The Book of Isaiah (Chapters 1-66)
God's Case Against Judah
This is the vision of Isaiah, son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem. The Lord declares a divine complaint, calling heaven and earth as witnesses: “I reared children, but they have rebelled against me.” He states that even an ox knows its master, but Israel does not understand. This sinful nation, loaded with iniquity, has forsaken the Lord and despised the Holy One of Israel.
Their rebellion has left the entire nation sick and wounded, from head to foot. The land is desolate, cities are burned, and foreigners devour their fields, leaving Daughter Zion like a lone shelter in a besieged city. If the Lord of Hosts had not left a few survivors, they would have been completely destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah.
The Futility of Ritual Without Justice
The Lord addresses the people, comparing their leaders to those of Sodom and Gomorrah. He asks, "What are your many sacrifices to me?" He is weary of burnt offerings and takes no pleasure in the blood of bulls or lambs. He questions who asked them to trample his courts, calling their meaningless offerings, incense, New Moons, and Sabbaths detestable and wicked assemblies.
God hates their festivals; they have become a burden. When they pray, he will hide his eyes, refusing to listen because their hands are full of blood. He calls on them to wash, remove their evil deeds, and stop doing wrong. Instead, they must learn to do right, seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, defend the fatherless, and plead the widow's case.
The Choice: Repentance or Judgment
The Lord offers a path to cleansing: "Come now, let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." He promises that if they are willing and obedient, they will prosper. But if they resist and rebel, they will be devoured by the sword.
The faithful city has become a prostitute, once full of justice but now home to murderers. Her silver is dross, her wine diluted. The rulers are rebels and thieves, loving bribes and ignoring the needs of the fatherless and the widow. Therefore, the Lord of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, declares he will get relief from his foes. He will turn his hand against the city, purge its dross, and restore its judges. Only then will it be called the City of Righteousness. Zion will be redeemed with justice, but rebels, sinners, and those who forsake the Lord will be broken and perish.
A Day of Judgment and the Hope of a Remnant
In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of all, and all nations will stream to it. They will seek God's ways, and the law will go out from Zion. He will judge between nations, and they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer train for war.
But a day of judgment is coming against all human pride. The Lord alone will be exalted on that day, and he will humble the arrogant, the lofty cedars, the high mountains, the fortified towers, and the stately ships. People will hide in rocks and caves from the terror of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty when he rises to shake the earth. All idols will be thrown away.
This judgment will begin with the collapse of Judah's leadership. The Lord will take away every source of support: the hero, warrior, judge, prophet, elder, and skilled artisan. Youths will become their officials, and children will rule, leading to social anarchy where the young defy the old and the base defy the honorable. Jerusalem stumbles because its speech and actions defy the Lord. The leaders are condemned for ruining the "vineyard" and crushing the poor.
The haughty women of Zion are also judged. Because they walk with outstretched necks, flirting eyes, and tinkling anklets, the Lord will bring sores on their heads and snatch away all their finery—from anklets and necklaces to robes and veils. Instead of perfume, there will be stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of beauty, branding. Their men will fall by the sword, and the city gates will mourn.
Yet, a purified remnant will survive. On that day, the "Branch of the Lord" will be beautiful and glorious for the survivors in Israel. Those left in Zion will be called holy. The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion with a spirit of judgment and fire. He will then create a canopy of smoke by day and fire by night over Mount Zion, a shelter from the heat and a refuge from the storm.
The Parable of the Sour Vineyard and Woes Against Injustice
Isaiah sings a song about his loved one's vineyard. It was planted on a fertile hill, cleared of stones, and filled with the choicest vines, complete with a watchtower and a winepress. But when the owner looked for good grapes, it yielded only sour, wild ones. God asks Jerusalem to judge: "What more could have been done for it?"
Now, God will destroy the vineyard. He will remove its hedge and break its wall, leaving it a trampled wasteland of briers and thorns, commanding the clouds not to rain on it. Isaiah explains: "The vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel." God looked for justice (mishpat), but saw bloodshed (mispah); for righteousness (tsedaqah), but heard cries of distress (tse'aqah).
A series of woes follows, pronouncing judgment on specific sins. Woe to those who greedily add house to house and field to field, leaving no space for others; their great houses will become desolate. Woe to those who rise early to chase alcohol and feast with harps and lyres, ignoring the deeds of the Lord; they will go into exile.
Woe to those who draw sin with cords of deceit and who mock God, saying, "Let him hurry his work so we may see it." Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and bitter for sweet. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and who deny justice to the innocent.
Because they have rejected the law of the Lord, their roots will rot. God's anger burns, and his hand is still outstretched. He will lift a banner for a distant, swift nation—whose arrows are sharp and chariots are like a whirlwind—to come and devour the land, leaving only darkness and distress.
