ So, gather together and come here! Yes meet together, O you who’ve been rescued from the nations!

‘Yet, they are unknowing… those who [cut] wood and carve it, and those praying to gods who can’t save. ²¹ May all the announcers approach, so they altogether will know, and hear who did all these things.

‘From ancient times it’s been announced, that I am [Jehovah your] God! There is no other who is righteous and saves… there are none other than Me! ²² So, turn to Me and I’ll save you, O you from the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other.

²³ ‘I have sworn an oath by Myself, that whatever comes from My mouth will be righteous, and none of My words will be twisted. ²⁴ For, to Me every knee will [soon] bend, and by God every tongue will swear oaths. ²⁵ Justice and glory will be offered before Him, and those leaving Jehovah will be shamed. ²⁶ Then the seed of Israel will be righteous, and they will find glory in God.’

Chapter 46

¹ ‘Bel has fallen and Dagon was broken, for their images were bound to wild beasts and cattle, and the load proved to be just too heavy, so they tired and fainted from hunger. ² Thus they were unable to save them in war, and they too were taken as captives.

³ ‘Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and the rest of you O Israel… those whom I lifted from the belly, and whom I’ve corrected since childhood ⁴ (until the time you grew up): I am and [will be] until you grow old… I am and I’ve had to endure you. It was I who made [you], so thefore I’ll spare [you]; I’ll lift you up and then save you!

⁵ ‘To whom else can you compare Me? {Look!} Contrive [and answer], O you who mislead, ⁶ and those mixing gold and silver in a bag; for the yoke of a scale will establish [your] weight.

‘You hire a goldsmith to make idols by hand, then you bow to your faces before them. ⁷ When you carry them on your shoulders, they move, but when you put them down, they just sit there. There’s no way they can move by themselves, and if you should yell they can’t hear you; so, no way are they able to save you.

⁸ ‘Remember these things and then moan! Change your minds, O you the mislead… turn around in your hearts… ⁹ remember what happened prior to this age! For I am God… there are none other than Me, ¹⁰ who can tell what will happen before it takes place, and before these things are completed. I said that My purpose will stand, and all that I’ve planned I will do.

¹¹ ‘From the far east I can call the winged creature, to do the things I spoke of and planned. For I led, I created, and I did… it was I who led him and prospered his way.

¹² ‘Hear Me, O you destroyers of hearts; O you who are far off from justice. ¹³ It was I who brought My justice to you, and it was never far away, so I’ll not be slow about your salvation. It is I who appointed Zion to be, Israel’s savior and glory!

Chapter 47

¹ ‘Get down and sit on the ground, O virgin daughter of Babylon… yes, sit on the ground! For, there is no throne, O daughter of Chaldea; tender and delicate you will no longer be called. ² So, get a millstone and go grind the flour; remove the veil from your face! Expose your gray hairs and uncover your legs, for your rivers will also be breached. ³ Your shame and scorn will soon be uncovered, and I’ll remove all the righteous from you… no more will I hand men over to you.

⁴ ‘The Name of this Savior is Jehovah of Armies… He is Israel’s Holy One. ⁵ So, sit down and then be stabbed through! Go into the darkness, O daughter of Chaldea! For, no longer will you be called a strong kingdom.

⁶ ‘I was provoked by My people, but then My inheritance you defiled… I gave them into your hands, but you showed no mercy upon them… you oppressed the old men, working them hard under yokes ⁷ (as, you said), I will rule through the age.

‘You had no comprehension in your hearts, nor will you remember these things in the end. ⁸ So, hear these things O delicate one… the one sitting down, the one who gives in, the one who is saying in her heart, I am, and there is no other! I’ll never sit as a widow, and I will never know sorrow!

⁹ ‘For, these two things will happen to you, suddenly and in one day: You will be childless and widowed; instantly they’ll come upon you, despite all your sorcery [and magic], and despite the strengths of all your enchantments. ¹⁰ For, trusting in your wickedness you said, I am, and there is no other!

Know and understand all these things: All your whoring will now bring you shame! For you have said in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no other!’

¹¹ ‘So, instant destruction will come upon you… you’ll not know that you’ve fallen into a cesspool, then you’ll be miserable and never get clean. Sudden destruction will come upon you, yet you’ll not know ‘til it [happens]!

¹² ‘So now; Stand there in your enchantments, and in all the sorcery that you’ve learned since your youth, and see if it will do any good; ¹³ for all your [magic] words have grown tired.

‘Let all your astrologers who look in the sky, and all who look to the stars, stand up and announce the things that will be. ¹⁴ {Look!} Like torches made of sticks they’ll all burn… there’s no way that they’ll save their own lives from the flames. Then you’ll have to sit on their coals, ¹⁵ because they’re the ones you looked to for help.

‘You’ve worn yourself out with the traffic of your youth, and now that the men have all wandered away, there’ll be no salvation for you!

Chapter 48

¹ ‘Hear these things, O house of Jacob; O ones who are called by Israel’s name; those who’ve come from the waters of Judah; those swearing oaths by Israel’s God; ² those who’ve forgotten both justice and truth; those holding as holy the name of [His] city; those who lean on Israel’s God, whose Name is Jehovah of Armies! ³ Again I must speak, the same as before… the things that came from My mouth… the things that you heard and then happened… I spoke and it suddenly happened!

⁴ ‘I know that you are hard [people]; that the nerves in your necks are like iron, and your foreheads are [hard as] brass. ⁵ Yet, I told you in the past what would happen, before it really did happen. I said it out loud so you couldn’t say, It was done by my idols. Or, The carvings and images said it to me.

⁶ ‘You heard it all, but you didn’t know. And now I’m telling you new things, yet you have not spoken a word. ⁷ So, they’ll all take place, but not as before; not like they’ve happened in the past, and not the same way as you heard them, lest you’d say, Yes, I already know them. ⁸ For, you haven’t known, since ancient not times when I opened your ears. I knew that you’d disregard and know them, for since you were called from the belly, you have continued to be lawless [people]. ⁹ So, because of My Name, I’ll show you My rage… My noble deeds I’ll bring upon you, but I won’t totally destroy you.

¹⁰ ‘{Look!} I’ve bartered for you not with silver, and I rescued you from the furnace of poorness. ¹¹ And because of Myself I will act… because My Name is being profaned, and My glory I’ll not give to others!

¹² ‘Hear Me, O Jacob and Israel whom I’ve called… I am the first and I’m into the ages! ¹³ I laid the foundation of the earth with My hand, and My right hand fixed the sky. So, I’ll call to them and they’ll all assemble… ¹⁴ they will be gathered and together they’ll hear!

‘Who will tell them these things, which the love that I have for you, I have done against Babylon? For, I lifted away the seed of Chaldea; ¹⁵ I spoke, I called out, and brought you, and I have prospered your ways. ¹⁶ So now, lean toward Me and listen!’

What I said long ago wasn’t spoken secretly, and when it all happened I was there. And now Lord Jehovah has sent me with His Breath. ¹⁷ For thus says Jehovah your Savior, He, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am Jehovah your God, and I’ve shown you how to find the way you should go. ¹⁸ And if you had listened to all My Commandments, your peace would have flowed like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. ¹⁹ Your seed [would be numbered] as the sands, and the children from your bellies as the dust on the ground. You’d not be destroyed, nor would your names be erased.’

²⁰ Come out of Babylon… flee the Chaldeans! Announce it aloud in joyful shouting, and may it be known to all [ears]! Report it to the ends of the earth! Say, ‘Jehovah has saved His servant Jacob! ²¹ And if they grow thirsty as He leads them through the desert, He’ll bring them water out of rock… I will split the rock and water will pour, and then My people will drink… ²² but for the godless there’ll be no rejoicing,’ says Jehovah [our God].

Chapter 49

¹ ‘Hear O islands; pay attention O nations! For, after some time it will happen,’ says Jehovah.

From the belly of my mother He called me by name, ² and made my mouth a sharp sword. Then He hid me in the protection of His hand; He made me the favored arrow in His quiver, ³ and He said: ‘You are My servant, and through you I’ll be glorified.’

⁴ And I said: ‘I’m tired and useless, and all is in vain… I’ve used all my strength up for nothing. For, I’ve been judged by Jehovah, and all my work [was examined] by God.’

⁵ ‘And now,’ says Jehovah, He who shaped me as His servant from the belly, ‘you gather Jacob to Me, so [all of] Israel will be gathered.’ He says that before Him I’ll be glorified, and my God will become my [great] strength. ⁶ He said: ‘To be called My servant is a great thing… in oder to reestablish Jacob’s tribes, and to return the scattered ones of Israel.

‘{Look!} A Sacred Agreement I’ve made with you, for a race that’ll be the light of nations, and for you [to return them] from the ends of the earth,’ ⁷ so says Jehovah, Israel’s God; He who is your salvation. ‘Make holy all those who think their lives worthless; those who are hated by the nations, and those who are servants of rulers. For, they will be seen by all kings, and all the rulers will then stand before them, and because of Jehovah the [rulers] will bow.

‘The Holy One of Israel can be trusted, and I’m the One who chose you,’ ⁸ says Jehovah. ‘At the appropriate time, I’ll pay attention to you, and in the Day of Salvation I’ll help you. I shaped you and gave you a promise over nations, in order to reestablish the land, and to inherit the inheritances lying desolate.

⁹ ‘So, say to those held in bonds, Come out! To those in the darkness, Be uncovered! In all the paths they’ll be grazing, and all of the roads will serve as their pastures. ¹⁰ They won’t be hungry or thirsty, and they won’t be struck by the sun or hot winds. For, He who shows them mercy will bring them comfort, and lead them beside springs of water. ¹¹ Every mountain I’ll flatten on the way, and every road will serve as their pasture.

¹² ‘{Look!} They will come from a distance… some from the north, some from the west, and others from the land of the Persians. ¹³ So, be glad, O you heavens; shout in joy, O earth; split apart, O mountains with gladness! For God has shown mercy on His people, and He has brought comfort to the humble.’

¹⁴ But then it was said by Zion: ‘I was abandoned by Jehovah, and I was forgotten by the Lord.’

¹⁵ And Jehovah replied: ‘Will a woman forget her own child, or not show mercy on the offspring of her belly? Yet, even if a woman could forget such things, I will never forget you. ¹⁶ For, {Look!} I’ve sketched your walls on My hands, so you are always before Me. ¹⁷ And what was demolished will be quickly rebuilt, and those who destroyed them will be gone.

¹⁸ ‘Look up; look around; see it with your eyes… Look! They’re all gathered and returned!’

‘As I live,’ says Jehovah, ‘You’ll wear them as ornaments on your clothes… you’ll wear them as the ornaments of a bride. ¹⁹ For, your desolate places which had been destroyed, as well as those that had fallen, will become too confining for those who will dwell there, and those swallowing you down will be far away. ²⁰ Then [the people] will say in your ears, This place is to cramped for the sons we had lost, so make us new places in which to dwell! ²¹ And then you will ask in your heart, Who made me a father to them? For I’m childless, widowed, and an unwelcome stranger. But these… who required me to feed them? I have been left all alone. But these… from where did I get them?’

²² ‘Look,’ says the [great] Lord Jehovah, ‘I’m lifting My hand to the nations, and to the islands I’ll lift My sign. Then they will raise your sons to their chests, and your daughters they’ll lift on their shoulders. ²³ Then their kings will serve as your [butlers], and their queens will be your wet nurses. They’ll bow before you with their faces to the ground, and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am Jehovah, and those waiting for Me will never be shamed.’

²⁴ Can someone take loot from a giant, and will someone who’s captured be saved for no reason? ²⁵ Jehovah replies: ‘If someone can capture a giant, he can take all the things that he owns; yes, he can safely take from the strong. But I am pleading your case, and I will rescue your sons. ²⁶ So, those who oppress you will eat their own flesh, and the new wine that they drink will be their own blood. Then they will get drunk and all flesh will see, that I am Jehovah your Savior… He who gives Jacob his strength.’

Chapter 50

¹ So says Jehovah: ‘What kind divorce certificate is this, by which I sent you back to your mother; whom do I owe that I’ve had to sell you? {Look!} You have been sold for your sins, and I sent you home to your mother, because of your lawless deeds!

² ‘Why, when I was here, was there no man? But when I called, there was no one to answer. Is My hand not strong enough to rescue? Am I unable to save? Look! By my scolding I can desolate the sea; I can turn rivers into desolation, leaving their fish without water, and then they will die in their thirst. ³ It is I who clothes the skies with darkness, and in a robe of sack cloth wraps them up.’

⁴ Jehovah gave me a tongue to instruct, and a knowledge of when to speak words. He stood by me morning after morning, and He gave me an ear so I’d hear. ⁵ [He] opens my ears for instruction, and I don’t resist or argue with Him.

⁶ My back I have given to whips; my jaws [I have given] to slaps; and to shame all those who were spitting, I did not turn my face. ⁷ For, the Lord Jehovah is my helper, and because of this I’m not ashamed. I set my face as solid rock, for, I know there’s no way I’ll be shamed. ⁸ Since He who calls me righteous now approaches… the One by whom I am judged.

So, which [of you] would now judge me? Let him [stand and] oppose me! Yes, who is the one that would judge me? Let him come here to me! ⁹ Look! Jehovah will come to my aid! So who can now do me harm? Look… like coats you will grow old, and then you’ll be eaten by moths.

