I was recently considering Isaiah and was struck with the amazing amount of picturesque language. Isaiah does not write merely to tell his audience about the coming judgment of God; he writes to show them. Unfortunately, our western minds often do not pick up the full import of his words. We miss a great deal as we do not understand his culture. In light of this, here is my attempt to paraphrase and versify Isaiah 34:1-8 in a manner that is understandable to the Western mind. I chose this section of scripture because it illustrates quite nicely the incredible amount of imagery which Isaiah uses:

O come, ye nations, hark to me!
Ye peoples, haste to hear!
Give ear, o earth, and all therein
All creatures, gather near!

The LORD arises, casts about
His indignation just
All countries strong and armies bold
Shall by his wrath be crushed

Their carcasses shall be undone
Their bodies thrown about
Their fowl odor shall be smelt
In places all throughout

Their blood shall flow in torrents wide
So wide, that e’en the cliffs
Shall be awash as when a storm
Makes mountains crumble swift

The hosts of heaven – all dissolved!
The sun and stars and moon
The firmament – it is rolled up!
The heavenly orbs fall soon

As when a leaf doth from its place
fall swiftly down to earth
Or when a fig falls from the tree
So stars shall fall to earth

God’s sword is bathed in vengeance dark
It races t’ward Edom’s coast
The people of God’s curse are there
And wrath is on their host!

As drunken men are filled with wine
The sword of God’s own might
Is drunk with blood and shall be filled
with fatness from the fight

Dost thou discern the coming flocks -
The sheep, the goats, the rams?
A sacrifice hath been prepared
A sacrifice of lambs

But wonder, now, for this off’ring
Is not from beasts thus killed
This off’ring is a different sort -
The blood of men is spilled!

This sacrifice, from Bozrah’s land,
Is made by God’s device
The people of old Edom’s land
Shall be this sacrifice

The desert land, the dusty plains
(O Idumea, weep!)
Shall soon be covered with a flood
Shall with men’s blood soon seep

And why is this? Hath it a cause?
O yes, for now, you see,
Jerusalem hath been avenged
As promised by decree.