33:1 Woe to you, destroyer,
While you were not destroyed;
And he who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him.
As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed;
As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will deal treacherously with you.
33:2 LORD, be gracious to us; we have waited for You.
Be ①their ②strength every morning,
Our salvation also in the time of distress.
▷ ①Some ancient versions our ②Lit arm
33:3 At the sound of a roar, peoples flee;
At the lifting up of Yourself, nations disperse.
33:4 Your plunder is gathered as the caterpillar gathers;
Like an infestation of locusts, people storm it.
33:5 The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
33:6 And He will be the ①stability of your times,
A wealth of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
The fear of the LORD is his treasure.
▷ ①Or faithfulness
33:7 Behold, their brave men cry out ①in the streets,
The ②ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.
▷ ①Lit outside ②Lit messengers
33:8 The highways are desolate, ①the traveler has ceased,
He has broken the covenant, he has despised the cities,
He has no regard for mankind.
▷ ①Lit one who passes along the way
33:9 The land mourns and wastes away,
Lebanon is shamed and withers;
Sharon is like a desert plain,
And Bashan and Carmel ①lose their foliage.
▷ ①Lit shake off
33:10 “Now I will arise,” says the LORD,
“Now I will be exalted, now I will be lifted up.
33:11 You have conceived ①chaff, you will give birth to stubble;
②My breath will consume you like a fire.
▷ ①Lit dry grass ②One ancient version; MT Your breath will
33:12 The peoples will be burned to lime,
Like cut thorns which are burned in the fire.
33:13 “You who are far away, hear what I have done;
And you who are near, ①acknowledge My might.”
▷ ①Lit know
33:14 Sinners in Zion are terrified;
Trembling has seized the godless.
“Who among us can live with the consuming fire?
Who among us can live with everlasting burning?”
33:15 One who walks righteously and speaks with integrity,
One who rejects ①unjust gain
And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe;
One who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed
And shuts his eyes from looking at evil;
▷ ①Lit gain of extortioners
33:16 He will dwell on the heights,
His refuge will be the ①impregnable rock;
His bread will be given him,
His water will be sure.
▷ ①Lit stronghold of rock
33:17 Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;
They will see a distant land.
33:18 Your heart will meditate on terror:
“Where is one who counts?
Where is one who weighs?
Where is one who counts the towers?”
33:19 You will no longer see a fierce people,
A people of ①unintelligible speech ②which no one comprehends,
Of a stammering tongue ③which no one understands.
▷ ①Lit deepness of lip ②Lit from hearing ③Lit there is no understanding
33:20 Look at Zion, the city of our appointed feasts;
Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an undisturbed settlement,
A tent which will not be folded;
Its stakes will never be pulled up,
Nor any of its ropes be torn apart.
33:21 But there the majestic One, the LORD, will be for us
A place of rivers and wide canals
On which no boat with oars will go,
And on which no mighty ship will pass—
33:22 For the LORD is our judge,
The LORD is our lawgiver,
The LORD is our king;
He will save us—
33:23 Your ship’s tackle hangs slack;
It cannot hold the base of its mast firmly,
Nor spread out the sail.
Then the prey of an abundant spoil will be divided;
Those who limp will take the plunder.
33:24 And no resident will say, “I am sick”;
The people who live ①there will be forgiven their wrongdoing.
▷ ①Lit in it