Judgment on Edom

Isaiah 34

The Lord summons the nations and the whole earth to hear of his wrath, directed especially in a great slaughter upon Edom. The land is turned into burning waste, left desolate forever and inhabited only by wild creatures and birds.

About these editions

The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.

Thomson 1808Septuagint

Brenton 1851Septuagint

Greek · BrentonSeptuagint

KJV 1769Masoretic

JPS 1917Masoretic

ThomsonATTEND, O nations! and hearken, ye chiefs. Let the earth hear, and the inhabitants thereof—the world and the people who are therein.

BrentonDraw near, ye nations; and hearken, ye princes; let the earth hear, and they that are in it; the world, and the people that are therein.

GreekΠροσαγάγετε ἔθνη, καὶ ἀκούσατε ἄρχοντες· ἀκουσάτω ἡ γῆ, καὶ οἱ ἐν αὐτῇ, ἡ οἰκουμένη, καὶ ὁ λαὸς ὁ ἐν αὐτῇ.

KJVCome near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.

JPSCome near, ye nations, to hear, And attend, ye peoples; Let the earth hear, and the fulness thereof, The world, and all things that come forth of it.

ThomsonBecause the wrath of the Lord is against all the nations, and His anger against this number of them to destroy them and deliver them up to slaughter;

BrentonFor the wrath of the Lord is upon all nations, and his anger upon the number of them, to destroy them, and give them up to slaughter.

GreekΔιότι θυμὸς Κυρίου ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη καὶ ὀργὴ ἐπὶ τὸν ἀριθμὸν αὐτῶν, τοῦ ἀπολέσαι αὐτοὺς, καὶ παραδοῦναι αὐτοὺς εἰς σφαγήν.

KJVFor the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.

JPSFor the LORD hath indignation against all the nations, And fury against all their host; He hath utterly destroyed them, He hath delivered them to the slaughter.

Thomsontherefore their wounded and dead shall be cast out, and the stench of them shall ascend; and the mountains shall be drenched with their blood;

BrentonAnd their slain shall be cast forth, and their corpses; and their ill savour shall come up, and the mountains shall be made wet with their blood.

GreekΟἱ δὲ τραυματίαι αὐτῶν ῥιφήσονται, καὶ οἱ νεκροί, καὶ ἀναβήσεται αὐτῶν ἡ ὀσμή, καὶ βραχήσεται τὰ ὄρη ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτῶν.

KJVTheir slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.

JPSTheir slain also shall be cast out, And the stench of their carcasses shall come up, And the mountains shall be melted with their blood.

Thomsonand all the powers of the heavens shall waste away; and the heaven shall be rolled up like a scroll and all the stars shall fall like leaves from a vine and as leaves fall from a fig tree.

BrentonAnd all the powers of the heavens shall melt, and the sky shall be rolled up like a scroll: and all the stars shall fall like leaves from a vine, and as leaves fall from a fig-tree.

GreekΚαὶ τακήσονται πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ ἑλιγήσεται ὁ οὐρανός ὡς βιβλίον, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἄστρα πεσεῖται ὡς φύλλα ἐξ ἀμπέλου, καὶ ὡς πίπτει φύλλα ἀπὸ συκῆς.

KJVAnd all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

JPSAnd all the host of heaven shall moulder away, And the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; And all their host shall fall down, As the leaf falleth off from the vine, And as a falling fig from the fig-tree.

Thomson(J) My sword hath drunk deep in the heaven; behold it shall come down on Idumea and on the people justly doomed to destruction.

BrentonMy sword has been made drunk in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and with judgment upon the people doomed to destruction.

GreekἘμεθύσθη ἡ μάχαιρὰ μου ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ· ἰδοὺ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰδουμαίαν καταβήσεται, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν τῆς ἀπωλείας μετὰ κρίσεως.

KJVFor my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.

JPSFor My sword hath drunk its fill in heaven; Behold, it shall come down upon Edom, And upon the people of My ban, to judgment.

