Isaiah 27

1In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.footnote a

2In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine.

3I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.

4Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.footnote b

5Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.

6He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.

7Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him?footnote c

8In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind.footnote dfootnote e

9By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up.footnote f

10Yet the defenced city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness: there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof.

11When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour.

12And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel.

13And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.

The LORD’s Vineyard

1In that day the LORD will take His sharp, great, and mighty sword, and bring judgment on Leviathan the fleeing serpentfootnote a—Leviathan the coiling serpent—and He will slay the dragon of the sea. 2In that day:“Sing about a fruitful vineyard. 3I, the LORD, am its keeper;I water it continually.I guard it night and dayso no one can disturb it; 4I am not angry.If only thorns and briers confronted Me,I would march and trample them,I would burn them to the ground. 5Or let them lay claim to My protection;let them make peace with Me—yes, let them make peace with Me.”

6In the days to come, Jacob will take root.Israel will bud and blossomand fill the whole world with fruit.

7Has the LORD struck Israel as He struck her oppressors?Was she killed like those who slayed her? 8By warfare and exilefootnote bYou contended with herand removed her with a fierce wind,as on the day the east wind blows. 9Therefore Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for,and the full fruit of the removal of his sin will be this:footnote cWhen he makes all the altar stoneslike crushed bits of chalk,no Asherah poles or incense altarswill remain standing.

10For the fortified city lies deserted—a homestead abandoned, a wilderness forsaken.There the calves graze, and there they lie down;they strip its branches bare. 11When its limbs are dry,they are broken off.Women come and use them for kindling;for this is a people without understanding.Therefore their Maker has no compassion on them,and their Creator shows them no favor.

12In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphratesfootnote d to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered one by one. 13And in that day a great ram’s horn will sound, and those who were perishing in Assyria will come forth with those who were exiles in Egypt. And they will worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.