Isaiah's Vision and Difficult Commission
In the year King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on a high and exalted throne, the train of his robe filling the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings, calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." The temple shook and filled with smoke.
Isaiah cried out, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King." Then a seraph flew to him, touched his mouth with a live coal from the altar, and said, "Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
Isaiah then heard the Lord's voice ask, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" Isaiah answered, "Here am I. Send me." God commanded him, "Go, and tell this people: 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'" He was to make their hearts calloused and their ears dull, so they would not turn and be healed.
When Isaiah asked, "For how long, Lord?" God answered, "Until the cities lie ruined, the houses are deserted, and the land is ravaged." Though only a tenth remains, it too will be laid waste. Yet, like an oak that leaves a stump, "the holy seed will be the stump in the land."
The Immanuel Sign and the Assyrian Threat
During King Ahaz's reign, Rezin of Syria and Pekah of Israel marched against Jerusalem, causing the hearts of Ahaz and his people to shake. The Lord told Isaiah to meet Ahaz and tell him, "Be calm, do not be afraid. These two kings are just 'smoldering stubs of firewood.' Their plan to invade Judah will not happen."
The Lord then offered Ahaz a sign, but Ahaz refused, saying he would not test the Lord. Isaiah replied, "Will you try my God's patience too? Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (God with us). Before the boy knows enough to reject wrong and choose right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste."
However, Isaiah warned that the Lord would bring a worse threat: the king of Assyria. This enemy would be like a "hired razor," shaving the land bare, and like flies from Egypt and bees from Assyria, covering the land.
Isaiah was also told to write on a scroll the name "Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz" (quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil). His wife, the prophetess, bore a son, and God named him this, signifying that before the boy could say "father" or "mother," Assyria would carry off the wealth of Damascus and Samaria. Because the people rejected the gentle waters of Shiloah, the Lord would bring the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates—the king of Assyria—to sweep through Judah.
The Lord warned Isaiah not to follow the way of the people or fear what they fear. Instead, he must regard the Lord of Hosts as holy. The Lord will be a sanctuary for some, but a stumbling stone and a trap for the houses of Israel. Isaiah and his children are "signs and symbols" in Israel. When people are told to consult mediums and spiritists, they should instead consult God's instruction and testimony. Those who do not speak this word have no light, only distress and darkness.
The Prince of Peace and Assyria, the Rod of God's Anger
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom. The people walking in darkness in the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali have seen a great light. The nation will be enlarged, and their joy will be great. God will shatter their yoke of oppression.
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." His government and peace will have no end, and he will reign on David's throne, establishing it with justice forever.
But first, judgment must come upon Israel (Ephraim) for its pride and arrogance. They boast that though bricks have fallen, they will rebuild with stone. God will strengthen their enemies against them, yet "for all this, his anger is not turned away; his hand is still outstretched." The people do not repent. Society will collapse, with wickedness burning like a fire, and people metaphorically devouring one another. Woe to those who make unjust laws to deprive the poor of their rights.
God declares, "Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger." God is sending Assyria against a godless nation (Israel) to plunder it. But Assyria does not understand its role; its heart is set on its own power, boasting, "By the strength of my hand I have done this." The king compares himself to one gathering eggs, with no one to stop him.
The Lord asks, "Does the ax boast over the one who wields it?" When the Lord has finished his work through Assyria, he will punish the king's willful pride. The Light of Israel will become a fire, devouring Assyria's glory in a single day, leaving so few trees a child could count them.
On that day, the remnant of Israel will no longer rely on the one who struck them but will truly rely on the Lord. A remnant will return (Shear-Jashub). Though Israel is like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will return. God's people in Zion are told not to fear the Assyrian, for soon God's wrath will turn to Assyria's destruction.
The Branch from Jesse and the Restored Kingdom
A shoot will come from the stump of Jesse; from his roots, a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord—of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the Lord—will rest on him. He will not judge by sight or hearing but will judge the needy with righteousness and give justice to the poor.
In his day, the wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard with the goat, and a little child will lead them. The infant will play near the cobra's den. They will neither harm nor destroy on God's holy mountain, "for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." This Root of Jesse will be a banner for the peoples, and the nations will rally to him.
On that day, the Lord will reach out a second time to reclaim the remnant of his people from Assyria, Egypt, and all lands. He will gather the exiles of Israel and the scattered people of Judah. The jealousy between Ephraim and Judah will vanish. He will make a highway for the remnant from Assyria, just as he did for Israel when they left Egypt.
In that day, the people will sing, "I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry, your anger has turned away." They will say, "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid... With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." They will proclaim his name, singing to the Lord for the glorious things he has done.
Oracles of Judgment Against the Nations
Isaiah delivers a series of oracles against the nations surrounding Judah.
