Side by side
Isaiah 6
Our retelling next to the Bible text it comes from. Each row lines up one scene with the verses it retells.
Scene 1: The Lord on His ThroneVerses 1 to 4
"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple" (6:1).
A train is the long part of a royal robe that trails behind. God's robe filled the whole temple.
Above him were seraphim. Each had six wings. With two they covered their faces. With two they covered their feet. With two they flew.
They called out to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory" (6:3).
Holy means completely pure and set apart, unlike anything else.
The doorposts shook at their voices. Smoke filled the temple.
1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.” 4At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke.
Scene 2: "Woe Is Me!"Verse 5
Isaiah was terrified.
"Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts" (6:5).
Standing before the holy God, Isaiah saw how sinful he was.
5Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.”
Scene 3: A Burning CoalVerses 6 to 7
Then one of the seraphim flew to Isaiah. In his hand was a glowing coal from the altar, held with tongs.
He touched Isaiah's mouth with it.
"Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for" (6:7).
Iniquity means wrongdoing. Atoned for means paid for and taken away.
6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7And with it he touched my mouth and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.”
Scene 4: "Here Am I. Send Me!"Verse 8
Then Isaiah heard the Lord's voice.
"Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?" (6:8).
Isaiah, forgiven and clean, answered, "Here am I. Send me!" (6:8).
8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?” And I said: “Here am I. Send me!”
Scene 5: A Hard MessageVerses 9 to 13
God told Isaiah that his message would be hard. Many people would hear but not understand. They would see but not perceive.
"How long, O Lord?" Isaiah asked (6:11).
Until the land was ruined and the people taken far away, God said.
But like a tree cut down to a stump, something would remain. "So the holy seed will be a stump in the land" (6:13).
9And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ 10Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” 11Then I asked: “How long, O Lord?” And He replied: “Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left unoccupied and the land is desolate and ravaged, 12until the LORD has driven men far away and the land is utterly forsaken. 13And though a tenth remains in the land, it will be burned again. As the terebinth and oak leave stumps when felled, so the holy seed will be a stump in the land.”
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