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 Yahveh 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 Yahveh has poured a sleeping spirit over you;
he’s shut your eyes, prophets,
and covered your heads, seers.
Is 29:9-12
13 So Yahveh 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 Yahveh;
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 Yahveh that redeemed Abraham says of Jacob’s house,
“They won’t be 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