1Woe 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.2O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.3At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.4And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.5The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.6And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.7Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.8The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.9The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits .10Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.11Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you.12And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.13Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.14The 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?15He 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;16He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.17Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.18Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?19Thou 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.20Look 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.21But 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.22For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.23Thy 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.24And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.
Isaiah 33
English Standard Version
O Lord, Be Gracious to Us
1Ah, you destroyer, who yourself have not been destroyed, you traitor, whom none has betrayed! When you have ceased to destroy, you will be destroyed; and when you have finished betraying, they will betray you. (Isa 17:14; Isa 21:2)2O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. (Isa 25:9; Isa 26:8)3At the tumultuous noise peoples flee; when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered, (2Ki 19:7; Isa 17:13)4and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap, it is leapt upon. (Joe 2:4)5The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, (Isa 2:17; Isa 5:15)6and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion’s[1] treasure. (Isa 39:8)7Behold, their heroes cry in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. (2Ki 18:37; Isa 36:22)8The highways lie waste; the traveler ceases. Covenants are broken; cities[2] are despised; there is no regard for man. (Jud 5:6; 2Ki 18:14; Isa 33:1)9The land mourns and languishes; Lebanon is confounded and withers away; Sharon is like a desert, and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves. (Isa 24:4; Na 1:4)10“Now I will arise,” says the Lord, “now I will lift myself up; now I will be exalted. (Ps 12:5; Ps 68:1; Isa 10:26)11You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble; your breath is a fire that will consume you. (Ps 7:14; Ps 80:16; Isa 10:16; Isa 59:4)12And the peoples will be as if burned to lime, like thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire.” (Isa 33:11)13Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge my might.14The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: “Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?” (Ps 15:1; Ps 24:3; Isa 66:15; Heb 12:29)15He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, (Ps 15:2; Ps 24:4; Ps 119:37)16he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure. (Isa 30:23; Isa 30:25)17Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty; they will see a land that stretches afar. (Isa 6:5; Isa 54:2; Zec 9:9)18Your heart will muse on the terror: “Where is he who counted, where is he who weighed the tribute? Where is he who counted the towers?” (2Ki 18:14; Ps 37:10; Ps 48:12)19You will see no more the insolent people, the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend, stammering in a tongue that you cannot understand. (De 28:49; 2Ki 19:32; Isa 28:11)20Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feasts! Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an untroubled habitation, an immovable tent, whose stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken. (Isa 32:18; Isa 33:6)21But there the Lord in majesty will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams, where no galley with oars can go, nor majestic ship can pass. (Ps 46:4; Ps 48:7; Isa 2:16)22For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us. (Jud 2:16; 1Sa 12:13; Jas 4:12)23Your cords hang loose; they cannot hold the mast firm in its place or keep the sail spread out. Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided; even the lame will take the prey. (Ge 49:27; Ps 68:12)24And no inhabitant will say, “I am sick”; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity. (Isa 1:5; Isa 1:25; Jer 50:20)