[1] The year King Uzziah died I saw the Lord! He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the Temple was filled with his glory. [2] Hovering about him were mighty, six-winged angels of fire. With two of their wings they covered their faces, with two others they covered their feet, and with two they flew. [3] In a great antiphonal chorus they sang, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is filled with his glory." [4] Such singing it was! It shook the Temple to its foundations, and suddenly the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke. [5] Then I said, "My doom is sealed, for I am a foul-mouthed sinner, a member of a sinful, foul-mouthed race; and I have looked upon the King, the Lord of heaven's armies." [6] Then one of the mighty angels flew over to the altar and with a pair of tongs picked out a burning coal. [7] He touched my lips with it and said, "Now you are pronounced 'not guilty' because this coal has touched your lips. Your sins are all forgiven." [8] Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom shall I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go?" And I said, "Lord, I'll go! Send me." [9] And he said, "Yes, go. But tell my people this: 'Though you hear my words repeatedly, you won't understand them. Though you watch and watch as I perform my miracles, still you won't know what they mean.' [10] Dull their understanding, close their ears, and shut their eyes. I don't want them to see or to hear or to understand, or to turn to me to heal them." [11] Then I said, "Lord, how long will it be before they are ready to listen?" And he replied, "Not until their cities are destroyed-without a person left-and the whole country is an utter wasteland, [12] and they are all taken away as slaves to other countries far away, and all the land of Israel lies deserted! [13] Yet a tenth-a remnant-will survive; and though Israel is invaded again and again and destroyed, yet Israel will be like a tree cut down, whose stump still lives to grow again."
