The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

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- Chapter 29 -

(Luke 19:41–44)

Woe to Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped! Add year to year; let the festivals come round.

But I will besiege Ariel, and she will be mourning and lamenting; and she will be to me like Ariel.

I will encamp against you in a circle and will lay siege against you with a palisade, and I will raise siege works against you.

You will be brought down and will speak from the ground; your speech will be low from the dust. Your voice will be like a ghost out of the ground, and your speech will be very weak from the dust.

The horde of your invaders will be like small dust, and the multitude of the ruthless ones as chaff that passes away. It will happen suddenly, in an instant.

Yahweh of hosts will come to you with thunder, earthquake, great noise, with strong winds and violent storm, and the flames of a devouring fire.

It will be like a dream, a vision of the night: A horde of all the nations will fight against Ariel and her stronghold. They will attack her and her fortifications to press upon her.

It will be like when a hungry man dreams he is eating, but when he awakes, his stomach is empty. It will be like when a thirsty man dreams that he is drinking, but he when he awakes, he is fainting, with his thirst not quenched. Yes, so will be the great number of nations that fights against Mount Zion.

Astonish yourselves and be astonished; blind yourselves and be blind! Be drunk, but not with wine; stagger, but not with beer.

For Yahweh has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep. He has closed your eyes, the prophets, and has covered your heads, the seers.

All revelation has become to you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men might give to one who is learned, saying, “Read this.” He also says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.”

If the book is given to one who cannot read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot read.”

The Lord said, “This people comes close to me with their mouths and honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Their honor for me is only a commandment of men that has been taught.

Therefore, see, I will proceed to do a marvelous thing among this people, wonder after wonder. The wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the understanding of their prudent men will disappear.”

Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from Yahweh, and whose deeds are in darkness. They say, “Who sees us, and who knows us?”

You turn things upside down! Should the potter be considered like clay, so that the thing that is made should say about him who made it, “He did not make me,” or the thing formed say about him who formed it, “He does not understand”?

Sanctification for the Godly

In just a little while, Lebanon will be turned into a field, and the field will become a forest.

On that day the deaf will hear the words of a book, and the eyes of the blind will see out of the deep darkness.

The oppressed will again rejoice in Yahweh, and the poor among men will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

For the ruthless will cease, and the scoffer will vanish. All those who love to do evil will be eliminated,

who by a word make a man out to be an offender. They lay a snare for him who seeks justice at the gate and put the righteous down with empty lies.

Therefore, this is what Yahweh says concerning the house of Jacob-Yahweh, who redeemed Abraham, “Jacob will no longer be ashamed, nor will his face be pale.

But when he sees his children, the work of my hands, they will make my name holy. They will make holy the name of the Holy One of Jacob and they will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

Those who err in spirit will gain understanding, and complainers will learn knowledge.”

(Luke 19:41–44)

Woe to Ariel! Ariel, the city where David encamped! Add year to year; let the feasts come around;

then I will distress Ariel, and there will be mourning and lamentation. She shall be to me as an altar hearth.(a)

I will encamp against you all around you, and will lay siege against you with posted troops. I will raise siege works against you.

You will be brought down, and will speak out of the ground. Your speech will mumble out of the dust. Your voice will be as of one who has a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and your speech will whisper out of the dust.

But the multitude of your foes will be like fine dust, and the multitude of the ruthless ones like chaff that blows away. Yes, it will be in an instant, suddenly.

She will be visited by the LORD of Armies with thunder, with earthquake, with great noise, with whirlwind and storm, and with the flame of a devouring fire.

The multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all who fight against her and her stronghold, and who distress her, will be like a dream, a vision of the night.

It will be like when a hungry man dreams, and behold, he eats; but he awakes, and his hunger isn’t satisfied; or like when a thirsty man dreams, and behold, he drinks; but he awakes, and behold, he is faint, and he is still thirsty. The multitude of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion will be like that.

Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, the prophets; and he has covered your heads, the seers.

All vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is educated, saying, “Read this, please;” and he says, “I can’t, for it is sealed;”

and the book is delivered to one who is not educated, saying, “Read this, please;” and he says, “I can’t read.”

The Lord said, “Because this people draws near with their mouth and honors me with their lips, but they have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which has been taught;

therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the understanding of their prudent men will be hidden.”

Woe to those who deeply hide their counsel from the LORD, and whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, “Who sees us?” and “Who knows us?”

You turn things upside down! Should the potter be thought to be like clay, that the thing made should say about him who made it, “He didn’t make me;” or the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?

Sanctification for the Godly

Isn’t it yet a very little while, and Lebanon will be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field will be regarded as a forest?

In that day, the deaf will hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind will see out of obscurity and out of darkness.

The humble also will increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

For the ruthless is brought to nothing, and the scoffer ceases, and all those who are alert to do evil are cut off—

who cause a person to be indicted by a word, and lay a snare for one who reproves in the gate, and who deprive the innocent of justice with false testimony.

Therefore the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, says concerning the house of Jacob: “Jacob shall no longer be ashamed, neither shall his face grow pale.

But when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in the middle of him, they will sanctify my name. Yes, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

They also who err in spirit will come to understanding, and those who grumble will receive instruction.”

Footnotes

(a)29:2 or, Ariel