An oracle concerning Babylon: The Lord is mustering an army, stirring up the Medes to destroy the land. The Day of the Lord is near—a cruel day of wrath. The heavens will tremble, and the earth will shake. Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, will be overthrown like Sodom and Gomorrah, never to be inhabited again. It will become a haunt for desert creatures.
Israel will be restored and will take up a taunt against the king of Babylon: "How the oppressor has come to an end!" The realm of the dead (Sheol) is excited to greet him, asking, "You have become weak, as we are?" The one who said in his heart, "I will ascend to heaven... I will make myself like the Most High," has been brought down to the grave. This "morning star, son of the dawn," will be cast out of his tomb like a trampled corpse for having destroyed his land.
An oracle concerning Assyria: The Lord of Hosts swears, "As I have planned, so it will be. I will crush the Assyrian in my land."
An oracle concerning Philistia: They should not rejoice that the rod that struck them is broken, for a worse viper is coming. The Lord has established Zion as a refuge for his afflicted people.
An oracle concerning Moab: The cities of Ar and Kir are ruined in a night. The people wail, shave their heads, and wear sackcloth. Their warriors cry out as fugitives. Isaiah weeps for Moab, whose pride and arrogance are empty. Within three years, Moab's glory will be despised, and her survivors will be few.
An oracle concerning Damascus and Ephraim (Israel): Damascus will become a heap of ruins. Ephraim's fortified city will disappear. The glory of Jacob will fade, like leftover grain after the harvest or a few olives left on a tree. On that day, people will finally look to their Maker, the Holy One of Israel, and not to the altars their hands have made.
An oracle concerning Cush: Isaiah sees swift messengers going to a tall, smooth-skinned people. The Lord says he will watch quietly and then, before the harvest, he will prune the nation. At that time, gifts will be brought from this people to the Lord of Hosts at Mount Zion.
An oracle concerning Egypt: The Lord rides a swift cloud to Egypt; its idols tremble. He will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian in civil war. Their plans will fail, and the Nile River will dry up, devastating their economy and causing fishermen and weavers to despair. The officials of Zoan are fools. Yet, on that day, five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord. There will be an altar to the Lord in Egypt, and he will send them a savior. He will strike Egypt and then heal them. In that day, there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Israel will be the third, a blessing on the earth, with the Lord saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance."
A Sign Against Egypt and Jerusalem's Complacency
In the year Sargon of Assyria's commander captured Ashdod, the Lord told Isaiah to walk naked and barefoot. He did this for three years as a sign against Egypt and Cush, symbolizing how the king of Assyria would lead them away as captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, to Egypt's shame. Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be dismayed, asking, "How then can we escape?"
Isaiah also delivers oracles concerning the Desert by the Sea (Babylon), announcing its fall; Dumah (Edom), where a watchman calls from Seir, "Morning is coming, but also the night"; and Arabia, where the glory of Kedar will end within a year.
An oracle is given against Jerusalem (the Valley of Vision). The city is full of commotion, but not from battle; its leaders fled and were captured. Isaiah weeps over his people's destruction. The Lord had a day of tumult planned, but the people did not look to God. Instead, they counted houses, stored water, and fortified walls. When God called for weeping and mourning, they responded with joy and revelry, saying, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!" This sin, the Lord says, will not be atoned for until they die.
God also speaks against Shebna, the palace administrator, for hewing a tomb for himself. The Lord will hurl him away and replace him with his servant Eliakim. God will clothe Eliakim with authority and place "the key of the house of David on his shoulder: what he opens, no one can shut; what he shuts, no one can open." He will be a seat of honor, but eventually, even this "peg" will give way.
An oracle concerning Tyre: The great merchant city, the bestower of crowns, will be destroyed. The Lord planned this to shatter all human pride. Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years. Afterward, the Lord will restore her, and she will resume her trade, but her profits will be set apart for the Lord.
The Earth's Great Judgment and Final Restoration
The Lord is about to lay waste to the entire earth and scatter its inhabitants, treating priest and people, master and servant, buyer and seller alike. The earth is defiled because its people have broken the everlasting covenant. A curse consumes the land, and few are left. All joy ceases; the city of chaos is left in ruins.
A remnant, like the gleanings of an olive tree, will shout for joy and acclaim the Lord's majesty. But Isaiah laments the treachery in the land. Terror, the pit, and the snare await the people of the earth. The foundations of the earth shake; it reels like a drunkard and falls, never to rise again. On that day, the Lord will punish the powers in heaven and the kings on earth. The moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, for the Lord of Hosts will reign gloriously on Mount Zion.
A song of praise follows: "O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you." He has made the city a ruin but has been a refuge for the poor. On his mountain, the Lord will prepare a feast for all peoples. He will destroy the shroud of death that covers all nations. "He will swallow up death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces."
