Isaiah 33
The LORD pronounces woe on the destroyer who was not destroyed and the treacherous dealer. Isaiah calls on the LORD to be gracious, for He is the stability of Zion's times. The LORD will be the judge, lawgiver, and king who saves His people. Zion will see Jerusalem as a quiet habitation, and the inhabitants will not say they are sick, for the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee. | Woe to You, destroyer, who Yourself have not been destroyed — you traitor, whom no one has betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed. When You stop betraying, they will betray You. |
| 2 | O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble. | O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for You. Be our arm every morning — our salvation in time of trouble. |
| 3 | At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered. | At the sound of the tumult, peoples flee; when You rise up, nations scatter. |
| 4 | And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them. | Your plunder is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap, men leap on it. |
| 5 | The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. | The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. |
| 6 | And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure. | He will be the stability of Your times — wealth of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is His treasure. |
| 7 | Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. | Their brave men cry in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. |
| 8 | The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man. | The highways are deserted; the wayfarer ceases. The covenant is broken; the cities are despised; man is not regarded. |
| 9 | The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits. | The land mourns and withers. Lebanon is ashamed and withers. Sharon is like a wilderness, and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruit. |
| 10 | Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself. | "Now I will rise," says the LORD. "Now I will be exalted; now I will lift Myself up. |
| 11 | Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you. | You conceive chaff; You give birth to stubble. Your breath is a fire that will consume You. |
| 12 | And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire. | The peoples shall be as if burned to lime — like thorns cut down, they shall be burned in the fire." |
| 13 | Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might. | Hear, You who are far off, what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge My might. |
| 14 | The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? | The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: "Who among us can live with the devouring fire? Who among us can live with everlasting burnings?" |
| 15 | He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; | He who walks righteously and speaks honestly — who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes His hands free of bribes, who stops His ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts His eyes from looking on evil — |
| 16 | He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. | he shall dwell on the heights. His place of defense shall be the fortress of rocks; His bread will be given Him, His water will be sure. |
| 17 | Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. | Your eyes shall see the king in his beauty; they shall see a land that stretches far. |
| 18 | Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers? | Your heart shall ponder the terror: "Where is the one who counted? Where is the one who weighed the tribute? Where is the one who counted the towers?" |
| 19 | Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand. | You shall no longer see that fierce people — a people of obscure speech you could not understand, of a stammering tongue you could not comprehend. |
| 20 | Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. | Look on Zion, the city of our appointed feasts! Your eyes shall see Jerusalem, a quiet home, a tent that shall not be moved. Its stakes shall never be pulled up, and none of its cords shall be broken. |
| 21 | But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. | But there the glorious LORD will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams where no galley with oars can go, where no mighty ship can pass. |
| 22 | For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. | For the LORD is our Judge; the LORD is our Lawgiver; the LORD is our King. He will save us. |
| 23 | Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey. | Your tackle hangs loose; it cannot hold the mast firm or spread the sail. Then plunder and spoil in abundance will be divided; even the lame shall take the plunder. |
| 24 | And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity. | No inhabitant shall say, "I am sick." The people who live there will be forgiven their iniquity. |