1 Kings 6

1In the year that King Uzziah died I, Isaiah, saw the Lord sitting on a very high and wonderful throne. His long robe filled the Temple. Isaiah

2Above God were Seraphims, special angels. Each angel had six wings. They used two wings to cover their faces, two wings to cover their feet, and two wings to fly. Isaiah

3The angels were calling to each other said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord who rules over all. His glory is everywhere on earth. Isaiah

4The angels talked so loudly that it caused the frame around the door to shake, and the Temple was filled with smoke Isaiah

5I, Isaiah, was frightened and said I said: Oh, no! I will be destroyed. I am not pure enough to speak to God, and I live among people who are not pure enough to speak to God. But I have seen the King, the Lord All-Powerful. Isaiah

6There was a fire on the altar. One of the angels used a pair of tongs to take a hot coal from the fire. Then the angel flew to me with it in his hand. Isaiah

7Then he touched my mouth with the hot coal and said, “When this hot coal touched your lips, your sin was taken away, your sins were erased Isaiah

8Then the Lord asked: Is there anyone who I can send? Who will take a message to the people? Then I, Isaiah, said: Here I am. Send me. Isaiah

9The Lord said to me: Go and tell the people: You will hear and listen to what I say, but you will not understand what I say. You will look, but you will not know what you see. Isaiah

10Make the heart of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed. Isaiah

11Then I, Isaiah, asked: Lord, for how long must I do this? And the Lord answered, Do this until the cities are destroyed and all the people are gone. Do this until there is no one left living in the houses and the land is destroyed and empty. Isaiah

12The Lord will make the people go far away, and there will be large areas of empty land in the country. Isaiah

13A tenth of the people will be allowed to stay in the land, but it will be destroyed again. They will be like an oak tree. When the tree is chopped down, a stump is left. This stump will be a very special seed that will grow again.