Another song will be sung in Judah: "We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls." The righteous nation will enter. God will keep in perfect peace the mind that is steadfast, because it trusts in the Lord, the everlasting Rock. The path of the righteous is level. The song recalls the nation's distress, like a woman in labor who gives birth only to wind, bringing no salvation. But it ends in hope: "But your dead will live; their bodies will rise... the earth will give birth to her dead." God tells his people to hide in their rooms for a little while until his wrath has passed.
On that day, the Lord will punish Leviathan, the coiling serpent in the sea. He will sing of his fruitful vineyard (Israel), which he guards and waters. Jacob will take root, and Israel will blossom, filling the world with fruit. By this, Jacob's guilt will be atoned for. On that day, the Lord will gather the Israelites one by one, from the Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt. A great trumpet will sound, and the exiles from Assyria and Egypt will come to worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.
The Cornerstone and the Covenant with Death
Woe to the proud crown of Ephraim's drunkards. The Lord has a mighty one who will throw that crown to the ground. On that day, the Lord of Hosts himself will be the glorious crown for the remnant. But even in Judah, the leaders stagger from wine and reel from beer. The priest and prophet err in vision and stumble in judgment; their tables are covered in vomit. They mock Isaiah's simple teaching as if for children: "Do this, do this, do that, do that, a little here, a little there." God says he will speak to them with foreign lips (the Assyrians), and this simple word they mocked will be their downfall.
Therefore, the scoffers who rule in Jerusalem must hear the Lord. They boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death... when an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it will not touch us, for we have made lies our refuge."
So the Lord God says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation. The one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic." God will make justice the measuring line. Hail will sweep away their refuge of lies, and their covenant with death will be annulled. The scourge will come, and they will be beaten down. The Lord will rise up to do his "strange work" of judgment. Just as a farmer knows the right way to thresh different grains, this wisdom comes from the Lord, who is wonderful in counsel.
Woe to Ariel (Jerusalem), the city where David settled. God will besiege it. The nations fighting it will be like a dream—like a hungry man who dreams of eating but wakes up hungry. The people are in a deep sleep; the prophets are blind. This entire vision is like a sealed book that no one can read.
The Lord says: "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is based on human rules." Therefore, God will again do amazing things: the wisdom of the wise will perish. Woe to those who hide their plans from the Lord in the darkness. In a little while, Lebanon will become a fertile field. The deaf will hear the words of the scroll, the blind will see, and the humble will find new joy in the Lord.
The Folly of Trusting Egypt
"Woe to the obstinate children," declares the Lord, "who carry out plans that are not mine, who go down to Egypt without consulting me, seeking refuge in Pharaoh's shadow." That shadow will be their shame. Egypt's help is useless; she is "Rahab-the-Do-Nothing."
Isaiah is to write this down as a witness. They are a rebellious people who tell the seers to stop seeing visions and the prophets to prophesy "pleasant things" and "illusions." Because they have rejected God's message and relied on oppression, their sin is like a high, bulging wall that collapses suddenly.
The Lord God says, "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it." They wanted to flee on swift horses, so their pursuers will be swift.
Yet, the Lord longs to be gracious and show compassion. He will answer when they cry for help. Though he gives them the bread of adversity, their Teacher will no longer be hidden. They will hear a voice saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Then they will destroy their idols. The Lord will send rain, their crops will be plentiful, and he will bandage the bruises of his people.
The Lord's anger comes from afar, his breath a raging fire, to sift the nations. He will shatter Assyria with his voice. Topheth (the pyre) is prepared, deep and wide, for the Assyrian king, and the breath of the Lord, like burning sulfur, will set it ablaze.
Woe to those who go to Egypt for help, relying on horses and chariots but not looking to the Holy One of Israel. Egyptians are human, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, both the helper (Egypt) and the one helped (Judah) will perish. The Lord will shield Jerusalem like hovering birds. He tells Israel to return to the one they have revolted against. Assyria will fall by a non-human sword, and its "rock" (king or deity) will flee in panic.
A Righteous King and a Secure Zion
See, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice. Each will be a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm. The fool will no longer be called noble.
Isaiah warns the complacent women who feel secure: "In a little more than a year, you will tremble, for the grape harvest will fail." The land will be overgrown with thorns until the Spirit is poured out from on high. Then the wilderness will become a fertile field, and "the fruit of this righteousness will be peace... quietness and confidence forever."
Woe to the destroyer (Assyria), who has not been destroyed. When he finishes destroying, he will be destroyed. The Lord is exalted; he fills Zion with justice. The fear of the Lord is the key to salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.
The sinners in Zion are terrified, asking, "Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire?" The answer is the one who walks righteously, speaks what is right, and rejects bribes and evil. This person will dwell on the heights, their bread and water guaranteed. Their eyes will see the King in his beauty and behold a far-stretching land.