Thomson(p) The sword of the Lord hath been glutted with blood; it is pampered with suet—with the blood of he-goats and lambs, and with the suet of goats and rams. Because there is a sacrifice for the Lord in Bosor, and a great slaughter in Idumea;

BrentonThe sword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is glutted with fat, with the blood of goats and lambs, and with the fat of goats and rams: for the Lord has a sacrifice in Bosor, and a great slaughter in Idumea.

GreekἩ μάχαιρα τοῦ Κυρίου ἐνεπλήσθη αἵματος, ἐπαχύνθη ἀπὸ στέατος, ἀπὸ αἵματος τράγων καὶ ἀμνῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ στέατος τράγων καὶ κριῶν· ὅτι θυσία τῷ κυρίῳ ἐν Βοσὸρ, καὶ σφαγὴ μεγάλη ἐν τῇ Ἰδουμαίᾳ.

KJVThe sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.

JPSThe sword of the LORD is filled with blood, It is made fat with fatness, With the blood of lambs and goats, With the fat of the kidneys of rams; For the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, And a great slaughter in the land of Edom.

Thomsontherefore the fatlings shall fall with them, namely the rams and the bulls. And the land shall be drenched with blood, and glutted with their suet.

BrentonAnd the mighty ones shall fall with them, and the rams and the bulls; and the land shall be soaked with blood, and shall be filled with their fat.

GreekΚαὶ συνπεσοῦνται οἱ ἁδροὶ μετʼ αὐτῶν, καὶ οἱ κριοὶ καὶ οἱ ταῦροι, καὶ μεθυσθήσεται ἡ γῆ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ στέατος αὐτῶν ἐμπλησθήσεται.

KJVAnd the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.

JPSAnd the wild-oxen shall come down with them, And the bullocks with the bulls; And their land shall be drunken with blood, And their dust made fat with fatness.

ThomsonFor it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year for a judicial retribution to Sion:

BrentonFor it is the day of the judgment of the Lord, and the year of the recompence of Sion in judgment.

GreekἩμέρα γὰρ κρίσεως Κυρίου, καὶ ἐνιαυτὸς ἀνταποδόσεως κρίσεως Σιών.

KJVFor it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

JPSFor the LORD hath a day of vengeance, A year of recompense for the controversy of Zion.

Thomsonand its torrents shall be turned into pitch, and its land into sulphur. And its land shall be like pitch burning day and night,

BrentonAnd her valleys shall be turned into pitch, and her land into sulphur; and her land shall be as pitch burning night and day;

GreekΚαὶ στραφήσονται αἱ φάραγγες αὐτῆς εἰς πίσσαν, καὶ ἡ γῆ αὐτῆς εἰς θεῖον· καὶ ἔσται ἡ γῆ αὐτῆς ὡς πίσσα καιομένη

KJVAnd the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.

JPSAnd the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, And the dust thereof into brimstone, And the land thereof shall become burning pitch.

Thomson—

Brentonand it shall never be quenched, and her smoke shall go up: it shall be made desolate throughout her generations,

Greekνυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας, καὶ οὐ σβεσθήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα χρόνον, καὶ ἀναβήσεται ὁ καπνὸς αὐτῆς ἄνω, εἰς γενεὰς αὐτῆς ἐρημωθήσεται, καὶ εἰς χρόνον πολὺν

KJV—

JPS—

ThomsonAnd for a long period fowls and porcupines, ibises and crows shall dwell therein. And over it shall be stretched a line of devastation; and in it the satyrs shall dwell.

Brentonand for a long time birds and hedgehogs, and ibises and ravens shall dwell in it: and the measuring line of desolation shall be cast over it, and satyrs shall dwell in it.

