Isaiah

Woe 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.

1Trouble is coming to you who destroy others, though no one destroyed you. Trouble to you who betray, though no one betrayed you. When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed. When you stop betraying, you will be betrayed.

Note"Spoil" in the King James Version means to rob or destroy, not to ruin something by giving in to it. "Deal treacherously" means to betray someone who trusted you.

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.

2LORD, be kind to us. We have waited for you. Be our strength every morning, and save us when trouble comes.

3At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.

3When your voice thundered, the peoples ran away. When you stood up, the nations 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.

4The goods you took will be swept up the way locusts strip a field. Men will swarm over them like a rush of locusts.

5The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.

5The LORD is lifted high, for he lives above all. He has filled Zion with fairness and right living.

6And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.

6He will be the firm ground of your times, a rich store of rescue, wisdom, and knowledge. Respect for the LORD is Zion's treasure.

Note"The fear of the LORD" here means deep respect and awe, not being scared of Him.

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

7Look: their bravest men are crying out in the streets. The men sent to make peace weep bitterly.

8The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.

8The roads are empty, and travelers have stopped coming. The agreement has been broken, its witnesses are treated as worthless, and no one's life is valued.

9The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.

9The land is sad and dried up. Lebanon is shamed and withered. Sharon has become like a desert, and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.

10Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.

10"Now I will stand up," says the LORD. "Now I will raise myself up. Now I will be lifted high.

11Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you.

11What you plan is dry husks; what you produce is worthless straw. Your own breath is a fire that will burn you up.

12And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.

12The peoples will be burned to ashes, like thorn bushes cut down and thrown on a fire.

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

13You who are far away, hear what I have done. You who are near, admit how strong I am."

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?

14The sinners in Zion are afraid. Shaking has seized those who only pretend to obey. They say, "Who among us can live with a fire that eats everything? Who among us can live with flames that never go out?"

NoteThe King James Version says "hypocrites," meaning people who act godly on the outside but are not honest inside.

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;

15Here is the answer: the one who lives rightly and speaks honestly. The one who refuses money gained by cheating others, and who will not take a bribe. The one who will not listen to plans to kill, and shuts his eyes rather than look at evil.

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.

16That person will live up on the heights. A rocky fortress will keep him safe. He will be given bread, and his water will not run out.

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

17Your eyes will see the king in his beauty. You will look out over a land that stretches far away.

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

18You will think back on the terror you knew, and ask: "Where is the man who counted our money? Where is the man who weighed it? Where is the one who counted our towers?"

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.

19You will not see that proud, harsh people anymore. Their speech was too strange to follow, a mumbling language you could not understand.

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.

20Look at Zion, the city where we hold our feasts. Your eyes will see Jerusalem as a peaceful home, a tent that is never packed up. Not one of its pegs will be pulled out, and none of its ropes will snap.

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.

21There the mighty LORD will be like wide rivers and streams around us. No warship with oars will row there, and no great ship will pass by.

NoteA galley was a long warship rowed by many men. The picture is of water so wide it protects the city, yet no enemy ship can travel on it.

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

22For the LORD is our judge, the LORD gives us our law, the LORD is our king. He is the one who will save us.

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.

23Your ship's ropes hang loose. They cannot hold the mast steady or spread the sail. Then a huge pile of goods will be divided up, and even the lame will carry some away.

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

24No one living there will say, "I am sick." The people who live in that place will have their sins forgiven.