Look upon Zion. Your eyes will see Jerusalem as a peaceful habitation, a tent that will not be moved. The Lord is our Judge, Lawgiver, and King; he will save us. No one living in Zion will say, "I am ill," and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.
Judgment on Edom and the Joyful Way of Holiness
The Lord is angry with all nations and will give them over to slaughter. The heavens will be rolled up like a scroll. His sword descends on Edom for judgment. The land will be drenched with the blood of wild oxen and bulls. The Lord has a day of vengeance. Edom's streams will turn into blazing pitch, and its smoke will rise forever. It will be an eternal desolation, a haunt for owls, jackals, and ravens.
In contrast, the desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. The glory of Lebanon and Carmel will be given to it. They will see the glory of the Lord.
A message is given: "Strengthen the feeble hands... Say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come... to save you.'" Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf unstopped, the lame will leap like a deer, and the mute tongue will shout for joy. Water will gush in the wilderness.
A highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it. No lion or ferocious beast will be there. Only the redeemed, the ransomed of the Lord, will return. "They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."
Hezekiah, Assyria's Defeat, and Babylon's Shadow
In King Hezekiah's fourteenth year, Sennacherib of Assyria captured Judah's fortified cities and sent his commander (the Rabshakeh) to Jerusalem. The commander taunted Hezekiah, mocking his trust in the "splintered reed" of Egypt and in the Lord, whose high places Hezekiah himself had removed. He then shouted in Hebrew to the people on the wall, warning them not to let Hezekiah deceive them, asking, "Has the god of any other nation delivered his land from the king of Assyria?"
Hezekiah tore his clothes, went to the temple, and sent word to Isaiah, who replied with the Lord's message: "Do not be afraid. Sennacherib has blasphemed me. He will hear a rumor, return to his land, and fall by the sword."
Sennacherib sent a letter to Hezekiah, again mocking his reliance on God. Hezekiah spread the letter out in the temple and prayed for deliverance. Isaiah sent another message: The Virgin Daughter Zion despises and mocks the Assyrian king. Because of his rage, God will put a hook in his nose and turn him back. That night, the angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrians. Sennacherib retreated to Nineveh, where he was assassinated by his sons.
In those days, Hezekiah became deathly ill. Isaiah told him to put his house in order, for he would die. Hezekiah turned to the wall, wept, and prayed, reminding God of his faithful walk. Before Isaiah left the court, God told him to return: "I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life." As a sign, the Lord made the shadow on the stairway move backward ten steps.
Later, envoys from the king of Babylon came to Hezekiah, hearing of his recovery. Hezekiah proudly showed them his entire treasury. Isaiah confronted him, asking what the men had seen. He then delivered the word of the Lord: "The time is surely coming when everything in your palace... will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left. Some of your own descendants will be taken away." Hezekiah replied, "The word of the Lord is good," thinking, "There will be peace and security in my lifetime."
Comfort for God's People and the Folly of Idols
A new message begins: "Comfort, comfort my people... Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service is completed, that her sin has been paid for." A voice calls, "In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God." Every valley will be raised, and every mountain made low. The glory of the Lord will be revealed.
A voice says, "Cry out." "What shall I cry?" "All people are like grass... The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever." Jerusalem is told, "Here is your God!" The Lord God comes with power, tending his flock like a shepherd, gathering the lambs in his arms.
Who can compare to God? He has measured the waters in his hand and marked off the heavens. All nations are like a drop in a bucket. To whom will you compare him? To an idol a craftsman casts? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He brings princes to nothing.
"To whom will you compare me?" asks the Holy One. He brings out the starry host and calls each by name; not one is missing. Why, then, does Jacob complain that his way is hidden from the Lord? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator. He gives strength to the weary. Even youths grow tired, "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
The Lord challenges the idols of the nations. He has stirred up one from the east (Cyrus) who will trample rulers. But the idols are worthless; their makers encourage each other, but their works are "wind and confusion."
The Lord tells Israel, "But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen... Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you." All who rage against Israel will be as nothing. Though Jacob is a "worm," God, the Redeemer, will make him a sharp threshing sledge to crush the mountains. He will provide water in the desert and fill the wilderness with trees, so all may know the Lord has done this.
The Righteous Servant and Israel's Blindness
The Lord introduces His servant, His chosen one, in whom He delights. He will put His Spirit on this servant to bring justice to the nations. This servant will be gentle, not shouting in the streets; he will not break a bruised reed or snuff out a smoldering wick. He will faithfully establish justice on earth.
God, the Creator of the heavens and earth, has called this servant in righteousness. He will be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, opening blind eyes and freeing captives from their dungeons. God declares, "I am the Lord... I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols." The Lord will march out like a champion, shouting a battle cry. He has been silent for a long time, but now he will act, laying waste to the land but also leading the blind in unknown ways and turning their darkness into light.
