Isaiah 2

1  THE WORD which Isaiah son of Amoz saw [revealed] concerning Judah and Jerusalem.2  It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be [firmly] established as the highest of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow to it.3  And many people shall come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.4  And He shall judge between the nations and shall decide [disputes] for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 5  O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.6  Surely [Lord] You have rejected and forsaken your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled [with customs] from the east and with soothsayers [who foretell] like the Philistines; also they strike hands and make pledges and agreements with the children of aliens. 7  Their land also is full of silver and gold; neither is there any end to their treasures. Their land is also full of horses; neither is there any end to their chariots. 8  Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, what their own fingers have made.9  And the common man is bowed down [before idols], also the great man is brought low and humbles himself--therefore forgive them not [O Lord].10  Enter into the rock and hide yourself in the dust from before the terror of the Lord and from the glory of His majesty.11  The proud looks of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be humbled; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.12  For there shall be a day of the Lord of hosts against all who are proud and haughty and against all who are lifted up--and they shall be brought low--13  [The wrath of God will begin by coming down] against all the cedars of Lebanon [west of the Jordan] that are high and lifted up, and against all the oaks of Bashan [east of the Jordan],14  And [after that] against all the high mountains and all the hills that are lifted up,15  And against every high tower and every fenced wall,16  And against all the ships of Tarshish and all the picturesque and desirable imagery [designed for mere ornament and luxury].17  Then the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.18  And the idols shall utterly pass away (be abolished).19  Then shall [the stricken, deprived of all in which they had trusted] go into the caves of the rocks and into the holes of the earth from before the terror and dread of the Lord and from before the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake mightily and terribly the earth. 20  In that day men shall cast away to the moles and to the bats their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship,21  To go into the caverns of the rocks and into the clefts of the ragged rocks from before the terror and dread of the Lord and from before the glory of His majesty, when He rises to shake mightily and terribly the earth.22  Cease to trust in [weak, frail, and dying] man, whose breath is in his nostrils [for so short a time]; in what sense can he be counted as having intrinsic worth?

Isaiah 2

The Future Glory of Jerusalem

1 Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalems that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz.t

2 In the futuret
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will enduret
as the most important of mountains,
and will be the most prominent of hills.t
All the nations will stream to it,

3 many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain,
to the temple of the God of Jacob,
sot he can teach us his requirements,t
andt we can follow his standards.”t
For Zion will be the center for moral instruction;t
the Lord will issue edicts from Jerusalem.t

4 He will judge disputes between nations;
he will settle cases for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares,s
and their spears into pruning hooks.s
Nations will not take up the sword against other nations,
and they will no longer train for war.

5 O descendantst of Jacob,
come, let us walk in the Lord’s guiding light.t

The Lord’s Day of Judgment

6 Indeed, O Lord,t you have abandoned your people,
the descendants of Jacob.
For diviners from the east are everywhere;s
they consult omen readers like the Philistines do.t
Plenty of foreigners are around.t

7 Their land is full of gold and silver;
there is no end to their wealth.t
Their land is full of horses;
there is no end to their chariots.s

8 Their land is full of worthless idols;
they worshipt the product of their own hands,
what their own fingers have fashioned.

9 Men bow down to them in homage,
they lie flat on the ground in worship.t
Don’t spare them!t

10 Go up into the rocky cliffs,
hide in the ground.
Get away from the dreadful judgment of the Lord,t
from his royal splendor!

11 Proud men will be brought low,
arrogant men will be humiliated;t
the Lord alone will be exaltedt
in that day.

12 Indeed, the Lord who commands armies has planned a day of judgment,t
fort all the high and mighty,
for all who are proud – they will be humiliated;

13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,
that are so high and mighty,
for all the oaks of Bashan;s

14 for all the tall mountains,
for all the high hills,s

15 for every high tower,
for every fortified wall,

16 for all the large ships,t
for all the impressivet ships.ts

17 Proud men will be humiliated,
arrogant men will be brought low;t
the Lord alone will be exaltedt
in that day.

18 The worthless idols will be completely eliminated.st

19 Theyt will go into caves in the rocky cliffs
and into holes in the ground,t
trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lordt
and his royal splendor,
when he rises up to terrify the earth.t

20 At that timet men will throw
their silver and gold idols,
which they made for themselves to worship,t
into the caves where rodents and bats live,t

21 so they themselves can go into the crevices of the rocky cliffs
and the openings under the rocky overhangs,s
trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lordt
and his royal splendor,
when he rises up to terrify the earth.t

22 Stop trusting in human beings,
whose life’s breath is in their nostrils.
For why should they be given special consideration?