Isaiah 32-36

New International Version

³ Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,^(G)
    and the ears^(H) of those who hear will listen.
⁴ The fearful heart will know and understand,^(I)
    and the stammering tongue^(J) will be fluent and clear.
⁵ No longer will the fool^(K) be called noble
    nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
⁶ For fools speak folly,^(L)
    their hearts are bent on evil:^(M)
They practice ungodliness^(N)
    and spread error^(O) concerning the Lord;
the hungry they leave empty^(P)
    and from the thirsty they withhold water.
⁷ Scoundrels use wicked methods,^(Q)
    they make up evil schemes^(R)
to destroy the poor with lies,
    even when the plea of the needy^(S) is just.^(T)
8 But the noble make noble plans,
    and by noble deeds^(U) they stand.^(V)

² Lord, be gracious^(BK) to us;
    we long for you.
Be our strength^(BL) every morning,
    our salvation^(BM) in time of distress.^(BN)
3 At the uproar of your army,^(BO) the peoples flee;^(BP)
    when you rise up,^(BQ) the nations scatter.
⁴ Your plunder,^(BR) O nations, is harvested^(BS) as by young locusts;^(BT)
    like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.

⁵ The Lord is exalted,^(BU) for he dwells on high;^(BV)
    he will fill Zion with his justice^(BW) and righteousness.^(BX)
6 He will be the sure foundation for your times,
    a rich store of salvation^(BY) and wisdom and knowledge;
    the fear^(BZ) of the Lord is the key to this treasure.^[a](CA)

⁷ Look, their brave men^(CB) cry aloud in the streets;
    the envoys^(CC) of peace weep bitterly.
⁸ The highways are deserted,
    no travelers^(CD) are on the roads.^(CE)
The treaty is broken,^(CF)
    its witnesses^[b] are despised,
    no one is respected.
⁹ The land dries up^(CG) and wastes away,
    Lebanon^(CH) is ashamed and withers;^(CI)
Sharon^(CJ) is like the Arabah,
    and Bashan^(CK) and Carmel^(CL) drop their leaves.

¹⁰ “Now will I arise,^(CM)” says the Lord.
    “Now will I be exalted;^(CN)
    now will I be lifted up.
¹¹ You conceive^(CO) chaff,
    you give birth^(CP) to straw;
    your breath is a fire^(CQ) that consumes you.
¹² The peoples will be burned to ashes;^(CR)
    like cut thornbushes^(CS) they will be set ablaze.^(CT)”

¹³ You who are far away,^(CU) hear^(CV) what I have done;
    you who are near, acknowledge my power!
¹⁴ The sinners^(CW) in Zion are terrified;
    trembling^(CX) grips the godless:
“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?^(CY)
    Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”
¹⁵ Those who walk righteously^(CZ)
    and speak what is right,^(DA)
who reject gain from extortion^(DB)
    and keep their hands from accepting bribes,^(DC)
who stop their ears against plots of murder
    and shut their eyes^(DD) against contemplating evil—
¹⁶ they are the ones who will dwell on the heights,^(DE)
    whose refuge^(DF) will be the mountain fortress.^(DG)
Their bread will be supplied,
    and water will not fail^(DH) them.

¹⁷ Your eyes will see the king^(DI) in his beauty^(DJ)
    and view a land that stretches afar.^(DK)
18 In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:^(DL)
    “Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
    Where is the officer in charge of the towers?^(DM)”
¹⁹ You will see those arrogant people^(DN) no more,
    people whose speech is obscure,
    whose language is strange and incomprehensible.^(DO)

²⁰ Look on Zion,^(DP) the city of our festivals;
    your eyes will see Jerusalem,
    a peaceful abode,^(DQ) a tent^(DR) that will not be moved;^(DS)
its stakes will never be pulled up,
    nor any of its ropes broken.
²¹ There the Lord will be our Mighty^(DT) One.
    It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.^(DU)
No galley with oars will ride them,
    no mighty ship^(DV) will sail them.
²² For the Lord is our judge,^(DW)
    the Lord is our lawgiver,^(DX)
the Lord is our king;^(DY)
    it is he who will save^(DZ) us.