Yet, God asks, "Who is blind but my servant, Israel?" The people have seen many things but paid no attention. Though it pleased theLord to make his law great, the people are plundered, trapped, and looted. It was the Lord who handed Jacob over to robbers because they sinned and would not follow His ways. He poured out His burning anger, which enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand.
God the Redeemer, Israel's Only Savior
The Lord, who created and formed Israel, now says: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine." When they pass through waters or fire, He will be with them. He is the Lord, their God, their Savior. He ransoms them because they are precious and honored in His sight, and He will gather His children from the east, west, north, and south.
He calls Israel, though blind and deaf, to be His witnesses. He challenges the nations: which of their gods foretold this? "You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "that I am he. Before me no god was formed... apart from me there is no savior." For Israel's sake, God will send to Babylon and bring down the Babylonians as fugitives. He is the one who made a path through the mighty waters of the sea.
He tells them to forget the former things, for He is doing a "new thing": making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland for His chosen people. Yet, Israel has not called on Him; they have grown weary and burdened Him with their sins. "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake," God declares, "and remembers your sins no more."
The Promise of the Spirit and the Folly of Idols
God reaffirms His choice of Jacob, His servant "Jeshurun" (Israel). He promises, "Do not be afraid... I will pour my Spirit on your offspring." His descendants will spring up, and individuals will proudly claim, "I belong to the Lord." The Lord, Israel's King and Redeemer, declares: "I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God."
He then mocks the makers of idols. A blacksmith forges an idol, growing hungry, thirsty, and faint in the process. A carpenter measures wood and shapes it into a human form. He uses a tree that the rain grew: half he burns for fuel to warm himself and bake bread, and the other half he fashions into a god, bowing down and praying, "Save me; you are my god!"
Such people, God says, feed on ashes, led astray by a deluded heart. They cannot save themselves or even ask, "Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?" He commands Jacob to remember: "You are my servant... I have swept away your offenses like a cloud. Return to me, for I have redeemed you." The heavens and earth are called to sing, for the Lord has redeemed Jacob.
Cyrus, God's Anointed Instrument
The Lord, the Redeemer and Maker of all things, confirms the word of His servant. He is the one who says of Jerusalem, "It shall be inhabited," and who says of Cyrus, "He is my shepherd." Cyrus will accomplish God's pleasure, decreeing that Jerusalem be rebuilt and the temple's foundations laid.
The Lord speaks directly to Cyrus, His "anointed," whose right hand He holds. God will go before him, subduing nations and breaking down bronze gates, "so that you may know that I am the Lord... who summons you by name." God does this "for the sake of Jacob my servant... though you do not acknowledge me. I am the Lord, and there is no other." God strengthens Cyrus so that all people may know there is none besides Him. "I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things."
God pronounces woe on any "potsherd" that quarrels with its potter—the Maker. God is the one who made the earth, created mankind, and stretched out the heavens. He has raised up Cyrus in righteousness, and he will rebuild God's city and free the exiles, "but not for a price or reward."
The Only Savior and the Conversion of Nations
The Lord declares that the wealth of Egypt and Cush will come over to Israel. They will follow in chains, bow down, and confess, "Surely God is with you, and there is no other." God did not create the earth to be empty, but to be inhabited. He challenges the idol-worshiping nations, who "pray to gods that cannot save." He alone is the righteous God and Savior.
He commands, "Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other." God has sworn by Himself that "Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear." All will declare that in the Lord alone are righteousness and strength, and all descendants of Israel will glory in Him.
The Helpless Idols of Babylon vs. The Sustaining God of Israel
The Babylonian gods, Bel and Nebo, are loaded onto weary beasts—a heavy burden. They cannot save themselves; they are carried off into captivity. The Lord contrasts this: "Listen to me, house of Jacob... you whom I have upheld since your conception, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he... I will sustain you and I will rescue you."
God asks, "To whom will you compare me?" People hire a goldsmith to make a god, then they must carry it on their shoulders. It stands in its place, unable to move or answer. God urges the rebels to remember: "I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning." He is summoning a "bird of prey" (Cyrus) from the east to fulfill His purpose. "I am bringing my righteousness near... I will grant salvation to Zion."
The Humiliation of Babylon
A taunt begins: "Go down, sit in the dust, Virgin Daughter Babylon." She will no longer be called tender or delicate but will be forced to grind flour and bare her legs. Her nakedness and shame will be exposed. God was angry with His people and gave them into Babylon's hand, but Babylon showed no mercy. She boasted in her security, "I am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow."
God declares that widowhood and loss of children will overtake her in a single moment, despite her many sorceries. She trusted in her wickedness, but disaster will come upon her. God challenges her: "Keep on, then, with your spells... Let your astrologers... stand up and save you." But they are like stubble; fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves.
