Isaiah, chapter 33
Jerusalem Will Be Safe
ou defeated my people. Now you're in for trouble!
You've never been destroyed, but you will be destroyed;
you've never been betrayed, but you will be betrayed.
When you have finished destroying and betraying,
you will be destroyed and betrayed in return.
2 Please, Lord, be kind to us! We depend on you.
Make us strong each morning,
and come to save us when we are in trouble.
3Nations scatter when you roar and show your greatness.
4We attack our enemies like swarms of locusts;
we take everything that belongs to them.
5You, Lord, are above all others,
and you live in the heavens.
You have brought justice and fairness to Jerusalem;
6you are the foundation on which we stand today.
You always save us and give true wisdom and knowledge.
Nothing means more to us than obeying you.
The Lord Will Do Something
7Listen! Our bravest soldiers are running through the streets,
screaming for help.
Our messengers hoped for peace, but came home crying.
8No one travels anymore; every road is empty.
Treaties are broken, and no respect is shown
to any who keep promises.
9Fields are dry and barren;
Mount Lebanon wilts with shame. Sharon Valley is a desert;
the forests of Bashan and Carmel have lost their leaves.
10But the Lord says, “Now I will do something
and be greatly praised.
11Your deeds are straw that will be set on fire
by your very own breath.
12You will be burned to ashes like thorns in a fire.
13Everyone, both far and near,
come look at what I have done.
See my mighty power!”
Punishment and Rewards
14Those terrible sinners on Mount Zion tremble
as they ask in fear,
“How can we possibly live where a raging fire
never stops burning?”
15But there will be rewards for those who live right
and tell the truth,
for those who refuse to take money by force
or accept bribes,
for all who hate murder and violent crimes.
16They will live in a fortress high on a rocky cliff,
where they will have food and plenty of water.
The Lord Is Our King
17With your own eyes you will see the glorious King;
you will see his kingdom reaching far and wide.
18Then you will ask yourself, “Where are those officials
who terrified us and forced us to pay such heavy taxes?”
19You will never again have to see the proud people
who spoke a strange and foreign language
you could not understand.
20 Look to Mount Zion where we celebrate
our religious festivals.
You will see Jerusalem, secure as a tent
with pegs that cannot be pulled up
and fastened with ropes that can never be broken.
21Our wonderful Lord will be with us!
There will be deep rivers and wide streams
safe from enemy ships.
The Lord Is Our Judge
22The Lord is our judge and our ruler;
the Lord is our king and will keep us safe.
23 But your nation is a ship with its rigging loose,
its mast shaky, and its sail not spread.
Someday even you that are lame
will take everything you want from your enemies.
24The Lord will forgive your sins,
and none of you will say, “I feel sick.”