Isaiah 29

God Calls Out the City of Ariel

1 Woe to Ariel, the city where David used to camp. Keep doing your festivals year after year, keep the routine going.

2 But I am about to press Ariel down. You are going to cry and mourn, and to Me you will be like an altar covered in blood.

3 I am going to surround you and trap you, set up camp all around your walls, and pile up dirt to lay siege against you.

4 You will be brought low, whispering from the dust. Your voice is going to sound like a ghost from the ground, like whispers coming up from the dirt.

God’s Sudden Move Against the Enemies

5 But your enemies, all those attacking you, they will disappear like fine dust, their loud mobs gone like chaff in the wind. It will happen fast, suddenly.

6 The Lord of Armies are going to show up with thunder, earthquake, loud noise, windstorms, and fire that eats everything up.

7 All the nations fighting against Ariel will vanish like a dream, every one of them attacking her fortress will fade away.

8 They will be like a hungry man dreaming he is eating, but he wakes up still hungry. Like a thirsty man dreaming he is drinking, but wakes up still dry. That is how all the nations fighting against Mount Zion will end up.

Spiritual Blindness Hits the People

9 You all better stop acting blind, but go ahead, be amazed. You staggering, but it is not from wine. You stumbling, but it is not from liquor.

10 The Lord poured out a deep sleep on you all. He closed your eyes, the prophets, and covered your heads, the seers.

11 This vision like a book that is sealed. You hand it to somebody who can read, saying, “Read this,” and they say, “Cannot, it is sealed.”

12 Then you hand it to somebody who cannot read, and they say, “Man, I do not even know how to read.”

Fake Worship Gets Exposed

13 The Lord said, “These people talk like they close to Me, and their lips sound respectful, but their hearts far away. Their worship is just man-made rules they memorized.”

14 “So I am going to shock them again with wonders, big things they will not understand. The wisdom of their wise men will vanish, and the understanding of their smart ones will fade.”

God Sees What Is Done in the Dark

15 Woe to those who hide their plans from Me, doing their dirt in the dark, saying, ‘Who sees us, Who knows what we are doing?’”

16 You all got it twisted, does the clay tell the potter, ‘You did not make me’, Or what is formed say to the Maker, ‘You do not know anything’,

God Flips Everything Around

17 Soon, Lebanon is going to turn into a rich field, and that field is going to grow like a forest.

18 When that day comes, the deaf is going to hear the words of the book, and the blind is going to see out of darkness and gloom.

19 The humble is going to find joy in the Lord, and the poor is going to celebrate the Holy One of Israel.

20 The cruel ones will be gone, mockers will disappear, and all who lie and trap others will be cut off.

21 Those who twist justice and set up traps for judges, who lie in court and take down the innocent, they will be wiped out.

God’s People Restored

22 So the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says this to Jacob’s family: “Jacob will not be ashamed anymore. His face will not turn pale again.”

23 “When his children see the work of My hands among them, they will honor My name. They will keep My name holy and stand in awe of the God of Israel.”

24 Those who used to be confused will finally understand, and the ones who complained will start paying attention to truth.