KJV ORIGINAL
But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
But wild birds like cormorants, herons, owls, and ravens will take over the land. God will measure it out for destruction and chaos, marking it for complete emptiness.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
God is describing how a once-inhabited land will become so desolate that only wild birds will live there, measured out for complete destruction.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of Isaiah's prophecy against Edom, Israel's longtime enemy nation. Isaiah is describing God's judgment that will turn Edom's cities and lands into a wasteland. The imagery of measuring with 'the line of confusion' refers to how builders would use measuring lines, but here God is measuring out destruction instead of construction.
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