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Isaiah 33
New International Reader's Version
Isaiah 33
New International Reader's Version
Trouble for Assyria and Help for God’s People
33 How terrible it will be for you, you who destroy others!
Assyria, you haven’t been destroyed yet.
How terrible for you, you who turn against others!
Others haven’t turned against you yet.
When you stop destroying,
you will be destroyed.
When you stop turning against others,
others will turn against you.
2 Lord, have mercy on us.
We long for you to help us.
Make us strong every morning.
Save us when we’re in trouble.
3 At the roar of your army, the nations run away.
When you rise up against them, they scatter.
4 Nations, what you have taken in battle is destroyed.
It’s as if young locusts had eaten it up.
Like large numbers of locusts,
people rush to get it.
5 The Lord is honored. He lives in heaven.
He will make sure Zion’s people only do what is fair and right.
6 He will be the firm foundation for their entire lives.
He will give them all the wisdom, knowledge and saving power they will ever need.
Respect for the Lord is the key to that treasure.
7 Look! Judah’s brave men cry out loud in the streets.
The messengers who were sent to bring peace weep bitter tears.
8 The wide roads are deserted.
No one travels on them.
Our peace treaty with Assyria is broken.
Those who witnessed it are looked down on.
No one is respected.
9 The land dries up and wastes away.
Lebanon is full of shame and dries up.
The rich land of Sharon is like the Arabah Desert.
The trees of Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.
10 “Now I will take action,” says the Lord.
“Now I will be honored.
Now I will be respected.
11 Assyria, your plans and actions are like straw.
Your anger is a fire that will destroy you.
12 The nations will be burned to ashes.
They will be like bushes that are cut down and set on fire.
13 “You nations far away, listen to what I have done!
My people who are near, recognize how powerful I am!
14 The sinners in Zion are terrified.
They tremble with fear.
They say, ‘Who of us can live through the Lord’s destroying fire?
Who of us can live through the fire that burns forever?’
15 People must do what is right.
They must be honest and tell the truth.
They must not get rich by cheating others.
Their hands must not receive money from those who want special favors.
They must not let their ears listen to plans to commit murder.
They must close their eyes to even thinking about doing what is evil.
16 People like that will be kept safe.
It will be as if they were living on high mountains.
It will be as if they were living in a mountain fort.
They will have all the food they need.
And they will never run out of water.”
17 People of Judah, you will see the king in all his glory and majesty.
You will view his kingdom spreading far and wide.
18 You will think about what used to terrify you.
You will say to yourself,
“Where is that chief officer of Assyria?
Where is the one who forced us to send gifts to his king?
Where is the officer in charge of the towers
that were used when we were attacked?”
19 You won’t see those proud people anymore.
They spoke a strange language.
None of us could understand it.
20 Just look at Zion! It’s the city
where we celebrate our regular feasts.
Turn your eyes toward Jerusalem.
It will be a peaceful place to live in.
It will be like a tent that will never be moved.
Its stakes will never be pulled up.
None of its ropes will be broken.
21 There the Lord will be our Mighty One.
It will be like a place of wide rivers and streams.
No boat with oars will travel on them.
No mighty ship will sail on them.
22 That’s because the Lord is our judge.
The Lord gives us our law.
The Lord is our king.
He will save us.
23 The ropes on your ship hang loose.
The mast isn’t very secure.
The sail isn’t spread out.
But the Lord will strike down the Assyrians.
Then a large amount of goods will be taken from them and divided up.
Even people who are disabled will carry off some of it.
24 No one living in Zion will ever say again, “I’m sick.”
And the sins of those who live there will be forgiven.
Isaiah 33
New International Version
Isaiah 33
New International Version
Distress and Help
33 Woe(A) to you, destroyer,
you who have not been destroyed!
Woe to you, betrayer,
you who have not been betrayed!
When you stop destroying,
you will be destroyed;(B)
when you stop betraying,
you will be betrayed.(C)
2 Lord, be gracious(D) to us;
we long for you.
Be our strength(E) every morning,
our salvation(F) in time of distress.(G)
3 At the uproar of your army,(H) the peoples flee;(I)
when you rise up,(J) the nations scatter.
4 Your plunder,(K) O nations, is harvested(L) as by young locusts;(M)
like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.
5 The Lord is exalted,(N) for he dwells on high;(O)
he will fill Zion with his justice(P) and righteousness.(Q)
6 He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation(R) and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear(S) of the Lord is the key to this treasure.[a](T)
7 Look, their brave men(U) cry aloud in the streets;
the envoys(V) of peace weep bitterly.
8 The highways are deserted,
no travelers(W) are on the roads.(X)
The treaty is broken,(Y)
its witnesses[b] are despised,
no one is respected.
9 The land dries up(Z) and wastes away,
Lebanon(AA) is ashamed and withers;(AB)
Sharon(AC) is like the Arabah,
and Bashan(AD) and Carmel(AE) drop their leaves.
10 “Now will I arise,(AF)” says the Lord.
“Now will I be exalted;(AG)
now will I be lifted up.
11 You conceive(AH) chaff,
you give birth(AI) to straw;
your breath is a fire(AJ) that consumes you.
12 The peoples will be burned to ashes;(AK)
like cut thornbushes(AL) they will be set ablaze.(AM)”
13 You who are far away,(AN) hear(AO) what I have done;
you who are near, acknowledge my power!
14 The sinners(AP) in Zion are terrified;
trembling(AQ) grips the godless:
“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?(AR)
Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”
15 Those who walk righteously(AS)
and speak what is right,(AT)
who reject gain from extortion(AU)
and keep their hands from accepting bribes,(AV)
who stop their ears against plots of murder
and shut their eyes(AW) against contemplating evil—
16 they are the ones who will dwell on the heights,(AX)
whose refuge(AY) will be the mountain fortress.(AZ)
Their bread will be supplied,
and water will not fail(BA) them.
17 Your eyes will see the king(BB) in his beauty(BC)
and view a land that stretches afar.(BD)
18 In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:(BE)
“Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
Where is the officer in charge of the towers?(BF)”
19 You will see those arrogant people(BG) no more,
people whose speech is obscure,
whose language is strange and incomprehensible.(BH)
20 Look on Zion,(BI) the city of our festivals;
your eyes will see Jerusalem,
a peaceful abode,(BJ) a tent(BK) that will not be moved;(BL)
its stakes will never be pulled up,
nor any of its ropes broken.
21 There the Lord will be our Mighty(BM) One.
It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.(BN)
No galley with oars will ride them,
no mighty ship(BO) will sail them.
22 For the Lord is our judge,(BP)
the Lord is our lawgiver,(BQ)
the Lord is our king;(BR)
it is he who will save(BS) us.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 33:6 Or is a treasure from him
- Isaiah 33:8 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text / the cities
New International Reader's Version (NIRV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.