Isaiah — Chapter 25

O ETERNAL One, You are my God;I will extol You, I will praise Your name.For You planned graciousnessagraciousness See 9.5. of old,Counsels of steadfast faithfulness.

For You have turned a city into a stone heap,A walled town into a ruin,The citadel of strangersbstrangers Emendation yields “arrogant men.” into rubble,crubble Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Never to be rebuilt.

Therefore a fierce people must honor You,A city of cruel nations must fear You.

For You have been a refuge for the pauper,A shelter for the needy person in distress—Shelter from rainstorm, shade from heat.When the fury of tyrants was like a winterdwinter Meaning of Heb. uncertain. rainstorm,

The rage of strangersestrangers See note at v. 2. like heat in the desert,You subdued the heat with the shade of clouds,The singingfsinging Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “rainstorm”; cf. v. 4d. of the tyrants was vanquished.

GOD of Hosts will make on this mountgthis mount I.e., the Holy Land, as in 11.9; 14.25; 57.13. For all the peoplesA banquet of rich viands,A banquet of choice wines—Of rich viands seasoned with marrow,Of choice wineshof rich viands … / Of choice wines Meaning of Heb. uncertain. well refined.

And on this mountithis mount See note at v. 6. will be destroyed the shroudThat is drawn over the faces of all the peoples,And the covering that is spreadOver all the nations:

Deathjdeath Perhaps an allusion to the mass killings committed by the Assyrians; cf. 10.7; 14.20. will be destroyed forever.My Sovereign GOD will wipe the tears awayFrom all facesAnd will put an end to the reproach of God’s peoplekGod’s people Emendation yields “peoples.” Over all the earth—For it is GOD who has spoken.

In that day they shall say:This is our God;We trusted in the One who delivered us.This is GOD, in whom we trusted;Let us rejoice and exult in God’s deliverance!

For GOD’s hand shall descendUpon this mount,lthis mount See note at v. 6. And MoabmMoab Emendation yields “Assyria”; cf. 14.25. shall be trampled underfootAs straw is threshed to bits at Madmenah.nMadmenah A village near Jerusalem; see 10.31. Emendation yields “As straw gets shredded in the threshing.”

Then [God’s] hands will be spread out in their homeland,ohomeland Lit. “midst.” As a swimmer’s hands are spread out to swim,And their pride will be humbledAlong with the emblems of their power.pthe emblems of their power Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “their citadels”; cf. the next verse.

Yea, the secure fortification of theirqtheir Heb. “your.” wallsWill be laid low and humble—Will be razed to the ground, to the very dust.