Isaiah’s Commission
(Matthew 13:10–17; Mark 4:10–12; Acts 28:16–31)

1And in the year of the death of King Uzziah, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne being high and lifted up, and his train† was filling the temple. 2Seraphim stood above Him, with six wings for each—six wings—with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And this one cried to this one and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is YHWH of Hosts;

the fullness of all the earth is His glory!”

4And the posts of the doors were shaken from the voice of the one calling, and the house was filled with smoke.

5And I said,

“Woe to me,

for I am finished!

For I am a man of unclean lips,

and I am dwelling in the midst of a people of unclean lips;

for the King YHWH of Hosts,

my eyes have seen!”

6And flew to me one from the seraphim, and in his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7And he touched it upon my mouth and said,

“Behold, this has touched upon your lips;

and is turned aside your iniquity,

and your sin is wiped away.”

8And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying,

“Whom will I send,

and who will go for Us?”

And I said

“Here am I—send me!”

9And He said,

“Go and say to the people this:

‘Be ever hearing and never understanding,

and be ever seeing and never knowing.’†

10Fatten the heart of this people,

and its ears make heavy and its eyes shut,

lest it see with its eyes,

hear and with its ears,

and understand with its heart,

and turn back and there be healing for it.†

11And I said,

“Until when, O Lord?”

And He answered,

“Until when the cities lie in ruins

without one dwelling,

and the houses without man,

and the land lies in ruins as a desolation,

12and YHWH has removed man far away,

and are many the forsaken places in the midst of the land.

13And still are in it a tenth,

and will it return and be for burning,

like the terebinth and oak that in falling is a stump in them.

The seed of holiness is its stump.”