Isaiah’s Commission

1And it came to pass in the year in which king Ozias died, that I saw the Lord sitting on a high and exalted throne, and the house was full of his glory. 2And seraphs stood round about him: each one had six wings: and with two they covered their face, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.

3And one cried to the other, and they said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

4And the lintel shook at the voice they uttered, and the house was filled with smoke.

5And I said, Woe is me, for I am pricked to the heart; for being a man, and having unclean lips, I dwell in the midst of a people having unclean lips; and I have seen with mine eyes the King, the Lord of hosts.

6And there was sent to me one of the seraphs, and he had in his hand a coal, which he had taken off the altar with the tongs: 7and he touched my mouth, and said, Behold, this has touched thy lips, and will take away thine iniquities, and will purge off thy sins.

8And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go to this people? And I said, behold, I am here, send me. And he said, Go, and say to this people,

9Ye shall hear indeed, but ye shall not understand; and ye shall see indeed, but ye shall not perceive.

10For the heart of this people has become gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

11And I said, How long, O Lord? And he said, Until cities be deserted by reason of their not being inhabited, and the houses by reason of there being no men, and the land shall be left desolate.

12And after this God shall remove the men far off, and they that are left upon the land shall be multiplied.

13And yet there shall be a tenth upon it, and again it shall be for a spoil, as a turpentine tree, and as an acorn when it falls out of its husk.