Isaiah 33

1 Woe to those who afflict you, though no one makes you miserable, and to the one who betrays you, though no one betrays him. Those who betray will be captured and handed over, and they will be eaten away like a moth eats clothing.

2 Lord, have mercy on us, because we trusted in you. Rebellious offspring went to destruction, but our rescue came in a time of affliction.

3 At the terrifying sound, the nations were horrified by fear of you and scattered.

4 Now the plunder of your small and great people will be gathered. They will mock you as people gather locusts.

5 The God who lives on high is holy. Zion is filled with judgment and righteousness.

6 They will be handed over to the law. Our rescue is our treasure. Wisdom, knowledge, and devoutness toward the Lord are treasures of righteousness.

7 Look, they will be terrified by fear of you. Those you feared will be afraid of you. Messengers will be sent, weeping bitterly and pleading for peace.

8 Their roads will become desolate. The nations’ terror has ended, their covenant was removed, and you will no longer regard them as human.

9 The land mourns, and Lebanon is ashamed. Sharon became marshland; Galilee and Carmel will be uncovered.

10 Now I will rise, says the Lord. Now I will be glorified; now I will be exalted.

11 Now you will see and understand. The strength of your breath will be empty, and fire will devour you.

12 The nations will be burned like a thorn thrown out and burned in a field.

13 Those far away will hear what I did, and those nearby will know my strength.

14 The lawless in Zion have departed, and trembling will seize the ungodly. Who will tell you that a fire is burning? Who will tell you about the eternal place?

15 The one who walks in righteousness, speaks rightly, hates lawlessness and wrongdoing, shakes gifts from his hands, closes his ears to judgments involving blood, and shuts his eyes against seeing wrongdoing

16 will live in a high cave in a strong rock. He will receive bread, and his water will be secure.

17 You will see a king with glory, and your eyes will look on a distant land.

18 Your soul will reflect on fear. Where are the scribes and counselors? Where is the one who counts those being fed,

19 both small and great? They did not consult him, and he did not understand their deep language, so a despised people could not hear, and the listener had no understanding.

20 Look at Zion, the city of our rescue. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a wealthy city, tents that will not shake. Her tent pegs will never move, and her ropes will never break.

21 The Lord’s name is great among you. You will have a place with broad, spacious rivers and canals. You will not travel this road, and no rowing ship will pass through it.

22 For my God is great; the Lord will not pass me by. The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our ruler, the Lord is our king; the Lord will rescue us.

23 Your ropes snapped because they had no strength. Your mast leaned, so it cannot lower the sails or raise a signal until the ship is handed over for plunder. Then many lame people will take the plunder.

24 No one living among them will ever say, ‘I am weary,’ because their sin will be forgiven.