Isaiah 29
GOD’S WORD Translation
The Lord’s Word Will Be Hidden from Some but Revealed to Others
29 How horrible it will be for you Ariel, Ariel,[a]
the city where David camped.
Let year after year go by.
Let your annual festivals go on.
2 I will torment Ariel,
and the city will be filled with people grieving and mourning.
The city will become like Ariel.
3 I will set up war camps all around you.
I will blockade you with towers.
I will put up mounds of dirt around you.
4 When you have fallen, you will speak as you lie on the ground.
Your words will be muffled by the dust.
Your voice will come out of the ground like that of a ghost.
Your words will be whispered from the dust.
5 Your many enemies will be like fine dust.
Your many foes will be like husks blown by the wind.
All of this will happen suddenly, unexpectedly.
6 The Lord of Armies will punish you
with thunder, earthquakes, and loud noises,
with windstorms, rainstorms, and fire storms.
7 The armies from all the nations will go to war against Ariel.
They will go to war against it, blockade it, and torment it.
All of this will be like a dream, like a vision in the night.
8 They will be like hungry people who dream that they’re eating
and wake up to find they’re hungry.
They will be like thirsty people who dream that they’re drinking
and wake up to find they’re lightheaded and parched with thirst.
This is what will happen to the armies from all the nations
that fight against Mount Zion.
9 If you confuse yourselves, you will be confused.
If you blind yourselves, you will be blinded.
You are drunk, but not from wine.
You stagger, but not from liquor.
10 The Lord has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep.
He will shut your eyes. (Your eyes are the prophets.)
He will cover your heads. (Your heads are the seers.[b])
11 To you all these visions will be like words in a book that is closed and sealed. You give this book to someone who can read, saying, “Please read this.”
He answers, “I can’t read it. It’s sealed.”
12 Then you give the book to someone who can’t read, saying, “Please read this.”
He answers, “I can’t read.”
13 The Lord says,
“These people worship me with their mouths
and honor me with their lips.
But their hearts are far from me,
and their worship of me is ⌞based on⌟ rules made by humans.
14 That is why I am going to do something completely amazing
for these people once again.
The wisdom of their wise people will disappear.
The intelligence of their intelligent people will be hidden.”
15 How horrible it will be for those
who try to hide their plans from the Lord.
Their deeds are done in the dark,
and they say, “No one can see us”
and “No one can recognize us.”
16 You turn things upside down!
Is the potter no better than his clay?
Can something that has been made
say about its maker, “He didn’t make me”?
Can a piece of pottery
say about the potter, “He doesn’t understand”?
17 In a very short time Lebanon will be turned into a fertile field
and the fertile field will be considered a forest.
18 When that day comes, the deaf will hear the words written in the book.
The blind will see out of their gloom and darkness.
19 Humble people again will find joy in the Lord.
The poorest of people will find joy in the Holy One of Israel.
20 Tyrants will be gone.
Mockers will be finished.
All who look for ways to do wrong will come to an end:
21 those who make people sin with words,
those who lay traps for judges,
those who, without any reason, deny justice
to people who are in the right.
22 This is what the Lord, who saved Abraham, says about the descendants of Jacob:
Jacob will no longer be ashamed.
Jacob’s face will no longer turn pale.
23 When they see all their children,
the children I made with my hands,
they will acknowledge my name as holy.
They will treat the Holy One of Jacob as holy.
They will stand in terror of the God of Israel.
24 Then those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding,
and those who complain will accept instruction.
Isaiah 29
The Voice
For generation after generation of God’s people who have watched their country being attacked repeatedly and humbled by their enemies, Isaiah’s words must provide a great deal of comfort. Nothing could be more traumatic than to know that the temple to the one True God is under siege and finally destroyed. When Isaiah’s words are heard, many audiences must think of a restored temple in Jerusalem. God Himself is promising to lay the foundation for that restored temple, assuring that those who trust in His work will never have to rush around again to figure out how to save themselves from another invader. God’s foundation will hold firm, no matter what, so there is every reason to be confident.
