Isaiah 2
The LORDs Future Reign
1This is another vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
2In the last days, the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem will become the most important place on earth. People from all over the world will go there to worship. 3Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the Temple of the God of Israel.[a] There he will teach us his ways, so that we may obey him." For in those days the LORD's teaching and his word will go out from Jerusalem.
4The LORD will settle international disputes. All the nations will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. All wars will stop, and military training will come to an end. 5Come, people of Israel, let us walk in the light of the LORD!
A Warning of Judgment
6The LORD has rejected the people of Israel because they have made alliances with foreigners from the East who practice magic and divination, just like the Philistines. 7Israel has vast treasures of silver and gold and many horses and chariots. 8The land is filled with idols. The people bow down and worship these things they have made. 9So now everyone will be humbled and brought low. The LORD cannot simply ignore their sins!
10Crawl into caves in the rocks. Hide from the terror of the LORD and the glory of his majesty. 11The day is coming when your pride will be brought low and the LORD alone will be exalted. 12In that day the LORD Almighty will punish the proud, bringing them down to the dust. 13He will cut down the tall cedars of Lebanon and the mighty oaks of Bashan. 14He will level the high mountains and hills. 15He will break down every high tower and wall. 16He will destroy the great trading ships[b] and all the small boats in the harbor. 17The arrogance of all people will be brought low. Their pride will lie in the dust. The LORD alone will be exalted! 18Idols will be utterly abolished and destroyed.
19When the LORD rises to shake the earth, his enemies will crawl with fear into holes in the ground. They will hide in caves in the rocks from the terror of the LORD and the glory of his majesty. 20They will abandon their gold and silver idols to the moles and bats. 21They will crawl into caverns and hide among the jagged rocks at the tops of cliffs. In this way, they will try to escape the terror of the LORD and the glory of his majesty as he rises to shake the earth.
22Stop putting your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. How can they be of help to anyone?
Footnotes:
Isaiah 2:3 Hebrew of Jacob; also in 2:5, 6.
Isaiah 2:16 Hebrew every ship of Tarshish.
Isaiah 3
Judgment against Judah
1The Lord, the LORD Almighty, will cut off the supplies of food and water from Jerusalem and Judah. 2He will destroy all the nation's leaders--the heroes, soldiers, judges, prophets, diviners, elders, 3army officers, honorable citizens, advisers, skilled magicians, and expert enchanters. 4Then he will appoint children to rule over them, and anarchy will prevail. 5People will take advantage of each other--man against man, neighbor fighting neighbor. Young people will revolt against authority, and nobodies will sneer at honorable people.
6In those days a man will say to his brother, "Since you have a cloak, you be our leader! Take charge of this heap of ruins!"
7"No!" he will reply. "I can't help. I don't have any extra food or clothes. Don't ask me to get involved!"
8Judah and Jerusalem will lie in ruins because they speak out against the LORD and refuse to obey him. They have offended his glorious presence among them. 9The very look on their faces gives them away and displays their guilt. They sin openly like the people of Sodom. They are not one bit ashamed. How terrible it will be for them! They have brought about their own destruction.
10But all will be well for those who are godly. Tell them, "You will receive a wonderful reward!" 11But say to the wicked, "Your destruction is sure. You, too, will get what you deserve. Your well-earned punishment is on the way."
12Children oppress my people, and women rule over them. O my people, can't you see what fools your rulers are? They are leading you down a pretty garden path to destruction.
13The LORD takes his place in court. He is the great prosecuting attorney, presenting his case against his people! 14The leaders and the princes will be the first to feel the LORD's judgment. "You have ruined Israel, which is my vineyard. You have taken advantage of the poor, filling your barns with grain extorted from helpless people. 15How dare you grind my people into the dust like that!" demands the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
A Warning for Jerusalems Women
16Next the LORD will judge the women of Jerusalem,[a] who walk around with their noses in the air, with tinkling ornaments on their ankles. Their eyes rove among the crowds, flirting with the men. 17The Lord will send a plague of scabs to ornament their heads. Yes, the LORD will make them bald for all to see!
18The Lord will strip away their artful beauty--their ornaments, headbands, and crescent necklaces; 19their earrings, bracelets, and veils of shimmering gauze. 20Gone will be their scarves, ankle chains, sashes, perfumes, and charms; 21their rings, jewels, 22party clothes, gowns, capes, and purses; 23their mirrors, linen garments, head ornaments, and shawls. 24Instead of smelling of sweet perfume, they will stink. They will wear ropes for sashes, and their well-set hair will fall out. They will wear rough sackcloth instead of rich robes. Their beauty will be gone. Only shame will be left to them.
