« | Isaiah 2 | » |
1 Isaiah son of Amoz saw this message about Judah and Jerusalem.
2 In the last days the mountain of the Lord's Temple will be on the highest of all mountains. It will be raised higher than the hills. There will be a steady stream of people from all nations going there.
3 People from many places will go there and say, "Come, let's go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Jacob. Then God will teach us his way of living, and we will follow him." His teaching, the Lord's message, will begin in Jerusalem on Mount Zion and will go out to all the world.
4 Then God will act as judge to end arguments between nations. He will decide what is right for people from many lands. They will stop using their weapons for war. They will hammer their swords into plows and use their spears to make tools for harvesting. All fighting between nations will end. They will never again train for war.
5 Family of Jacob, let us follow the Lord.
6 Family of Jacob, you have abandoned your people. This is clear because they have been filled with bad influences from the East, and now your people try to tell the future like the Philistines. They have completely accepted those strange ideas.
7 Jacob's land has been filled with silver and gold from other places. There are many treasures there. His land has been filled with horses and many chariots.
8 His land is full of gods that the people bow down to worship. They made these idols themselves.
9 The people have become worse and worse. They have become very low, and you leaders did nothing to lift them up!
10 You should be afraid of the Lord! Go hide in the dirt and behind the rocks. Hide from his glorious power!
11 Proud people will stop being proud. They will bow down to the ground with shame, and only the Lord will still stand high.
12 The Lord All-Powerful has a special day planned when he will punish the proud and boastful people. They will be brought down.
13 They might be like the tall cedar trees from Lebanon or the great oak trees from Bashan, but they will be cut down.
14 They might be like the tall mountains and high hills
15 or like the tall towers and high walls, but they will be brought down.
16 They might be like great ships from Tarshish, filled with such wonderful cargo, but they will be brought down.
17 At that time those proud people will fall. They will bow low to the ground, and only the Lord will stand high.
18 All the idols will be gone.
19 People will go into the holes in the ground and the cracks in the rocks because they fear the Lord and his great power as he stands to shake the earth.
20 At that time people will throw away their idols they made from gold and silver. They made these statues to worship, but they will throw them into holes in the ground where bats and moles live.
21 They will go down into cracks in the rocks and boulders because they are afraid of the Lord and his glorious power as he stands to shake the earth.
22 Stop trusting other people to save you. Do not think too highly of them; they are only humans who have not stopped breathing yet.
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV) is a Bible translation specifically designed to be accessible and comprehensible for people with limited reading skills or those for whom English is a second language. Originally published in 1987 by the World Bible Translation Center, the ERV was initially developed to serve the deaf community, using a simplified vocabulary and straightforward sentence structures. The goal of the ERV is to make the scriptures understandable to a wide range of readers, ensuring that everyone can grasp the essential messages of the Bible without being hindered by complex language or archaic terms.
One of the defining characteristics of the ERV is its commitment to clarity and simplicity. The translators employed a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, focusing on conveying the meaning of the original texts in plain, everyday English. This approach ensures that readers can easily comprehend the Bible’s teachings and narratives, making it a valuable resource for children, new Christians, and those with limited literacy skills. The ERV avoids technical theological terms and instead uses language that is commonly spoken, making it accessible for personal study and public reading alike.
The ERV also pays careful attention to the cultural and contextual nuances of the original manuscripts. The translators sought to present the Bible’s messages in a way that is relevant and meaningful to contemporary readers while maintaining faithfulness to the original texts. This cultural sensitivity helps bridge the gap between ancient scriptures and modern readers, allowing them to connect more deeply with the biblical stories and teachings. Additionally, the ERV includes helpful footnotes and cross-references that provide further explanation and context, enhancing the reader’s understanding of the text.
Despite its strengths, the ERV has faced some criticism from those who prefer more traditional or literal translations. Critics argue that the simplified language and thought-for-thought approach can sometimes result in a loss of depth and richness found in the original texts. Some theologians believe that the ERV’s emphasis on accessibility may lead to oversimplification of complex theological concepts. Nonetheless, the Easy-To-Read Version remains a highly valuable translation for its target audience, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that helps people of all backgrounds engage with and understand the scriptures.