Isaiah 2

Chapter 2

The LORD’s Future Reign

1 This is a vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
2 In the last days, the mountain of the LORD’s house
will be the highest of all—
the most important place on earth.
It will be raised above the other hills,
and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.3 People from many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of Jacob’s God.
There he will teach us his ways,
and we will walk in his paths.”
For the LORD’s teaching will go out from Zion;
his word will go out from Jerusalem.4 The LORD will mediate between nations
and will settle international disputes.
They will hammer their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer fight against nation,
nor train for war anymore.

A Warning of Judgment

5 Come, descendants of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the LORD!6 For the LORD has rejected his people,
the descendants of Jacob,
because they have filled their land with practices from the East
and with sorcerers, as the Philistines do.
They have made alliances with pagans.7 Israel is full of silver and gold;
there is no end to its treasures.
Their land is full of warhorses;
there is no end to its chariots.8 Their land is full of idols;
the people worship things they have made
with their own hands.9 So now they will be humbled,
and all will be brought low—
do not forgive them.10 Crawl into caves in the rocks.
Hide in the dust
from the terror of the LORD
and the glory of his majesty.11 Human pride will be brought down,
and human arrogance will be humbled.
Only the LORD will be exalted
on that day of judgment.12 For the LORD of Heaven’s Armies
has a day of reckoning.
He will punish the proud and mighty
and bring down everything that is exalted.13 He will cut down the tall cedars of Lebanon
and all the mighty oaks of Bashan.14 He will level all the high mountains
and all the lofty hills.15 He will break down every high tower
and every fortified wall.16 He will destroy all the great trading shipst
and every magnificent vessel.17 Human pride will be humbled,
and human arrogance will be brought down.
Only the LORD will be exalted
on that day of judgment.18 Idols will completely disappear.19 When the LORD rises to shake the earth,
his enemies will crawl into holes in the ground.
They will hide in caves in the rocks
from the terror of the LORD
and the glory of his majesty.20 On that day of judgment they will abandon the gold and silver idols
they made for themselves to worship.
They will leave their gods to the rodents and bats,21 while they crawl away into caverns
and hide among the jagged rocks in the cliffs.
They will try to escape the terror of the LORD
and the glory of his majesty
as he rises to shake the earth.22 Don’t put your trust in mere humans.
They are as frail as breath.
What good are they?

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?