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A shoot from Jesse’s stump

11 A shoot will grow up from the stump of Jesse;
    a branch will sprout[a] from his roots.
The Lord’s spirit will rest upon him,
    a spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    a spirit of planning and strength,
    a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.
He will delight in fearing the Lord.
He won’t judge by appearances,
    nor decide by hearsay.
He will judge the needy with righteousness,
    and decide with equity for those who suffer in the land.
He will strike the violent[b] with the rod of his mouth;
    by the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.
Righteousness will be the belt around his hips,
    and faithfulness the belt around his waist.
The wolf will live with the lamb,
    and the leopard will lie down with the young goat;
    the calf and the young lion will feed[c] together,
    and a little child will lead them.
The cow and the bear will graze.
    Their young will lie down together,
    and a lion will eat straw like an ox.
A nursing child will play over the snake’s hole;
    toddlers will reach right over the serpent’s den.
They won’t harm or destroy anywhere on my holy mountain.
    The earth will surely be filled with the knowledge of the Lord,
    just as the water covers the sea.

A signal to the peoples

10 On that day, the root of Jesse will stand as a signal to the peoples. The nations will seek him out, and his dwelling will be glorious.

11 On that day, the Lord will extend his hand a second time to reclaim the survivors of God’s people who are left from Assyria and from Egypt, from Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the coastlands[d] of the sea.

12 God will raise a signal for the nations and gather the outcast men of Israel.
    God will collect the dispersed women of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
13 Ephraim’s jealousy will cease,
    and Judah’s harassment will be eliminated.
Ephraim won’t be jealous of Judah,
    and Judah won’t harass Ephraim.
14 But they will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west;
    together they will plunder the people to the east.
Edom and Moab will be under their power,
    and the Ammonites will be their subjects.

15 The Lord will split the tongue of the Egyptian sea. God will wave a hand over the Euphrates with a powerful[e] wind and break it into seven streams so that it can be crossed in sandals. 16 Then there will be a highway from Assyria for the survivors of God’s people who are left from Assyria, just as there was for Israel on the day they went up from the land of Egypt.

Hymn of trust

12 You will say on that day:
“I thank you, Lord.
Though you were angry with me,
    your anger turned away and you comforted me.
God is indeed my salvation;
    I will trust and won’t be afraid.
Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my shield;
    he has become my salvation.”

You will draw water with joy from the springs of salvation.
And you will say on that day:
“Thank the Lord; call on God’s name;
    proclaim God’s deeds among the peoples;
    declare that God’s name is exalted.
Sing to the Lord, who has done glorious things;
    proclaim this throughout all the earth.”
Shout and sing for joy, city of Zion,
    because the holy one of Israel is great among you.

Babylon falls

13 An oracle about Babylon, which Isaiah, Amoz’s son, saw.

On a bare mountain raise a signal;
    cry aloud to them;
    wave a hand;
    let them enter the officials’ gates.
I have commanded my holy ones;
    I have called my warriors,
    my proud, jubilant ones,
    to execute my wrath.
Listen![f] A roar on the mountains like that of a great crowd.
Listen! An uproar of kingdoms,
    of nations coming together.
The Lord of heavenly forces is mustering an army for battle.
They are coming from a distant land,
        from the faraway heavens,
    the Lord and the instruments of his fury, to destroy the whole land.

Wail, for the day of the Lord is near.
    Like destruction from the Almighty[g] it will come.
Then all hands will fall limp;
    every human heart will melt,
    and they will be terrified.
Like a woman writhing in labor,
    they will be seized by spasms and agony.
They will look at each other aghast,
    their faces blazing.

Look, the day of the Lord is coming with cruel rage and burning anger,
    making the earth a ruin,
    and wiping out its sinners.
10 Heaven’s stars and constellations won’t show their light.
The sun will be dark when it rises;
    the moon will no longer shine.
11 I will bring disaster upon the world for its evil,
    and bring their own sin upon the wicked.
I will end the pride of the insolent,
    and the conceit of tyrants I will lay low.
12 I will make humans scarcer than fine gold;
    people rarer than the gold of Ophir.
13 I will rattle the heavens;
    the earth will shake loose from its place—because of the rage
    of the Lord of heavenly forces
        on the day his anger burns.
14 They will be like hunted gazelles, like sheep without a shepherd;
    all will turn to their own people
    and flee to their own lands.
15 Whoever is found will be stabbed;
    whoever is caught will fall by the sword.
16 Their infants will be crushed before their eyes;
    their houses plundered, their women raped.

