Isaiah for Today

By Mrs. Mary Heyn

Isaiah for Today is a new version of Isaiah of the Bible's Old Testament rewritten in heartfelt readable poetry.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514467589

Mrs. Mary Heyn

Mary Heyn is a recently retired Christian elementary schoolteacher with a love for God, a love for children, and a recognized gift for words. She is also the published author of City of Light (Rose Dog Books), Mary’s Gospel Glory Stories, Mary’s Old Testament Tales, Mary's Baby Church Tales and many unpublished songs.

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Copyright © 2016 by Mary Heyn.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-5144-6759-6

               eBook           978-1-5144-6758-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 02/18/2016

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

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735700

Contents

ISAIAH

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ISAIAH

1.

Listen, heavens, earth attend, for God is speaking now.

'I reared my sons, but they rebelled; my care they wouldn't allow.

The ox still knows its owner and the ass its master's trough,

But Israel knows nothing; my own people turned me off.

A sinful nation weighed with guilt, my own perverted sons

Heap one betrayal on another, care not what they've done.

Your head is sick, your heart is faint; you're sore from head to feet.

Your land's deserted, your towns are burned, and you have known defeat.

I'm sick of all your sacrifices, your holocausts of rams,

your New Moons and your Sabbaths; I despise your little lambs.

I'll not listen to your prayers; now wash your bloody hands.

Clean yourselves and learn to do the good that I command.

God says, 'Come, let's talk this over; though your sins are red

They shall be washed white as snow or white as wool instead.

If you will obey me you will eat well, it is true,

but if you keep rebelling I will let the sword eat you.

Jerusalem, the faithful city, has become a whore;

Zion that was justice now is rotten the core.

All are greedy, taking bribes; the orphan weeps alone.

The widow is neglected and rejected by her own.

'Therefore,' says the Lord of Hosts 'I'll outdo all my foes,

I'll avenge myself on all of them and smelt away their dross.

Men bow to the work of their own hands that they have made,

But they will hide their sinfulness when I conduct my raid.

I'll restore your judges and your counselors as of old;

You'll be redeemed by justice, not by silver or by gold.

You'll be ashamed of all the trees and gardens you adored,

And you'll be like a tree with faded leaves never restored.

2.

In coming days God's mountain will rise up above the rest.

All nations will stream to it and know that it's the best.

Peoples without number will then stream to it and say,

'Come, let's go up to God's mountain so we learn God's ways.'

Law will go out from Mount Zion, from Jerusalem God's word.

God will rule the nations; many people will have heard.

Swords will become plowshares and spears become sickles then.

Nations will not go to war or train for war again.

O House of Jacob, come, and we will walk in God's own light.

We will live in peace and will no longer choose to fight.

Yes, God, you've cast off your people; sorcerers came in.

Their land is full of treasures and their idols wear a grin.

They bow before their handiwork; they soon will be brought low.

Get among the rocks; hide from the anger God will show.

God will be exalted, and on that day you will know

that all their pride and arrogance will finally have to go.

Men will fling to bats and moles the idols they adored.

Only God who made them all will finally be called Lord.

Yes, see how the Lord our God takes all support away

From Judah and Jerusalem while people weep and pray,

Support of bread and water, hero, armed men, prophet too,

Support of judge and noble, elder, all are gone from you.

People bully people and the young insult the old.

All will say 'You lead this heap of ruins that was God's fold.'

Their haughtiness offends the Lord; they parade their sins like Sodom.

They don't hide it, though their glory's falling to the bottom,

The women of Jerusalem hold haughty head up high.

They mince along with tinkling bangles and enticing eyes.

The Lord will give them itching heads, expose their nakedness,

He'll take away their ornaments and all their fancy dress.

Your men will fall in battle and your women mourn and moan,

Seven women will fight over one man left alone.

4.

God's branch will be beauty and God's glory will adorn

Israel's survivors, be the cloak by Zion worn.

When the Lord has washed all daughter Zion's filth away

And cleansed Jerusalem of blood on that great judgment day,

God will come to rest in her, and to all who gather there.

He'll be a cloud of smoke by day and fire at night prayer.

The glory of the Lord will be a tent and canopy.

To give you shade from heat by day and nightly shelter be.

Let me sing a song about the vineyard of my friend.

That's how I will tell you too about your final end.

My friend had a vineyard on a