¹⁰ Who among you fears Jehovah? Then let him obey the voice of His servant! Let those who travel in darkness (those for whom there’s no light), yield to the Name of the Lord, and lean for support upon God!

¹¹ {Look!} You’ve all lit a fire and helped the flame grow, then you were [drawn] to its light… toward the very flame that you kindled! Because of Me this has happened to you, and you’ll spend your nights in distress!

Chapter 51

¹ Listen to Me, O you who’d be righteous… those who are seeking Jehovah; look to the rock that you’ve quarried, and into the pit of the well that you’ve dug! ² Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you. Though he was just [flesh] I once called him… yes I loved him and blest him, and I prospered his [ways]. ³ So, to you I’ll give comfort O Zion, and I will comfort your desolate places; a paradise I’ll make of your desolate places; I’ll make your western lands a paradise of [God]; there they’ll be happy and leaping for joy… [shouting] in praise with their voices.

⁴ Hear Me… listen Me O my people; and kings, give ear to what I am saying! For from Me will come forth a Law, and My judgments will become the light of the nations. ⁵ For My justice comes swiftly… the light of My salvation comes soon, so in My arm they will hope. Even the islands will wait upon Me, and in My arm they will hope.

⁶ Lift your eyes to the skies, and look to the earth underneath you! For the sky [will become filled with] smoke, and the earth (like a wrap) will grow old, then those who live there will die. But My salvation will last through the age… there’s no way that My justice will fail.

⁷ Hear Me, O you who know justice! You’re a people who have My Law in your hearts. Do not fear the scorning of men, and don’t let their bad words defeat you! ⁸ For, though clothes will be eaten with time, and though moths will eat wool, My justice will last through the ages, and My salvation through generations of generations.

⁹ Wake up… wake up, O Jerusalem, and put on the strength of your arm! Wake up as you did in days of old, and as the generations of that age! Are you not the one that’s been dug up, and being torn by the dragon? ¹⁰ And are you not her who desolates the sea… all that abundant deep water; the one who put a road through its depths, creating a ford for those being saved… ¹¹ for those whose ransom is paid?

It’s by Jehovah that they’ll be returned, and then they’ll come to Zion with gladness, and leap for joy through the age. Upon their heads there’ll be praises, and with happiness be overcome, for grief, and anguish, and moaning will have fled.

¹² I am… I am He, the One who brings comfort! Know the One you should fear, for man and his sons have dried up like grass! ¹³ Yet, you have forgotten your Maker, God… He who created the sky, and laid the foundation of the earth! So, fear Him throughout your days, before the rage of the One who afflicts you… He who had you carried away!

So now; Where is the rage of the One who afflicts you? ¹⁴ When it comes to bringing salvation, I won’t stop or waste time. ¹⁵ For I am your God who shakes the seas – it is I who makes its waves roar – Jehovah of Armies is My Name. ¹⁶ I will put My words in your mouths, and keep you in the shelter of My hand. It was I who established the heavens, and I who founded the earth. And it is I who’ll tell Zion ‘You’re My people!’

¹⁷ Wake up… get up, O Jerusalem, the one who drank from the cup of [My] rage… [that which came] from the hand of Jehovah! Take the blows from that cup, for you’ll drink of that cup ‘til it’s empty.

¹⁸ No one offered comfort to the children that you bore… none held the hands of the sons that you raised. ¹⁹ For all these bad things will happen to you, and who else will share in your grief? There’ll be downfall, defeat, hunger, and the sword; and who will then offer you comfort? ²⁰ Your sons will all be confused, and like half-boiled beets they’ll sleep in the streets… they will feel the rage of Jehovah, and before Jehovah they’ll faint.

²¹ So, you who’ve been humbled should listen… yes you who are drunk, but not from wine! ²² For thus says [Jehovah our] God, the One who is judging His people: ‘{Look!} I’ve taken the cup of blows from your hands, which is the cup of My rage, so you must no longer drink it. ²³ Then I’ll put it in the hands of those wronging you… those who are humbling you… those who told your souls to bow as they pass… those who cut your belongings to the ground, and laid them outside for those passing by.’

Chapter 52

¹ Wake up… wake up O Zion! Put on your strength, O Zion! And you, O Jerusalem, the city so holy, put on [all of] your glory! For, the uncircumcised and unclean, will no longer be passing through you. ² So, shake off the dust and get up! Then sit back down, O Jerusalem! Remove the shackles from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion! ³ For thus says [your God] Jehovah: ‘Without a price you were sold, so without silver you’ll be ransomed.’

⁴ Thus says Jehovah the Lord: ‘My people went down into Egypt, to spend time in this place where they lived, and then to Assyria they were taken by force. ⁵ So now; [Do you know] why you are there?’

And then the Lord told me this: ‘Since My people were taken without price, [all should] wonder and shriek! For Jehovah says this: Because of you, My Name has been blasphemed, among [all other] nations. ⁶ But My people will [soon] know My Name… in that day they’ll know I am He, for I who am speaking will be there.

⁷ ‘As a time of beauty on the mountains… as [calmly] as feet announcing good news… as when there’s the hearing of peace… as when there’s an announcing of good things, I will bring your salvation… I’ll say that your God is reigning on Zion.

⁸ ‘The voices of those guarding will be raised, and all the voices will be glad. For eye to eye you will see it, when Jehovah shows mercy on Zion. ⁹ So, let Jerusalem’s desolate places, applaud together in joy, for Jehovah’s shown mercy upon her… He has rescued Jerusalem!

¹⁰ ‘Jehovah will bare His holy arm, in the presence of all the nations… to the ends of the earth all will see it… the salvation that comes from our God.

¹¹ ‘Leave… leave… get out! And do not touch the thing that’s unclean! Get out of its midst and stay far away, you who carry Jehovah’s [sacred things]! ¹² For, when you leave there’ll be no disturbance, and you will not run as you leave, because the Lord will travel before you, and the God of Israel will cover your rear.

¹³ ‘{Look!} My servant will then understand, and he’ll be glorified and exalted… he’ll be raised exceedingly high, ¹⁴ in a way that will bring amazement to many. But men will despise his appearance, and the sons of men [will hate all] his glory. ¹⁵ But many nations will wonder over him, and [their] kings [will then cover] their mouths. For things untold they’ll see about him… things they haven’t heard they’ll perceive.’

Chapter 53

¹ O Lord; Who has trusted our report, and to whom was the arm of Jehovah revealed?

² We’ve announced a male child who’s appeared before Him, as a root in land that is dry. He doesn’t have looks and he doesn’t have glory… we’ve seen him and he doesn’t have beauty. ³ He appeared to be without value, and by sons of men he [appeared] to be lacking. He’s a man [who was born] for disaster… one who knows how to bear illness.

He turned his face and he was dishonored; he was never considered. ⁴ It was he who carried our sins, and because of us he came to know grief. We thought of his [lot] to be misery… for calamity and ill treatment by God. ⁵ Then he was wounded because of our sins, and for our lawless deeds he was bruised.

[To bring us] peace he was disciplined, and by his stripes we’ve been healed. ⁶ For like sheep we have all strayed, and in his own ways man has wandered. So, he was sent by Jehovah for our sins; ⁷ and when evil was inflicted upon him, he did not open his mouth… he was led like a sheep to the slaughter… voiceless like a lamb before shearers, he did not open his mouth.

⁸ In humiliation his justice was taken away, for who can describe his generation… his life was lifted away from the earth… he was led to his death, over the lawlessness of My people.

⁹ Among the wicked I’ll allow him to be buried… [in the place of] the rich for his death. For, he committed no lawless deeds, nor was treachery found in his mouth.

¹⁰ It was Jehovah’s will to cleanse him by beating. But [because he] was brought as an offering for sin, you will see long-lived seed.

¹¹ It was Jehovah’s will to remove, the misery in that life with His hand, for this showed him light and shaped his understanding, and proved this righteous one just… this good one who was serving for many, so as to bear all their sins. ¹² For this reason, many he’ll inherit, and he’ll share his spoils with the mighty. For, his life was handed over to death, and among the lawless he was considered. The sins of many he bore… for their lawless deeds he was delivered.

Chapter 54

¹ So, be glad all you who are sterile! Yell, O you who did not give birth… O you the one without birth pains! For, many are the children of she who is childless… [more so] than the one with a husband. For, Jehovah spoke and said this: ² ‘Widen the place for your tent, and hang the hide coverings on [its walls]! Don’t scrimp… take plenty of land, and then strengthen your tent pegs… ³ spread out [your tent] to the right and the left! For, your seed will inherit the nations, and in their empty cities you will live.’

⁴ Don’t fear that you’ve been disgraced, or feel ashamed that you’ve been berated, for you’ll soon forget all this shame, and your widow’s scorn will be forgotten. ⁵ Because; the Lord is the One who remade you… Jehovah of Armies is His Name. Yes, He is the One who is rescuing you. And at that time; Israel’s God will be called, the God of the whole earth.

⁶ [He] called you not as a woman forsaken; not as one who’s broken-hearted; nor as a woman detested since youth. For, this is what was said by your God: ⁷ ‘I left you behind for just a little while, but [now] I’ll show you great mercy. ⁸ In rage I turned My face for a while, and now ages of mercy I’ll show you,’ said He who saves you, Jehovah.

⁹ ‘This has been My plan, since the waters fell upon Noah. And the oath that I swore toward the earth at that time, was not bring My rage against you again, or [again send you] intimidation. ¹⁰ For your mountains [will never] be changed; your hills will not be taken away; and My mercy upon you won’t fail, nor will My Agreement for peace be removed.’ That’s how Jehovah spoke kindly of you.

¹¹ ‘You’ve been humbled and confused, and you’ve not received any comfort. But {Look!} I’ve prepared garnets as your stones, and sapphires for your foundations. ¹² I’ll make your parapets of jasper, give you crystal stones for your gates, and the choicest of [gems] for your doors. ¹³ Then all your sons will be taught about God, and much peace will come to your children. ¹⁴ Upon justice you will be built, far away from all the unrighteous. No more will you have to fear, and trembling will never approach you.

¹⁵ ‘{Look!} Because of Me, strangers will come! With you they will then stay, and they’ll run to you as their refuge. ¹⁶ {Look!} I did not make you a forge blowing coals, nor have I brought you as tools to do work. For corruption or destruction I didn’t make you, ¹⁷ so no weapons that they bring will succeed… you’ll vanquish the voices they raise to condemn you. Yes, this is the inheritance of Jehovah’s servants, for you’ll be found righteous by Me,’ says the Lord.

Chapter 55

¹ [You who are] thirsty, go to the water! And you without money, go buy and eat… yes, go and buy without money, even best wines and fat calves! ² Why place money over bread… all your efforts into things that won’t fill you? Listen to Me and eat good things… your life will find joy in the good things! ³ So, pay close attention with your ears, and follow after My ways!

Listen to Me and your soul will have good things! I’ll proclaim an Agreement with you through the age, [which includes] the sacred things of David, and of those who were worthy of trust. ⁴ {Look!} A witness to the nations I made him… a ruler and a signal to the nations.

⁵ {Look!} Nations you don’t know will call upon you… peoples you don’t know will seek refuge in you, because of your God Jehovah… because of the Holy One of Israel, for He will have glorified you.

⁶ Search for Jehovah, and when you find Him, call upon Him so He will approach you. ⁷ Let the irreverent leave their bad ways, and lawless men all their plans! Let them return to Jehovah, then He (our God) will show mercy upon them… He’ll even forgive their greatest of sins!

⁸ ‘Your plans are not like My plans, and your ways are not like My ways,’ says Jehovah. ⁹ ‘But as far as the heavens are from the earth, is the distance between My ways and your ways, and the things that you think from My mind. ¹⁰ For, as rain and snow fall from the skies, and don’t return ‘til they saturate the ground, and the earth brings forth and sprouts [plants], giving seeds to the planter and bread as his food; ¹¹ so are the words that come from My mouth… to Me they won’t return empty, until they complete what I’ve wanted. So, I’ll prosper your ways in ways I see fit.

¹² Then you will travel in joy, and you will be led out in gladness. For, the mountains and hills will leap out, and favorably receive you in care, as the trees in the fields clap their tender branches. ¹³ Instead of brush piles, cypress will grow; and instead of briars, myrtles will sprout. Then the Name Jehovah will be known… it will serve as a sign through the ages, and this will never [come to an] end.

Chapter 56

¹ Jehovah says: ‘Guard right decisions and justice, for salvation from Me is now near… mercy from Me is about to be shown. ² Blest is the man who is doing these things, as well as he who’s holding them [dear]; the one who is guarding the Sabbaths, so he will never profane them; and he who watches his hands, so he doesn’t do what’s unrighteous.’

³ Do not let the foreigner say (he who has come to be joined to the Lord): ‘Jehovah surely has set me apart from His people.’ And may the eunuch not say: ‘I am just a dry tree!’ ⁴ For, thus says Jehovah to eunuchs: ‘To all who are keeping My Sabbaths; to all who choose to do what I want; and to all who hold to My Sacred Agreement, ⁵ I’ll give something that’s better than daughters and sons. From My [Temple] and famous walled [city]… I’ll give them a name through the ages… [a name] that won’t come to an end. ⁶ And I’ll give it to those foreign peoples, who [come to] join to Jehovah; to those who will serve and love the Lord’s Name, and wish to be His male and female servants; to all those keeping My Sabbaths (those who do not profane them), and those who will hold to My Sacred Agreement.