Early Christians see in Isaiah’s message a promise of a new temple, a temple not made with hands. Simon, whom Jesus names “Rock” (Peter), refers to this prophecy when he writes of believers coming to Jesus to form a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:6). Jesus’ followers confess Him to be the stone that forms the foundation for God’s new temple. He is the cornerstone: though rejected by some, He is chosen and precious in God’s sight.
29 O Ariel, woe to you Ariel, our Jerusalem,
where David set up his camp to stay.
Go ahead, go on with your fruitless festivals,
your calendar of events, year in and year out.
2 In the meantime, I will trouble Ariel to the point of mourning and crying.
She will be for me a fiery hearth.
3 I will surround you, enclose you, cut you off.
I will isolate you from aid or reprieve;
I will attack the city walls with towers and siege works.
4 That will humble you so low, you’ll speak from the earth itself.
And when you do, your voice will issue from the very dust where you lie;
Your voice will rise from the ground like the voice of a ghost,
like a soft whisper from the earth.
5 But in an instant your ruthless enemies, who seem too many to count,
will become as fluttering dust, as wind-driven chaff.
They will be blown away in the snap of a finger.
6 For the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, will visit you
with thunder and earthquake and great noise,
With raging wind and tempest and consuming fire.
7 And all those armies intent on destroying Ariel,
that great international coalition of Jerusalem’s enemies
Battering against the city of God, will disappear.
They’ll evaporate like a night’s dream in the light of day.
8 As when a starving person dreams of eating at a banquet and wakes hungry,
or a thirsty person drinking his fill in sleepy night visions
Finds himself still parched when the morning comes,
that’s how it will be for the horde attacking Mount Zion, His chosen place.
9 But it will take some time. Wait and wonder.
In the meantime, make yourselves unable to see or understand.
Make yourselves drunk and unsteady,
but not from wine or liquor.
10 For the Eternal One has poured you a cup of sleep—
deep, heavy sleep.
O prophets and seers, He has closed your eyes and covered your heads.
11-12 Everything God is disclosing to you will be like the words recorded in a book that is sealed. When it is given to one who is literate, he can’t read it because it is sealed. When it is given to one who is illiterate, he can’t read it because he doesn’t know how.
The prophet’s message seems inaccessible or unintelligible to many. For some, a few rituals are enough. But a relationship with God demands a complete commitment to something, Someone greater.
Eternal One: 13 These people think they can draw near to Me by saying the right things,
by honoring Me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from Me.
Their worship of Me consists of man-made traditions learned by rote;
it is a meaningless sham.[a]
14 Therefore, I will do something extraordinary with this people.
I will add wonder to wonders—
Shut down the wisdom of their wise
and hide what the discerning have figured out.
15 Oh, it’ll be bad for those of you who conceal your thoughts from the Eternal,
who do your deeds in the dark and say:
“Who sees us? Who knows what we are doing?”
Do they really think that God cannot know what they have hidden, so dark and deep? They are sure to be surprised.
16 My goodness, how you’ve turned things around!
You seem to think that the potter is equal to the clay;
Should the pot say about the potter, “He didn’t make me”?
Or does the thing formed say about the one who formed it,
“He doesn’t understand anything”?
17 Surely you know that in just a little while
the forests that clothe Lebanon will become rich fields
And the fields will be considered as valuable as the forests.
18 Then the deaf will hear the words read from a book,
and darkness and gloom will fall from the eyes of the blind.
19 A renewed sense of joy will come over the humble, thanks to the Eternal;
and joyous celebrations will break out among the poor, because of the Holy One of Israel.
20 For cruelty and mean-spiritedness will come to an end,
and those who laugh dismissively will be silenced.
All those who are determined to do evil will be cut down.
21 Those who level a false charge against an innocent person,
who twist an honest testimony and tell lies
in order to incriminate the innocent, will be stopped.
22 So the Eternal One, who rescued Abraham, says concerning Jacob:
Eternal One: The people of Jacob’s line will no longer be ashamed,
nor will they grow pale with embarrassment.
