Isaiah Chapter 29

An Oracle About Jerusalem

              29^:1“Misfortune awaits you, Ariel, city where David camped!

                        Year after year, you observe the festivals on schedule.

                  ² Yet I’ll bring disaster on you, Ariel;      

                        you’ll lament and mourn;

                        you’ll be to me what Ariel means [blood-covered altar].

                  ³ I’ll camp against you all the way around

                        and set up siege works and battle towers.

                  ⁴ You’ll be brought low;

            you’ll speak from the ground

                  where you lie prostrate;

            you’ll speak like a spirit conjured up from the dirt,

                  like a whisper from the grave.                             

Is 29:1-4

      ⁵ “But suddenly your many enemies

                           will be like fine dust blown away,

            ruthless attackers like chaff

                  gone with a gust of wind.

      ⁶ The LORD of Hosts will visit you

            with thunder, earthquake, and loud noise,

            with whirlwind, storm, and consuming fire.

      ⁷ The nations that carry on war with you, Ariel,

                  that attack your fortresses,

            will vanish like a dream at night.

      ⁸ They’ll be like hungry people that dream they’re eating,

                  but wake up still hungry;

            or thirsty people that dream they’re drinking,          

                  but wake up fainting from thirst.

      That’s how it will be with the countries

            that attack Mount Zion.”

Is 29:5-8

                  ⁹ But you linger and wait and blind yourselves.

                              You’re drunk, but not with wine;

                              you’re staggering, but not from alcohol;

                        ¹⁰ that’s because the LORD has poured a sleeping spirit over you;

                              he’s shut your eyes, prophets,

                              and covered your heads, seers.                            

^11-12 This whole vision won’t mean much to you, either because it’s a sealed scroll to you or because you can’t read. Literate or not, you won’t get it.

Is 29:9-12

                  ¹³ So the LORD says,

                        “These people come near with their mouth

                                    and honor me with their lips,

                              but their hearts are somewhere else;

                              their respect for me consists of

                                    memorizing human rules.

                        ¹⁴ So I’ll surprise these hypocrites once again

                                    with something awesome and amazing;

                              the wisdom of the wise will perish;

                              the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.

Is 29:13-14

                  ¹⁵ “Misfortune awaits people that try to hide

                              their intentions from me,

                        who do things in the dark

                              and think I can’t see them.

                  ¹⁶ You’ve got things turned around!

                              Is a potter treated like clay

                              so that what’s made says to its maker,

                                    ‘You didn’t make me’;

                              or what’s formed says to the one that formed it,

                                    “You don’t know what you’re doing’”?        

Is 29:15-16

                  ¹⁷ Isn’t it just a little while

                        till Lebanon becomes a fertile field

                        and the fertile field becomes a forest?

                  ¹⁸ At that time, the deaf will hear the message from the scroll;

                              the blind will see through the gloom and darkness;

                              ¹⁹ the humble will have fresh happiness in the LORD;

                              the needy will celebrate in the Holy One of Israel.

                  ²⁰ Ruthless people will come to nothing;

                              scoffers won’t scoff anymore;

                              those intent on creating disorder will be destroyed—

                                    ²¹ people that slander,

                                          that try to entrap the judge in court,

                                          that defraud the innocent with sophistry.

Is 29:17-21

                  ²² So the LORD that redeemed Abraham says of Jacob’s house,

                              “They won’t feel ashamed anymore

                                    or turn pale with fear.

                              ²³ When they see their descendants around them,

                                          the work of my hands,

                                    they’ll treat me as holy

                                    and stand in awe of me.

                              ²⁴ The ignorant will know the truth;

                                    the stubborn will accept instruction.”           

Is 29:22-24