Isaiah 29 - Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

God Punishes Jerusalem

29 God says, “Look at Ariel,[a] the city where David camped. Keep on having your festivals, year after year. 2 But I will punish Ariel. The city will be filled with sadness and crying, but it will always be my Ariel.

3 “I will put armies all around you, Ariel. I will raise war towers against you. 4 You will be pulled to the ground. Your voice will rise from the ground like the voice of a ghost. Your words come like a whisper from the dirt.”

5 There will be so many foreigners that they will be like dust. Cruel people will be like the chaff blowing in the wind. Then suddenly, 6 the Lord All-Powerful will punish you with earthquakes, thunder, and loud noises. There will be storms, strong winds, and a burning, destructive fire. 7 Many nations will fight against Ariel. It will be a nightmare. Armies will surround Ariel and punish her. 8 But it will also be like a dream to those armies. They will not get what they want. It will be like a hungry man dreaming about food. When the man wakes up, he is still hungry. It will be like a thirsty man dreaming about water. When the man wakes up, he is still thirsty. The same thing is true about all the nations fighting against Zion. Those nations will not get what they want.

9 Be surprised and amazed!
You will become drunk, but not from wine.
Look and be amazed!
You will stumble and fall, but not from beer.
10 The Lord will make you sleepy.
He will close your eyes. (The prophets are your eyes.)
He will cover your heads. (The prophets are your heads.)

11 To you my words are like the words in a book that is closed and sealed.[b] You can give the book to someone who can read and tell that person to read it. But that person will say, “I cannot read the book. It is closed and I cannot open it.” 12 Or you can give the book to someone who cannot read and tell that person to read it. That person will say, “I cannot read the book because I don’t know how to read.”

13 The Lord says, “These people come to honor me with words, but I am not really important to them. The worship they give me is nothing but human rules they have memorized. 14 So I will continue to amaze them by doing powerful and amazing things. Their wise men will lose their wisdom. Even the most intelligent among them will not be able to understand.”

15 Look at them! They try to hide things from the Lord. They think he will not understand. They do their evil things in darkness. They tell themselves: “No one can see us. No one will know who we are.”

16 You turn things upside down. You think the clay is equal to the potter. You think that something that is made can tell the one who made it, “You did not make me!” This is like a pot telling its maker, “You know nothing.”

A Better Time Is Coming

17 This is the truth: After a very short time, Lebanon will become rich farmland, and the farmland will be like thick forests. 18 The deaf will hear the words in the book. The blind will see through the darkness and fog. 19 The Lord will make poor people happy. The poorest people will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

20 This will happen when the people who are mean and cruel have come to an end. It will happen when those who enjoy doing bad things are gone. 21 (They lie about good people. They try to trap people in court. They try to destroy innocent people.)

22 So the Lord, who made Abraham free, speaks to Jacob’s family. He says, “Now the people of Jacob will not be embarrassed and ashamed.

23 Yes, when they see all their children,
the children I myself have made for them,
they will honor[c] my name as holy.
They will respect the God of Israel.

24 Many of these people did not understand, so they did what was wrong. They complained, but now they will learn their lesson.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 29:1 Ariel A name for the altar at the Temple in Jerusalem. This name means “hearth” or “fireplace” but sounds like the word meaning “Lion of God.” Also in verse 7.
  2. Isaiah 29:11 sealed A piece of clay or wax was put on the closed book to show that the book should not be opened.
  3. Isaiah 29:23 honor Or “treat as holy.”

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29 Wo [to] Ariel, Ariel, The city of the encampment of David! Add year to year, let festivals go round. 2 And I have sent distress to Ariel, And it hath been lamentation and mourning, And it hath been to me as Ariel. 3 And I encamped, O babbler, against thee, And I laid siege against thee -- a camp....
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Isaiah 29 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

29 Woe! [to] Ariel, Ariel, the city which David overcame; year is added to year, solemnities be passed (the feasts have come and gone). 2 And I shall compass Ariel, and it shall be sorrowful and mourning; and Jerusalem shall be to me as Ariel. (And I shall surround Ariel, and it shall be sorrowful a...
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Isaiah 29 - World English Bible (WEB)

29 Woe to Ariel! Ariel, the city where David encamped! Add year to year; let the feasts come around; 2 then I will distress Ariel, and there will be mourning and lamentation. She shall be to me as an altar hearth.[a] 3 I will encamp against you all around you, and will lay siege against you with p...
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Isaiah 29 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

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Isaiah 29 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Siege of Jerusalem29 Ho Ariel, Ariel,the city where David encamped!Add year to year; let the feasts run their round.2 Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be moaning and lamentation, and she shall be to me like an Ariel.3 And I will encamp against you round about, and will besiege you with...
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Isaiah 29 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Siege of Jerusalem29 Ho Ariel, Ariel,the city where David encamped!Add year to year; let the feasts run their round.2 Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be moaning and lamentation, and she shall be to me like an Ariel.3 And I will encamp against you round about, and will besiege you with...
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Isaiah 29 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Siege of Jerusalem29 Ah, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped!Add year to year; let the festivals run their round.2 Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be moaning and lamentation, and Jerusalem[a] shall be to me like an Ariel.[b]3 And like David[c] I will encamp against you; I will...
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Isaiah 29 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Siege of Jerusalem29 Woe to Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped!Add year to year; let the festivals run their round.(A)2 Yet I will oppress Ariel, and there shall be moaning and lamentation, and you[a] shall be to me like an Ariel.[b](B)3 And like David[c] I will encamp against you; I wi...
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Isaiah 29 - New Living Translation (NLT)

A Message about Jerusalem29 “What sorrow awaits Ariel,[a] the City of David. Year after year you celebrate your feasts.2 Yet I will bring disaster upon you, and there will be much weeping and sorrow.For Jerusalem will become what her name Ariel means— an altar covered with blood.3 I will be your ene...
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Isaiah 29 - New Life Version (NLV)

Trouble for Jerusalem29 It is bad for Ariel, Ariel the city where David once set up his tents! Add year to year. Keep your special suppers at the right times. 2 I will bring trouble to Ariel. She will be a city of sorrow and crying. She will be like an altar covered with blood to me. 3 I will camp...
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Isaiah 29 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Woe to Jerusalem29 “Woe (A)to [a]Ariel, to Ariel, the city (B)where David dwelt!Add year to year;Let feasts come around.2 Yet I will distress Ariel;There shall be heaviness and sorrow,And it shall be to Me as Ariel.3 I will encamp against you all around,I will lay siege against you with a mound,And ...
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Isaiah 29 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Woe to David’s city29 Woe to you, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David settled!Add year to year and let your cycle of festivals go on.2 Yet I will besiege Ariel; she will mourn and lament, she will be to me like an altar hearth.[a]3 I will encamp against you on all sides; I will encircle you with towe...
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Isaiah 29 - New International Version (NIV)

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Isaiah 29 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Lord Will Judge Jerusalem29 Jerusalem, how terrible it will be for you! Ariel, you are the city where David made his home.The years will come and go. Keep on celebrating your regular feasts.2 The Lord says, “Ariel, I will surround you. Jerusalem, I will get ready to attack you.Your people will m...
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Isaiah 29 - New English Translation (NET)

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