Isaiah 33
The Lord Rises Up
1Woe, you destroyer never destroyed, you traitor never betrayed! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you have finished betraying, they will betray you.23Lord, be gracious to us! We wait for you. Be our strength every morning and our salvation in time of trouble.4
5The peoples flee at the thunderous noise; the nations scatter when you rise in your majesty.6
7Your spoil will be gathered as locusts are gathered; people will swarm over it like an infestation of locusts.8
9The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.10
11There will be times of security for you — a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.12
13Listen! Their warriors cry loudly in the streets; the messengers of peace weep bitterly.14
15The highways are deserted; travel has ceased. An agreement has been broken, cities despised, and human life disregarded.16
17The land mourns and withers; Lebanon is ashamed and wilted. Sharon is like a desert; Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.18
19“Now I will rise up,” says the Lord. “Now I will lift myself up. Now I will be exalted.20
21You will conceive chaff; you will give birth to stubble. Your breath is fire that will consume you.22
23The peoples will be burned to ashes, like thorns cut down and burned in a fire.24
25You who are far off, hear what I have done; you who are near, know my strength.”26
27The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling seizes the ungodly: “Who among us can dwell with a consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with ever-burning flames?”28
29The one who lives righteously and speaks rightly, who refuses profit from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears from listening to murderous plots and shuts his eyes against evil schemes —30
31he will dwell on the heights; his refuge will be the rocky fortresses, his food provided, his water assured.32
33Your eyes will see the King in his beauty; you will see a vast land.34
35Your mind will meditate on the past terror: “Where is the accountant? Where is the tribute collector? Where is the one who spied out our defenses?”36
37You will no longer see the barbarians, a people whose speech is difficult to comprehend — who stammer in a language that is not understood.38
39Look at Zion, the city of our festival times. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful pasture, a tent that does not wander; its tent pegs will not be pulled up nor will any of its cords be loosened.40
41For the majestic one, our Lord, will be there, a place of rivers and broad streams where ships that are rowed will not go, and majestic vessels will not pass.42
43For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King. He will save us.44
45Your ropes are slack; they cannot hold the base of the mast or spread out the flag. Then abundant spoil will be divided, the lame will plunder it,46
47and none there will say, “I am sick.” The people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.48