Isaiah 34

The Nations Will Be Judged

1 Everyone of every nation,

the entire earth,

and all its creatures,

come here and listen!

2 The Lord is terribly angry

with the nations;

he has condemned them

to be slaughtered.

3 Their dead bodies will be left

to rot and stink;

their blood will flow

down the mountains.

4 *Mt 24.29;Mk 13.25;Lk 21.26;Rev 6.13,14. Each star*34.4 star: Stars were worshiped as gods. will disappear—

the sky will roll up

like a scroll.*34.4 scroll: A roll of paper or specially prepared leather used for writing on.

Everything in the sky

will dry up and wilt

like leaves on a vine

or fruit on a tree.

Trouble for Edom

5 *Is 63.1-6;Jr 49.7-22;Ez 25.12-14;35.1-15;Am 1.11,12;Ob 1-14;Ml 1.2-5. After the sword of the Lord

has done what it wants

to the skies above,*34.5 has done … above: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Dead Sea Scrolls "appears in the skies above."

it will come down on Edom,

the nation that the Lord

has doomed for destruction.

6 The sword of the Lord

is covered with blood

from lambs and goats,

together with fat

from kidneys of rams.

This is because the Lord

will slaughter many people

and make a sacrifice of them

in the city of Bozrah

and everywhere else

in Edom.

7 Edom’s leaders are wild oxen.

They are powerful bulls,

but they will die

with the others.

Their country will be soaked

with their own blood,

and its soil made fertile

with their own fat.

8 The Lord has chosen

the year and the day,

when he will take revenge

and come to Zion’s defense.

9 Edom’s streams will turn into tar

and its soil into sulfur—

then the whole country

will go up in flames.

10 *Rev 14.11;19.3. It will burn night and day

and never stop smoking.

Edom will be a desert,

generation after generation;

no one will ever travel

through that land.

11 Owls, hawks, and wild animals*34.11 Owls … animals: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

will make it their home.

God will leave it in ruins,

merely a pile of rocks.

The End of Edom

12 Edom will be called

"Kingdom of Nothing."

Its rulers will also be nothing.

13 Its palaces and fortresses

will be covered with thorns;

only wolves and ostriches

will make their home there.

14 Wildcats and hyenas

will hunt together,

demons will scream to demons,

and creatures of the night

will live among the ruins.

15 Owls will nest there

to raise their young

among its shadows,*34.15 Owls … shadows: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

while families of vultures

circle around.

16 In The Book of the Lord*34.16 The Book of the Lord: The book that Isaiah refers to is unknown.

you can search and find

where it is written,

"The Lord brought together

all of his creatures

by the power of his Spirit.

Not one is missing."

17 The Lord has decided

where they each should live;

they will be there forever,

generation after generation.