Isaiah

Prophecies about judgment and salvation, promising hope and a savior.

Chapter 29

1 Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.

*Oh no, Ariel! Ariel, the city where David lived! Keep adding years; let them continue to offer sacrifices.

2 Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.

*"I will cause trouble for Ariel, causing sadness and grief. It will be like Ariel to me."

3 And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.

*I will surround you and set up a blockade with a hill, also building fortresses against you.

4 And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.

*And you will be lowered, and speak from the ground, and your words will be quiet from the dirt, and your voice will sound like a spirit guide, from the ground, and your words will whisper from the dust.

5 Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.

*In addition, your many strangers will be like tiny particles of dust, and the large number of fearsome people will be like light, easy-to-blow-away stuff that quickly goes away. This will happen all at once, very fast.

6 Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.

*You will be visited by the Lord of armies with loud thunder, powerful earthquakes, and big noises. There will also be fierce storms, strong winds, and a fire that consumes everything.

7 And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.

*All the many people fighting against Ariel and her defenses will seem like a dream or a nighttime imagination.

8 It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

*The verse says: It will be like a hungry person who dreams they're eating, but when they wake up, they're still hungry. Or like a thirsty person who dreams they're drinking, but when they wake up, they're still thirsty and craving more. This is how the large number of nations fighting against Mount Zion will be.

9 Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

*Remain who you are and be amazed; shout and call out. They act foolish, but it's not because of alcohol; they stumble, but not due to strong drinks.

10 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.

*The LORD has given you a deep sleep spirit, closing your eyes. Even the prophets, leaders, and seers are covered by Him.

11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:

*The meaning of everything is now like a locked book to you. People give it to someone smart, asking them to read it. But the smart person can't because it's sealed and unreadable.

12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

*The book is given to someone who isn't educated, telling them to read it, but they say they can't because they aren't knowledgeable.

13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

*So, the Lord said, Because these people come to me with their words and pretend to honor me, but their hearts are far away. They only fear me because they're taught to by people's rules.

14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

*So, I am going to do an amazing thing among these people - something both marvelous and wonderful. Because, the smart people's wisdom will disappear, and the clever people's understanding will be forgotten.

15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

*Oh no for those who try to keep their plans secret from God and do things in the darkness; they ask, "Who is watching us?" and "Who knows us?"

16 Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

*Of course, here's the verse simplified: When you mess things up, it's like clay being reshaped by a potter. Won't the thing made ask its maker, 'You didn't make me?' or the created object say, 'My creator doesn't understand?'

17 Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

*Isn't it soon, and Lebanon will become a productive field, and the productive field will be valued like a forest?

18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

*On that day, the deaf will hear the book's words, and the blind's eyes will see in clarity, no longer in darkness.

19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

*The gentle will grow happier with God, and the poor will be glad in Israel's holy savior.

20 For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:

*The terrible person is defeated, the mocker is destroyed, and those waiting for wrongdoing are eliminated.

21 That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.

*This verse says that some people make others guilty for little reasons, set traps for those who point out mistakes, and push fair people aside for no good reason.

22 Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.

*So, God says this to the people He saved from Abraham's family: Don't be embarrassed, Jacob, and don't lose color in your face.

23 But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.

*But when he sees his kids, which I made, right in front of him, they will make my name holy and honor the Holy One from Jacob, and they will be afraid of the God of Israel.

24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.

*Those who were confused will understand, and those who complained will learn the teachings.

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