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34 Come near, ye Goyim, to hear; and pay heed, ye peoples; let ha’aretz hear, and all that is therein; the tevel (world), and all things that come forth of it.

For the ketzef Hashem (wrath of Hashem) is upon kol HaGoyim, and His chemah (fury, wrath) upon all their tz’va; He hath utterly destroyed them, He hath delivered them to the tevach (slaughter).

Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stench shall go up out of their pegarim (corpses), and the harim shall be drenched with their dahm.

And kol Tz’va HaShomayim (all the host of heaven) shall be dissolved, and the Shomayim shall be rolled up like a sefer; and all their tz’va shall fall, like the aleh (leaf) falleth from the gefen, like that falling from the te’enah (fig tree).

For My cherev shall be satiated in Shomayim; hinei, it shall come down upon Edom, and shall descend on the Am (people) of My Cherem (ban of destruction) in mishpat.

The Cherev Hashem (Sword of Hashem) is filled with dahm, it is gorged with chelev, and with the dahm of lambs and goats, with the chelev of the kidneys of rams; for Hashem hath a zevach in Botzrah, and a tevach gadol in Eretz Edom.

And the re’emim (wild oxen) shall fall with them, and the bull calves with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with dahm, and their aphar (dust) enriched with chelev.

For it is the Yom Nakam L’Hashem (Day of Vengeance unto Hashem), and the Shnat Shillumim (Year of Retributions) for the cause of Tziyon.

And the streams thereof [i.e., of Edom] shall be turned into zefet (pitch, tar), and the aphar (dust) thereof into gofrit (burning sulfur), and the land thereof shall become burning zefet (pitch, tar).

10 It shall not be quenched lailah v’yomam; the ashan (smoke) thereof shall go up l’olam (forever); from dor to dor it shall lie desolate; none shall pass through it l’netzach netzachim.

11 But the desert owl and the screech owl shall possess it; even the yanshuf (great owl) and the orev (raven) shall dwell in it; and He shall stretch out upon it the measuring line of tohu, and the plumbline of vohu [See Genesis 1:2].

12 For the nobles thereof there shall be nothing to call a maluchah (kingdom) and all her sarim shall come to naught.

13 And sirim (thorns) shall come up in her citadels, nettles and brambles in the strongholds thereof; and it shall become the habitation of jackals, and the abode for banot ya’anah (ostriches).

14 The tziyyim (martens) shall also encounter iyyim (wild cats), and a sa’ir (wild goat) calls to its companion, and lilit (night creature) dwells there and finds for itself a mano’ach (place of rest).

15 There shall the kipoz (bittern) nest, and lay eggs, and hatch and care for young under her tzel; there shall the dayyot (kites, vultures) also be gathered, every one with its mate.

16 Search ye out in the Sefer Hashem, and read; no one of these creatures shall fail, none shall lack her mate; for My mouth hath commanded, and His Ruach hath gathered them.

17 And He hath cast the goral (lot) for them, and His Yad hath made the land assignment unto them by measuring line; they shall possess it ad olam, from dor to dor shall they dwell therein.

Judgment Against the Nations

34 Come near, you nations, and listen;(A)
    pay attention, you peoples!(B)
Let the earth(C) hear, and all that is in it,
    the world, and all that comes out of it!(D)
The Lord is angry with all nations;
    his wrath(E) is on all their armies.
He will totally destroy[a](F) them,
    he will give them over to slaughter.(G)
Their slain(H) will be thrown out,
    their dead bodies(I) will stink;(J)
    the mountains will be soaked with their blood.(K)
All the stars in the sky will be dissolved(L)
    and the heavens rolled up(M) like a scroll;
all the starry host will fall(N)
    like withered(O) leaves from the vine,
    like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

My sword(P) has drunk its fill in the heavens;
    see, it descends in judgment on Edom,(Q)
    the people I have totally destroyed.(R)
The sword(S) of the Lord is bathed in blood,
    it is covered with fat—
the blood of lambs and goats,
    fat from the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice(T) in Bozrah(U)
    and a great slaughter(V) in the land of Edom.
And the wild oxen(W) will fall with them,
    the bull calves and the great bulls.(X)
Their land will be drenched with blood,(Y)
    and the dust will be soaked with fat.

For the Lord has a day(Z) of vengeance,(AA)
    a year of retribution,(AB) to uphold Zion’s cause.
Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch,
    her dust into burning sulfur;(AC)
    her land will become blazing pitch!
10 It will not be quenched(AD) night or day;
    its smoke will rise forever.(AE)
From generation to generation(AF) it will lie desolate;(AG)
    no one will ever pass through it again.
11 The desert owl[b](AH) and screech owl[c] will possess it;
    the great owl[d] and the raven(AI) will nest there.
God will stretch out over Edom(AJ)
    the measuring line of chaos(AK)
    and the plumb line(AL) of desolation.
12 Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom,
    all her princes(AM) will vanish(AN) away.
13 Thorns(AO) will overrun her citadels,
    nettles and brambles her strongholds.(AP)
She will become a haunt for jackals,(AQ)
    a home for owls.(AR)
14 Desert creatures(AS) will meet with hyenas,(AT)
    and wild goats will bleat to each other;
there the night creatures(AU) will also lie down
    and find for themselves places of rest.
15 The owl will nest there and lay eggs,
    she will hatch them, and care for her young
    under the shadow of her wings;(AV)
there also the falcons(AW) will gather,
    each with its mate.

16 Look in the scroll(AX) of the Lord and read:

None of these will be missing,(AY)
    not one will lack her mate.
For it is his mouth(AZ) that has given the order,(BA)
    and his Spirit will gather them together.
17 He allots their portions;(BB)
    his hand distributes them by measure.
They will possess it forever
    and dwell there from generation to generation.(BC)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 34:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 5.
  2. Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
  3. Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
  4. Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.