Isaías 33

¹ Woe to thee thatMeaning, the enemies of the Church, as were the Chaldeans and Assyrians, but chiefly of Sennacherib, but not only.layest waste, and thou [wast] not laid waste; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shaltWhen your appointed time will come that God will take away your power: and that which you have wrongfully gained, will be given to others, as in (Amo_5:11).cease to lay waste, thou shalt be wasted; [and] when thou shalt make an end of dealing treacherously,The Chaldeans will do the same to the Assyrians, as the Assyrians did to Israel, and the Medes and Persians will do the same to the Chaldeans.they shall deal treacherously with thee.

² He declares by this what is the chief refuge of the faithful, when troubles come, to pray, and seek help from God.O LORD, be gracious to us; we have waited for thee: be thouWhich helped our fathers as soon as they called on you.their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

³ At the noise of the tumult theThat is, the Assyrians fled before the army of the Chaldeans, or the Chaldeans for fear of the Medes and Persians.people fled; at theWhen you, O Lord, lifted up your arm to punish your enemies.lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.

⁴ And your spoil shall be gathered [like] the gathering of theYou who as caterpillars destroyed with your number the whole world, will have no strength to resist your enemies the Chaldeans: but will be gathered on a heap and destroyed.caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shallMeaning, the Medes and Persians against the Chaldeans.he run upon them.

⁵ The Lorde is exalted: for hee dwelleth on hie: he hath filled Zion with iudgement & iustice.

⁶ And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability ofThat is, in the days of Hezekiah.thy times, [and] strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD [is] his treasure.

⁷ Behold,Sent from Sennacherib.their valiant ones shall cry outside: theWhom they of Jerusalem sent to intreat of peace.ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.

⁸ TheThese are the words of the ambassadors, when they returned from Sennacherib.highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.

⁹ The earth mourneth [and] languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed [and] hewn down:Which was a plentiful country, meaning, that Sennacherib would destroy all.Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off [their fruits].

¹⁰ Now will ITo help and deliver my Church.rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.

¹¹ This is spoken against the enemies, who thought all was their own, but he shows that their enterprise will be in vain, and that the fire which they had kindled for others would consume them.Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, [as] fire, shall devour you.

¹² And the people shall be as the burning of lime: and as the thornes cut vp, shall they be burnt in the fire.

¹³ Ye [that are]His vengeance will be so great that all the world will talk of it.far off, hear what I have done; and, ye [that are] near, acknowledge my might.

¹⁴ TheWhich do not believe the words of the prophet, and the assurance of their deliverance.sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

¹⁵ Hee that walketh in iustice, and speaketh righteous things, refusing gaine of oppression, shaking his handes from taking of gifts, stopping his eares from hearing of blood, and shutting his eyes from seeing euill.

¹⁶ He shall dwell onMeaning, that God will be a sure defence to all them that live according to his word.high: his place of defence [shall be] the strong holds of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters [shall be] sure.

¹⁷ Thy eyes shallThey will see Hezekiah delivered from his enemies and restored to honour and glory.see the king in his beauty: they shall behold theThey will be no more shut in as they were by Sennacherib, but go where it pleases them.land that is very far off.

¹⁸ Thy heartBefore this liberty comes you will think that you are in great danger: for the enemy will so sharply assail you that one will cry «Where is the clerk that writes the names of them who are taxed?» another, «Where is the receiver?» another will cry for him that values the rich houses, but God will deliver you from this fear.shall meditate terror. Where [is] the scribe? where [is] the receiver? where [is] he that counted the towers?

¹⁹ Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a darke speache, that thou canst not perceiue, and of a stammering tongue that thou canst not vnderstande.

²⁰ Looke vpon Zion the citie of our solemne feastes: thine eyes shall see Ierusalem a quiet habitation, a Tabernacle that can not be remooued: and the stakes thereof can neuer be taken away, neither shall any of the cordes thereof be broken.

²¹ But there the glorious LORD [will be] to us a placeLet us be content with this small river of Shiloah and not desire the great streams and rivers, by which the enemies may bring in ships and destroy us.of broad rivers [and] streams; in which shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass through it.

²² For the Lorde is our Iudge, the Lord is our lawe giuer: the Lord is our King, he will saue vs.

²³ ThyHe derides the Assyrians and enemies of the Church, declaring their destruction as they who perish by shipwreck.tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is theHe comforts the Church, and shows that they will be enriched with all benefits both of body and soul.prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.

²⁴ And none inhabitant shall say, I am sicke: the people that dwell therein, shall haue their iniquitie forgiuen.