Isaiah 10:20-34
The Israelites Who Are Left Alive
In days to come, some people will still be left alive in Israel.
They will be from Jacob’s family line.
But they won’t depend any longer on
the nation that struck them down.
Instead, they will truly depend on the Lord.
He is the Holy One of Israel.
The people of Jacob who are still alive
will return to the Mighty God.
Israel, your people might be as many as the grains of sand by the sea.
But only a few of them will return.
The Lord has handed down a death sentence.
He will destroy his people.
What he does is right.
The Lord who rules over all will carry out his sentence.
The Lord will destroy the whole land.
The Lord rules over all. The Lord says,
“My people who live in Zion,
do not be afraid of the Assyrian army.
They beat you with rods.
They lift up war clubs against you,
just as the Egyptians did.
Very soon I will not be angry with you anymore.
I will turn my anger against the Assyrians.
I will destroy them.”
The Lord who rules over all will beat them with a whip.
He will strike them down as he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb.
And he will stretch out his walking stick over the waters.
That’s what he did in Egypt.
People of Zion, in days to come he will help you.
He will lift the heavy load of the Assyrians from your shoulders.
He will remove their yokes from your necks.
Their yokes will be broken
because you have become so strong.
The Assyrian army has entered the town of Aiath.
They have passed through Migron.
They have stored up supplies at Mikmash.
They have marched through the pass there. They said,
“Let’s camp for the night at Geba.”
The people of Ramah tremble with fear.
Those who live in Gibeah of Saul run away.
Town of Gallim, cry out!
Laishah, listen!
Poor Anathoth!
The people of Madmenah are running away.
Those who live in Gebim are hiding.
Today the Assyrians have stopped at Nob.
They are shaking their fists
at Mount Zion in the city of Jerusalem.
The Assyrian soldiers are like trees in a forest.
The Lord who rules over all
will chop them down.
The Lord will cut off their branches
with his great power.
He will chop the tall trees down.
He will cut down even the highest ones.
The Mighty One will chop down the forest with his ax.
He will cut down the cedar trees in Lebanon.
Isaiah 11:1-16
A Branch Will Come From Jesse’s Family Line
Jesse’s family is like a tree that has been cut down.
A new little tree will grow from its stump.
From its roots a Branch will grow and produce fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on that Branch.
The Spirit will help him to be wise and understanding.
The Spirit will help him make wise plans and carry them out.
The Spirit will help him know the Lord and have respect for him.
The Branch will take delight
in respecting the Lord.
He will not judge things only by the way they look.
He won’t make decisions based simply on what people say.
He will always do what is right
when he judges those who are in need.
He’ll be completely fair
when he makes decisions about poor people.
When he commands that people be punished,
it will happen.
When he orders that evil people be put to death,
it will take place.
He will put on godliness as if it were his belt.
He’ll wear faithfulness around his waist.
Wolves will live with lambs.
Leopards will lie down with goats.
Calves and lions will eat together.
And little children will lead them around.
Cows will eat with bears.
Their little ones will lie down together.
And lions will eat straw like oxen.
A baby will play near a hole where cobras live.
A young child will put its hand into a nest
where poisonous snakes live.
None of those animals will harm or destroy anything or anyone
on my holy mountain of Zion.
The oceans are full of water.
In the same way, the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the Lord.
At that time, here is what the man who is called the Root of Jesse will do. He will be like a banner that brings nations together. They will come to him. And the place where he rules will be glorious. At that time the Lord will reach out his hand. He will gather his people a second time. He will bring back those who are left alive. He’ll bring them back from Assyria, Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt and Cush. He’ll bring them from Elam, Babylon and Hamath. He will also bring them from the islands of the Mediterranean Sea.
He will lift up a banner.
It will show the nations that he is gathering the people of Israel.
He’ll bring back those who had been taken away as prisoners.
He’ll gather together the scattered people of Judah.
He’ll bring them back from all four directions.
Ephraim’s people won’t be jealous anymore.
Judah’s attackers will be destroyed.
Ephraim won’t be jealous of Judah.
And Judah won’t attack Ephraim.
Together they will rush down the slopes of Philistia to the west.
They’ll take what belongs to the people of the east.
