Study Desk

Woe^(as) to those who draw sin along with cords^(at) of deceit, and wickedness^(au) as with cart ropes,

to those who say, "Let God hurry; let him hasten^(av) his work so we may see it. The plan of the Holy One^(aw) of Israel— let it approach, let it come into view, so we may know it."^(ax)

Woe^(ay) to those who call evil good^(az) and good evil,^(ba) who put darkness for light and light for darkness,^(bb) who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.^(bc)

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes^(bd) and clever in their own sight.

Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine^(be) and champions at mixing drinks,^(bf)

who acquit the guilty for a bribe,^(bg) but deny justice^(bh) to the innocent.^(bi)

Therefore, as tongues of fire^(bj) lick up straw^(bk) and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay^(bl) and their flowers blow away like dust;^(bm) for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word^(bn) of the Holy One^(bo) of Israel.

Therefore the Lord 's anger^(bp) burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake,^(bq) and the dead bodies^(br) are like refuse^(bs) in the streets.^(bt) Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,^(bu) his hand is still upraised.^(bv)

He lifts up a banner^(bw) for the distant nations, he whistles^(bx) for those at the ends of the earth.^(by) Here they come, swiftly and speedily!

Not one of them grows tired^(bz) or stumbles, not one slumbers or sleeps; not a belt^(ca) is loosened at the waist,^(cb) not a sandal strap is broken.^(cc)

Their arrows are sharp,^(cd) all their bows^(ce) are strung; their horses' hooves^(cf) seem like flint, their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.^(cg)

Their roar is like that of the lion,^(ch) they roar like young lions; they growl as they seize^(ci) their prey and carry it off with no one to rescue.^(cj)

In that day^(ck) they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea.^(cl) And if one looks at the land, there is only darkness^(cm) and distress;^(cn) even the sun will be darkened^(co) by clouds.

Isaiah's Commission

In the year that King Uzziah^(a) died,^(b) I saw the Lord,^(c) high and exalted,^(d) seated on a throne;^(e) and the train of his robe^(f) filled the temple.

Above him were seraphim,^(g) each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet,^(h) and with two they were flying.

And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy⁽ⁱ⁾, holy is the Lord Almighty;^(j) the whole earth^(k) is full of his glory."^(l)

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.^(m)

"Woe⁽ⁿ⁾ to me!" I cried. "I am ruined!^(o) For I am a man of unclean lips,^(p) and I live among a people of unclean lips,^(q) and my eyes have seen^(r) the King,^(s) the Lord Almighty."^(t)

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal^(u) in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.

With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips;^(v) your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.^(w)"

Then I heard the voice^(x) of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send?^(y) And who will go for us?^(z)" And I said, "Here am I.^(aa) Send me!"

He said, "Go^(ab) and tell this people: "‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'^(ac)

Make the heart of this people calloused;^(ad) make their ears dull and close their eyes.^[a](ae) Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears,^(af) understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."^(ag)

Then I said, "For how long, Lord?"^(ah) And he answered: "Until the cities lie ruined^(ai) and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted^(aj) and the fields ruined and ravaged,^(ak)

until the Lord has sent everyone far away^(al) and the land is utterly forsaken.^(am)

And though a tenth remains^(an) in the land, it will again be laid waste.^(ao) But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps^(ap) when they are cut down, so the holy^(aq) seed will be the stump in the land."^(ar)

The Sign of Immanuel

When Ahaz^(a) son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin^(b) of Aram^(c) and Pekah^(d) son of Remaliah^(e) king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

Now the house of David^(f) was told, "Aram has allied itself with^[a] Ephraim^(g)"; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken,^(h) as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

Then the Lord said to Isaiah, "Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,^[b](i) to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer's Field.^(j)

Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm^(k) and don't be afraid.^(l) Do not lose heart^(m) because of these two smoldering stubs⁽ⁿ⁾ of firewood—because of the fierce anger^(o) of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.^(p)

Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah's^(q) son have plotted^(r) your ruin, saying,

"Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it."

Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:^(s) "‘It will not take place, it will not happen,^(t)

for the head of Aram is Damascus,^(u) and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.^(v) Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered^(w) to be a people.

The head of Ephraim is Samaria,^(x) and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah's son. If you do not stand^(y) firm in your faith,^(z) you will not stand at all.'"^(aa)

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz,

"Ask the Lord your God for a sign,^(ab) whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.^(ac)"

But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.^(ad)"

Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David!^(ae) Is it not enough^(af) to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience^(ag) of my God^(ah) also?

