1Woe to you, Ariel (Jerusalem), to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! Add year to year. Year by year, you repeat festivals.
2Yet I will distress Ariel, she shall mourn and sorrow; and she shall be to Me what her name means – Ariel: an alter covered with blood.
3And I will your enemy that surrounds you on all sides, and will set up siege mounds, and I will build forts against you.
4And you shall be brought low, and your words shall come out of the ground, your speech as out of the dust, and your voice shall be like that of a medium, out of the ground, and your speech a whisper out of the dust.
5But suddenly, your many ruthless enemies shall be like driven away like wind blows fine dust, or like chaff that quickly flies away; yea, in an instant.
6I, the LORD Almighty, will come with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with windstorm and tempest, and the flames of devouring fire.
7And then all the hordes of all the nations that fight against Ariel, that attack her stronghold, and besiege her, shall vanish as a dream of a night vision,
8As when a hungry man dreams of eating, he eats; but he awakes, and he is still hungry; or when a thirsty man dreams that he drinks; but he awakes, and, he is faint with thirst. So shall the hordes of all the nations be, that fight against Mount Zion.
9Stop and be astonished; express your disbelief, as they that are drunk, but not with wine; they stagger at what they see, not from strong drink.
10For the LORD has poured out on your prophets, rulers, and seers a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed their eyes.
11And all the events of this vision have become to you like the words of a book (scroll) that is sealed, which men give to someone who can read, saying, “Please read this”; and he replies, “I cannot, because it is sealed”:
12And if the book is given to him who cannot read, saying, “Please read this”; he replies, “I can’t read”.
13Therefore the LORD said, “Since this people draw near Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their worship of Me is based upon teachings of men;
14Therefore, once more I will astound them with marvelous wonders among them, very marvelous deeds and wonders; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the intelligence of their prudent men shall vanish.
15Woe to those who go to great lengths to hide their plans from the LORD, and do their deeds in the dark, they say, “Who sees us?” and “Who will know?”
16Surely, you turn things upside down. He is the Potter and shall be esteemed greater that you, the Potter's clay; for shall the work say of Him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of Him Who formed it, “He was devoid of understanding”?
17In a very short while, Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall yield beautiful crops.
18And in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of their darkness.
19The meek and the poor among men also shall greatly rejoice in the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.
20For the ruthless and the scoffers will vanish; as well as those that plot evil,
21Those who by false testimony cause a man to be accused, and ensnare him who defends those that are unjustly accused by false testimony in the gate (court).
22Therefore, thus says the LORD, Who redeemed Abraham, about the descendants of Jacob: “Jacob shall no longer be ashamed, nor shall his face turn pale with fear.
23But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, they shall sanctify My name, and acknowledge the Holy One of Jacob, and shall stand in awe the God of Israel.”
24Those that strayed in spirit shall gain understanding, and they who complained shall accept instruction. Isaiah 30 Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2023 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |
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