23 For when they lay eyes on their children, the work of My hands,
they will protect My name and keep it holy.
They will recognize that I am sacred, the Holy One of Jacob,
and stand in awe of Me, the God of Israel.
24 Whoever thought otherwise and wandered off will know the truth,
and whoever said otherwise and voiced criticism will quietly learn.
Footnotes
Isaiah 29
New American Standard Bible
Jerusalem Is Warned
29 Woe, [a]Ariel, [b]Ariel the city where David once (A)camped!
Add year to year, [c](B)keep your feasts on schedule.
2 I will bring distress to Ariel,
And she will be a city of grieving and (C)mourning;
And she will be like an [d]Ariel to me.
3 I will (D)camp against you [e]encircling you,
And I will set up siegeworks against you,
And I will raise up battle towers against you.
4 Then you will (E)be brought low;
From the earth you will speak,
And from the dust where you are prostrate
Your words will come.
Your voice will also be like that of a [f]spirit from the ground,
And your speech will whisper from the dust.
5 But the multitude of your [g]enemies will become like fine (F)dust,
And the multitude of the (G)ruthless ones like the chaff which [h]blows away;
And it will happen (H)instantly, suddenly.
6 From the Lord of armies you will be (I)punished with (J)thunder and earthquake and loud noise,
With whirlwind and tempest and the flame of a consuming fire.
7 And the (K)multitude of all the nations who wage war against [i]Ariel,
Even all who wage war against her and her stronghold, and who distress her,
Will be like a dream, a (L)vision of the night.
8 It will be as when a hungry person dreams—
And behold, he is eating;
But when he awakens, his [j]hunger is not satisfied,
Or as when a thirsty person dreams—
And behold, he is drinking,
But when he awakens, behold, he is faint
And his [k]thirst is not quenched.
(M)So will the multitude of all the nations be
Who wage war against Mount Zion.
9 (N)Be delayed and horrified,
Blind yourselves and be blind;
They (O)become drunk, but not with wine,
They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink.
10 For the Lord has poured over you a spirit of deep (P)sleep,
He has (Q)shut your eyes—the prophets;
And He has covered your heads—the seers.
11 The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed [l](R)book, which, when they give it to the one who [m]is literate, saying, “Please read this,” he will say, “I cannot, because it is sealed.” 12 Then the [n]book will be given to the one who [o]is illiterate, saying, “Please read this.” And he will say, “I [p]cannot read.”
13 Then the Lord said,
“Because (S)this people approaches Me with their [q]words
And honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me,
And their [r]reverence for Me [s]consists of the commandment of men that is taught;
14 Therefore behold, I will once again deal (T)marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous;
And (U)the wisdom of their wise men will perish,
And the understanding of their men who have understanding will be concealed.”
15 Woe to those who deeply (V)hide their [t]plans from the Lord,
And whose (W)deeds are done in a dark place,
And they say, “(X)Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?”
16 You turn things around!
Shall the potter be considered [u]as equal with the clay,
That (Y)what is made would say to its maker, “He did not make me”;
Or what is formed say to him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?
Blessing after Discipline
17 Is it not yet just a little while
[v]Before Lebanon will be turned into a (Z)fertile field,
And the fertile field will be considered as a forest?
18 On that day those who are (AA)deaf will hear (AB)words of a book,
And out of their gloom and darkness the (AC)eyes of those who are blind will see.
19 The (AD)afflicted also will increase their joy in the Lord,
And the (AE)needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20 For the (AF)ruthless will come to an end and the (AG)scorner will be finished,
Indeed (AH)all who [w]are intent on doing evil will be eliminated,
21 Who [x]cause a person to be indicted by a word,
And (AI)set a trap for the arbitrator at the gate,
And [y](AJ)defraud the one in the right with [z]meaningless arguments.