Therefore the Lord himself will give you^[c] a sign:^(ai) The virgin^[d](aj) will conceive and give birth to a son,^(ak) and^[e] will call him Immanuel.^[f](al)

He will be eating curds^(am) and honey^(an) when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right,

for before the boy knows^(ao) enough to reject the wrong and choose the right,^(ap) the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.^(aq)

The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away^(ar) from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.^(as)"

In that day^(at) the Lord will whistle^(au) for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.^(av)

They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices^(aw) in the rocks, on all the thornbushes^(ax) and at all the water holes.

In that day^(ay) the Lord will use^(az) a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River^(ba)—the king of Assyria^(bb)—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard^(bc) also.^(bd)

In that day,^(be) a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats.^(bf)

And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds^(bg) and honey.^(bh)

In that day,^(bi) in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels,^[g](bj) there will be only briers and thorns.^(bk)

Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers^(bl) and thorns.

As for all the hills^(bm) once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns;^(bn) they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.^(bo)

Isaiah and His Children as Signs

The Lord said to me, "Take a large scroll^(a) and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz."^[a](b)

So I called in Uriah^(c) the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses^(d) for me.

Then I made love to the prophetess,^(e) and she conceived and gave birth to a son.^(f) And the Lord said to me, "Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.^(g)

For before the boy knows^(h) how to say ‘My father' or ‘My mother,' the wealth of Damascus⁽ⁱ⁾ and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.^(j)"

The Lord spoke to me again:

"Because this people has rejected^(k) the gently flowing waters of Shiloah^(l) and rejoices over Rezin and the son of Remaliah,^(m)

therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters⁽ⁿ⁾ of the Euphrates— the king of Assyria^(o) with all his pomp.^(p) It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks^(q)

and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it,^(r) passing through it and reaching up to the neck. Its outspread wings^(s) will cover the breadth of your land, Immanuel^[b]!"^(t)

Raise the war cry,^[c](u) you nations, and be shattered!^(v) Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare^(w) for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered!

Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted;^(x) propose your plan, but it will not stand,^(y) for God is with us.^[d](z)

This is what the Lord says to me with his strong hand upon me,^(aa) warning me not to follow^(ab) the way of this people:

"Do not call conspiracy^(ac) everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear,^(ad) and do not dread it.^(ae)

The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,^(af) he is the one you are to fear,^(ag) he is the one you are to dread.^(ah)

He will be a holy place;^(ai) for both Israel and Judah he will be a stone^(aj) that causes people to stumble^(ak) and a rock that makes them fall.^(al) And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare.^(am)

Many of them will stumble;^(an) they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured."

Bind up this testimony of warning^(ao) and seal^(ap) up God's instruction among my disciples.

I will wait^(aq) for the Lord , who is hiding^(ar) his face from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my trust in him.^(as)

Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me.^(at) We are signs^(au) and symbols^(av) in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.^(aw)

When someone tells you to consult^(ax) mediums and spiritists,^(ay) who whisper and mutter,^(az) should not a people inquire^(ba) of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?

Consult God's instruction^(bb) and the testimony of warning.^(bc) If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light^(bd) of dawn.

Distressed and hungry,^(be) they will roam through the land;^(bf) when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse^(bg) their king and their God.

Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom,^(bh) and they will be thrust into utter darkness.^(bi)

^[a]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom^(a) for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,^(b) but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

The people walking in darkness^(c) have seen a great light;^(d) on those living in the land of deep darkness^(e) a light has dawned.^(f)

You have enlarged the nation^(g) and increased their joy;^(h) they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.⁽ⁱ⁾

For as in the day of Midian's defeat,^(j) you have shattered^(k) the yoke^(l) that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders,^(m) the rod of their oppressor.⁽ⁿ⁾

Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning,^(o) will be fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born,^(p) to us a son is given,^(q) and the government^(r) will be on his shoulders.^(s) And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,^(t) Mighty God,^(u) Everlasting^(v) Father,^(w) Prince of Peace.^(x)

Of the greatness of his government^(y) and peace^(z) there will be no end.^(aa) He will reign^(ab) on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice^(ac) and righteousness^(ad) from that time on and forever.^(ae) The zeal^(af) of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

The Lord has sent a message^(ag) against Jacob; it will fall on Israel.

All the people will know it— Ephraim^(ah) and the inhabitants of Samaria^(ai)— who say with pride and arrogance^(aj) of heart,

"The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone;^(ak) the fig^(al) trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.^(am)"

But the Lord has strengthened Rezin's^(an) foes against them and has spurred their enemies on.

Arameans^(ao) from the east and Philistines^(ap) from the west have devoured^(aq) Israel with open mouth. Yet for all this, his anger^(ar) is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.^(as)