Chapter 11

From the stock of Jesse a scion shall burgeon yet; out of his roots a flower shall spring.

One shall be born, on whom the spirit of the Lord will rest; a spirit wise and discerning, a spirit prudent and strong, a spirit of knowledge and of piety,

and ever fear of the Lord shall fill his heart. Not his to judge by appearances, listen to rumours when he makes award;

here is judgement will give the poor redress, here is award will right the wrongs of the defenceless. Word of him shall smite the earth like a rod, breath of him destroy the ill-doer;

love of right shall be the baldric he wears, faithfulness the strength that girds him.

Wolf shall live at peace with lamb, leopard take its ease with kid; calf and lion and sheep in one dwelling-place, with a little child to herd them!

Cattle and bears all at pasture, their young ones lying down together, lion eating straw like ox;

child new-weaned, fresh from its mother’s arms, playing by asp’s hole, putting hand in viper’s den!

All over this mountain, my sanctuary, no hurt shall be done, no life taken. Deep as the waters that hide the sea-floor, knowledge of the Lord overspreading the world!

There he stands, fresh root from Jesse’s stem, signal beckoning to the peoples all around; the Gentiles will come to pay their homage, where he rests in glory.

Then, once again, the Lord’s hand at work! From Assyria, from Egypt, Pathros and Ethiopia, from Elam and Sennaar, from Emath, from the islands out at sea, his people, a scattered remnant, shall return.

High lifted, for a world to see it, the standard that shall call Israel home, gather in the exiled sons of Juda from the four corners of the earth.

Gone, Ephraim’s envious looks, vanished away Juda’s enemies; Ephraim shall hate Juda, Juda harry Ephraim, no more.

Together they will sweep down on Philistia’s neck, there by the western sea; plunder the children of the east, Edom and Moab in their grasp, the sons of Ammon pliant to their will.

And the Lord will make a desert out of the tongue of sea that flanks Egypt; with the blast of his breath he will threaten Euphrates, dividing it into seven streams, that a man can cross dry-shod.

And so the remnant of my people which is left among the Assyrians will find a path made for it, as a path was made for it when it came up out of Egypt, long ago.