They’ll take over Edom and Moab.
The people of Ammon will be under their control.
The Lord will dry up
the Red Sea in Egypt.
By his power he’ll send a burning wind
to sweep over the Euphrates River.
He will break it up into many streams.
Then people will be able to go across it wearing sandals.
There was a road the people of Israel used
when they came up from Egypt.
In the same way, there will be a wide road coming out of Assyria.
It will be used by the Lord’s people who are left alive there.
Isaiah 12:1-6
Two Songs of Praise
In days to come, the people of Israel will sing,
“Lord, we will praise you.
You were angry with us.
But now your anger has turned away from us.
And you have brought us comfort.
God, you are the one who saves us.
We will trust in you.
Then we won’t be afraid.
Lord, you are the one who gives us strength.
You are the one who keeps us safe.
Lord, you have saved us.”
People of Israel, he will save you.
That will bring you joy like water brought up from wells.
In days to come, the people of Israel will sing,
“Give praise to the Lord. Make his name known.
Tell the nations what he has done.
Announce how honored he is.
Sing to the Lord. He has done glorious things.
Let it be known all over the world.
People of Zion, give a loud shout!
Sing for joy!
The Holy One of Israel is among you.
And he is great.”
Isaiah 13:1-22
A Prophecy Against Babylon
Here is the prophecy against Babylon that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw.
Lift up a banner on the top of a bare hill.
Shout to the enemy soldiers.
Wave for them to enter the gates
that are used by the nobles of Babylon.
The Lord has commanded the soldiers he prepared for battle.
He has sent for them to carry out his anger against Babylon.
They will be happy when he wins the battle for them.
Listen! I hear a noise in the mountains.
It sounds like a huge crowd.
Listen! I hear a loud noise among the kingdoms.
It sounds like nations gathering together.
The Lord who rules over all is bringing
an army together for war.
They come from lands far away.
They come from the farthest places on earth.
The Lord and those weapons of his anger
are coming to destroy the whole country of Babylon.
Cry out! The day of the Lord is near.
The Mighty One is coming to destroy the Babylonians.
Their hands won’t be able to help them.
Everyone’s heart will melt away in fear.
The people will be filled with terror.
Pain and suffering will grab hold of them.
They will groan with pain like a woman having a baby.
They’ll look at one another in terror.
Their faces will burn with shame.
The day of the Lord is coming.
It will be a terrible day.
The Lord’s burning anger will blaze out.
He will make the land dry and empty.
He’ll destroy the sinners in it.
All the stars in the sky
will stop giving their light.
The sun will be darkened as soon as it rises.
The moon will not shine.
The Lord will punish the world because it is so evil.
He will punish evil people for their sins.
He’ll put an end to the bragging of those who are proud.
He’ll bring down the pride of those who don’t show any pity.
He’ll make people harder to find than pure gold.
They will be harder to find than gold from Ophir.
He will make the heavens tremble.
He’ll shake the earth out of its place.
The Lord who rules over all will show how angry he is.
At that time his burning anger will blaze out.
Outsiders who live in Babylon will scatter
like antelope that are chased by a hunter.
They are like sheep that don’t have a shepherd.
All of them will return to their own people.
They will run back to their own countries.
Those who are captured will have spears stuck through them.
Those who are caught will be killed by swords.
Their babies will be smashed to pieces
right in front of their eyes.
Their houses will be robbed.
Their wives will be raped.
The Lord will stir up the Medes to attack the Babylonians.
They aren’t interested in getting silver.
They don’t want gold.
Instead, they will use their bows and arrows
to strike down the young men.
They won’t even show any mercy to babies.
They won’t take pity on children.
The city of Babylon is the jewel of kingdoms.
It is the pride and glory of the Babylonians.
But God will destroy it
just as he did Sodom and Gomorrah.
No one will ever live in Babylon again.
No one will live there for all time to come.
Those who wander in the desert will never set up their tents there.
Shepherds will never rest their flocks there.
But desert creatures will lie down there.
Wild dogs will fill its houses.
Owls will live there.
Wild goats will jump around in it.
Hyenas will live in its forts.
Wild dogs will live in its beautiful palaces.
The time for Babylon to be punished is near.
Its days are numbered.