Israel's Stubbornness and the Call to Flee Babylon
The Lord rebukes the house of Jacob, who swear by His name but "not in truth or righteousness." He foretold past events because He knew they were stubborn, with necks of "iron sinew," so they could not credit their idols. He delayed His wrath for His own name's sake. "I have refined you," He says, "in the furnace of affliction."
He is the first and the last, the Creator. He has summoned Cyrus to carry out His purpose against Babylon. A final command is given: "Leave Babylon, flee from the Babylonians! Announce with shouts of joy... 'The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob!'" But, the Lord adds, "There is no peace... for the wicked."
The Servant's Global Mission and Zion's Restoration
The Servant speaks: "The Lord called me; from my mother’s womb, he has spoken my name." God made his mouth like a sharp sword. Though the Servant felt he had labored in vain, his reward is with God. The Lord now expands his role: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant merely to restore the tribes of Jacob... I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth."
Though Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me," God responds: "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast?... Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands." Zion's children will hasten back. The Gentiles will bring her sons and daughters; kings and queens will be her foster parents. God will save her children and contend with her oppressors, and all will know that He is the Savior.
The Obedient, Suffering Servant
The Lord asks why Israel feels abandoned: "Because of your sins you were sold." When He came and called, no one answered. His arm is not too short to ransom them.
The Servant speaks again: "The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught... He wakens my ear to listen." He was not rebellious; "I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting." Because God helps him, he has set his "face like flint" and knows he will not be shamed, for his vindicator is near.
He challenges those who fear the Lord but walk in darkness to trust in God's name. But to those who light their own fires (rely on themselves): "You will lie down in torment."
Look to the Past for Future Hope
God addresses those who pursue righteousness: "Look to the rock from which you were cut... Look to Abraham, your father... When I called him he was only one man, and I blessed him and made him many." In the same way, the Lord will comfort Zion and make her deserts like Eden. His salvation is near and will last forever. He tells them not to fear human reproach.
A plea rises: "Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of theLord!" just as in the days of the Exodus. God responds: "I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men?" Jerusalem has drunk the cup of God's wrath, but now God will take that cup and give it to her tormentors.
Zion's Liberation and the Exalted Servant
"Awake, awake, Zion! Clothe yourself with strength. Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city." She must shake off her dust and free herself from her chains. "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace... and says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'"
A call is given: "Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing... Come out from Babylon... for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard."
The Lord then points to his Servant: "See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted." Yet, many were appalled at him, "his appearance so disfigured... his form marred beyond human likeness." But he will "startle many nations," and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
The Suffering and Sacrifice of the Servant
The prophecy continues: "Who has believed our message?" The servant grew up with no beauty or majesty to attract desire. "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain."
"Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God." But "he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." We are all like sheep gone astray, "and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
He was oppressed and afflicted, "yet he did not open his mouth." He was led "like a lamb to the slaughter." He was "cut off from the land of the living" and "assigned a grave with the wicked... though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth."
It was the Lord's will to crush him as a guilt offering. Yet, "he will see his offspring and prolong his days." After his suffering, "my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities." Therefore, God will give him a portion among the great, "because he poured out his life unto death... For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."
The Everlasting Covenant of Peace with Zion
The "barren woman" (Zion) is told to sing, for her children will be many. "Do not be afraid," God says, "For your Maker is your husband—the Lord of Hosts is his name." For a brief moment, God abandoned her, but with "everlasting kindness" and a "covenant of peace," He will bring her back.
God swears, as in the days of Noah, that His unfailing love will not be shaken. He will rebuild the afflicted city with sapphires, rubies, and sparkling jewels. Her children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace. "No weapon forged against you will prevail... This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord."
An Invitation to Eternal Life
The Lord issues a call: "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!" He asks why they spend money on what does not satisfy. "Listen, that your soul may live." God promises an "everlasting covenant," the faithful love promised to David.
A call to repentance follows: "Seek the Lord while he may be found... Let the wicked forsake their ways." God will "freely pardon." His thoughts and ways are "as the heavens are higher than the earth." His Word, like the rain, will not return empty but will accomplish His purpose. The people "will go out in joy and be led forth in peace," and all creation will celebrate.
Salvation for All Nations and an Indictment of Corrupt Leaders
The Lord says, "Maintain justice... for my salvation is close at hand." He blesses the one who keeps the Sabbath. He explicitly includes foreigners and eunuchs, promising them a place in His covenant and "a name better than sons and daughters." His house "will be called a house of prayer for all nations."
In stark contrast, Israel's current leaders are "blind watchmen" and "mute dogs." They are "shepherds who lack understanding," greedy dogs who never have enough, each turning to their own way and seeking only their own gain.
The Righteous vs. the Wicked; Healing for the Contrite
The righteous perish, but no one understands they are being "spared from evil." God condemns the idolaters who burn with lust among sacred oaks and sacrifice their children. They were weary in their sin but never said, "It is hopeless." Their collection of idols will not save them.
