Isaiah 33

The Judgment of God

1Woe 1to you, destroyer, While you were not destroyed; And he 2who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him. As soon as you finish destroying, 3you will be destroyed; As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will 4deal treacherously with you.2Lord, 5be gracious to us; we have 6waited for You. Be 7their 89strength every morning, Our salvation also in the 10time of distress.3At the sound of a roar, 11peoples flee; At the 12lifting up of Yourself, nations disperse.4Your plunder is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; Like an infestation of locusts, people storm it.5The Lord is 13exalted, for He dwells on high; He has 14filled Zion with justice and righteousness.6And He will be the 1516stability of your times, A 17wealth of salvation, wisdom, and 18knowledge; The 19fear of the Lord is his treasure.7Behold, their brave men cry out 20in the streets, The 2122ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.8The highways are desolate, 23the 24traveler has ceased, He has 25broken the covenant, he has despised the cities, He has no regard for mankind.926The land mourns and wastes away, 27Lebanon is shamed and withers; 28Sharon is like a desert plain, And Bashan and Carmel 29lose their foliage.10“Now 30I will arise,” says the Lord, “Now I will be exalted, now I will be lifted up.11You have 31conceived 32chaff, you will give birth to stubble; 33My 34breath will consume you like a fire.12The peoples will be burned to lime, 35Like cut thorns which are burned in the fire.

13“You who are far away, 36hear what I have done; And you who are near, 37acknowledge My might.”1438Sinners in Zion are terrified; 39Trembling has seized the godless. “Who among us can live with 40the consuming fire? Who among us can live with everlasting 41burning?”15One who 42walks righteously and speaks with integrity, One who rejects 43unjust gain And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; One who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed And 44shuts his eyes from looking at evil;16He will dwell on the heights, 45His refuge will be the 46impregnable rock; 47His bread will be given him, His water will be sure.

17Your eyes will see 48the King in His beauty; They will see 49a distant land.18Your heart will meditate on 50terror: “Where is 51one who counts? Where is one who weighs? Where is one who counts the towers?”19You will no longer see a fierce people, A people of 5253unintelligible speech 54which no one comprehends, Of a stammering tongue 55which no one understands.2056Look at Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an 57undisturbed settlement, 58A tent which will not be folded; Its stakes will never be pulled up, Nor any of its ropes be torn apart.21But there the majestic One, the Lord, will be for us A place of 59rivers and wide canals On which no boat with oars will go, And on which no mighty ship will pass--22For the Lord is our 60judge, The Lord is 61our lawgiver, The Lord is 62our king; 63He will save us--23Your ship’s tackle hangs slack; It cannot hold the base of its mast firmly, Nor spread out the sail. Then the 64prey of an abundant spoil will be divided; 65Those who limp will take the plunder.24And no resident will say, “I am 66sick”; The people who live 67there will be 68forgiven their wrongdoing.