Judgment to Come (Isaiah 7:17–25)
1 ULT The word of Yahweh that was to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz,{ and} Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. BSB BSB: This is the word of the LORD that came to Micah the Moreshite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem:
2 ULT Hear, peoples, all of them; pay attention, earth, and its fullness, that the Lord Yahweh may be against you as a witness, the Lord from the palace of his holiness. BSB BSB: Hear, O peoples, all of you; listen, O earth, and everyone in it! May the Lord GOD bear witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple.
3 ULT For behold, Yahweh is going out from his place, and he will come down and tread on the high places of the earth. BSB BSB: For behold, the LORD comes forth from His dwelling place; He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.
4 ULT And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split open, like wax from the face of the fire, like waters poured down a steep place. BSB BSB: The mountains will melt beneath Him, and the valleys will split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.
5 ULT All this{ is} because of the transgression of Jacob, and because of the sins of the house of Israel. Who{ is} the transgression of Jacob?{ Is} it not Samaria? And who{ are} the high places of Judah?{ Is} it not Jerusalem? BSB BSB: All this is for the transgression of Jacob and the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?
6 ULT “So I will make Samaria a ruin of the field, a planting place of a vineyard. And I will pour down her stones into the gorge, and her foundations I will uncover. BSB BSB: Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble in the open field, a planting area for a vineyard. I will pour her stones into the valley and expose her foundations.
7 ULT And all her carved images will be crushed, and all her wages will be burned in the fire, and all her idols I will make a desolation, for from the wages of a prostitute she gathered{ them}, and to the wages of a prostitute they will return.” BSB BSB: All her carved images will be smashed to pieces; all her wages will be burned in the fire, and I will destroy all her idols. Since she collected the wages of a prostitute, they will be used again on a prostitute.
Weeping and Mourning 8 ULT On account of this I shall lament and wail; I shall go barefoot and naked. I shall make a lamentation like the jackals and mourning like the daughters of an owl. BSB BSB: Because of this I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and mourn like an ostrich.
9 ULT For her wounds{ are} incurable, for it has come to Judah. It has reached to the gate of my people, to Jerusalem. BSB BSB: For her wound is incurable; it has reached even Judah; it has approached the gate of my people, as far as Jerusalem itself.
10 ULT In Gath, do not declare{ it}; weeping, do not weep. In Beth Leaphrah, roll yourself in the dust. BSB BSB: Do not tell it in Gath; do not weep at all. Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah.
11 ULT Pass on your way, dweller of Shaphir,{ in} nakedness of shame. The dweller of Zaanan has not gone out; the mourning of Beth Ezel will take from you its standing place. BSB BSB: Depart in shameful nakedness, O dwellers of Shaphir. The dwellers of Zaanan will not come out. Beth-ezel is in mourning; its support is taken from you.
12 ULT Surely the dweller of Maroth writhes for{ something} good, but evil has come down from Yahweh to the gate of Jerusalem. BSB BSB: For the dwellers of Maroth pined for good, but calamity came down from the LORD, even to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 ULT Harness the chariot to the steeds, dweller of Lachish. She{ was} the beginning of sin to daughter Zion, for in you were found the transgressions of Israel. BSB BSB: Harness your chariot horses, O dweller of Lachish. You were the beginning of sin to the Daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
14 ULT Therefore you will give dowry gifts to Moresheth Gath. The houses of Achzib{ will} become a deception to the kings of Israel. BSB BSB: Therefore, send farewell gifts to Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib will prove deceptive to the kings of Israel.
15 ULT Also a possessor I will bring to you, dweller of Mareshah. The glory of Israel will come to Adullam. BSB BSB: I will again bring a conqueror against you, O dweller of Mareshah. The glory of Israel will come to Adullam.
16 ULT Make yourself bald and shave for the sons of your delight. Enlarge your baldness like the eagle, for they have gone into exile from you. BSB BSB: Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hair in mourning for your precious children; make yourselves as bald as an eagle, for they will go from you into exile.