Isaiah 29 - Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)

Woe to the City of David

29

Woe to Ariel![a] Ariel, the city where David made his camp.
Add one year to another.
Let your cycle of festivals roll on.
2 But then I will bring distress to Ariel,
and there will be mourning and lamentation.
Then she will become an altar hearth[b] to me.
3 I will encamp against you on all sides,
and I will lay siege against you with towers.[c]
I will raise siege works against you.
4 You will be brought so low
that you will speak from the ground.
You will murmur from the dust.
Your voice will be like a ghost from a pit in the ground,
and your speech will whisper from the dust.
5 But your many foes will become like fine dust,
and the ruthless hordes like blowing chaff.
This will take place suddenly, in an instant.
6 You will be visited by the Lord of Armies
with thunder, earthquake, and a loud noise,
with a strong wind and a storm,
and with the flames of a devouring fire.
7 The hordes of nations that fight against Ariel,
all who fight against her and her stronghold,
all who besiege her—
all of them will be like a dream,
like a vision in the night.
8 They will be like a hungry man who dreams and sees himself eating,
but then he wakes up, and his hunger is not satisfied.
They will be like a thirsty man who dreams and sees himself drinking,
but then he wakes up and, sure enough, he is weak with thirst.
That is how it will be with the hordes of nations
that fight against Mount Zion.
9 Be stunned! Be amazed!
Blind yourselves and be blind!
They are drunk, but not with wine.
They stagger, but not from beer.[d]
10 For the Lord has poured out a spirit of deep sleep over you.
He has closed your eyes—the prophets.
He has covered your heads—the seers.

11 For you this whole vision has become like the words of a sealed scroll. If you give it to someone who can read, and you say, “Read this, please,” he will say, “I can’t. It is sealed.” 12 And if you give it to someone who cannot read, and you say, “Read this, please,” he will say, “I can’t read.”

13 The Lord says:
These people approach me with their words,
and they honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me is nothing but commandments taught by men.[e]
14 So watch how I will continue to amaze these people
with amazing, extraordinary things.
The wisdom of the wise will perish,
and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.

Hope for the Future

15 Woe to those who try to hide their plans from the Lord.
Their deeds are done in darkness,
and they think that no one sees them
or knows what they are doing.

16 You turn things upside down!
Should the potter be treated like clay?
Should the thing that was made say to its maker,
“You didn’t make me”?
Should the creation say to the creator,
“You know nothing”?

17 Isn’t it true that in a very short time
Lebanon will be turned into a fertile field,
and the fertile field will seem like a forest?
18 On that day, the deaf will hear the words from a book,
and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.
19 The humble will rejoice in the Lord once again,
and the poor will delight in the Holy One of Israel.
20 But the ruthless will come to nothing.
Those who mock will be no more,
and all those who plan evil will be cut off—
21 all those who slander others with a word,
all those who argue cases at the city gate,
all those who use false testimony to deprive the innocent of justice.

22 Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham,
says about the house of Jacob:
Jacob will not be ashamed anymore.
His face will not grow pale.
23 But when his children see what I do among them,
they will honor my name.
They will honor the Holy One of Jacob.
They will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
24 Those who are confused will come to understand,
and those who complain will gladly receive instruction.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 29:1 That is, Jerusalem. Ariel means Lion of God, but it also can mean an altar hearth of burning coals, which is what Jerusalem will become.
  2. Isaiah 29:2 Hebrew Ariel
  3. Isaiah 29:3 Or a garrison or an invading army or earthen ramps
  4. Isaiah 29:9 Beer refers to any fermented drink not made from grapes. Distilled alcohol was unknown in biblical times.
  5. Isaiah 29:13 The translation follows the Hebrew. The Greek reads: They worship me in vain. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. See Matthew 15:8-9.

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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)

Night Vision of Ariel29 Oy, Ariel[a], Ariel! City where David camped.Year to year again—festivals in a cycle.2 But I will distress Ariel.There will be lamenting and moaning— then will she be like Ariel to Me?3 I will encamp against you all around,I will set up siege-works against youand will raise u...
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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)

Woe to David’s City29 Woe(A) to you, Ariel, Ariel,(B) the city(C) where David settled!Add year to year and let your cycle of festivals(D) go on.2 Yet I will besiege Ariel;(E) she will mourn and lament,(F) she will be to me like an altar hearth.[a](G)3 I will encamp against you on all sides; I will e...
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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)

Ariel is Besieged29 Ariel is as good as dead[a]—Ariel, the town David besieged![b]Keep observing your annual rituals;celebrate your festivals on schedule.[c]2 I will threaten Ariel,and she will mourn intenselyand become like an altar hearth[d] before me.3 I will lay siege to you on all sides;[e]I wi...
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