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Isaiah 33
Modern English Version
Isaiah 33
Modern English Version
A Prophecy of Deliverance
33 Woe to you, O destroyer,
though you were not destroyed,
and he who is treacherous,
though others did not deal treacherously with you!
When you cease destroying,
you shall be destroyed;
and when you finish dealing treacherously,
others shall deal treacherously with you.
2 O Lord, be gracious to us;
we have waited for You.
Be our strength every morning,
our salvation also in the time of trouble.
3 At the noise of the tumult, the people flee;
at the lifting up of Yourself, the nations scatter;
4 your spoil is gathered like the caterpillar gathers;
as locusts rush about, men rush about on it.
5 The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 He shall be the stability of your times,
a wealth of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
the fear of the Lord is His treasure.
7 Listen! Their valiant ones cry in the streets;
the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.
8 The highways lie waste,
the wayfaring man ceases.
He has broken the covenant,
he has despised the cities,
he has no regard for man.
9 The earth mourns and languishes;
Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down.
Sharon is like a wilderness,
and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.
Impending Judgment on Israel
10 “Now I will rise,” says the Lord,
“now I will be exalted,
now I will be lifted up.
11 You have conceived chaff,
you shall bring forth stubble;
My breath, as fire, shall devour you.
12 The people shall be burned to lime,
as thorns cut up are burned in the fire.”
13 Hear what I have done, you who are far away;
and you who are near, acknowledge My might.
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid;
fearfulness has seized the hypocrites:
“Who among us can live with the continual fire?
Who among us can live with everlasting burning?”
15 He who walks righteously
and speaks uprightly,
he who rejects unjust gain
and shakes his hands from holding bribes,
who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed,
and shuts his eyes from seeing evil:
16 He shall dwell on high;
his place of defense shall be the impregnable rock;
his bread shall be given him,
his waters shall be sure.
The Land of the Majestic King
17 Your eyes shall see the King in His beauty;
they shall see the land that is very far away.
18 Your heart shall meditate on terror:
“Where is he who counts?
Where is he who weighs?
Where is he who counts the towers?”
19 You shall not see a fierce people any more,
a people of unintelligible speech which no one comprehends,
of a stammering tongue which no one understands.
20 Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts;
your eyes shall see Jerusalem,
a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down;
not one of its stakes shall ever be removed,
nor shall any of its cords be broken.
21 But there the glorious Lord will be to us
a place of broad rivers and streams
on which no boat with oars shall go
and on which no gallant ship shall pass,
22 for the Lord is our judge,
the Lord is our lawgiver,
the Lord is our king;
He will save us.
23 Your tackle hangs loose;
it cannot hold the base of its mast securely,
nor spread out the sail.
Then the prey of an abundant spoil shall be divided;
the lame shall take the prey.
24 The inhabitant shall not say, “I am sick”;
the people who dwell there shall be forgiven their iniquity.
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
Modern English Version (MEV)
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.