25The men of the city will die in battle. 26The gates of Jerusalem[b] will weep and mourn. The city will be like a ravaged woman, huddled on the ground.
Footnotes:
Isaiah 3:16 Hebrew the daughters of Zion.
Isaiah 3:26 Hebrew Zion.
This is going to be interesting and very educational! I typed Isaiah into Google and got a hit on some historical data in regards to Isaiah himself. So here goes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah
I think that reading this could make fora great intro before diving into the book.
I chose to use the New Living Translation - hope that's okay!
Isaiah 1
1 These visions concerning Judah and Jerusalem came to Isaiah son of Amoz during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah--all kings of Judah.
A Message for Rebellious Judah 2Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! This is what the LORD says: "The children I raised and cared for have turned against me. 3Even the animals--the donkey and the ox--know their owner and appreciate his care, but not my people Israel. No matter what I do for them, they still do not understand."
4Oh, what a sinful nation they are! They are loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil and corrupt children who have turned away from the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Israel, cutting themselves off from his help.
5Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured, and your heart is sick. 6You are sick from head to foot--covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds--without any ointments or bandages. 7Your country lies in ruins, and your cities are burned. As you watch, foreigners plunder your fields and destroy everything they see. 8Jerusalem[a] stands abandoned like a watchman's shelter in a vineyard or field after the harvest is over. It is as helpless as a city under siege. 9If the LORD Almighty had not spared a few of us, we would have been wiped out as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah.
10Listen to the LORD, you leaders of Israel! Listen to the law of our God, people of Israel. You act just like the rulers and people of Sodom and Gomorrah. 11"I am sick of your sacrifices," says the LORD. "Don't bring me any more burnt offerings! I don't want the fat from your rams or other animals. I don't want to see the blood from your offerings of bulls and rams and goats. 12Why do you keep parading through my courts with your worthless sacrifices? 13The incense you bring me is a stench in my nostrils! Your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath day, and your special days for fasting--even your most pious meetings--are all sinful and false. I want nothing more to do with them. 14I hate all your festivals and sacrifices. I cannot stand the sight of them! 15From now on, when you lift up your hands in prayer, I will refuse to look. Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen. For your hands are covered with the blood of your innocent victims. 16Wash yourselves and be clean! Let me no longer see your evil deeds. Give up your wicked ways. 17Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.
18"Come now, let us argue this out," says the LORD. "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool. 19If you will only obey me and let me help you, then you will have plenty to eat. 20But if you keep turning away and refusing to listen, you will be destroyed by your enemies. I, the LORD, have spoken!"
Unfaithful Jerusalem 21See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute. Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers. 22Once like pure silver, you have become like worthless slag. Once so pure, you are now like watered-down wine. 23Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them take bribes and refuse to defend the orphans and the widows.
24Therefore, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, says, "I will pour out my fury on you, my enemies! 25I will turn against you. I will melt you down and skim off your slag. I will remove all your impurities. 26Afterward I will give you good judges and wise counselors like the ones you used to have. Then Jerusalem will again be called the Home of Justice and the Faithful City."
27Because the LORD is just and righteous, the repentant people of Jerusalem[b] will be redeemed. 28But all sinners will be completely destroyed, for they refuse to come to the LORD.
29Shame will cover you when you think of the times you offered sacrifices to idols in your groves of sacred oaks. You will blush when you think of all the sins you committed in your sacred gardens. 30You will wither away like an oak or garden without water. 31The strongest among you will disappear like burning straw. Your evil deeds are the spark that will set the straw on fire, and no one will be able to put it out.
Footnotes:
Isaiah 1:8 Hebrew The daughter of Zion.
Isaiah 1:27 Hebrew Zion.
Links for scripture:
www.biblegateway.com
(we can choose many different translations, if u want to read it in a different one, go to this site.
NOTE: Since we are both fairly busy, I think to have this done by the end of the week, would be a smart thing but we notice we are posting, we can keep going!
This should be interesting.
I also had a thought about praying for guidance and as my pastor would say - "nuggets", that maybe our eyes will be open to something?!? Amen. :)