Commentary on Isaiah - Volume 3

1Wo to thee that spoilest, And was not spoiled; Who dealest wickedly, And they dealt not wickedly with thee! When thou shalt have ceased to spoil, Thou shalt be spoiled; When thou shalt have ceased to deal wickedly, They shall deal wickedly with thee.

2O Jehovah, have pity upon us; We have hoped in thee; Be thou, who hast been their arm in the morning, Our salvation also in the time of trouble.

3At the voice of the tumult the people fled; At thy exaltation the nations were dispersed.

4And your prey shall be gathered by your gathering of cater-pillars, Advancing thither, according to the running of locusts.

5Jehovah is exalted, who dwelleth on high; He hath filled Zion with judgment And righteousness.

6And the stability of thy times shall be Strength, salvation, wisdom, And knowledge; The fear of Jehovah is his treasure.

7Behold, their messengers shall cry without; The ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.

8The roads are deserted, The traveler hath ceased; He hath violated the treaty, He hath despised the cities, He hath paid no regard to any man.

9The earth hath mourned And languished; Lebanon is ashamed And hewn down; Sharon hath been made like a wilderness; Bashan And Carmel have been shaken.

10Now will I arise, saith Jehovah; Now will I be exalted; Now will I lift up myself.

11Ye shall conceive chaff; Ye shall bring forth stubble; The fire of your breath shall devour you.

12And the peoples shall be the burnings of lime; ²⁴⁴ As thorns cut up shall they be burnt in the fire.

13Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; Ye that are near, acknowledge my power.

14The sinners in Zion are afraid; Terror hath seized the hypocrites. ²⁴⁵ Which of us ²⁴⁶ shall dwell with devouring fire? Which of us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

15He who walketh in righteousnesses And speaketh what is right; Who despiseth the gain from violence And calumny; Who shaketh his hands from accepting a bribe; Who stoppeth his ear, that he may not hear blood; Who shutteth his eyes, that he may not see evil.

16He shall dwell in high places; Fortifications of rocks shall be his refuge; Bread shall be given to him, And 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 weigher? Where is he who singleth out the principal houses?

19The fierce people thou shalt not see, The people of a confused lip, so that thou canst not understand; Of a stammering tongue, so that thou canst not comprehend.

20Look at Zion, the city of our solemnities; ²⁴⁷ Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a peaceful habitation, A tent which shall not be carried away, The stakes of which shall never be removed, And of which none of the ropes shall be broken:

21Thus, ²⁴⁸ shall the mighty Jehovah there be to us, A place of streams, of broad rivers, Through which there shall not pass a ship with oars, And through which a splendid ship shall not pass.

22For Jehovah is our Judge; Jehovah is our Lawgiver; Jehovah is our King; He himself will save us.

23Thy cords were loosed, So that they did not fasten their mast, Nor spread the sail; Then was the prey of much spoil divided; The lame also seized the prey.

24And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick; The people that dwell in it have been freed from iniquity.