Isaiah 33

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.footnote a

7Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.footnote b

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.footnote c

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;footnote dfootnote efootnote ffootnote g

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.footnote h

17Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.footnote i

18Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?footnote j

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.footnote k

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.footnote l

22For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.footnote m

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.footnote n

24And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.

The LORD Is Exalted

1Woe to you, O destroyer never destroyed,O traitor never betrayed!When you have finished destroying,you will be destroyed.When you have finished betraying,you will be betrayed.

2O LORD, be gracious to us!We wait for You.Be our strength every morningand our salvation in time of trouble. 3The peoples flee the thunder of Your voice;the nations scatter when You rise. 4Your spoil, O nations,footnote ais gathered as by locusts;like a swarm of locusts men sweep over it.

5The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high;He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. 6He will be the sure foundation for your times,a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.The fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure.

7Behold, their valiant ones cry aloud in the streets;the envoys of peace weep bitterly. 8The highways are deserted;travel has ceased.The treatyfootnote bhas been broken,the witnessesfootnote care despised,and human life is disregarded. 9The land mourns and languishes;Lebanon is ashamed and decayed.Sharon is like a desert;Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.

10“Now I will arise,” says the LORD.“Now I will lift Myself up. Now I will be exalted. 11You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble.Your breath is a fire that will consume you. 12The peoples will be burned to ashes,like thorns cut down and set ablaze. 13You who are far off, hear what I have done;you who are near, acknowledge My might.”

14The sinners in Zion are afraid;trembling grips the ungodly:“Who of us can dwell with a consuming fire?Who of us can dwell with everlasting flames?” 15He who walks righteouslyand speaks with sincerity,who refuses gain from extortion,whose hand never takes a bribe,who stops his ears against murderous plotsand shuts his eyes tightly against evil— 16he will dwell on the heights;the mountain fortress will be his refuge;his food will be providedand his water assured.

17Your eyes will see the King in His beautyand behold a land that stretches afar. 18Your mind will ponder the former terror:“Where is he who tallies? Where is he who weighs?Where is he who counts the towers?” 19You will no longer see the insolent,a people whose speech is unintelligible,who stammer in a language you cannot understand.

20Look upon Zion,the city of our appointed feasts.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 broken. 21But there the Majestic One, our LORD,will be for us a place of rivers and wide canals,where no galley with oars will row,and no majestic vessel will pass.

22For the LORD is our Judge,the LORD is our lawgiver,the LORD is our King.It is He who will save us.

23Your ropes are slack;they cannot secure the mast or spread the sail.Then an abundance of spoils will be divided,and even the lame will carry off plunder. 24And no resident of Zion will say, “I am sick.”The people who dwell therewill be forgiven of iniquity.