⁷ ‘To My Holy Mountain I’ll bring them, and give them joy in My House of Prayer. Their whole burnt offerings and sacrifices, will be accepted there on My Altar. My [Temple] will then come to be called, a House of Prayer for all nations,’ ⁸ said Jehovah… He who’s collecting Israel’s scattered.

‘Then, to him I’ll gather a whole congregation, ⁹ where all the wild animals will come… let all animals of the forests come and eat.

¹⁰ See how they’ve all been blinded… those dumb dogs who don’t know how to bark… those dreaming of beds and those fond of slumber… ¹¹ those impudent dogs with unfulfilled lives, because they are wicked and don’t understand… those who have followed the ways that they chose, to gain an unfair advantage. They say: ¹² Come, let’s get wine and drink ‘til we’re drunk, and tomorrow will be better than today!’

Chapter 57

¹ See how the righteous ones perish, because no one is watching the hearts. So, the righteous men are lifted away, and no one gives it a thought… the just have been lifted away, before the face of injustice. ² And though their graves will be peaceful, they’ve been lifted away from your midst. ³ Then you lead before [Me] the sons [of the] lawless… the seed of adulterers and whores!

⁴ In what have you found such enjoyment? Against whom have you opened your mouth? Against whom have you slackened your tongue? Are you not the children of destruction… a seed without any honor?

⁵ Aren’t you those who call upon idols, under all the trees and the bushes? Aren’t you those who slay their own little children, between the rocks in the valleys? ⁶ Yes, this is your portion… this is your lot. For, to them you’ve poured out drink offerings… to them you have sacrificed. Don’t such things provoke Me to rage?

⁷ You make your beds on the tops of high mountains, and there you haul your sacrifices… ⁸ and behind your doorposts you’ve placed all your [idols]. Did you think that if you left Me you’d you’d prosper?

You’ve loved all those that you’ve gone to bed with, ⁹ for with them you’ve done so much whoring, and many you’ve left in your [wake]. You’ve sent ambassadors from your borders, and for this you’ve been [cursed] to the grave. ¹⁰ Although you’ve tired of your many [bad] ways, you haven’t said ‘I’ll [turn from the wrong]!’ Yes, you have done all these bad things, and for this you can’t come to beg before Me.

¹¹ Because, you’ve held sacred the things that you fear,and you have even lied against Me… you did not consider, or think of Me in your hearts! ¹² So, I will report your [in]justice, and your evils will not benefit you.

¹³ Then in your [time of] affliction, whenever you yell out [for aid], let [your idols] come and save you! For, the wind will take all these things, and a gale will blow them away. But those who choose to hold onto Me, are those who’re acquiring the land, and they will inherit My Holy Mountain. ¹⁴ Then they will say, ‘Come clear out the roads,’ and they’ll remove the rocks from My people’s paths!’

¹⁵ Thus says the Most High in the heights, where He lives through the ages… there in the Holiest of Holies; He who rests in the Holiest highest places… Jehovah is His [great] Name; He who is patient with the meek, and to the brokenhearted gives life: ¹⁶ ‘I’ll not punish you [again] through the ages, nor will I always be angry with you. And from Me breath will then flow, for it is I who made everyone’s breath.

¹⁷ ‘Because of their sins I grieved them a while… I struck them and turned My face away… I grieved them and they traveled in gloom. ¹⁸ But I saw all their ways and I healed them; I gave them comfort… comfort that’s true, ¹⁹ bringing peace upon peace, to those far away and those who are near.’

And Jehovah said: ‘As the result I will heal them, ²⁰ but the unrighteous will roll like the waves, and they’ll be unable to rest… ²¹ there’ll be no peace for the godless,’ said God.

Chapter 58

¹ ‘Yell out loudly… don’t hold it back! Raise your voice like a trumpet, and announce to My people their sins… to the house of Jacob their lawless ways!

² ‘In that day they will seek Me, and wish to know all My ways. For they’ll be a people who are righteous, and they won’t abandon the justice of God.

‘Even now they ask Me for righteous judgments, and they desire to come near to their God, ³ for they say: Why haven’t You looked when we fasted… when we humbled our lives, why haven’t You noticed?

‘On the days that you fast, you still do as you please… you goad all those who are under your hands. ⁴ You fast [to win] lawsuits and fights, as you beat the humble with your fists. Why are you fasting to Me, in the way that you’re doing today… just to hear your own voices? ⁵ I did not choose this type of fast… fasting’s a day to humble your soul. So, don’t bend your neck in a hook, nor wear sackcloth and spread ashes beneath you; because, when you call such a fast, I just will not accept it.

⁶ ‘I haven’t asked you to fast for such things,’ says Jehovah, ‘but for you to untie the bonds of injustice! Leave the perverseness of violent exchanges; send away freely those who’ve been wronged; and tear up your unrighteous [contracts]! ⁷ Break your bread with the hungry, and into your house bring the poor and the homeless!

‘If you see someone naked, you should clothe him! And concerning the seed of your family; No longer should you dislike them! ⁸ Then in the morning light will break through, and the things that need cures will be gone; righteousness will travel before you, and the glory of God will protect you. ⁹ When you call to Jehovah He will listen, and while you’re yet speaking say, ‘Look, I am here!’

‘If you’ll remove all your evil plans, then stretch out your hands and not grumble; ¹⁰ if with your whole [hearts] you’ll give bread to the hungry, so the lives of the humble are filled; then your light will rise from the darkness, and your darkness will be as midday; ¹¹your God will always be with you, and your lives will be filled with all you desire.

‘Your bones will be fattened like well-watered gardens, and as a spring where rain never fails. ¹² Your desolate places will be rebuilt; for generations of generations their foundations will [last]; you’ll be called a builder of walls, and in your roads there’ll be no stones.

¹³ ‘If you’ll turn your feet toward the Sabbaths, and not do your will on this holy day, and call the Sabbath something delightful (something that’s holy to your God); if you won’t lift your foot to do work, nor let angry words come from your mouth, ¹⁴ then you’ll be relying on Jehovah, and to your land He’ll send good things, to feed the inheritance of Jacob your father.’

From the mouth of Jehovah these things were said.

Chapter 59

¹ Is the hand of Jehovah too weak to save? Are His ears too heavy to hear? ² Your sins have brought a division, between yourselves and your God… it’s because of your sins that He’s turned away, so as not to show mercy upon you. ³ For, your hands are tainted with blood, and your fingers [are covered with] sins. Your lips speak of lawless things, and your tongue has said what’s unrighteous.

⁴ No one says righteous things, nor is there any true justice. They rely on what’s foolish and speak empty things; to what’s lawless they’ve given birth, and to misery they are a father. ⁵ They hatch eggs of asps and weave spider webs, but before anyone can come to eat them, a rotten egg breaks and there is a cobra.

⁶ Their webs won’t be made into clothes, nor will they wear their own works, for the things that they do are all lawless.

⁷ They run to wickedness with their feet, and they’re quick to shed innocent blood. For, their thoughts are all about murder, and their paths are misery and destruction. ⁸ The ways of peace they don’t know, and there is no justice in their ways, because the roads that they walk are perverted, and they do not know about peace. ⁹ Due to this, fairness has left them, and there’s no way that justice will find them.

As they were waiting for light – as they were waiting for daylight – darkness arrived and they walked as at midnight. ¹⁰ Along the walls, like blind men they groped (they grope like men without eyes); they stumbled at noon as at midnight, then moaned like those who were dying… ¹¹ like a bear and a dove they traveled together.

And though we have waited for justice, salvation for us is still far away. ¹² Our lawlessness before You is great, and our sins are remaining within us. For, our lawless deeds are still in us, and we’re aware of all our offences. ¹³ We have lied and been godless; we have departed from our God; we’ve spoken unjustly and resisted persuasion; we’ve thought unrighteous words in our hearts; ¹⁴ we have left behind what is fair, and justice is now far away. For, truth was consumed in our ways, and we’re unable to walk in straight paths… ¹⁵ truth has been lifted away, and the thoughts of the understanding have been twisted.

Jehovah saw this and He was not pleased, for nowhere could fairness be found. ¹⁶ He thought and beheld there was not a man… there was no one to bring them some help. So, with His arm He provided their defense, and in His mercy, gave them support. ¹⁷ He clothed Himself with the chest plate of justice, and put the helmet of salvation on His head. ¹⁸ In the coat of vengeance He wrapped Himself – in the robe of retribution – to bring the reward for His enemy’s scorn.

¹⁹ The Name of the Lord will be feared in the west, and in the east they’ll fear His honor. For like the rage of a river, the anger of Jehovah will come. ²⁰ Then a savior will come out of Zion, who’ll remove the irreverence from Jacob,’ said Jehovah. ²¹ ‘And this is My Agreement with them: My Breath will then come upon you, and I’ll put My words in your mouths. At that time, your mouths not will fail you, nor will the mouths of your seed, from now and into the ages.’

Chapter 60

¹ Be enlightened… Jerusalem be enlightened; for your light is shining upon you, and the glory of Jehovah has risen! ² {Look!} Darkness will cover the earth, and gloom will come over the nations! But upon you the Lord will appear, and on you His glory will be seen. ³ Then nations will go to your light, and kings will [head toward] your brightness.

⁴ Lift your eyes and look all around, for you’ll see the gathering of your children! Your sons will come from far away places, and your daughters will be carried on shoulders. ⁵ You’ll see it in fear and your hearts will be startled; for the wealth of the sea will turn toward you, and to you the nations and peoples will come. ⁶ Herds of camels you’ll have, for the camels of Midian, Ephah, and Sheba, will come bringing frankincense and gold, announcing good news of Jehovah’s salvation. ⁷ The sheep of Cypress will be gathered to you, and the rams of NebAiOth will come also, to be offered as sacrifices on My Altar, and My House of Prayer will be glorified.

⁸ Who are these that fly by like clouds… that fly like doves with their young? ⁹ Islands have waited upon Me, and boats of Tarshish are some of the first. They’re returning your children from far away places, all carrying silver and gold, because the Name Jehovah is holy, and the Holy One of Israel is glorious. ¹⁰ Then foreigners will rebuild all your walls, and their kings will then stand beside you.

It was because of My anger that I struck you, and it’s because of My mercy that I’ve loved you.

¹¹ Then your gates will be always be open – day and night they’ll never be locked – to bring in the might of the nations, and with their kings in the lead. ¹² The nations and kings who won’t serve you will die; they’ll be wiped away and made desolate. ¹³ And to you the glory of Lebanon will come, bringing along cypress, pines, and cedars, in order to glorify My Holy Place… and I’ll glorify the Place where you stand.

¹⁴ Then the sons of those who once humbled you, will come before you in awe. And those who provoked you will then bow before you, with their heads at the soles of your feet. And you will be called the City of Jehovah… Zion the Holy Place of Israel.

¹⁵ Because you were detested and abandoned, and no one came to your aid, I’ll make you leap for joy through the ages, and be glad for generations of generations. ¹⁶ From the milk of the nations you’ll be nourished, and from the wealth of kings you will eat. Then you will know that I am Jehovah, your Rescuer and Savior… Jacob’s God.

¹⁷ Then instead of brass I’ll bring gold, and instead of iron I’ll bring silver. Instead of wood I’ll bring brass, and instead of stones I’ll bring iron.

I will appoint your rulers for peace, and [appoint] your overseers for justice. ¹⁸ No more will injustice be heard in your land… no destruction or misery within your borders. For your walls will be called Salvation, and your gates will be called the Engravings.

¹⁹ Then your days won’t be lit by the sun, nor will the moon light your nights. For through the ages Jehovah will be your light… even God will serve as your glory. ²⁰ Then the sun will not set upon you, and the moon will never subside. For the Lord is your light through the ages, and your period of mourning will have ended.

²¹ Then all your people will be righteous, and through the ages they’ll inherit the earth. They will keep all the things that they plant, and the works of their hands will be their own glory. ²² The remnant will then become thousands, and the least will become a great nation; for in time I (Jehovah) will bring them together.

Chapter 61

¹ The Breath of Jehovah is upon me; He’s anointed me to announce good news to the poor; ² He sent me to heal the broken hearted; to proclaim a release to the captives, and a recovery of sight to the blind; to proclaim a year of the favor of Jehovah, as well as a day to repay; to comfort those who are mourning, ³ and to bring glory in place of ashes, to those who are mourning on Zion… an anointing of joy to all those who mourn… a clothing of glory for the spirit of indifference. Generations of the righteous they’ll be called… a planting by Jehovah for His glory.

⁴ Then through the ages they’ll build in the deserts… places that were desolate before. In the deserts they’ll arise and revive cities, which through generations have lain desolate. ⁵ And foreigners will come to shepherd your sheep… Philistines will serve as vinedressers and plowmen.

⁶ Then Priests of Jehovah you’ll be called; they’ll say you’re the servants of God. You’ll devour the strength of the nations, and be admired because of their wealth. ⁷ So, you’ll inherit the land a second time, and your heads will be covered, with the joy of the ages.