Greekὄρνεα καὶ ἐχῖνοι, καὶ ἴβεις καὶ κόρακες κατοικήσουσιν ἐν αὐτῇ· καὶ ἐπιβληθήσεται ἐπʼ αὐτὴν σπαρτίον γεωμετρίας ἐρήμου, καὶ ὀνοκένταυροι οἰκήσουσιν ἐν αὐτῇ.

KJV—

JPS—

ThomsonThe chiefs of it shall be no more; for its kings and its nobles shall be for destruction.

BrentonHer princes shall be no more; for her kings and her great men shall be destroyed.

GreekΟἱ ἄρχοντες αὐτῆς οὐκ ἔσονται· οἱ γὰρ βασιλεῖς καὶ οἱ μεγιστᾶνες αὐτῆς ἔσονται εἰς ἀπώλειαν.

KJV—

JPS—

ThomsonAnd in their cities shall spring up brakes; and brambles shall be its fortresses: and they shall be cots for sirens, and for the ostrich’s court.

BrentonAnd thorns shall spring up in their cities, and in her strong holds: and they shall be habitations of monsters, and a court for ostriches.

GreekΚαὶ ἀναφυὴσει εἰς τὰς πόλεις αὐτῶν ἀκάνθινα ξύλα, καὶ εἰς τὰ ὀχυρώματα αὐτῆς· καὶ ἔσται ἐπαύλεις σειρήνων, καὶ αὐλὴ στρουθῶν.

KJV—

JPS—

ThomsonAnd demons shall meet satyrs; and bellow one to the other. Satyrs shall there enjoy repose having found for themselves a place of rest.

BrentonAnd devils shall meet with satyrs, and they shall cry one to the other: there shall satyrs rest, having found for themselves a place of rest.

GreekΚαὶ συναντήσουσι δαιμόνια ὀνοκενταύροις, καὶ βοήσονται ἕτερος πρὸς τὸν ἕτερον, ἐκεῖ ἀναπαύσονται ὀνοκένταυροι, εὑρόντες αὑτοῖς ἀνάπαυσιν.

KJVThe wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest.

JPSAnd the wild-cats shall meet with the jackals, And the satyr shall cry to his fellow; Yea, the night-monster shall repose there, And shall find her a place of rest.

ThomsonThere the porcupine hath made its nest; and the land hath safely kept its young. There the deer have assembled and seen each other’s face.

BrentonThere has the hedgehog made its nest, and the earth has safely preserved its young: there have the deer met, and seen one another's faces.

GreekἘκεῖ ἐνόσσευσεν ἐχῖνος, καὶ ἔσωσεν ἡ γῆ τὰ παιδία αὐτῆς μετὰ ἀσφαλείας· ἐκεῖ συνήντησαν ἔλαφοι καὶ εἶδον τὰ πρόσωπα ἀλλήλων.

KJV—

JPS—

Thomson—

BrentonThey passed by in full number, and not one of them perished: they sought not one another; for the Lord commanded them, and his Spirit gathered them.

GreekἈριθμῷ παρῆλθον, καὶ μία αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀπώλετο· ἑτέρα τὴν ἑτέραν οὐκ ἐζήτησαν, ὅτι ὁ Κύριος αὐτοῖς ἐνετείλατο, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ συνήγαγεν αὐτά.

KJVSeek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.

JPSSeek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read; No one of these shall be missing, None shall want her mate; For My mouth it hath commanded, And the breath thereof it hath gathered them.

ThomsonAnd He will Himself cast the lots for them, His hand hath meted the place for them to feed. For a long time you shall inherit it. For generations of generations let them rest therein.

BrentonAnd he shall cast lots for them, and his hand has portioned out their pasture, saying, Ye shall inherit the land for ever: they shall rest on it through all generations.

GreekΚαὶ αὐτὸς ἐπιβαλεῖ αὐτοῖς κλήρους, καὶ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ διεμέρισε βόσκεσθαι· εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα χρόνον κληρονομήσετε, γενεὰς γενεῶν ἀναπαύσονται ἐπʼ αὐτῆς.

KJV—

JPS—