A call is made to "Build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles." The high and exalted One says, "I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit." He has seen their sinful ways, but He "will heal them" and "restore comfort to Israel's mourners." "Peace, peace, to those far and near," says the Lord. "But the wicked are like the tossing sea... There is no peace... for the wicked."
True Worship and Righteous Living
God commands Isaiah to "Shout aloud" and declare the people's rebellion. They act righteous and ask why God doesn't see their fasting. God replies that on their fast days, they oppress their workers and quarrel.
The true fast God desires is "to loose the chains of injustice... to set the oppressed free... to share your food with the hungry... and to clothe the naked." If they do this, "your light will break forth like the dawn." If they honor the Sabbath as a delight, "then you will find your joy in the Lord."
Sin's Separation and God's Divine Intervention
The Lord's arm is not too short to save. "Rather, your own iniquities have created a separation between you and your God; your sins have hidden his face from you." Their hands are stained with blood, and they do not know the way of peace.
The people confess: "Our offenses are many... our sins testify against us." Justice is driven back, and truth has "stumbled in the streets." The Lord looked and was "appalled that there was no one to intervene." Therefore, "his own arm brought salvation for him." He put on righteousness as a breastplate and garments of vengeance. "The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins."
The Future Glory of the Restored Zion
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you!" While thick darkness covers the peoples, the Lord's glory appears over Zion. Nations and kings will come to her light, bringing the wealth of the nations: camels from Midian, flocks from Kedar, and ships of Tarshish.
Foreigners will rebuild her walls. Her gates will always stand open. The children of her oppressors will bow down at her feet, calling her the "City of the Lord." God will make her an "everlasting pride." The Lord Himself will be her "everlasting light," replacing the sun and moon. Her people will all be righteous. "The least of you will become a thousand... I am the Lord; in its time, I will do this swiftly."
The Mission of the Anointed One
The Anointed One speaks: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor." He is sent "to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives... to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance... to comfort all who mourn."
He will give them a "crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." They will be "Oaks of Righteousness." They will rebuild the ancient ruins and be called "priests of the Lord." They will receive a "double portion" instead of shame. As a garden causes seeds to grow, "so the Lord God will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations."
Zion's New Name and Vindication
The prophet declares he will not be silent until Jerusalem's righteousness "shines out like the dawn." She will get a new name. No longer "Deserted" or "Desolate," she will be called "My Delight Is in Her" (Hephzibah), and her land "Married" (Beulah). As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, "so will your God rejoice over you."
Watchmen are on her walls, commanded to give God no rest until He establishes Jerusalem as "the praise of the earth." A call is made to "Prepare the way for the people." Her Savior is coming. She will be called "Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted."
The Divine Warrior and a Plea for Mercy
A figure approaches from Edom with crimson-stained garments. He identifies himself: "It is I, who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." When asked why his garments are red, he replies, "I have trodden the winepress alone... the day of vengeance was in my heart." His own arm brought salvation.
The prophet's tone shifts to a prayer, recalling the Lord's past kindnesses during the Exodus. Yet, "they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit," so He became their enemy. The prayer becomes a desperate plea: "Look down from heaven... You, Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer."
"Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down!" The people confess: "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags... Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter." They describe the holy temple, burned with fire, and ask, "Will you be silent and punish us beyond measure?"
Judgment, Reward, and the New Creation
The Lord responds: "I was ready to be found" by those who didn't seek me, holding out my hands to an "obstinate people" who continually provoke me. He will repay them for their sins. However, He will not destroy them all. Like sparing a cluster of grapes for its juice, He will preserve a remnant.
But as for those who forsake Him to worship "Fortune" and "Destiny," they will be destined for the sword. "My servants will eat, but you will go hungry... My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame."
"See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered." God will create Jerusalem to be a delight, and "the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more." People will live long lives, enjoying the work of their hands. The wolf and the lamb will feed together. "In all my holy mountain, they will neither harm nor destroy."
The Lord declares, "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool." The one He esteems is "humble and contrite in spirit" and "trembles at my word." He will judge His enemies but comfort Jerusalem "as a mother comforts her child."
Finally, God is "coming to gather all nations and tongues," and they will see His glory. He will send survivors to the ends of the earth to declare His fame, and they will bring Israel's scattered people back as an offering. God will even select some of these non-Israelites "to be priests and Levites." As the new heavens and earth endure, so will His people. All mankind will come to worship Him. Then they will go out and look on the dead bodies of the rebels, "where their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched."
This concluding section of Isaiah contrasts God's absolute sovereignty and the folly of idols, detailing the mission of His suffering servant which culminates in the judgment of all rebellion and the creation of a new, peaceful heaven and earth for a redeemed people from all nations.