Isaiah 6

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

In the sorrowful year when King Uzziah passed away, I witnessed the LORD, seated on a majestic throne, elevated and grand. His divine presence filled the entire temple.

Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

Seraphims stood above, each with six wings. Two wings shielded their faces, two covered their feet, and the last two were used for flight.

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

One voice echoed to another, exclaiming, "The Lord of all is pure, pure, pure! His magnificent glory fills every corner of the earth."

And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

As he cried out, the door frames trembled, and the house was engulfed in a thick, smoky haze.

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

I cried out, "I'm lost! I'm ruined, because my words have been impure, and I live among people who speak impurely. And now my own eyes have seen the King, the Lord of all!"

Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

A seraphim swiftly approached me, carrying a burning coal he'd taken from the altar with tongs.

And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

He gently placed it on my lips, saying, "This has graced your mouth; your wrongs are now forgiven, your sins cleansed."

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

I heard God's voice asking, "Who will go on our behalf?" Without hesitation, I responded, "I'm here, God. Send me."

And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

He said, "Go, tell them, 'You may hear, but you won't comprehend; you may see, but you won't grasp the meaning.'"

Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Numb the hearts of these people, weigh down their ears, and close their eyes. Prevent them from seeing, hearing, and understanding, so they won't turn around and find healing.

Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,

I asked God, "How long?" He replied, "Until the cities are empty, homes are abandoned, and the land is completely barren."

And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.

The Lord has sent people far off, leaving a profound sense of abandonment in the heart of the land.

But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

Even though only a tenth remains, it will be burned again. But like a terebinth or an oak that leaves a stump when it is cut down, the holy seed will be the stump that remains in the land.