²³ Your rigging hangs loose:
    The mast is not held secure,
    the sail is not spread.
Then an abundance of spoils will be divided
    and even the lame^(EA) will carry off plunder.^(EB)
24 No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”;^(EC)
    and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.^(ED)

⁵ My sword^(ET) has drunk its fill in the heavens;
    see, it descends in judgment on Edom,^(EU)
    the people I have totally destroyed.^(EV)
6 The sword^(EW) of the Lord is bathed in blood,
    it is covered with fat—
the blood of lambs and goats,
    fat from the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice^(EX) in Bozrah^(EY)
    and a great slaughter^(EZ) in the land of Edom.
⁷ And the wild oxen^(FA) will fall with them,
    the bull calves and the great bulls.^(FB)
Their land will be drenched with blood,^(FC)
    and the dust will be soaked with fat.

⁸ For the Lord has a day^(FD) of vengeance,^(FE)
    a year of retribution,^(FF) to uphold Zion’s cause.
⁹ Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch,
    her dust into burning sulfur;^(FG)
    her land will become blazing pitch!
¹⁰ It will not be quenched^(FH) night or day;
    its smoke will rise forever.^(FI)
From generation to generation^(FJ) it will lie desolate;^(FK)
    no one will ever pass through it again.
¹¹ The desert owl^[d](FL) and screech owl^[e] will possess it;
    the great owl^[f] and the raven^(FM) will nest there.
God will stretch out over Edom^(FN)
    the measuring line of chaos^(FO)
    and the plumb line^(FP) of desolation.
¹² Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom,
    all her princes^(FQ) will vanish^(FR) away.
¹³ Thorns^(FS) will overrun her citadels,
    nettles and brambles her strongholds.^(FT)
She will become a haunt for jackals,^(FU)
    a home for owls.^(FV)
14 Desert creatures^(FW) will meet with hyenas,^(FX)
    and wild goats will bleat to each other;
there the night creatures^(FY) will also lie down
    and find for themselves places of rest.
¹⁵ The owl will nest there and lay eggs,
    she will hatch them, and care for her young
    under the shadow of her wings;^(FZ)
there also the falcons^(GA) will gather,
    each with its mate.

None of these will be missing,^(GC)
    not one will lack her mate.
For it is his mouth^(GD) that has given the order,^(GE)
    and his Spirit will gather them together.
¹⁷ He allots their portions;^(GF)
    his hand distributes them by measure.
They will possess it forever
    and dwell there from generation to generation.^(GG)

³ Strengthen the feeble hands,
    steady the knees^(GQ) that give way;
⁴ say^(GR) to those with fearful hearts,^(GS)
    “Be strong, do not fear;^(GT)
your God will come,^(GU)
    he will come with vengeance;^(GV)
with divine retribution
    he will come to save^(GW) you.”

⁵ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened^(GX)
    and the ears of the deaf^(GY) unstopped.
⁶ Then will the lame^(GZ) leap like a deer,^(HA)
    and the mute tongue^(HB) shout for joy.^(HC)
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
    and streams^(HD) in the desert.
⁷ The burning sand will become a pool,
    the thirsty ground^(HE) bubbling springs.^(HF)
In the haunts where jackals^(HG) once lay,
    grass and reeds^(HH) and papyrus will grow.

⁸ And a highway^(HI) will be there;
    it will be called the Way of Holiness;^(HJ)
    it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean^(HK) will not journey on it;
    wicked fools will not go about on it.
⁹ No lion^(HL) will be there,
    nor any ravenous beast;^(HM)
    they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed^(HN) will walk there,
¹⁰     and those the Lord has rescued^(HO) will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;^(HP)
    everlasting joy^(HQ) will crown their heads.
Gladness^(HR) and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.^(HS)