Isa 2 | EE | STEP | This is what Isaiah, the son of Amoz, ‘saw’ about Judah and Jerusalem.

Isaiah 2

Words that cause us to hope in God

1 This is what Isaiah, the son of Amoz, ‘saw’ about Judah and Jerusalem.

2 This is what will happen in the last days. The mountain, where the house of the LORD is, will always be there. It will be the most important mountain. It will be higher than the hills round it. People from every country will come towards it.

3 And people from many countries will come to it. And they will say, ‘Come! We will go to the mountain of the LORD. We must go to the house of the God of Jacob. Then he will teach us what he wants us to do. Then we can walk in his paths.’ So, the law (of God) will go out from Zion. The LORD‘s words will go out from Jerusalem.

4 God will be the judge between the nations. He will say who is right. And he will say who is wrong. They will use hammers to change their swords into parts of ploughs. And they will use their knives to prune plants. Nations will not attack other nations with swords. Neither will they learn how to fight again.

5 Jacob’s people, come and we will walk in the light of the LORD. ^{▼▼2:5 Jacob’s people means Israel’s people. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel.}

The problems of religion in Judah and in Israel

6 But you, LORD, have gone away from your people. They are the descendants of Jacob. They are full of ideas from countries in the east. They are like the people called Philistines. They have people who use magic. Those people hope to find out about future events. Also, they join hands with foreign people.

7 Their country is full of silver and gold and they have many valuable things. Their country is full of horses and they have many chariots.

8 Idols that are worth nothing fill their country. They get down on the ground in front of things that their hands have made. They are things that their own fingers have made.

9 So, the LORD makes people humble and everyone becomes low! LORD, do not lift them up again!

10 Go into the holes in the rocks and hide in the ground. Hide because you are afraid. You are afraid of what the LORD will do. Hide from his great power.

11 The LORD will stop the way that proud people look at other people. And he will make very proud people humble. On that day, only the LORD will be important.

12 Yes! The LORD of Many Armies will choose a day. Then, in that day, the LORD will make humble everyone who is proud, very proud and important.

13 ^{▼▼This verse is empty because in this translation its contents have been moved to form part of verse Isa 2:16.} ^{▼▼In this translation, this verse contains text which in some other translations appears in verses Isa 2:13-Isa 2:16.}14 ^{▼▼This verse is empty because in this translation its contents have been moved to form part of verse Isa 2:16.} ^{▼▼In this translation, this verse contains text which in some other translations appears in verses Isa 2:13-Isa 2:16.}15 ^{▼▼This verse is empty because in this translation its contents have been moved to form part of verse Isa 2:16.} ^{▼▼In this translation, this verse contains text which in some other translations appears in verses Isa 2:13-Isa 2:16.}16 The LORD will be against all these things:

· the high, the really high cedar trees in Lebanon

· the oak trees in Bashan

· the very high mountains

· the highest hills

· tall buildings

· strong walls

· boats from Tarshish

· beautiful ships.

17 The LORD will stop the way that proud people look at other people. And he will make very proud people humble. On that day, only the LORD will be important.

18 And nobody will see any of the idols again.

19 And people will run to holes in the sides of the rocks and to holes in the ground. They will run because they are afraid of the LORD. They will run from his great power when he comes. He will come to punish the earth.

20 In that day, people will throw away their silver idols and their gold idols. They will throw them to rats and to bats. They made those idols so that they could worship them.

21 But then people will run to large holes in the rocks and to holes in the sides of mountains. They will run because they are afraid of the LORD. And they will be afraid of his great power, when he comes. He will come to shake the earth very much.

22 Do not ask human people to help you. They are so weak that they might die very soon! They are worth nothing.