⁸ For I am Jehovah, He who loves justice, and detests all unrighteous taking. So, I’ll return their efforts to the righteous, and create with them an Agreement of the ages. ⁹ Then their seed will be known by the nations, and their offspring amidst all the peoples. All who see them will know them, for these are a seed blest by God. ¹⁰ And they will be glad and take joy in the Lord.

May my life shout in praise to Jehovah, for He’s wrapped me in the robe of salvation, and in an inner garment of joy! As a groom, He’s put a turban on my [head], and adorned me with the tiara of a bride. ¹¹ Just as the earth grows its flowers, and as seeds in a garden put out sprouts, the Lord Jehovah will arise and bring justice, and a leaping for joy before all the nations.

Chapter 62

¹ Because of Zion I’ll not remain silent, and because of Jerusalem, I’ll not relent, until my justice goes forth like the light, and my salvation burns like a lamp. ² Then the nations will see all your justice, and their kings will see all your glory. For, He will call you by your new name, which name will be given by the mouth of the Lord. ³ Then you’ll be a crown in [His] hand… a royal turban of the kingdom, in the hand of your God.

⁴ Then you’ll not be called the Forsaken, and your land won’t be called Desolation. For, you will be called My Will, and your land will be called Being Lived In, because Jehovah found pleasure in you, and to Him your land will be married.

⁵ As a young man joins with a virgin, so your sons will then live among you. For you’ll be happy as a groom with his bride… and that’s how Jehovah will find joy in you.

⁶ O Jerusalem; I’ll put a guard on your walls, [to watch over you] day and night, and he will never stay silent… he will speak of Jehovah to the end. ⁷ And to you there’ll be no other like him, for he will set matters straight, and he’ll make Jerusalem [a praise] on the earth.

⁸ Jehovah swore by His right hand, and by the strength of His arm: ‘I won’t give enemies your food or your grain, nor will foreigner’s sons drink your wine. ⁹ But those who do the picking will eat it, and they will then praise Jehovah; and those who are gathering [the grapes], will drink [the wine] in My Holy estates.’

¹⁰ Now go through My gates, and open the way for My people! Scatter the stones away from the road, and then lift the agreed-upon sign to the nations; ¹¹ for {Look!} Jehovah made this heard to the ends of the earth: ‘Say to the daughter of Zion, Look, the savior has come; and before his face is his work and reward!’

¹² Then He will call them a most holy people (those being ransomed by Jehovah), but you will be called The City We’ve Looked For, and no longer The One That’s Abandoned.

Chapter 63

¹ Who is this one that’s coming from Edom… from Bozrah wearing clothes with red stains… this beautiful one with the strong arm?

‘I have [come to bring] justice, and [to plead] the case of salvation.’

² But why are you wearing red clothes, which appear as though you’ve been treading a wine vat?

³ ‘I am covered with things I have trampled, and no man of the nations is with me, for I’ve trampled them all in my rage. I broke them up [like breaking] the ground, and poured their blood out on the earth; so all my clothes are defiled. ⁴ For, a day of payback has come upon them, and the year of ransom is at hand. ⁵ I searched and found none to aid me; I paid attention and no one would help. So, I brought salvation with my mighty arm, and attended to it in my rage. ⁶ I trampled them down in my anger, and led their blood into the ground!’

⁷ I’ve thought about the mercy of Jehovah, and all the virtues of His retribution, [and I’ve found that His] judgment upon Israel is just, for, He brings upon us is justice and mercy. ⁸ He said, ‘My children must all respect Me.’ Then, from oppression He saved them… not an envoy or angel, Himself!

⁹ Because He loved them He saved them… He spared them and [paid] their ransom. But though He took them and raised them, through all the days of that age, ¹⁰ they refused to listen to Him, and they provoked His Holy Breath. So, the Lord turned against them in hatred, and then He waged war against them. ¹¹ But He then remembered the days of their ages, and then from the ground, raised one who would shepherd His sheep.

¹² Where is the One who poured His Breath on them… the One who led Moses with His right hand… the One with the glorious arm? Before [Moses} He conquered the waters, and made a Name for Himself through the ages. ¹³ Through the deep [sea] He led them, and like horses, they didn’t get tired in the desert. ¹⁴ Then, as though they were cattle, [they moved on through] the plains, while Jehovah’s Breath descended to guide them.

That is how You’ve led Your people, to make a glorious Name for Yourself. ¹⁵ So now, turn from the heavens… look down from Your holiness and glory! Where is Your zeal and Your strength? Where is Your mercy and compassion, which You’ve been withholding from us? ¹⁶ You have now become our Father, for by Abraham we wouldn’t be known, nor would Israel have recognize us. So, help us please, O Jehovah, for You are have become our [true] Father!

¹⁷ From ancient times Your Name has been on us, so why have You allowed us to stray from Your ways? Why have You hardened our hearts not to fear You? [O please] return because of Your servants… because we’re the tribes that You chose by lot, ¹⁸ and so we can inherit Your Holy Mountain.

Our enemies have trampled on Your Holy Place, ¹⁹ and we have become as we were long ago… a time when You didn’t rule us, and we were not called by Your Name.

Chapter 64

¹ If You should choose to open the sky, the mountains would tremble and melt, as though they were beeswax in fire. ² So, a fire will incinerate our enemies, and Your Name will then shine among [them]… before You the nations will quiver. ³ For, whenever You do Your honorable deeds, trembling takes hold of the mountains.

⁴ Through the ages no one has heard, nor have eyes seen a God beside You, or the deeds that You do, for those who are awaiting [Your] mercy.

⁵ He will meet with the righteous, and their [righteous] ways [He’ll] remember. {Look!} But you have sinned and provoked Him to rage, and because of this we must wander. ⁶ For, we’ve set aside what is righteous, as a rag that’s used for menstruation. Because of our lawless deeds, we have fallen like leaves, and the wind will carry us away.

⁷ No ones calls on Your Name, nor do any remember to take hold of You. So Your face You’ve now turned away, and You’ve handed us over because of our sins.

⁸ And now, O Jehovah; You are our only [true] Father, and we are just [clay]… the works of Your hands. ⁹ So, [please] don’t stay very angry with us… don’t remember our sins for a long time!

Now look upon us, O Jehovah, because we are your people! ¹⁰ Zion (Your Holy City) is now desolation, and Jerusalem has been cursed with destruction. ¹¹ The [Temple] and the Holy Place of glory, by which our fathers were blest, is scorched and its honorable things are thrown down. ¹² All of these things You’ve endured, O Jehovah… You’ve kept silent and humbled us much.

Chapter 65

¹ ‘I was seen by those not searching for Me; I was found by those not asking for Me. And I said Here I am to a nation, that had never called on My Name. ² Yet I’ve held out My hands all day long, to a people who won’t listen and who talk back… those who’ve not followed in good ways, but who keep on [walking] in their sins. ³ They stand before Me and always provoke Me… they offer sacrifices in their [sacred] gardens, and burn incense on bricks to demons who are no one; ⁴ they sleep in tombs and in caves to have dreams; they’re the ones who eat meat of pigs, then as sacrifices [offer their] broth. So, all that [they offer] is tainted, ⁵ but then they say Stay away… don’t approach me, because I am clean!

‘This is the smoke of My rage… it’s a fire that burns through the days. ⁶ Look; it’s written that here in My presence, I won’t stay silent until I’ve repaid; I’ll [rake] all their sins on their chests, ⁷ as well as the sins of their fathers,’ says Jehovah; ‘all those who burned incense on the mountains, and spoke ill of Me on the hills… I will [heap] all their deeds on their chests!’

⁸ Jehovah says: ‘When they find seeds in clusters of grapes, they say: Don’t throw it away for it will bring blessings. And that’s what I’ll do with My servants… that’s what I’ll do, so I don’t destroy all. ⁹ I’ll pick one seed out of Jacob and Judah, and He will inherit My Holy Mountain… he will inherit My elected, and they will live with him there. ¹⁰ Then in their [sacred] groves will live flocks, and in the Achor Valley My people’s herds will find rest… those who are searching for Me.

¹¹ ‘But you are the ones who have left Me… those who’ve forgotten My Holy Mountain… those preparing a table for demons, and mixing [potions] for good luck. ¹² So, I will give you to the sword, and you will fall in the slaughter; for I called to you but you didn’t listen; I spoke and you paid no attention; you kept doing what’s wicked before Me, and things I didn’t want are what you chose.

¹³ ‘And because of this,’ says Jehovah, ‘{Look!} Those who serve Me will eat, but you in turn will go hungry. {Look!} All my servants will drink, but you in turn will be thirsty. {Look!} Those serving Me will be happy, but you will just be ashamed. ¹⁴ {Look!} Those serving Me will cry out in joy, but you’ll cry out in misery of heart, and you’ll shriek for the destruction of your lives.

¹⁵ ‘The name that you’re leaving behind, will become a glut to those I’ve elected, so the Lord will do away with you all. Then I’ll give a new name to all those who serve Me, ¹⁶ which will be praised throughout the whole earth. For they will praise the true God, and those who swear oaths on the earth, will swear by the [only] true God. Then they will forget the trials they endured… they won’t come into their hearts.

¹⁷ ‘For a new earth and new sky there will be, and no more will they remember the things in the past, nor will it come into their hearts. ¹⁸ Then all will be leaping for joy, in the happiness that they will find!

‘{Look!} I’ll make Jerusalem a leaping for joy, over the happiness of My people. ¹⁹ And about Jerusalem I’ll shout in praise, and be happy along with My people. No more will there be sounds of weeping, or the sounds of crying among them. ²⁰ No way will there be a miscarried [child], or old men who do not live out their time. For, a man will be young at a hundred years old, and the sinner will die cursed at a hundred.

²¹ ‘Then they will build houses and live there; they will plant vineyards and eat their own produce, and they will drink their own wine. ²² There’s no way they’ll build for another to live there, and no way they will plant for another to eat it.

‘Then the days of My people will be, as the days of a tree; and things they make with their hands will grow old.

²³ ‘My elected won’t labor for nothing, nor will they produce children for a curse; for their seed and all their descendants, will then be a blessing from God. ²⁴ Before they call I will hear them, and when they speak I’ll be asking What is it?

²⁵ ‘Then wolves and lambs together will graze, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The snake will eat the ground as its bread, and they will not harm or destroy, on My Holy Mountain,’ says Jehovah.

Chapter 66

¹ Jehovah said: ‘The heavens are My Throne and the earth is My footstool, so what kind of House can you build Me… what kind of place [can you build] for My rest? ² For, all these things I have made with My hand, so these things are [already] Mine.’

Then Jehovah said: ‘And upon whom will I look [in favor]? Just on the humble and unassuming… those who tremble at My words. ³ But a calf that is offered to Me by the lawless, [I view as] one who is striking a man… their sacrifice [of sheep] from the flock, is as one who has slaughtered a dog, and their offering of fine flour as the blood of a pig! Also; their offering of frankincense as a memorial, is as one who is blaspheming Me.

‘They each have chosen their own ways, and disgusting things are what their souls wanted. ⁴ So I will choose how to mock them, and I’ll pay them back for their sins. For I called out to them and they didn’t hear… I spoke and they wouldn’t listen. They’ve acted wickedly before Me, and chose the things that I didn’t want.’

⁵ Hear the word of Jehovah, O you who tremble at His voice! Tell your brothers who hate and detest you, that they should give glory to the Name of the Lord, and [that Name] should be looked on in gladness… but they will just be ashamed!

⁶ The sound of a voice now cries from the city… a voice [that comes] from the Temple… it is the voice of Jehovah, and it’s about [His bringing] of retribution: ⁷ ‘Before her labor to give birth, and before the misery of birth pangs, she fled and gave birth to a male… ⁸ why, who’s ever heard such a thing… who’s seen anything like it… has the earth given birth in a day… has a nation given birth all at once, as Zion has labored and her children were born?’

⁹ Jehovah said: ‘I told them what to expect, but they failed to remember [My words]. For, {Look!} I made the one who gives birth, as well as the one who is sterile.’

And your God says: ¹⁰ ‘So be glad, O Jerusalem, and call a celebration, all those who love her. Celebrate and be joyful, all you who live there… yes all those who have mourned her! ¹¹ For, you can now nurse and be filled, with the comfort that comes from her breasts… by sucking you too may indulge, when her glory is shown.’

¹² Jehovah said: ‘{Look!} Toward them I’ll divert a river of peace, and they’ll be covered with the glory of the nations. ¹³ Their children will be carried on shoulders, and they’ll be comforted on knees, ¹³ as any [good] mother gives comfort. And that’s how I’ll comfort you… for Jerusalem, you will find comfort. ¹⁴ You’ll see it and rejoice in your heart and your bones… as in a pasture I’ll raise you. It will be seen as coming from the hand of Jehovah, by all of those fearing Him… and He will threaten all those, who would resist His persuasion.’

¹⁵ For, {Look!} Jehovah will come like a fire… as a blast from his chariot wheels in His rage, to pay back and punish in flames, all those who’ve rejected [Him] in contempt. ¹⁶ By the fire of the Lord the earth will be judged, and all flesh [will be judged] by his broadsword. Many will be slain by the Lord… ¹⁷ those who were cleansed in [their sacred] gardens, and those who ate pork on their thresholds (the disgusting things and the mouse)… together they’ll all be consumed,’ said Jehovah.

¹⁸ ‘I know their works and their ways, and I’ve come to gather the nations and tongues. Then they’ll all come to see My glory, ¹⁹ and I will leave a sign upon them.

