Isaiah 6

1In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.footnote a

2Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.footnote bfootnote c

4And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.footnote d

5Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.footnote e

6Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:footnote f

7And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.footnote g

8Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.footnote h

9And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.footnote i

10Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

11Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,footnote j

12And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.

13But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.footnote kfootnote l

Isaiah’s Commission

1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robefootnote a filled the temple. 2Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3And they were calling out to one another:“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts;all the earth is full of His glory.”

4At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke.

5Then I said:“Woe is me,for I am ruined,because I am a man of unclean lipsdwelling among a people of unclean lips;for my eyes have seen the King,the LORD of Hosts.”

6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7And with it he touched my mouth and said:“Now that this has touched your lips,your iniquity is removedand your sin is atoned for.”

8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:“Whom shall I send?Who will go for Us?”And I said:“Here am I. Send me!”

9And He replied:“Go and tell this people,‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’footnote b 10Make the hearts of this people calloused;deafen their ears and close their eyes.Otherwise they might see with their eyes,hear with their ears,understand with their hearts,and turn and be healed.footnote c”

11Then I asked:“How long, O Lord?”And He replied:“Until the cities lie ruinedand without inhabitant,until the houses are left unoccupiedand the land is desolate and ravaged, 12until the LORD has driven men far awayand the land is utterly forsaken. 13And though a tenth remains in the land,it will be burned again.As the terebinth and oak leave stumps when felled,so the holy seed will be a stump in the land.”