17 Look! I’m rousing the Medes against them;
    the Medes pay no mind to silver, no desire for gold.
18 Their bows will smash youths;
    they will be merciless to newborns, pitiless to children.
19 So Babylon, a jewel among kingdoms,
    the Chaldeans’ splendor and pride,
    will be like Sodom and Gomorrah,
        destroyed by God.
20 No one will ever resettle
    or live there for generations.
No Arab will camp there;
    no shepherds will rest flocks there.
21 Wildcats will rest there;
    houses will be filled with owls.
Ostriches will live there,
    and goat demons will dance there.
22 Hyenas will howl in its strongholds,
    and jackals in its luxurious palaces.
Babylon’s[h] time is coming soon;
    its days won’t drag on.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 11:1 LXX, Vulg; MT bear fruit
  2. Isaiah 11:4 Or land
  3. Isaiah 11:6 Correction; MT and the calf
  4. Isaiah 11:11 Or islands
  5. Isaiah 11:15 Heb uncertain
  6. Isaiah 13:4 Heb lacks Listen!
  7. Isaiah 13:6 Heb Shaddai or Mountain One
  8. Isaiah 13:22 Heb Its

The Branch From Jesse

11 A shoot(A) will come up from the stump(B) of Jesse;(C)
    from his roots a Branch(D) will bear fruit.(E)
The Spirit(F) of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom(G) and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,(H)
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord
and he will delight in the fear(I) of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,(J)
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;(K)
but with righteousness(L) he will judge the needy,(M)
    with justice(N) he will give decisions for the poor(O) of the earth.
He will strike(P) the earth with the rod of his mouth;(Q)
    with the breath(R) of his lips he will slay the wicked.(S)
Righteousness will be his belt(T)
    and faithfulness(U) the sash around his waist.(V)

The wolf will live with the lamb,(W)
    the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together;
    and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
    their young will lie down together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.(X)
The infant(Y) will play near the cobra’s den,
    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s(Z) nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy(AA)
    on all my holy mountain,(AB)
for the earth(AC) will be filled with the knowledge(AD) of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

10 In that day(AE) the Root of Jesse(AF) will stand as a banner(AG) for the peoples; the nations(AH) will rally to him,(AI) and his resting place(AJ) will be glorious.(AK) 11 In that day(AL) the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant(AM) of his people from Assyria,(AN) from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt,(AO) from Cush,[b](AP) from Elam,(AQ) from Babylonia,[c] from Hamath(AR) and from the islands(AS) of the Mediterranean.(AT)

12 He will raise a banner(AU) for the nations
    and gather(AV) the exiles of Israel;(AW)
he will assemble the scattered people(AX) of Judah
    from the four quarters of the earth.(AY)
13 Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish,
    and Judah’s enemies[d] will be destroyed;
Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah,
    nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim.(AZ)
14 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia(BA) to the west;
    together they will plunder the people to the east.(BB)
They will subdue Edom(BC) and Moab,(BD)
    and the Ammonites(BE) will be subject to them.(BF)
15 The Lord will dry up(BG)
    the gulf of the Egyptian sea;
with a scorching wind(BH) he will sweep his hand(BI)
    over the Euphrates River.(BJ)
He will break it up into seven streams
    so that anyone can cross over in sandals.(BK)
16 There will be a highway(BL) for the remnant(BM) of his people
    that is left from Assyria,(BN)
as there was for Israel
    when they came up from Egypt.(BO)

Songs of Praise

12 In that day(BP) you will say:

“I will praise(BQ) you, Lord.
    Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away(BR)
    and you have comforted(BS) me.
Surely God is my salvation;(BT)
    I will trust(BU) and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself,(BV) is my strength(BW) and my defense[e];
    he has become my salvation.(BX)
With joy you will draw water(BY)
    from the wells(BZ) of salvation.

