Isaiah 29

1Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.footnote afootnote bfootnote c

2Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.

3And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.

4And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.footnote d

5Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.

6Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.

7And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.

8It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

9Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.footnote e

10For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.footnote f

11And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:footnote g

12And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

13Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

14Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.footnote h

15Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

16Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

17Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

18And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

19The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.footnote i

20For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:

21That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.

22Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.

23But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.

24They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.footnote j

Woe to David’s City

1Woe to you, O Ariel,footnote athe city of Ariel where David camped!Year upon yearlet your festivals recur. 2And I will constrain Ariel,and there will be mourning and lamentation;she will be like an altar hearthfootnote bbefore Me. 3I will camp in a circle around you;I will besiege you with towersand set up siege works against you. 4You will be brought low,you will speak from the ground,and out of the dustyour words will be muffled.Your voice will be like a spirit from the ground;your speech will whisper out of the dust.

5But your many foes will be like fine dust,the multitude of the ruthless like blowing chaff.Then suddenly, in an instant, 6you will be visited by the LORD of Hostswith thunder and earthquake and loud noise,with windstorm and tempest and consuming flame of fire. 7All the many nationsgoing out to battle against Ariel—even all who war against her,laying siege and attacking her—will be like a dream,like a vision in the night, 8as when a hungry man dreams he is eating,then awakens still hungry;as when a thirsty man dreams he is drinking,then awakens faint and parched.So will it be for all the many nationswho go to battle against Mount Zion.

9Stop and be astonished;blind yourselves and be sightless;be drunk, but not with wine;stagger, but not from strong drink. 10For the LORD has poured out on youa spirit of deep sleep.He has shut your eyes, O prophets;He has covered your heads, O seers.

11And the entire vision will be to you like the words sealed in a scroll. If it is handed to someone to read, he will say, “I cannot, because it is sealed.” 12Or if the scroll is handed to one unable to read, he will say, “I cannot read.”

13Therefore the Lord said:“These people draw near to Me with their mouthsand honor Me with their lips,but their hearts are far from Me.Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.footnote c 14Therefore I will again confound these peoplewith wonder upon wonder.The wisdom of the wise will vanish,and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.footnote d”

15Woe to those who dig deepto hide their plans from the LORD.In darkness they do their works and say,“Who sees us, and who will know?” 16You have turned things upside down,as if the potter were regarded as clay.Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,“He did not make me”?footnote eCan the pottery say of the potter,“He has no understanding”?

Sanctification for the Godly

17In a very short time,will not Lebanon become an orchard,and the orchard seem like a forest? 18On that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll,and out of the deep darkness the eyes of the blind will see. 19The humble will increase their joy in the LORD,and the poor among men will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

20For the ruthless will vanish,the mockers will disappear,and all who look for evilwill be cut down— 21those who indict a man with a word,who ensnare the mediator at the gate,and who with false chargesdeprive the innocent of justice.

22Therefore the LORD who redeemed Abraham says of the house of Jacob:“No longer will Jacob be ashamedand no more will his face grow pale. 23For when he sees his children around him,the work of My hands,they will honor My name,they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob,and they will stand in aweof the God of Israel. 24Then the wayward in spirit will come to understanding,and those who grumble will accept instruction.”