Isaiah 30

King James Version

Full text for Isaiah Chapter 30

1¶ Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:

2That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!

3Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt [your] confusion.

4For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.

5They were all ashamed of a people [that] could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.

6The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence [come] the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people [that] shall not profit [them].

7For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength [is] to sit still.

8¶ Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:

9That this [is] a rebellious people, lying children, children [that] will not hear the law of the LORD:

10Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

11Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

12Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:

13Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.

14And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters' vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water [withal] out of the pit.

15For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

16But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.

17One thousand [shall flee] at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.

18¶ And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD [is] a God of judgment: blessed [are] all they that wait for him.

19For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.

20And [though] the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

21And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This [is] the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

22Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

23Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.

24The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

25And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers [and] streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

26Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

27¶ Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning [with] his anger, and the burden [thereof is] heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

28And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and [there shall be] a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing [them] to err.

29Ye shall have a song, as in the night [when] a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel.

30And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of [his] anger, and [with] the flame of a devouring fire, [with] scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.

31For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, [which] smote with a rod.

32And [in] every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the LORD shall lay upon him, [it] shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.

33For Tophet [is] ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made [it] deep [and] large: the pile thereof [is] fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Isaiah 30 begins with a woe against Israel for seeking help from Egypt instead of trusting the Lord, leading to shame and confusion. The people reject divine counsel, demanding prophets speak smooth things, which will result in sudden destruction. Despite their rebellion, the Lord promises future grace, restoration, and abundant blessings for those who return to Him, culminating in a fierce judgment against their oppressors, particularly Assyria.

Medium Summary

The chapter opens with a stern warning against Israel's rebellious children who seek counsel from Egypt, trusting in Pharaoh's strength instead of the Lord, which is declared to bring shame and confusion. God commands Isaiah to record their persistent rebellion, highlighting their rejection of true prophecy in favor of "smooth things" and deceit. This disobedience is likened to a high wall ready to collapse suddenly and completely. The Lord offers salvation through "returning and rest," but the people refuse, choosing reliance on their own strength, which will lead to their swift defeat. Nevertheless, the Lord, in His mercy, waits to be gracious, promising a future restoration for Zion, including divine guidance, the casting away of idols, and a time of abundant blessings and intensified light, signifying healing and renewal. The chapter culminates in a vivid description of the Lord's fiery judgment, particularly against Assyria, assuring Israel of their ultimate deliverance.

Long Summary

Isaiah 30 opens with a pronouncement of woe against the rebellious children of Israel, who seek counsel and covering from Egypt rather than from the Lord, thereby adding sin to sin. Their trust in Pharaoh's strength is explicitly stated to result in shame and confusion, as Egypt's help will prove utterly vain. The prophet is commanded to record this indictment, emphasizing that the people are "lying children" who refuse to hear God's law, instead demanding that seers and prophets speak "smooth things" and deceits, urging them to silence the "Holy One of Israel." Because they despise God's word and rely on oppression and perverseness, their iniquity is prophesied to be like a sudden, catastrophic collapse of a high, bulging wall, broken into irreparable fragments. The Lord offers a path to salvation: "In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." However, the people reject this, choosing to flee on swift horses, a decision that will only ensure their pursuers are equally swift, leaving them desolate like a beacon on a mountaintop. Despite this rejection, the Lord's character is revealed as one who waits to be gracious and merciful. A future restoration for Zion is promised, where the people will dwell in Jerusalem without weeping, receiving answers to their cries. Though they may experience adversity, their teachers will no longer be hidden, and they will hear divine guidance. This restoration includes the repudiation of graven and molten images, leading to abundant rain, fertile ground, and plenteous food for both humans and cattle. The natural world itself will be transformed, with the moon's light becoming like the sun's, and the sun's light sevenfold, signifying a complete healing and binding up of the people's wounds. Finally, the chapter vividly describes the Lord's coming in fiery anger, His breath like an overflowing stream, to sift the nations and bring judgment. This divine wrath will specifically target Assyria, who had been an instrument of God's discipline, beating them down with a powerful, glorious voice and arm, accompanied by tempest and hailstones. The destruction of Assyria is depicted as a cause for joyful song among Israel, while Tophet, a place of fiery destruction, is prepared for the king of Assyria, kindled by the Lord's own breath like brimstone, signifying a complete and final judgment.

Core Concepts

  • Rebellion against God's CounselThe people are condemned for seeking counsel from Egypt and trusting in human strength rather than consulting the Lord, demonstrating a deliberate turning away from divine guidance.
  • False Security in EgyptIsrael's reliance on Egypt for protection is repeatedly highlighted as a source of shame and confusion, as Egypt's help is declared to be utterly vain and profitless.
  • Rejection of True ProphecyThe people actively demand that prophets speak "smooth things" and deceits, instructing them to cease speaking the truth from the "Holy One of Israel."
  • Sudden and Complete JudgmentDisobedience and trust in perverseness are prophesied to lead to a swift and irreparable destruction, likened to a high wall collapsing or a potter's vessel shattering.
  • Salvation through Rest and ConfidenceThe Lord offers salvation and strength through "returning and rest," and "quietness and confidence," a path the people initially reject in favor of their own efforts.
  • Future Restoration of ZionDespite past rebellion, the Lord promises a future time of grace, healing, abundant blessings, divine guidance, and the casting away of idols for His people in Jerusalem.
  • Divine Judgment on AssyriaThe chapter concludes with a powerful prophecy of the Lord's fiery wrath and glorious intervention to utterly destroy Assyria, depicted as a prepared Tophet, bringing deliverance to Israel.