Isaiah
Chapter 11
1 A branch will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a shoot will come up from his roots.
2 God’s spirit will be with him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of advice and strength, the spirit of knowledge and respect for God.
3 He will understand quickly how to respect God, and he won’t decide by only what he sees, nor correct by just what he hears.
4 He will fairly judge the poor and decide with fairness for the humble of the earth. He will strike the land with his word, and with his speech, he will kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt, and faithfulness the belt around his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the baby goat, the calf, the young lion, and the well-fed animal will be together; and a small child will guide them.
7 Cows and bears will eat together; their babies will lie down close; and lions will eat grass like oxen.
8 The nursing baby will play over the viper’s hole, and the child who no longer nurses will put his hand on the snake’s nest.
9 People will not hurt or destroy anything on my holy mountain, because the earth will be filled with knowledge about God, just as water fills the sea.
10 On that day, Jesse’s descendant will be like a flag for all peoples; nations will come to him, and his place will be wonderful.
11 On that day, God will reach out again to bring back the survivors of his people from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the islands of the sea.
12 He will raise a flag for all countries, and will bring together Israel’s scattered people, and collect Judah’s spread-out ones from all over the world.
13 Ephraim’s jealousy will go away, and Judah’s enemies will be defeated: Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, and Judah will not bother Ephraim.
14 They will soar over the Philistines in the west and take the riches of those in the east. They will take control of Edom and Moab, and the people of Ammon will follow them.
15 God will completely destroy the sea by Egypt and, with a strong wind, will sweep his hand over the river, dividing it into seven streams so that people can cross on dry land.
16 A road will be made for the survivors of his people left in Assyria, just like the one for Israel when they left Egypt.