Isaiah 29

1 Woe [a cry of sorrow, deep distress] to you, O Ariel [lion of God], the city of Ariel [where God is the lion, a name for Jerusalem] where David [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] camped [pitched his tent, encamped]! Year [a period of time, a cycle] upon year [a recurring cycle, annually] let your festivals [appointed times, feasts] recur [come around, be celebrated]. word study 2 And I will constrain [distress, bring trouble to] Ariel [lion of God], and there will be [result in, lead to] mourning [sorrow, grief] and lamentation [deep sadness, weeping]; she will be [exist as, become] like [similar to, comparable with] an altar hearth [a place of sacrifice] before Me [in My presence, under My watch]. word study 3 I will camp [encamp, lay siege] in a circle [round about, as a circle] around you; I will besiege [confine, surround] you with towers [posted troops, a mount] and set up [raise, establish] siege works [entrenchments, ramparts] against you [upon, above you]. word study 4 You will be brought low [humbled, abased], you will speak from the ground [out of the earth, from a lowly position], and out of the dust [dry earth, clay] your words will be muffled [low, whispering]. Your voice will be like a spirit [medium, one who contacts the dead] from the ground [land, earth]; your speech will whisper [chirp, make a soft sound] out of the dust [dry earth]. word study 5 But your many foes [like fine powder, small dust] will be like fine dust [small particles easily blown away], the multitude [large crowd, turmoil] of the ruthless [fearful, awe-inspiring, having great power] like blowing chaff [loose outer covering of grain, worthless material]. Then suddenly [quickly], in an instant [suddenness, quickness, without warning], word study 6 you will be visited [to reckon, oversee, or inspect] by the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] of Hosts [army, a large group of people or things] with thunder [a loud, rumbling sound] and earthquake [a quaking or shaking motion] and loud noise [a great voice or sound], with windstorm [a hurricane or storm] and tempest [a strong storm or hurricane] and consuming flame [a flame or a sharp blade, devouring fire] of fire [burning, flame]. word study 7 All [the multitude, a large crowd] the many nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] going out to battle [to serve, assemble for war] against Ariel [lion of God, a name for Jerusalem]— even all [every single one] who war [fight, assemble for battle] against her, laying siege [shutting her in with their towers, besieging] and attacking [pressing, oppressing] her— will be like a dream [a vision, a prophetic message], like a vision [a revelation, a divine insight] in the night [a time of darkness, adversity], word study 8 as when a hungry [starving, in great need] man dreams he is eating [consuming, devouring], then awakens [wakes up, rises] still hungry [unsatisfied, empty]; as when a thirsty [parched, dehydrated] man dreams he is drinking [quenching his thirst, satisfying], then awakens faint [weak, exhausted] and parched [completely dry, barren]. So will it be for all the many nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] who go to battle [fight, wage war] against Mount Zion [the city of God, the holy mountain]. word study 9 Stop [tarry, pause] and be astonished [amazed, stunned]; blind [smear, cover] yourselves and be sightless [without spiritual insight]; be drunk [intoxicated, in a stupor], but not with wine; stagger [shake, tremble], but not from strong drink. word study 10 For the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has poured out [installed, set forth] on you a spirit [breath of life, mind and emotions] of deep sleep [trance, complete unawareness]. He has shut [closed tightly, made powerful] your eyes [sources of understanding], O prophets [those who speak for God]; He has covered [hidden from view, filled up hollows] your heads [the topmost part of the body], O seers [those who receive visions from God]. word study 11 And the entire [whole, complete] vision [revelation, prophetic insight] will be to you like the words [messages, oracles] sealed [locked, closed] in a scroll [book, written document]. If it is handed [given, delivered] to someone [a person, an individual] to read [to interpret, to understand], he will say [declare, speak], “I cannot [am not able, have no power to], because it is sealed [locked, inaccessible].” word study 12 Or if the scroll [book, written document] is handed to one [uneducated] unable to read, he will say, “I [do not know how to read, am not learned] cannot read [have no knowledge of writing].” word study 13 Therefore the Lord [Adonay, the supreme Master] said: “These people [this nation, the Israelites] draw