In that day(CA) you will say:

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;(CB)
    make known among the nations(CC) what he has done,
    and proclaim that his name is exalted.(CD)
Sing(CE) to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;(CF)
    let this be known to all the world.
Shout aloud and sing for joy,(CG) people of Zion,
    for great(CH) is the Holy One of Israel(CI) among you.(CJ)

A Prophecy Against Babylon

13 A prophecy(CK) against Babylon(CL) that Isaiah son of Amoz(CM) saw:(CN)

Raise a banner(CO) on a bare hilltop,
    shout to them;
beckon to them
    to enter the gates(CP) of the nobles.
I have commanded those I prepared for battle;
    I have summoned my warriors(CQ) to carry out my wrath(CR)
    those who rejoice(CS) in my triumph.

Listen, a noise on the mountains,
    like that of a great multitude!(CT)
Listen, an uproar(CU) among the kingdoms,
    like nations massing together!
The Lord Almighty(CV) is mustering(CW)
    an army for war.
They come from faraway lands,
    from the ends of the heavens(CX)
the Lord and the weapons(CY) of his wrath(CZ)
    to destroy(DA) the whole country.

Wail,(DB) for the day(DC) of the Lord is near;
    it will come like destruction(DD) from the Almighty.[f](DE)
Because of this, all hands will go limp,(DF)
    every heart will melt with fear.(DG)
Terror(DH) will seize them,
    pain and anguish will grip(DI) them;
    they will writhe like a woman in labor.(DJ)
They will look aghast at each other,
    their faces aflame.(DK)

See, the day(DL) of the Lord is coming
    —a cruel(DM) day, with wrath(DN) and fierce anger(DO)
to make the land desolate
    and destroy the sinners within it.
10 The stars of heaven and their constellations
    will not show their light.(DP)
The rising sun(DQ) will be darkened(DR)
    and the moon will not give its light.(DS)
11 I will punish(DT) the world for its evil,
    the wicked(DU) for their sins.
I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty(DV)
    and will humble(DW) the pride of the ruthless.(DX)
12 I will make people(DY) scarcer than pure gold,
    more rare than the gold of Ophir.(DZ)
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble;(EA)
    and the earth will shake(EB) from its place
at the wrath(EC) of the Lord Almighty,
    in the day of his burning anger.(ED)

14 Like a hunted(EE) gazelle,
    like sheep without a shepherd,(EF)
they will all return to their own people,
    they will flee(EG) to their native land.(EH)
15 Whoever is captured will be thrust through;
    all who are caught will fall(EI) by the sword.(EJ)
16 Their infants(EK) will be dashed to pieces before their eyes;
    their houses will be looted and their wives violated.(EL)

17 See, I will stir up(EM) against them the Medes,(EN)
    who do not care for silver
    and have no delight in gold.(EO)
18 Their bows(EP) will strike down the young men;(EQ)
    they will have no mercy(ER) on infants,
    nor will they look with compassion on children.(ES)
19 Babylon,(ET) the jewel of kingdoms,(EU)
    the pride and glory(EV) of the Babylonians,[g]
will be overthrown(EW) by God
    like Sodom and Gomorrah.(EX)
20 She will never be inhabited(EY)
    or lived in through all generations;
there no nomads(EZ) will pitch their tents,
    there no shepherds will rest their flocks.
21 But desert creatures(FA) will lie there,
    jackals(FB) will fill her houses;
there the owls(FC) will dwell,
    and there the wild goats(FD) will leap about.
22 Hyenas(FE) will inhabit her strongholds,(FF)
    jackals(FG) her luxurious palaces.
Her time is at hand,(FH)
    and her days will not be prolonged.(FI)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 11:6 Hebrew; Septuagint lion will feed
  2. Isaiah 11:11 That is, the upper Nile region
  3. Isaiah 11:11 Hebrew Shinar
  4. Isaiah 11:13 Or hostility
  5. Isaiah 12:2 Or song
  6. Isaiah 13:6 Hebrew Shaddai
  7. Isaiah 13:19 Or Chaldeans