Isaiah 33

O Lord, Be Gracious to Us

1  Ah, you destroyer,
who yourself have not been destroyed,
you traitor,
whom none has betrayed!
When you have ceased to destroy,
you will be destroyed;
and when you have finished betraying,
they will betray you.

2  O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you.
Be our arm every morning,
our salvation in the time of trouble.
3  At the tumultuous noise peoples flee;
when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered,
4  and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers;
as locusts leap, it is leapt upon.

5  The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness,
6  and he will be the stability of your times,
abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
the fear of the Lord is Zion'st treasure.

7  Behold, their heroes cry in the streets;
the envoys of peace weep bitterly.
8  The highways lie waste;
the traveler ceases.
Covenants are broken;
citiest are despised;
there is no regard for man.
9  The land mourns and languishes;
Lebanon is confounded and withers away;
Sharon is like a desert,
and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.

10  "Now I will arise," says the Lord,
"now I will lift myself up;
now I will be exalted.
11  You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble;
your breath is a fire that will consume you.
12  And the peoples will be as if burned to lime,
like thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire."

13  Hear, you who are far off, what I have done;
and you who are near, acknowledge my might.
14  The sinners in Zion are afraid;
trembling has seized the godless:
"Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire?
Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?"
15  He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,
who despises the gain of oppressions,
who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe,
who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed
and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,
16  he will dwell on the heights;
his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks;
his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.

17  Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty;
they will see a land that stretches afar.
18  Your heart will muse on the terror:
"Where is he who counted, where is he who weighed the tribute?
Where is he who counted the towers?"
19  You will see no more the insolent people,
the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend,
stammering in a tongue that you cannot understand.
20  Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feasts!
Your eyes will see Jerusalem,
an untroubled habitation, an immovable tent,
whose stakes will never be plucked up,
nor will any of its cords be broken.
21  But there the Lord in majesty will be for us
a place of broad rivers and streams,
where no galley with oars can go,
nor majestic ship can pass.
22  For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver;
the Lord is our king; he will save us.

23  Your cords hang loose;
they cannot hold the mast firm in its place
or keep the sail spread out.
Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided;
even the lame will take the prey.
24  And no inhabitant will say, "I am sick";
the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.

Isaiah 33

1 Woe to thee that destroyest, and thou wast not destroyed; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! When thou hast ceased to destroy, thou shalt be destroyed; and when thou hast made an end of dealing treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.2 O Jehovah, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou our arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.3 At the noise of the tumult the peoples are fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations are scattered.4 And your spoil shall be gathered as the caterpillar gathereth: as locusts leap shall men leap upon it.5 Jehovah is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with justice and righteousness.6 And there shall be stability in thy times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge: the fear of Jehovah is thy treasure.7 Behold, their valiant ones cry without; the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: the enemy hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth not man.9 The land mourneth and languisheth; Lebanon is confounded and withereth away; Sharon is like a desert; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.10 Now will I arise, saith Jehovah; now will I lift up myself; now will I be exalted.11 Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath is a fire that shall devour you.12 And the peoples shall be as the burnings of lime, as thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire.13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling hath seized the godless ones: Who among us can dwell with the devouring fire? who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from taking a bribe, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from looking upon evil:16 He shall dwell on high; his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks; his bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold a land that reacheth afar.18 Thy heart shall muse on the terror: Where is he that counted, where is he that weighed the tribute? where is he that counted the towers?19 Thou shalt not see the fierce people, a people of a deep speech that thou canst not comprehend, of a strange tongue that thou canst not understand.20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tent that shall not be removed, the stakes whereof shall never be plucked up, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.21 But there Jehovah will be with us in majesty, a place of broad rivers and streams, wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.22 For Jehovah is our judge, Jehovah is our lawgiver, Jehovah is our king; he will save us.23 Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not strengthen the foot of their mast, they could not spread the sail: then was the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame took the prey.24 And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.