near [approach, come close] to Me with their mouths [lips, words] and honor [glorify, reverence] Me with their lips [words, language], but their hearts [inner beings, will] are far [distant, removed] from Me. Their worship [fear, reverence] of Me is but [merely, only] rules [commandments, teachings] taught [learned, guided] by men [humans, mortal leaders]. word study 14 Therefore [thus, in this manner] I will again confound [surprise, amaze] these people [this nation, the Israelites] with wonder [a marvelous work, a miracle] upon wonder [an astonishing event]. The wisdom [skill, prudence, good judgment] of the wise [intelligent, crafty] will vanish [perish, be destroyed], and the intelligence [understanding, discernment] of the intelligent [those who understand, discerning ones] will be hidden [concealed, kept secret].” word study 15 Woe [a cry of sorrow, a lament] to those who dig deep [to deeply conceal, to hide completely] to hide [to conceal, to keep secret] their plans [counsel, advice, or purpose] from the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. In darkness they do their works [deeds, actions] and say [speak, declare], “Who [what person] sees [perceives, observes] us, and who [what person] will know [be aware of, understand]?” word study 16 You have turned things [completely] upside down, as if the potter [the Creator, the One who shapes] were regarded as clay [the material, the thing being formed]. Shall what is formed [the created thing, the work of God’s hands] say to him who formed it [the One who shaped and molded], “He did not make me [create me, bring me into existence]”? Can the pottery [the thing formed, the creation] say of the potter [the One who formed it, the divine Craftsman], “He has no understanding [insight, knowledge, or wisdom]”? word study 17 In a very short [little] time, will not Lebanon [a mountain range, a symbol of fertility] become an orchard [a plantation, a fruitful field], and the orchard [a fertile land, a garden-land] seem like a forest [a copse of bushes, a wooded area]? word study 18 On that day [in the future, at a specific time] the deaf [those unable to hear, spiritually or physically] will hear [listen and obey, perceive] the words [messages, teachings] of the scroll [book, written document], and out of the deep [thick, profound] darkness [obscurity, gloom] the eyes [sight, perception] of the blind [those unable to see, spiritually or physically] will see [perceive, understand, have insight]. word study 19 The [meek] humble will increase [add to, continue] their joy [gladness, celebration] in the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], and the [needy, oppressed] poor among men [humanity, the descendants of Adam] will rejoice [be glad, express strong emotions] in the Holy [set apart, sacred] One of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants]. word study 20 For the ruthless [cruel, terrible one] will vanish [cease, come to nothing], the mockers [scorners, those who make sport of the Lord] will disappear [be consumed], and all [every one] who look [watch, are alert] for evil [iniquity, wickedness] will be cut down [destroyed, cut off]— word study 21 those who indict [bring a false charge against] a man with a word [a single statement, a matter], who ensnare [set a trap for, lay a snare] the mediator [one who reproves, corrects] at the gate [the city entrance, the place of judgment], and who with false charges [lying testimony, deceitful accusations] deprive the innocent [the just, the righteous] of justice [what is right, moral deflection]. word study 22 Therefore the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] who redeemed [ransomed, set free] Abraham says of the house [family, descendants] of Jacob: “No longer [not now, never again] will Jacob be ashamed [feel guilt, be disappointed] and no more [not now, never again] will his face [presence, countenance] grow pale [turn white with shame, become clouded with fear]. word study 23 For when he sees [beholds, looks upon] his children [youth, descendants] around him, the work [deed, action] of My hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share], they will honor [give reverence to, esteem] My name [fame, renown, reputation], they will sanctify [set apart, consecrate] the Holy One [set apart, sacred] of Jacob [the patriarch, Israel’s father], and they will stand in awe [tremble, fear] of the God [Elohim, supreme] of Israel [the chosen people, descendants of Jacob]. word study 24 Then the wayward [errant, those who go astray] in spirit [the breath of life, the mind and emotions] will come to understanding [discernment, wisdom, and knowledge], and those who grumble [murmur, complain in rebellion] will accept instruction [teaching, learning, and insight].” word study