22 Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed (AK)Abraham, says concerning the house of Jacob:
“Jacob (AL)will not be ashamed now, nor will his face turn pale now;
23 But when [aa]he sees his (AM)children, the (AN)work of My hands, in his midst,
They will sanctify My name;
Indeed, they will (AO)sanctify the Holy One of Jacob,
And will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
24 Those who (AP)err in [ab]mind will (AQ)know [ac]the truth,
And those who [ad]criticize will [ae](AR)accept instruction.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 29:1 I.e., Lion of God, or Jerusalem
- Isaiah 29:1 I.e., Lion of God, or Jerusalem
- Isaiah 29:1 Lit let your feasts run their round
- Isaiah 29:2 Ariel (i.e., Jerusalem) is a Heb word for “altar hearth” where offerings were burned
- Isaiah 29:3 Lit like a circle
- Isaiah 29:4 Or ghost
- Isaiah 29:5 Lit strangers
- Isaiah 29:5 Lit passes away
- Isaiah 29:7 See note 1 v 1
- Isaiah 29:8 Lit soul
- Isaiah 29:8 Lit soul
- Isaiah 29:11 Or scroll
- Isaiah 29:11 Lit knows books
- Isaiah 29:12 Or scroll
- Isaiah 29:12 Lit does not know books
- Isaiah 29:12 Lit do not know books
- Isaiah 29:13 Lit mouth
- Isaiah 29:13 Lit fear of Me
- Isaiah 29:13 Lit is
- Isaiah 29:15 Lit counsel
- Isaiah 29:16 Lit like
- Isaiah 29:17 Lit And
- Isaiah 29:20 Lit watch evil
- Isaiah 29:21 Lit bring a person under condemnation
- Isaiah 29:21 Lit turn aside
- Isaiah 29:21 Lit confusion
- Isaiah 29:23 Or his children see
- Isaiah 29:24 Lit spirit
- Isaiah 29:24 Lit understanding
- Isaiah 29:24 Lit murmur
- Isaiah 29:24 Lit learn
Isaías 29
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Ariel y sus enemigos
29 ¡Ay, Ariel[a], Ariel la ciudad donde acampó David(A)!
Añadan año sobre año, celebren las fiestas a su tiempo[b](B).
2 Traeré angustias a Ariel,
Y será una ciudad de lamento y de duelo(C);
Será para Mí como un Ariel[c].
3 Acamparé contra ti rodeándote[d](D),
Pondré contra ti vallas de asedio,
Y levantaré contra ti baluartes.
4 Entonces serás humillada,
Desde el suelo hablarás,
Y desde el polvo donde estás postrada
Saldrá tu habla.
Tu voz será también como la de un espíritu[e] de la tierra,
Y desde el polvo susurrará tu habla(E).
5 Pero la multitud de tus enemigos[f] será como polvo fino(F),
Y la multitud de los crueles(G) como paja que se va volando[g];
Sucederá en un instante, de repente(H).
6 Serás castigada[h](I) por el Señor de los ejércitos con truenos y terremotos(J) y gran ruido,
Con torbellino y tempestad y con llama de fuego consumidor.
7 Y será como un sueño, una visión nocturna(K),
La multitud de todas las naciones(L) que combaten contra Ariel,
Todos los que combaten contra ella y su fortaleza, y los que la afligen.
8 Será como cuando un hambriento sueña
Que está comiendo;
Pero cuando despierta, su hambre no ha sido satisfecha[i].
O como cuando un sediento sueña
Que está bebiendo;
Pero cuando despierta, está desfallecido,
Y su sed no ha sido aplacada[j].
Así será la multitud de todas las naciones
Que combaten contra el monte Sión(M).
9 Deténganse y esperen(N),
Ciéguense y quédense ciegos.
Ustedes se embriagan, pero no con vino(O);
Se tambalean, pero no con licor.
10 Porque el Señor ha derramado sobre ustedes espíritu de sueño profundo(P),
Él ha cerrado sus ojos: los profetas(Q),
Y ha cubierto sus cabezas: los videntes.
11 Toda la visión será para ustedes como las palabras de un libro[k] sellado(R), que cuando se le da al que sabe leer[l], diciéndole: «Lee esto, por favor»; y él dirá: «No puedo, porque está sellado». 12 Entonces el libro[m] será dado al que no sabe leer[n], diciéndole: «Lee esto, por favor»; y él dirá: «No sé leer[o]».
