Isaiah 29 - The Message (MSG)

Blind Yourselves So That You See Nothing

29 1-4 Doom, Ariel, Ariel,
the city where David set camp!
Let the years add up,
let the festivals run their cycles,
But I’m not letting up on Jerusalem.
The moaning and groaning will continue.
Jerusalem to me is an Ariel.
Like David, I’ll set up camp against you.
I’ll set siege, build towers,
bring in siege engines, build siege ramps.
Driven into the ground, you’ll speak,
you’ll mumble words from the dirt—
Your voice from the ground, like the muttering of a ghost.
Your speech will whisper from the dust.

5-8 But it will be your enemies who are beaten to dust,
the mob of tyrants who will be blown away like chaff.
Because, surprise, as if out of nowhere,
a visit from God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
With thunderclaps, earthquakes, and earsplitting noise,
backed up by hurricanes, tornadoes, and lightning strikes,
And the mob of enemies at war with Ariel,
all who trouble and hassle and torment her,
will turn out to be a bad dream, a nightmare.
Like a hungry man dreaming he’s eating steak
and wakes up hungry as ever,
Like a thirsty woman dreaming she’s drinking iced tea
and wakes up thirsty as ever,
So that mob of nations at war against Mount Zion
will wake up and find they haven’t shot an arrow,
haven’t killed a single soul.

9-10 Drug yourselves so you feel nothing.
Blind yourselves so you see nothing.
Get drunk, but not on wine.
Black out, but not from whiskey.
For God has rocked you into a deep, deep sleep,
put the discerning prophets to sleep,
put the farsighted seers to sleep.

You Have Everything Backward

11-12 What you’ve been shown here is somewhat like a letter in a sealed envelope. If you give it to someone who can read and tell her, “Read this,” she’ll say, “I can’t. The envelope is sealed.” And if you give it to someone who can’t read and tell him, “Read this,” he’ll say, “I can’t read.”

* * *

13-14 The Master said:

“These people make a big show of saying the right thing,
but their hearts aren’t in it.
Because they act like they’re worshiping me
but don’t mean it,
I’m going to step in and shock them awake,
astonish them, stand them on their ears.
The wise ones who had it all figured out
will be exposed as fools.
The smart people who thought they knew everything
will turn out to know nothing.”

15-16 Doom to you! You pretend to have the inside track.
You shut God out and work behind the scenes,
Plotting the future as if you knew everything,
acting mysterious, never showing your hand.
You have everything backward!
You treat the potter as a lump of clay.
Does a book say to its author,
“He didn’t write a word of me”?
Does a meal say to the woman who cooked it,
“She had nothing to do with this”?

17-21 And then before you know it,
and without you having anything to do with it,
Wasted Lebanon will be transformed into lush gardens,
and Mount Carmel reforested.
At that time the deaf will hear
word-for-word what’s been written.
After a lifetime in the dark,
the blind will see.
The castoffs of society will be laughing and dancing in God,
the down-and-outs shouting praise to The Holy of Israel.
For there’ll be no more gangs on the street.
Cynical scoffers will be an extinct species.
Those who never missed a chance to hurt or demean
will never be heard of again:
Gone the people who corrupted the courts,
gone the people who cheated the poor,
gone the people who victimized the innocent.

22-24 And finally this, God’s Message for the family of Jacob,
the same God who redeemed Abraham:
“No longer will Jacob hang his head in shame,
no longer grow gaunt and pale with waiting.
For he’s going to see his children,
my personal gift to him—lots of children.
And these children will honor me
by living holy lives.
In holy worship they’ll honor the Holy One of Jacob
and stand in holy awe of the God of Israel.
Those who got off-track will get back on-track,
and complainers and whiners will learn gratitude.”

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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)

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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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