‘I’ll return all those who were given to the nations… to Tarshish, Pul, Lud, and Meshach; to Tubal, Greece, and the islands… those far away who’ve not heard of My Name, and those who’ve never seen My glory. Then they will announce My glory to the nations. ²⁰ And then as a gift to the Lord, I’ll return your brothers from the nations, along with horses and wagons, and royal chariots with awnings drawn by mules.’

And Jehovah said: ‘Then the sons of Israel will sacrifice to Me, with songs in the [Temple] of Jehovah. ²¹ And I’ll choose Levites and Priests from among them,’ said Jehovah. ²² For, just as a new earth and sky, which I will make are waiting before Me,’ says Jehovah, ‘so I will establish your seed and your name. ²³ Then in Jerusalem; from New Moon to New Moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh will come and bow before Me,’ said Jehovah.

²⁴ ‘They’ll go out and see the carcasses of men (those who rebelled against Me), whose worms won’t come to an end, and whose fire will not be extinguished… they’ll be a sight for all flesh [to see].’

Notes

Soul

The Greek word psyche (as in psychology) has been translated many ways, including soul, life, etc. However, psyche actually means something that breathes. It is used in the Bible to describe both breathing animals and breathing humans. So by definition, a soul cannot leave the body, because a soul is what the living body (whether human or animal) is (see Genesis 2:7).

In ancient Greece, philosophers eventually added another meaning to psyche: The inner person (as opposed to the person that others see and come to know). And with time, the pagan religion of Greece started to teach that this inner person is its own entity and can never die (is immortal). Over the centuries, this pagan Greek doctrine thereafter crept into the Christian religions. Please see the link Soul for more history of the word.

However, such Greek philosophical thought never influenced Jesus and his Apostles. So, they consistently used psyche to indicate a living person or animal. Therefore, the later teaching that the soul is immortal stands in direct conflict with Jesus’ promise of a resurrection, because, if a person is immortal (can never die) he/she can never be resurrected (brought back to life).

In addition, the teaching of the immortality of the human soul is totally without support from the Bible. For the word immortal(ity) (Gr: athanasia or undying) is only mentioned in the Bible in two places, and it isn’t used with or applied to the word soul in either case. Both of these scriptures show that immortality is only given by God as a reward for righteousness. And as Ezekiel 18:4 says, ‘The person (gr. psyche or ‘soul’) that is sinning will die (gr. apothaneitai).’

Of course, there are places in the Bible where the word soul means more than just a living, fleshly body. For example, God is recorded to have spoken of ‘My Soul’ in several places. Obviously, God is much more than just a ‘soul’ as most people think of that term, and He surely wasn’t talking about His having a human body. So we must conclude that what He was referring to is His life.

Then there are Jesus’ words found at Matthew 10:28, which read, ‘Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the person (psyche or soul). Rather, be afraid of him who can destroy both the person (soul) and the body in the garbage dump.’ Here, Jesus is using the word psyche (soul) to refer to the value of life that remains with God until the resurrection. And he obviously isn’t referring the soul as immortal in this instance, because he says God will destroy (gr. apolesai) the [unrighteous] soul or person.

Unfortunately, no single word can be used to translate psyche in every possible Bible application, so various terms are used herein, depending on the circumstances, but always in an attempt to harmonize with the meaning.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

The Heavens or Sky, the Earth or the Land?

In both the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (OT) and the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), we find all the realm of creation divided into three entities; the heavens (or sky), the earth (the land or ground), and the seas (the waters). Now, in contemporary English, we understand that there is a difference between the heavens and the sky, the earth and the land (or ground), and the seas and waters. However, in both Hebrew and Greek, these fine distinctions that we accept because of our modern technology, can’t be found. So, Genesis 1:1 could literally be translated as, ‘In the beginning, God created the sky and the ground.’

This is accurate, because it was the view of man from the earth. There was the land that he stood on, the sky above him, and the waters or seas over there. There was no technical understanding of the earth as a planet, because men didn’t view the earth as we do today, as a ball in space… it just wasn’t necessary at the time! However, because of these distinctions that we understand so well today, translators must choose the proper words to provide the right nuances in English, in order for readers to grasp the proper meaning of each text.

This is why you’ll find the Greek word ourano translated as both heaven(s) and sky herein, depending on the context. You’ll also find the Greek words ge and ges translated as earth, ground, or land, depending on the context. So, the symbolic words at 2 Peter 3:5, 6, for example, are translated herein as, ‘The thing that they don’t want to understand is this: That the ancient earth and sky were out of the water, but (in obedience to God’s instructions) they stood together between the waters.’ (For an example of the problems created by the wrong use of the words ge and ges, see the linked document Isaiah 24 - Is It Speaking of Armageddon?).

Notice that the ‘earth and sky’ were located ‘between the water.’ So, although other Bibles translated this verse as speaking of the ‘heavens and earth,’ the reference is to the portion of the heavens that are close to the earth… to the sky. Likewise, at Matthew 5:5, where Jesus spoke of the ‘meek’ as inheriting ‘the earth; since he was talking about people receiving an ‘allotment’ on the earth,’ we have chosen to translate ges as earth, not land or ground. However, the words land and ground are equally correct.

And finally, when it comes to the seas (gr. thalassa), there are already distinctions as to different types of waters in the Greek text. For instance, seas are called thalassa and rivers are called potamos (or ‘flowing’). However, notice (in Revelation 20: 13) how the resurrection of the dead is divided between those who died on land and those who were lost in the water, ‘The sea gave up its dead, death and the grave gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things that they did.’

We again find all three of these realms of creation brought together symbolically at Revelation 21:1, where it says, ‘Then I saw a new earth and sky, because the previous earth and sky had disappeared, as did the sea.’

Also, in the case of where EliJah was taken in a celestial chariot, most people think he was taken to (as their Bibles put it) ‘heaven,’ where he went to live with God. This isn’t true, because King JehoRam later received a letter from Elijah (see 2 Chronicles 21:12). So, God had apparently used the celestial chariot to take him into the sky (the proper translation here), where he was then taken to another place here on the earth. For more information on this, see the linked document, The Hereafter.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Hades: Hell or the Grave?

The Greek word Hades (they pronounced it hah-des) has been translated both as Hell (which is thought of as a place of torture) and as the Grave in other Bible versions (such as the King James). Since one word can’t mean two very different things, which translation is correct?

Hades (like the English word Hell) actually means the place of the dead. However, as pagan Greek philosophy started to develop and creep into Christianity, the later-day Greek view of Hades (a place of torture) was applied to it. Was this a correct application?

An insight into how the ancient Hebrews and the early Christians understood the word can be gained by looking at how it was applied in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (the ‘Old Testament’ Bible of Jesus’ day). There, the Hebrew word Sheol is translated into Greek as Hades in every instance; yet in each case, these are obvious references to the grave (the place of the dead), not to a place of conscious torture (see Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10).

Another revealing application of the word Hades is found at Revelation the 20:13. It says there, ‘The sea (gr. he thalassa) gave up its dead, death and the grave (gr. thanatos kai ho hades) gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things that they did.’

So, notice that those who die at sea are differentiated from those who are buried in graves (Hades) and in other places (thanatos). Therefore, Hades is better translated as grave.

In the book of Job, another word that is used once in the Christian-era Scriptures and often translated as Hell, is found in two places. That Greek word is Tartarus, which refers to the place where evil gods or angels are sent. For more information, see the linked document, Is There a Burning Hell?

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Blest or Happy?

There is quite a debate as to whether the Greek word makarios found in many places throughout the Bible should be translated blessed or happy.

Notice that we have chosen to translate it as blest, which is an older spelling of the word blessed, to get rid the affected pronunciation that was likely introduced by early preachers (bless-ed).

According to Zodhiates’ Complete Word Study Dictionary, the word should never translated as happy, because happy is derived from the words happen, happening, or happenstance (luck). His reasoning (which we agree with) is that, when someone suffers for the sake of righteous principles, his/her reward isn’t just happiness (which can come from any source of good luck or fortune), but rather, it is a joy that comes from gaining a better relationship with God.

In other words, there is no exact word in English to use here, but blest seems to be a closer alternative than happy.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Jealousy and Zeal

At Psalm 37:8 we read, ‘Stop being angry and abandon your rage. Don’t allow zeal to make you act wicked’ (yes, we know, the word should be wickedly, but this is poetic license). However, those words could also be translated as, ‘Do not allow jealously to cause you to act wickedly,’ because the Greek word zelos can either be translated as zealous or as jealous, depending on the circumstances, for both words mean the same thing. Yet, the two words imply different things in English.

Zeal is usually thought of as something good… something that all Christians should have, as in zeal for God and righteousness. And jealously is thought of as something bad… as wanting something that belongs to someone else. Yet, God may be spoken of as being jealous over His Name and His position as God, so jealously isn’t always a bad thing. And we can have zeal for things that are ours and we are proud of (which is not bad), and be jealous of things that belong to others (which is bad). So, the same Greek word (zelos) may be correctly translated as zeal in one place, and as jealously in another, depending on the context.

Then, is it proper for a man to be jealous of his wife, or for a wife to be jealous of her husband? No, we should never be jealous of each other, but for each other. We shouldn’t want what the other has, but we should have a burning zeal for each other. So, if one has good reason to worry about losing the love of the other, that is zeal. However, if such concern is baseless, that is wicked suspicion, not jealously.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Age, Eternal, Perpetual, Everlasting, Immortal, or Forever?

Two words imply infinite states in the Bible; one is the Greek word athanasia (undying), which is only found in two places, 1 Corinthians 15:53, where it mentions resurrected ones as clothing themselves with immortality, and at 1 Timothy 6:16, where Paul speaks of Jesus as having received it. The other Greek word is aidios, which is used at Romans 1:20 to describe God’s Power and Might as eternal, and at Jude 6 when speaking of the perpetual state of gloomy darkness that rebellious angels have been confined to.

However, the Greek word aionos (pronounced ai-on-oss), which is used throughout the Bible and is often translated as forever and everlasting, is what the English word eon is derived from. It means an indefinite period, and there is no exact English word to translate it. The best equivalents are age(s) or era(s).

Where the plural form of the word (aionion) is used, it refers to a long time… at least multiple generations. However, where the singular form is used (aionos), this appears to mean a much shorter period, such as a lifetime, generation, or era. And where the term ages of the ages is used (such as at Ephesians 3:21), which is usually said in reference to The God, we would assume that this truly means forever.

It is noteworthy that aionos is the word that is used in the Greek Septuagint in place of the Hebrew word ohlam, which is also translated as forever and time indefinite in popular versions of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel. So, this one word (aionos) is translated as forever, everlasting, eternal, system of things, time indefinite, [end of] the world, long ago, from of old, etc. Obviously, something is very wrong here, because the word can’t mean a period having a definite end in one place and infinity in another.

Take for example, the unique way that aionos is used in the question that Jesus’ Apostles asked him, which is found at Matthew 24:3: ‘Tell us; When will these things happen… what will be the signs when you are to arrive and this age will come to its conclusion?’ You can see that the word aionos obviously doesn’t mean forever, everlasting, or eternal in this case, nor did it mean world or system of things. It simply meant the age or, the time before the end would come. And for them, that meant the age when God’s Temple at Jerusalem would be destroyed, because that’s what Jesus had just told them.

The word aionos (which we have translated as age here) is also translated as world (KJ) and as system of things (NW) in other Bibles. However, if the Apostles had meant any of those words, they would have used the Greek word cosmos (world or system of things), not aionos.

The ancient Hebrews viewed everything (and rightly so) as having a beginning and an end. For that reason, you will only find three places in the Bible where words are used that imply no end, and none that imply no beginning. An interesting possible insight on the reason for this can be found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says: ‘Long ago, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and your hands made the heavens. They will destroy themselves, but you will remain. They will grow old just like clothes do. Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you will wrap them up and repair them like clothes. Yes, you are the one, and your years will never expire.’

So, notice; The Bible shows that even our universe will eventually end and need to be ‘wrapped up and repaired,’ which agrees with the conclusions of modern science.

The problem with most Bible translations is that; when they encounter the word aionos in all its different tenses, they interpret it according to accepted doctrine, not according to the way that Jesus and his disciples used it. So, the common renderings forever, eternal, and everlasting are used even when the word is in its singular forms (aioni, aiona, aionos, aionion, aionian, aionios, aioniou), and this totally distorts the meaning of the text.

Take for example, the scripture at John 5:24, where Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth; He who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me, will have life in this age… he won’t have to be judged, for he has crossed over from death to life!’

Most Bibles translate Jesus as saying that those who believe in the One who sent him will have everlasting life (or the equivalent). However, the words that Jesus used there were, zoe aionos (life age – singular), not zoe aionion (life ages – plural).

Notice how Jesus explained the meaning of these words with his next statement, ‘He won’t have to be judged, for has crossed over from death to life.’

So, what Jesus was saying here, wasn’t that they would have everlasting life, but that they in their current lifetime would be considered among the living, not among the dead (see Revelation 20:12).

This doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t live forever… it’s just that Jesus wasn’t really saying that. What we find (from consideration of the evidence found in the bulk of Jesus’ words about life) is that he never taught the hope of ‘life eternal,’ ‘everlasting life,’ or ‘immortality,’ in those specific words. However, the concept is still there. What he taught was that righteous people will receive ‘life in the age,’ or be considered worthy of (possibly everlasting) life by God during their current lifetimes… that their names would be written in ‘the scroll of life,’ and that they would not have to be judged, but will have already ‘crossed over from death to life,’ as Jesus said at John 5:24.

Yes, we know that this is a difficult concept to understand, but it’s what Jesus actually said.

For more information, select the linked documents, The Hereafter and Does the Bible Promise Everlasting Life?

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Breath

The Greek word pneuma (as in pneumonia, a breathing disease) means breath or wind – the movement of air. In other Bible translations, this word is often translated as spirit or ghost, as in Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. However, spirit is just a shortened form of the Latin word spiritu, which just means breath in Latin. And ghost conveys another meaning altogether.

The most common use of the word pneuma in the Bible is to imply an unseen force (such as breath or wind). And the problem with translating it as spirit or ghost is that many people have started believing that the unseen force that is called [God’s] Holy Breath herein, is another God-like person and part of a Divine ‘Trinity.’ This can’t be true, because the only scripture that can be used to support this theory (that is, where the Father, the Son, and the Holy Breath’ are spoken of together) is found at Matthew 28:19, which appears to be spurious (See the Note in Matthew). All other scriptures that are used to prove the Trinity theory fail to mention the Holy Breath as part of that group. And the King James wording of 1 John 5:7 (which was used for years to attempt to prove the Trinity) is also spurious (something that was added to the Bible). So, there are no actual Bible references that mention God’s Holy Breath along with the Father and the Son.

Therefore, to prevent confusion, the Greek word pneuma is frequently translated as breath herein. However, there are exceptions, as in instances where the Bible refers to demons as ‘spirits.’ Translating pneuma as breath in these cases, although correct, might just be confusing. There are also places where we have left pneuma translated as spirit, when the word implies a person's tendency (or spirit). And, since the nuance implied by the word spirit in the English language (an unseen power) is correct, we recently changed back to translating pneuma as spirit in several places, when referring to God’s Holy Spirit. However, recognize that pneuma is often best defined by calling it [God’s] Holy Breath. For an example, see the Note Worshiping God In Spirit and Truth.

Another important use of the word pneuma is in the phrase, ‘Breath of Life.’ This phrase appears to mean more than just breathing, for it seems to refer to the entire mechanics of life itself. It’s the unseen force of life for all creatures… it’s what makes each cell alive. However, nowhere does the Bible describe the ‘pneuma’ as immortal, nor is it the same as the soul (a breathing thing), so it can (figuratively) ‘return to God’ at death,’ because all hope of future life depends on God and His promise of a resurrection.

Note in particular how the term Breath is used at Job 27:3, where Job spoke of God’s Breath or Spirit. For there he asked, ‘Does the Breath of the Divine One remain in my nose?’ As you can see from his application of this word, pneuma obviously referred to God’s Breath, not to a person or to an unseen force. He was talking about that which comes from God and which caused him (Job) to breathe… the Breath of Life.

It is interesting that at Genesis 6:3 God says, ‘I won’t allow My Breath to stay with these men through the age, for they are fleshly.’ In Greek that reads, ‘Ou me katameine to pneuma mou en tois anthropois toutoiseis ton aiona, dia ai einai autous sarka,’ or, ‘Not not should stay the Breath Mine with these men the age through, their being flesh.’

While the words Breath Mine (pneuma mou) here can refer to God’s Holy Breath, it seems more likely that He is referring to the breath of life that He gave to Adam. So it appears as though; what God was saying here is that the breath of life (of the people of that age) would be removed prematurely. However, since God referred to it as ‘My Breath,’ there may be a link implied between God’s Holy Breath and the breath of life.
For more information, see the linked document, ‘The Powers of God’s Holy Spirit.’

However, when Jesus died (as the words recorded at John 19:30 say), ‘he hung his head and gave up the breath’ (gr. kai klinas ten kephalen paredoken to pneuma, or, and inclined his head giving/up the breath). In this case, the obvious reference is to ‘the breath of life,’ or that force which gave him life as a human.

To return to the previous document, select the Back arrow on your browser

Why the Name Changes?

You have likely noticed that we are putting some of the letters in Bible names in capital letters. For example, we’ve started spelling such names as Jonathan as JoNathan, Isaiah as IsaiJah, and Eliezer as EliEzer. Why? Well, partly to help with the correct pronunciations of the names, and partly to show some translating consistency.

We all know that the common English pronunciation of Jonathan (for example) is Jon-uh-thun. But did you know that the first part of the name (Io in Greek, Ieho in Hebrew) refers to the name Jehovah, and the second part of the Name (Nathan) means Gift? So, the name was originally pronounced closer to Ye-hoh-nuh-thahn.

In the case of names that end with an iah, as in Isaiah, the last part of the name often includes the name of God. Isaiah, for example, means Salvation [of] Jehovah, and it was originally pronounced Ee-sai-Yah. So, why have we substituted a capital ‘J’ for the letters ‘ie’ in both of the above cases? Well, we recognize that there is an inconsistency here, because there was no letter ‘J’ in Hebrew or Greek alphabets. However, we have the choice of changing all names that start with ‘J’ (such as Jesus, John, Jonah, Joshua, Jeremiah, etc.) to start with the letters ‘Ie’, or for consistency, we can change all the ‘Ies’ into ‘Js’, which is what we have done. Realize that several other Hebrew consonants are commonly mispronounced in English, which no one objects to, so this minor deviation should not be objectionable to the thinking.

Does this mean then that we are setting out a new rule for name spelling? Absolutely not, for centuries ago, a Bible translator first established this rule when he spelled the name Eliou (Greek spelling, pronounced ay-lee-ou) and wrote it as EliJah, because this name is regarded as meaning ‘My God is Jehovah.’

Also notice that where a name ends with an iah, as in Jeremiah (Jehovah exalts), we have often spelled it as iJah, because the I would typically be pronounced as a long E, followed by a Y in Hebrew, and writing it without the I (as in JeremJah) misses this nuance. So, we have rendered it as JeremiJah, which is similar to the way it is often pronounced by modern-day Hebrew-speaking Jews, YeremiYah.

Another important word in names that we usually capitalize is ‘El’ (from the Hebrew Elohe, or God). So EliEzer (which people commonly pronounce Eelai-eezer and means God [has] Helped) should actually be pronounced El-ee-eh-zer. The same is true for the letters Ai, especially in the names of cities, because Ai in Hebrew refers to the word city. So, AiLam (for example) probably meant the City of Lam.

Similar words, such as Bel (as in BelShazzar), Baal, and Beel, refer to ‘the Lord’ or ‘the God.’ Also, the prefixes ‘Ben’ and ‘Bar’ mean ‘the son of.’ ‘Beth’ means ‘the house of,’ ‘Beer’ refers to a ‘well,’ ‘Is’ or ‘Ish’ means ‘Man,’ etc.

Does this mean that we have put all the capitals in the right places? No, for we make no claim to Hebrew scholarship (all our translating here has been from Greek). So, what we are trying to do is provide a better understanding to how these names were pronounced by First-Century Christians.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

The Day of the Lord

Throughout the Bible, we find references to ‘the Day of Jehovah,’ and ‘the Day of the Lord.’ Are both of these references to the same time, and if so, how do we know?

There is no conflict between the two Days; in fact, they appear to be the same. Notice what we are told in the Revelation, when it is speaking of the beginning of that Day (at Revelation 12:10), ‘This is the moment when the salvation, the power, the Kingdom of our God, and the authorization of his Anointed One began.’

As you can see, the purposes of that Day are tied together. For, the establishment of God’s Kingdom (with the battle in heaven and the ouster of the Opposer and his messengers) and the authorization for Jesus (the Lord) to rule appear to begin at the same time.

So, does the Lord’s Day begin when the things spoken of in the Revelation start to happen? It appears to be so, because it starts out with John’s words (at Revelation 1:10), ‘Through the Breath [of God] I found myself in the Lord’s Day.’

What are some of the features of that Day? Well, they appear to start with the ouster of the Opposer and his messengers from heaven (See Revelation 12), which is followed by the destruction of ‘The Great Babylon’ (See Revelation 17, 18). Then in rapid succession there comes the ‘marriage of the Lamb’ (acceptance of the rest of the Anointed ones to heaven?), the Battle of Armageddon, the abyssing of the Opposer and his messengers, and the resurrection (see Revelation 19, 20). And finally, the Opposer is released for a short time, which precipitates the battle against Gog of Magog , and which is thereafter followed by the descent of ‘New Jerusalem’ to the earth, and the making of the ‘new earth and sky’ (see Revelation 21).

Also, in the prophecy found at Joel 2:1-12, ‘the Day of the Lord’ appears to start with the destruction of Jerusalem by worldly armies (the destruction of The Great Babylon?), and this is followed by the destruction of the worldly armies (see Joel Chapter Three). And in between these two events, we read of the marvelous outpouring of God’s Breath upon His faithful servants (Joel 2:28-32).

Peter wrote in length about this period, and at 2 Peter 3:7 he wrote: ‘What’s [now] in store for the earth and skies is fire, which [will come] during the Judgment Day, when godless men will be destroyed.’ And although many misinterpret these words as describing just the destruction of the wicked at Armageddon, the context shows that he was looking at a much longer period of time, the total ‘Lord’s Day’ or ‘Judgment Day’… the ‘thousand-year’ period spoken of at Revelation Chapter Twenty. For, what he said about the burning of the earth and sky and of the ‘new earth and sky’ corresponds exactly with the end of the thousand years and the promises found at Revelation 21:1.

So, from the periods described in the Revelation; near the end of Jesus’ thousand-year reign, there will be a judgment of the wicked (those who join with Gog of Magog) and they will be destroyed. Then there will be a ‘new earth and a new sky.’ What does that really mean? Perhaps we’ll all have to live to see it to be sure.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Demons

2 Peter 2:4 speaks of ‘messengers’ or ‘angels’ who were put into ‘Tartarus’ for bad acts they committed during the time of Noah. Genesis 6:3 speaks of these as ‘sons of God’ (gr. uioi tou Theou) and it tells of their coming to earth to marry ‘the daughters of men’ (gr. thygateras ton anthropon). However, these ‘sons of God’ don’t appear to be quite the same as the ‘messengers’ who are to be thrown out of heaven during ‘the Lord’s Day,’ mentioned at Revelation 12:7-9. Since the ‘sons of God’ who came to earth and assumed human bodies in Noah’s day couldn’t be destroyed by the downpour (flood) and they had forsaken heaven, they were apparently put into a prison-like state here on the earth, where they are no longer able to roam. This group is specifically referred to as the demons in the Bible.

It is interesting that; except among modern materialistic and scientific societies, demons are recognized as real throughout the world by almost all of its religions. And such universal acknowledgement by diverse peoples with no cultural ties, is one of the strongest arguments for their existence.

Demon is a Greek word that seems to be derived from diameno, which means fixed in one place. From other Bible accounts about demons, it appears as though this ‘fixing in one place’ means that they must be associated with either living or non-living things, which is referred to as ‘possession.’

At Acts 17:18 the Epicureans and Stoic Philosophers of Greece asked about Paul’s teaching a ‘foreign demon.’ And although most translations render his words as ‘foreign god,’ they truly said ‘demon’ (gr. daimonion). This is also true of Paul’s reply found at Acts 17:22, ‘Men of Athens; I see that you have a greater fear of the demons than do others.’

The reason why this term was used is obvious: The many pagan idols and Gods of Athens, although made of metal and stone, had the backing of demons. And the people recognized the power that was given to these lifeless objects through ‘possession’ by their gods.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Satan, Devil, Lucifer, Beelzebub

It is appropriate that the heavenly name of the great Opposer and Slanderer of God is never given in the Bible. However, several terms (and one mistakenly) have been used to describe him. Here is a list of those descriptions:

· Satan: This is a Hebrew word meaning, opposer, resistor, and a smart person who does things to serve his own interests. It was applied to the Evil One, because of his opposition to God. And so, to keep from misleading people into thinking of it as a name, it is translated as ‘the Opposer’ (not Satan), herein.

· Devil: This is the only Greek word (Diabolos) used in the Bible to describe the evil one. The first part of the word, dia, means through, and bolos means throw (it’s where we get the English words ball and bowl). So, Devil means one who throws through, which amounts to slanderer in Greek, so that’s the way it’s translated herein.

· Lucifer: The name Lucifer is commonly tied to the Biblical Opposer; however, the name doesn’t appear in most versions of the Bible. It does appear once in the King James Version, at Isaiah 14:12, in which the King of Babylon is referred to as Lucifer, Son of the Morning. However, the original Hebrew words were: Helel ben Shahar – Day Star, Son of the Dawn. So, there is no direct link in the Bible between the entity known in Hebrew as Satan and the person who was referred to as Lucifer. This mistranslation was created by Augustine, when he was translating the text in Isaiah from the original Hebrew into Latin.

· BeelZebub: There are eight references in the Bible to this Hebrew noun, and it does refer to the Slanderer. However, once again, this is not a proper name. It appears to be a title. Beel (like Baal) means Lord, and Zebub appears to refer to flies (the insects). So, BeelZebub likely means Lord of Flies.

