King James Version

Isaiah 9:18

For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Isaiah 9:17.

כִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…בָעֲרָ֤הvaarahbe brutishבָּעַרverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “be brutish”, a completed actionH1197to kindle, i.e. consume (by fire or by eating); to be(-come) brutishbe brutish, bring (put, take) away, burn, (cause to) eat (up), feed, heat, kindle, set (on fire), waste.כָאֵשׁ֙khaeshas fireאֵשׁpreposition, with the article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “as fire”, the ordinary formH784fire (literally or figuratively)burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.רִשְׁעָ֔הrishahfaultרִשְׁעָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “fault”, the ordinary formH7564wrong (especially moral)fault, wickedly(-ness).שָׁמִ֥ירshamirdiamondשָׁמִירnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “diamond”, the ordinary formH8068a thorn; also (from its keenness for scratching) a gem, probably the diamondadamant (stone), brier, diamond.וָשַׁ֖יִתvashayitand thornsשַׁיִתconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and thorns”, the ordinary formH7898scrub or trash, i.e. wild growth of weeds or briers (as if put on the field)thorns.תֹּאכֵ֑לtokheleatאָכַלverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “eat”, an unfinished actionH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.וַתִּצַּת֙vatitsatand burnיָצַתconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and burn”, the next action in the storyH3341to burn or set on fire; figuratively, to desolateburn (up), be desolate, set (on) fire (fire), kindle.בְּסִֽבְכֵ֣יbesivkhein thickסְבָךְpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “in thick”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5442a copsethick(-et).הַיַּ֔עַרhayaarthe combיַעַרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the comb”, the ordinary formH3293a copse of bushes; hence, a forest; hence, honey in the comb (as hived in trees)(honey-) comb, forest, wood.וַיִּֽתְאַבְּכ֖וּvayitabkhvand mount upאָבַךְconjunction, verb, hithpael, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and mount up”, the next action in the storyH55probably to coil upwardmount up.גֵּא֥וּתgeutmajestyגֵּאוּתnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “majesty”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1348{arrogance or majesty; by implication, (concretely) ornament}excellent things, lifting up, majesty, pride, proudly, raging.עָשָֽׁןashansmokeעָשָׁןnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “smoke”, the ordinary formH6227smoke, literally or figuratively (vapor, dust, anger)smoke(-ing).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(9-17) For wickedness burneth as the fire; it devoureth the briers and thorns; yea, it kindleth in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in thick clouds of smoke.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

For wickedness burneth as the fire; it devoureth the briers and thorns; yea, it kindleth in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke.

Young’s Literal Translation

For burned as a fire hath wickedness, Brier and thorn it devoureth, And it kindleth in thickets of the forest, And they lift themselves up, an exaltation of smoke!

World English Bible

For wickedness burns like a fire. It devours the briers and thorns; yes, it kindles in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke.

Darby Translation

For wickedness burneth as a fire: it devoureth briars and thorns, and kindleth in the thickets of the forest, and they go rolling up like a pillar of smoke.

Douay-Rheims

For wickedness is kindled as a fire, it shall devour the brier and the thorn: and shall kindle in the thicket of the forest, and it shall be wrapped up in smoke ascending on high.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(9-17) For wickedness burneth as the fire; it devoureth the briers and thorns; yea, it kindleth in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in thick clouds of smoke.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And iniquity shall burn as fire, and shall be devoured by fire as dry grass: and it shall burn in the thickets of the wood, and shall devour all that is round about the hills.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ καυθήσεται ὡς πῦρ ἡ ἀνομία, καὶ ὡς ἄγρωστις ξηρὰ βρωθήσεται ὑπὸ πυρός· καὶ καυθήσεται ἐν τοῖς δάσεσι τοῦ δρυμοῦ, καὶ συγκαταφάγεται τὰ κύκλῳ τῶν βουνῶν πάντα.