Isaiah 2

Peace That Lasts Forever

1 This is the message*2.1 message: See the note at 1.1. I was given about Judah and Jerusalem:

2 In the future, the mountain

with the Lord's temple

will be the highest of all.

It will reach above the hills;

every nation will rush to it.

3 Many people will come and say,

"Let’s go to the mountain

of the Lord God of Jacob

and worship in his temple."

The Lord will teach us his Law

from Jerusalem,

and we will obey him.

4 *Jl 3.10;Mic 4.3. He will settle arguments

between nations.

They will pound their swords

and their spears

into rakes and shovels;

they will never make war

or attack one another.

5 People of Israel, let’s live

by the light of the Lord.

Following Sinful Customs

6 Our Lord, you have deserted

your people, Israel,

because they follow customs

of nations from the east.

They worship Philistine gods

and are close friends

of foreigners.*2.6 because … foreigners: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

7 They have endless treasures

of silver and gold;

they have countless horses

and war chariots.

8 Everywhere in the country

they worship the idols

they have made.

9 And so, all of them

will be ashamed and disgraced.

Don’t forgive them!

A Day of Judgment

10 *Rev 6.15;2 Th 1.9. Every one of you,

go hide among the rocks

and in the ground,

because the Lord is fearsome,

marvelous, and glorious.

11 When the Lord comes,

everyone who is proud

will be made humble,

and the Lord alone

will be honored.

12 The Lord All-Powerful

has chosen a day

when those who are proud

and conceited

will be put down.

13 The tall and towering

cedars of Lebanon

will be destroyed.

So will the oak trees of Bashan,

14 all high mountains and hills,

15 every strong fortress,

16 all the seagoing ships,*2.16 seagoing ships: The Hebrew text has "ships of Tarshish," which may have been a Phoenician city in Spain. "Ships of Tarshish" probably means large, seagoing ships.

and every beautiful boat.

17 When that day comes,

everyone who is proud

will be put down.

Only the Lord will be honored.

18 Idols will be gone for good.

19 You had better hide

in caves and holes—

the Lord will be fearsome,

marvelous, and glorious

when he comes to terrify

people on earth.

20 On that day everyone will throw

to the moles and bats

their idols of silver and gold

they made to worship.

21 The Lord will be fearsome,

marvelous, and glorious

when he comes to terrify

people on earth—

they will hide in caves

and in the hills.

22 Stop trusting the power

of humans.

They are all going to die,

so how can they help?