Is the Opposer (Slanderer or BeelZebub) a real person? All one has to do is look at the titles he was given above to realize that he is. To deny his existence negates the rest of the Bible. For example, when dealing with Adam’s sin, why did God adhere so closely to a law, when other options were available to Him? Why didn’t he just destroy rebellious Adam and create another man?

The fact is, He created men and His messengers with the ability to choose whether to serve Him or not, so none are automatons. And as a man failed in the Paradise of Pleasure, we can assume (and as the Scriptures support) that there were failures (and rebels) in the heavens also. This is the reason why it became necessary to have a law that clearly outlined what rebellion against God constituted, and what the consequences for violating that law would be. It was obviously for the sake of the millions of millions of heavenly spirit (breath) creatures that the issue of rebellion here on the earth had to be resolved by legal means, and in a way that demonstrated the love and loyalty of God’s first-born son, which resulted in the painful need for a ‘ransom’ (Jesus’ death).

And the idea, which some have promoted, that the Slanderer isn’t real, raises other questions. For example; While Jesus was being tempted in the desert, was he simply struggling with the bad within himself rather than against a real, evil personality? If so, we would have to conclude that there was bad in Jesus.

Also, was the battle in heaven (as spoken of at Revelation the Twelfth Chapter) just figurative and not a real war against the Opposer and his messengers? And if so, then there must be ‘evil thoughts’ in heaven, prior to that battle. And, in what sense would ‘the Opposer’ and his ‘messengers’ lose the battle and be confined to the earth? Also, why would internal evil be ‘angry’ in knowing that he just has ‘a short period of time left?’

And lastly, when the Opposer entered God’s presence and spoke to Him (Job the First Chapter), could we assume that this inherent evil was found in God? That isn’t likely.

However, there is some question as to the use of the Greek word Diabolos found at 1 Chronicles 21:1 (in the Greek Septuagint). First, since Diabolos is a Greek word and First Chronicles was written in Hebrew, we would assume that Diabolos (Slanderer) was substituted for the Hebrew word Satan (Opposer). But the text seems to imply that a slanderer (or resistor), not the Slanderer, had come to David. So, we don’t really know if the text implies that the Evil One came to him personally; if it was just an evil spirit that came over him; or if someone bad had urged David to defy God and take a census of Israel.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Tarshish, Spain or Carthage?

When looking up the name of the land called Tarshish, we found that one noted reference says: ‘Most scholars associate Tarshish with Spain, based on ancient references to a place or region in Spain called Tartessus by Greek and Roman writers… ’ And this could be true. However, the Jewish translators of the 3rd Century B.C.E. say that the place spoken of in Isaiah 23 (specifically) wasn’t Spain (as other Bibles indicate), but Carthage, a major ancient city along the Mediterranean Sea in the Bay of Tunis, about 100 miles SW of Sicily. And this appears to be more in line with the words of the prophecy; for Isaiah 23:1 then says, ‘Shriek O boats of Carthage, for [Tyre] has perished.’

Since people from Tyre originally populated Carthage, it is logical that they would be the ones to shriek its destruction.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Dragon

That the Bible speaks about what is translated as dragons several times, raises some interesting questions. The dragon (although supposedly a mythical animal) is one of the world’s most widely recognized creatures. It is highly regarded in the Buddhist religion and is seen in ancient religious carvings from around the world. This testifies that people have believed in the existence of dragons for as far back as human records go. Why?

Note that dragons are thought of as animals with the bodies of snakes (gr. orphis), but they also have feet and legs. However, other Bible references seem to imply that the ancient use of the term dragon (gr. drakonta) and its apparent Hebrew counterparts, leviathan or behemoth, were used to describe any sort of fearsome wild beasts.

What was the dragon? Revelation 12:9 tells us, when it says, ‘So, the huge dragon was thrown out. He is the first snake, the one who is called the Slanderer and Opposer, who is misleading the whole earth.’

So from the above, we see that this vision in Revelation identifies the dragon as ‘the Opposer’ and ‘the Slanderer,’ and it says that he was the first snake, the one who seduced Eve in the ‘Paradise of Delights’ (see Genesis 3:2).

The fact that the dragon is viewed as a snake with legs in religious legends throughout the world, testifies to the fact that people everywhere once believed in the Bible account in Genesis, and they also believed that when God cursed the snake to ‘travel on its chest and belly,’ it lost its legs.

It is interesting that dragons are also part of the folklore of Europe, for who hasn’t heard the story of St. George and the dragon. Yet, if you read that story, you’ll see that it is actually an allegory about man’s fight against sin and the Slanderer. So in that case, it refers to the original dragon, or the first creature of terror.

Notice that faithful Job asked God (at Job 7:12), ‘Am I the sea or the dragon that guards it?’ This view that a dragon guarded the edges of the seas was common throughout Europe until after the Sixteenth Century, for dragons were usually drawn at the edges of maps of seas during that time. Yet, the actual original reference may have been to animals and fish that men feared and didn’t understand (fearsome beasts), not snakes with legs.

However, notice how vividly Job described the Slanderer as the dragon at Job 26:12, 13, where we read, ‘By His strength He has settled the sea in its bed, and in His wisdom He’s filled it with whales. The bolts from the skies stand in awe of Him, and He’s ordered the death of the dragon that rebelled.’

We find a whole Chapter in Job (Chapter 41) that is obviously a description of the evil one, but has gone mistranslated for centuries, simply because its meaning has been misunderstood. Other Bibles speak of a leviathan or a behemoth here, and some of a crocodile. However, in the Septuagint, we find no name at all or any explanation, leaving us to guess what is being described.

It is unusual that some translators have thought that this creature was a crocodile, for crocodile is a Greek word that is easily recognized, since it is spelled almost the same as in English. There is one place where that word is found in the Law of Moses, at Leviticus 11:25, when listing animals that shouldn’t be eaten, and in that place, most Bibles also translate the word crocodile wrong.

Yet, if you read the text of Job 41, you’ll see an obvious reference to a fire-breathing dragon. For notice how verses 18-21 describe it: ‘His sneezing brings about brightness, and his eyes are like the morning star. From out of his mouth comes burning lamps, like the scattered grates of a fire. From out of his nostrils comes the smoke of a furnace, burning with the fire from coals. His life is much like live coals, and flames shoot from his mouth.’

At this point, critics could say the Bible was talking about a mythical dragon, and others would say that God is describing a wild ox. Yet, notice the further description in verses 31, 32: ‘He breaks from the abyss as though a brass cauldron; he thinks of the sea as his own ointment jar, and the abyss of Tartarus as his captive. For, to him the abyss just a promenade.’

If you examine these verses, you’ll see that God is using cryptic text to explain to Job just who is to blame for his problems. Yet, the word Tartarus (the place where evil gods are sent) isn’t found again in the Bible until the reference at 2 Peter 2:4, and the only mention of his coming out of his prison (pit or abyss) is found at Revelation 20:7.

Clearly, this second-to-the-last Chapter in Job, as in any good writing, brings back into play all the characters that the book started with.

Then, why did Jewish scribes and translators have so much trouble understanding this Chapter, that there are obvious deletions? There are four likely reasons:

· They didn’t believe in fire-breathing dragons

· They didn’t know that the Slanderer was the dragon

· They didn’t know of the Slanderer’s position in Tartarus or the pit

· A correct understanding would have linked the Book of Job to the Scriptures of the Christian era.

It is interesting that we again find mention of a dragon at Isaiah 27:1, where we read: ‘In that day, God will bring His great, holy, and strong sword against the dragon – the crooked and fleeing snake – and He will do away with the dragon, the one in the sea.’ This is an obvious reference to the destruction of the same dragon mentioned at Revelation 12:9 above, but it goes unnoticed in Hebrew texts, where the word leviathan is once more misunderstood. Of course, the word dragon is of Greek origin, so its use came after the Hebrew text was written; and regardless of popular (mis)conceptions, leviathan is probably its Hebrew equivalent.

What is particularly interesting about this scripture, is that it speaks of the dragon from the sea in the same words as found at Ezekiel 32:2, where the reference is obviously to the land of Egypt and to its destruction. And you will also find references to the land of Egypt in the song of Isaiah 26, 27. However, this song seems to speak of some future time when God’s people (Israel) are released from a symbolic Egypt at Armageddon, for notice the words of the prophecy found at Isaiah 26:19-21, which say:

‘We will not fall, though others will fall,
But the dead will be raised from their tombs.
Then all on the earth will be joyful,
For, as dew You’ll send them a cure,
While the lands of the godless will fall.

‘Proceed, O my people, to enter your bedrooms…
Go inside and lock your doors,
Then hide in there for a while!
Because this will happen, then that;
And the rage of Jehovah will pass.

‘{Look!} From His Holy Place Jehovah sends rage,
Upon those who live in the land.
Then the ground won’t cover all of the blood,
Nor [the bodies] of those He destroys.’

So, Egypt seems to be used here as a symbol of the godless nations that are destroyed in the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16) and the dragon that represents them, appears to be the Opposer.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Cosmos or World?

In Jesus’ discussion about the sheep and goats found at Matthew 25:34, he said, ‘Then the king will tell those on his right, Come, you who’ve been praised by my Father, inherit the Kingdom that’s been prepared for you from the founding of the world.’

In Greek, the words we have translated as founding of the world are katabole cosmou, or down-throw arrangement. You may recognize that the English word cosmos is a derivative of cosmou. And cosmos (which we pronounce as cas-mose, but the Greeks pronounces as caus-moss) is the word that modern peoples usually use when referring to the universe today (thank you Mr. Sagan). So, why have we translated it as world, and what is meant by the term, founding of the world?

Actually, cosmos is used many times in the Bible and in many different ways. For example, when Paul urged Christian women to dress modestly, he used the word cosmos to describe well-arranged clothing; and arrangement is probably the closest English equivalent of the word. So, it isn’t always translated as world in any Bible.

And although it has been said that the word world doesn’t appear at all in the Hebrew texts of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (Old Testament), it really does appear there several times in the Greek Septuagint. And the reason why they say that world doesn’t appear there, is because the equivalent Hebrew word is translated (in different Bibles and in different places) as arrangement, ornamentation, honor, delight, universe, earth, army, etc.

Yet, in the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), where cosmos appears several times, it is usually translated as world… such as the world of Noah, the light of the world, the field is the world, etc. So, the term doesn’t seem to apply to the earth, but rather to the arrangement of human society on the earth.

Actually, two different Greek words are often translated as world in the Septuagint, cosmos and oichonomeo; and oichonomeo does appear to refer to the earth, because it means the habitation, or, the place where [man] dwells. So the Septuagint (OT) clearly delineates these two words (that are both commonly translated as world).

But notice how the word cosmos was used by Paul at Romans 5:12, ‘Sin entered the world (cosmos) through one man, and this sin resulted in death. So, death spread to all men and everyone has sinned.’

Thus, it seems likely that the arrangement we call ‘the world’ started around the time of Adam’s sin in Paradise, when man created for himself and all life on earth a new arrangement or set of circumstances (which was something other than what God had planned). We have come to this conclusion based on the many scriptures that refer to the world in a negative context, and the fact that it (the current set of negative circumstances) will soon be done away with.

Yet, the Scriptures also indicate that the present world (arrangement) began after the Downpour of Noah’s day, and Noah inherited the world prior to that time. For, notice what we are told at Hebrews 11:7 ‘Because of his faith, Noah (after being given a divine warning of things he hadn’t seen yet) trusted in God and built a large chest to save his family. And due to this righteous faith, he condemned the world and became its heir.’

Also notice what was said at 2 Peter 2:4, 5, ‘Why, God didn’t spare the messengers who sinned, but by threw them into the dark pits of Tartarus, where they are awaiting His justice. And He didn’t spare the first world. Yet, He guarded Noah (who was a preacher of righteousness) along with seven others, when He brought a downpour on a world of godless people.’

So, apparently there have been two different worlds or arrangements; the one that Noah inherited that started before the Downpour, and the second one that we are now living in, and which the righteous will inherit at its destruction. For, we read at 1 John 2:17, ‘And the world with all its desires is passing away, but the one who does what God wants remains through the age.’ And Romans 4:13 says, ‘Abraham and his seed weren’t given the promise of inheriting the world because of the Law, but because of his righteousness, which came from his faith!’

Thus (from the above), we have concluded that: What Jesus said about the Kingdom having been prepared for the sheep since the founding of the world, must mean that the Kingdom was God’s plan for the righteous since at least the time of the Downpour, and possibly since the time of Adam’s sin in Paradise.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Crowns, Turbans, and Diadems

In the Bible, we read of two different types of royal headgear that was worn by Kings… crowns (gr. stephanos) and turbans (gr. diademas). Which did the kings of Israel, such as David and Solomon, wear?

A study of history shows that most kings wore some sort of hat on official occasions, which varied by time and by country. The gold headpiece that was worn by the pharaohs of Egypt, for example, was not referred to as either a crown nor a turban. But in the Middle East, the common headgear for kings was usually a turban that was set with gold and jewels. And this custom remained true, for the most part, throughout history, because crowns were generally thought of by the faithful as representing the rays of the sun (an idol). However, golden crowns were used by pagan kings in many places throughout the world, as their sign of appointment by God.