Hipocresía de Israel
13 Dijo entonces el Señor:
«Por cuanto este pueblo se acerca a Mí con sus palabras[p]
Y me honra con sus labios,
Pero aleja de Mí su corazón,
Y su veneración[q] hacia Mí es solo una tradición[r] aprendida de memoria(S),
14 Por tanto, volveré a hacer maravillas(T) con este pueblo, prodigiosas maravillas.
Y perecerá la sabiduría de sus sabios,
Y se eclipsará el entendimiento de sus entendidos(U)».
15 ¡Ay de los que van muy hondo
Para esconder sus planes[s](V) al Señor,
Y realizan[t] sus obras en tinieblas(W)
Y dicen: «¿Quién nos ve(X)? o ¿Quién nos conoce?».
16 ¡Qué equivocación la suya!
¿Es acaso el alfarero igual que el barro,
Para que lo que está hecho diga a su hacedor: «Él no me hizo»;
O lo que está formado diga al que lo formó(Y): «Él no tiene entendimiento»?
Redención de Israel
17 ¿Acaso no queda ya muy poco tiempo
Para que[u] el Líbano se convierta en campo fértil(Z),
Y el campo fértil sea considerado bosque?
18 En aquel día los sordos oirán(AA) las palabras de un libro(AB),
Y desde la oscuridad y las tinieblas los ojos de los ciegos verán(AC).
19 Los afligidos(AD) aumentarán también su alegría en el Señor,
Y los necesitados(AE) de la humanidad se regocijarán en el Santo de Israel.
20 Porque el violento tendrá su fin(AF), el insolente(AG) será acabado,
Y serán cortados todos los que se desvelan para hacer el mal(AH);
21 Los que hacen que una persona sea acusada[v] por una palabra,
Y tienden lazos al que juzga en la puerta(AI),
Y defraudan[w] al justo con vanos argumentos[x](AJ).
22 Por tanto, el Señor, que redimió a Abraham(AK), dice así acerca de la casa de Jacob:
«Jacob no será ahora avergonzado(AL), ni palidecerá ahora su rostro,
23 Porque cuando vea a sus hijos[y](AM), la obra de Mis manos(AN), en medio suyo,
Ellos santificarán Mi nombre.
Ciertamente, santificarán(AO) al Santo de Jacob,
Y tendrán temor al Dios de Israel.
24 Los descarriados(AP) de espíritu conocerán la verdad[z](AQ),
Y los murmuradores aceptarán[aa] instrucción(AR)».
Footnotes
- Isaías 29:1 I.e. León de Dios.
- Isaías 29:1 Lit. que las fiestas sigan su curso.
- Isaías 29:2 O un brasero del altar.
- Isaías 29:3 Lit. como un círculo.
- Isaías 29:4 O fantasma.
- Isaías 29:5 Lit. extraños.
- Isaías 29:5 Lit. que pasa.
- Isaías 29:6 Lit. visitada.
- Isaías 29:8 Lit. su alma está vacía.
- Isaías 29:8 Lit. su alma está reseca.
- Isaías 29:11 O rollo.
- Isaías 29:11 Lit. sabe de libros.
- Isaías 29:12 O rollo.
- Isaías 29:12 Lit. no sabe de libros.
- Isaías 29:12 Lit. No sé de libros.
- Isaías 29:13 Lit. boca.
- Isaías 29:13 Lit. temor de mí.
- Isaías 29:13 Lit. un mandamiento de hombres.
- Isaías 29:15 Lit. el consejo.
- Isaías 29:15 Lit. están.
- Isaías 29:17 Lit. y.
- Isaías 29:21 Lit. ponen bajo condenación a una persona.
- Isaías 29:21 Lit. desvían.
- Isaías 29:21 Lit. con confusión.
- Isaías 29:23 O sus hijos vean.
- Isaías 29:24 Lit. el entendimiento.
- Isaías 29:24 Lit. aprenderán.
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