Isaiah

CHAPTER 25

Praise for God’s Deliverance and the Celebration in Zion^*

1O LORD, you are my God,

I extol you, I praise your name;

For you have carried out your wonderful plans of old,

faithful and true.^a

2For you have made the city a heap,

the fortified city a ruin,

The castle of the insolent, a city no more,

not ever to be rebuilt.^b

3Therefore a strong people will honor you,

ruthless nations will fear you.

4For you have been a refuge to the poor,

a refuge to the needy in their distress;

Shelter from the rain,

shade from the heat.^c

When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rain,

5the roar of strangers like heat in the desert,

You subdued the heat with the shade of a cloud,

the rain of the tyrants was vanquished.

6On this mountain^* the LORD of hosts

will provide for all peoples

A feast of rich food and choice wines,

juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.

7On this mountain he will destroy

the veil that veils all peoples,

The web that is woven over all nations.

8He will destroy death forever.

The Lord GOD will wipe away

the tears from all faces;

The reproach of his people he will remove

from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken.^d

9On that day it will be said:

“Indeed, this is our God; we looked to him, and he saved us!

This is the LORD to whom we looked;

let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”^e

Judgment on Moab^*

10For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain,

but Moab will be trodden down

as straw is trodden down in the mire.^f

11He will spread out his hands in its midst,

as a swimmer spreads out his hands to swim;

His pride will be brought low

despite his strokes.^g

12The high-walled fortress he will raze,

bringing it low, leveling it to the ground, to the very dust.^h

* [25:1–9] These verses praise God for carrying out his plan to destroy the enemy and to save the poor of his people in Zion (14:32), and they announce the victory banquet to be celebrated in the Lord’s city.

* [25:6] This mountain: i.e., Jerusalem’s mountain, Zion.

* [25:10–12] Moab: one of Israel’s bitterest enemies.

a. [25:1] Is 12:1, 4; 22:11; 28:29; 37:26.

b. [25:2] Is 17:1; Jer 51:37.

c. [25:4] Is 14:32; 32:2; Na 1:7.

d. [25:8] Is 60:1, 3; 1 Cor 15:53–55; Rev 7:17; 21:4.

e. [25:9] Is 30:18–19.

f. [25:10] Zep 2:9–10.

g. [25:11] Is 16:6–7, 14.

h. [25:12] Is 26:5.