The first mention of a crown being worn by a king of Israel is found at 1 Samuel 12:30, where King David took the gold crown from the head of the Ammonite king of RabBath, named Malchom, and placed it on his own head. However, it doesn’t appear as though this was the custom of kings of Israel thereafter, for the placing of Malchom’s crown on his head seems to represent David’s victory, not his envy of the Pagan king’s headgear. And the fact that all Israelite men wore turbans can be seen in the depictions of Israelites in war scenes from Assyria that are currently on display at the British Museum.

If you study uses of the word crown in the Bible, you’ll see that most instances are talking about the top portion of the head, not a hat. However, there are notable exceptions to this.

At Revelation 12:3, the dragon is shown as having seven heads and ten horns, and ‘on its heads were seven royal turbans.’ We have translated this verse as saying that they were ‘turbans,’ because the Greek word used there was diadema, or through wraps, indicating that he was seen wearing turbans (although many religious depictions incorrectly show him wearing crowns).

However, there appear to be good uses in the Bible for the word crown as a symbol of athletic victory, not necessarily of kingship. Take for example, the following occurrences:

‘A crown that rots away. However, we receive one that doesn’t rot.’

‘He will receive the crown of life that the Lord promised to all those who love him.’

‘You will walk away with the enduring crown of glory.’

‘But be faithful to death and I’ll give you the crown of life.’

So, if it is true that the crown is more a sign of victory (a garland) in the Bible than of kingship, this gives us a better understanding of verses such as the following:

‘A crown of twelve stars.’

‘He had a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.’

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Seismos

The Greek words seismos and seismoi are usually thought of as meaning earthquake and earthquakes, for the modern study of earthquakes is called seismology. Therefore, when Jesus was speaking about the signs of his being near, and he said one of the signs would be seismoi (Matthew 24:7), most have assumed that this referred just to a greater frequency of earthquakes.

However, the Greek word seismos appears to actually refer to a shaking or disturbance, which doesn’t necessarily imply just earthquakes. For, Matthew used the word (at Matthew 8:24) to describe an agitated sea when Jesus was on a boat with his disciples. Then at 2 Kings 2:11, when the Prophet EliJah was taken into the sky in a flaming chariot, the word that was used to describe the storm that took him, was once again seismos. So, Jesus’ use of the word at Matthew 24:7 implies more than just earthquakes. It could be speaking of a plethora of natural wind and water disasters.

It has also been recently brought to our attention that seismos could be translated as turmoil or unrest. So, could Jesus have implied even more than natural disasters in that single word? This is probably so.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Apostasy and Apostates

The Greek word apostasis (in its various conjugated forms) is used several times in the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (OT), and we find it used at 2 Chronicles 28:19, where we’ve rendered it as ‘turned away,’ because that’s what the term really means. It refers to a turning away from a righteous God-fearing way of life. For, the Greek word (which we pronounce as apostasy in English) literally means ‘turn away from (apo)’ a ‘standing or state (stasis).’ So, it doesn’t refer to a disagreement over the way some doctrine is viewed, as the word is misapplied by some religious groups.

Almost all Bible references to apostasy are speaking of a turning away from the way of Israelite life that is outlined in the Law. However, in the book of Job, the word apostate refers to being unfaithful to God, since Job lived before the Law.

There are just two places where this term (apostasy) is used to indicate someone’s unfaithfulness in the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), at Acts 21:21 and at 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

At Acts 21:21 we read (concerning the Apostle Paul): ‘But they have heard the rumor that you’ve been teaching Judeans who live among the nations an apostasy from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to follow the traditions.’

Notice that Paul’s teaching wasn’t being called an apostasy; rather, the apostasy was their not following the traditional Jewish way of life.

Actually, the proper word to use when speaking of teaching something that deviates from established doctrine is heresy, which is the word that the Catholic Church used extensively to accuse faithful Christians (and others) of during their ‘Inquisition’ of 1400s and 1500s. Notice that they didn’t accuse anyone of apostasy (turning from a Christian way of life), but of heresy (disagreeing with their established doctrines). So, they understood the difference.

There was at least one instance where Paul himself seemed to accuse and impose sanctions against other Christians for heresy. We find this account at 2 Timothy 2:17, 18, where he wrote: ‘That was the problem with Hymenaeus and Philetus; they got away from the truth and started teaching that the resurrection has already happened, which misdirected the faith of some.’

So, deviating from teaching the truth of the Bible was a serious matter among First-Century Christians. However, in view of what Jesus said at Matthew 5:22 and what was said about Jesus at Jude 9, calling anyone such a thing such a thing as ‘an apostate’ or a ‘heretic,’ when there might be some question as to who is right, would be an even more serious matter.

The only other places in the Christian-Era Scriptures (NT) where the Greek word for apostasy is found, is where Jesus spoke of the Pharisees as giving their wives a ‘certificate of dismissal’ to divorce them (see Mark 10:4). The words that are translated certificate of dismissal are biblion apostasiu, which literally mean ‘scroll of apostasy (or sending away).’

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Isaiah 14:12 (contributed)

At Isaiah 14:12, we find a word that is often translated as bright (or shining) one. But, what we find in the Hebrew and Aramaic texts are the words heh-lehl eill, which is a form of the Hebrew stem yah-lahl ill. And the meaning of ill is howl! So, why has it been translated as bright or shining in almost all modern texts?

It has been suggested that the translators of the Septuagint could have overlooked the smallest of the Hebrew letters or used a copy in which it had been inadvertently omitted. And if the form of the world eill, as it occurs in this particular text, was shortened to ell, its meaning would be corrupted, which appears to be what happened. For, Kittel’s Hebrew Text reads ah-lahl, or HOWL.

And notice that the Hebrew verb eill in Isaiah 14:12 is identical to the word found at Zechariah 11:2, where the trees are shown to be howling (not bright ones). For it says there: ‘Let all the pine trees now shriek, because the cedar has fallen.’

So, a correct translation of Isaiah 14:12 will read: ‘O how you have fallen from the sky; Shriek, O one that arises at dawn, for you who [once conquered] all nations, have now been broken to the ground.’ Notice that this rendering fits the context perfectly, for the King of Babylon should shriek or howl, as he was broken to the ground.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Who Are the Dead?

Revelation 20:12 speaks of the ‘dead’ ‘standing before the throne’ and ‘being judged.’ Since they are able to stand for judgment, in what sense are they dead?

Note that at Matthew 9:60, Jesus said, ‘Let the dead bury their dead.’ And at Romans 8:10, Paul speaks of the body being ‘dead’ because of sin. Then at 1 Corinthians 15:22 he explains that, ‘Because of Adam, all men are dying.’

So the conclusion we must reach, is that all men are considered as dead and dying before God, due to inherited (and their own) sins. Thus, the scriptures in the Revelation Twenty appear to be speaking of living people (who will already have been resurrected) that will stand before God and be judged either to life for the ages, or to the permanent destruction of the ‘lake of fire.’

However, from the promises of Jesus, it does appear that people can be considered no longer dead even before the resurrection. For, notice what is recorded that he said at John 5:24, ‘I tell you the truth; He who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me, will have ages of life… he won’t come into the judgment, for he has crossed over out of the death and into the life!’

And John wrote again at 1 John 3:14 ‘Because we love our brothers, we know that we’ve crossed over from death to life. However, those who don’t love stay dead.’

So, it appears as though a person is considered no longer considered to be ‘dead’ when his/her name is written in ‘the book of life.’ This doesn’t mean that they won’t die, but that they are considered as ‘alive’ in God’s eyes, and they will not be counted among the dead who are raised in the resurrection (for more information, see the linked document, The Resurrection).

This appears to be the meaning of Jesus’ words at Matthew 22:32, which say, ‘Haven’t you read what God told you about the resurrection of the dead, [when he said], I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He isn’t the God of the dead, but of the living!’

Also, this appears to be the meaning of his words as found at John 6:54-56, where he said, ‘For, if you chew my flesh and drink my blood, you will have life within yourselves, and then I’ll resurrect you on the Last Day, because my flesh is truly food and my blood is truly drink. Those who chew on my flesh and drink my blood will stay in me and I [will stay] in them.’

And then consider Jesus’ words to the unrighteous Judeans, as found at John 8:23, 24, where he told them, ‘You come from the things below and I come out of things from above. You are from this world, but I’m not from this world. So, as I told you before; You will die in your sins… if you don’t believe that I’m [the One], you will die in your sins.’

So from those words, we must assume that the unrighteous Judeans would be considered the dead, while those who accepted him were counted among the living.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Fool, Foolish, Moron, or Uncaring?

The Greek word μωραι (pronounced, moe-ra-ai) is often translated foolish or fool in other Bibles. However, μωραι is what the English word moron is derived from. The term moron, as used by Jesus and his Apostles, doesn’t imply to someone who has no comprehension, as the medical term moron does today. Rather, it meant someone who knows right from wrong but just doesn’t care to do what is right.

The ten virgins of Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25 weren’t just ‘foolish’ girls; they knew what to do and didn’t care enough to do it.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Hate, Dislike, or Care Less for?

The Greek word meso means middle (as in the English term, meso soprano). However, it is often translated as middle, midst, among, and HATE in other Bibles. Obviously, hate (an extreme emotion) isn’t conveyed by the word middle, which simply means less. For that reason, the word is translated as dislike (or the equivalent) herein, when it refers to the emotion.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Eunuchs

When we hear the word eunuch, we usually think of a man that has been castrated, because that’s what the term has come to mean through the years. However, when someone is described as a eunuch in the Bible, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he was sexually mutilated. In fact, during the reigns of faithful kings of Israel, such mutilation would have been considered repulsive, for a sexually-mutilated person, by Law, couldn’t serve as a Priest or worship at the Temple of Jehovah.

Does this mean then, that God dislikes men whose testicles have been forcibly or accidentally removed? No, surely the reasons for this law involved His knowledge that some men, in their desire to better serve Him, may have considered castration to remove any carnal desires; and He clearly didn’t want that to happen. So, God provided a law to disallow any who were castrated from serving Him in these special ways.

Now, the Greek word eunuch doesn’t really carry the meaning of castration. Rather, it means bed keeper. However, most bed keepers (or harem watchers) for kings were in fact castrated to keep them from temptation. Yet, notice that eunuchs are frequently mentioned in the Bible as holding other offices (such as the Ethiopian Eunuch), which didn’t necessarily require castration. So, why were they then referred to as bed keepers? Because the term had come under common use to apply to all trusted servants of kings.

Was Daniel (who served under the chief Babylonian eunuch) a eunuch? His position as a special servant to the king would indicate that he held the title of eunuch. But is it possible that he had also been castrated? Well, as an early captive from Jerusalem, he was likely a member of the nobility or royalty, and notice the prophecy that God gave to King HezekiJah (at Isaiah 39:7), where we read, ‘They will take your children – those who you have fathered – and make them eunuchs in the houses of the Babylonians.’

In the above case, the Greek word that we have translated as eunuch (which is also a Greek word) is castrati, or one who has been sexually mutilated. And the fact that there is no mention of Daniel having a wife or children, and that none of his descendants are listed among those who returned to Jerusalem, makes this a possible conclusion.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Did God Create Evil?

The wording of Isaiah 45:7 has created quite a debate among some, for they have drawn the conclusion from this text that God is responsible for everything, including good and evil. So, they have concluded that man has no choice in his destiny. And for a fact, the wording of this verse could be construed to mean that, for it says in Greek: ‘εγω ο κατασκευασας φως και ποιησας σκοτος ο ποιων ειρηνην και κτιζων κακα.’ Or: ‘I prepared light and made darkness; the/One who/made peace and created bad.’

As translators, our understanding of this scripture is simply that God created all things, which includes good things and the bad things (mosquitoes?). He wasn’t saying that He instituted badness; but whether something is good or bad, it is He who created it, for nothing came into existence except from God.

So, it was with this thought in mind, and in an attempt to maintain the poetry of the text that we translated the verse as, ‘It is I who prepared light and I who made the darkness. It is I who made the good and the bad.’ (Notice that we chose the word from the Hebrew text, good, rather than the word from the Greek text, peace, because that appears to be the correct choice for the text).

Recognize that; almost all of the book of Isaiah was written as Hebrew poetry, and if you understand that style, you will realize that the phrase ‘I created bad’ is the natural following of the words ‘I made the peace (or the good),’ just as the previous stanza, ‘I formed the darkness’ follows ‘It is I who prepared the light.’

Notice that the word often translated by others as evil in the Septuagint (but which we usually translate as bad) is kaka. However, the better choice of Greek words to translate as evil is ponerou. An example of the common English translation of kaka as bad, is found in combined words, such as cacophony (meaning bad sound, not evil sound). And translating this word as evil (although a synonym for bad) gives the misleading nuance in English, of God creating what is wrong. However, the point of the text is simply that He created all things, not the bad motivations behind them.

A good way to illustrate the meaning of God’s words in Isaiah, is to take a look at His creation of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (spoken of at Genesis 2:9). There the Septuagint does speak of ‘το ξυλον του ειδεναι γνωστον καλου και πονηρου (kalou kai ponerou, or, good and evil).’

In this case, God clearly created the tree that delineated the difference between good and evil (ponerou). However, He didn’t create the results and force a wrong outcome upon man. Rather, He allowed man the freedom of choice to do good or to do evil. So, God’s words in Isaiah don’t prove that man has no choice of whether to do good or evil, as some are now saying. Rather, in the light of Genesis 2:9, it appears to prove the opposite.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Home Page