Isaiah 33:18

¹⁶ He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

¹⁷ Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?

¹⁹ Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.

²⁰ Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Your mind will ponder the former terror: “Where is he who tallies? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?”
KJV: Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
WEB: Your heart will meditate on the terror. Where is he who counted? Where is he who weighed? Where is he who counted the towers?
ASV: Thy heart shall muse on the terror: Where is he that counted, where is he that weighed [the tribute]? where is he that counted the towers?
DARBY: Thy heart shall meditate on terror: Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
BLB: Your heart will ponder the terror: “Where [is] the one counting? Where [is] the one weighing? Where [is] the one counting the towers?”

ÅB: Ditt hjerte skal tenke tilbake på redselen: Hvor er han som skrev opp? Hvor er han som veide pengene? Hvor er han som teller tårnene?
OTB: I ditt hjerte vil du tenke på den tidligere skrekken: “Hvor er den som teller? Hvor er den som veier? Hvor er den som teller tårnene?”
B1930: Ditt hjerte skal tenke tilbake på redselen: Hvor er han som skrev op? Hvor er han som veide pengene? Hvor er han som teller tårnene?

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

1 Corinthians 1:20
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
Read in context
Psalms 71:20
Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
Read in context
Isaiah 17:14
And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.
Read in context
Psalms 31:7–8
I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;
Read in context
2 Kings 18:31
Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern:
Read in context
Isaiah 38:9–22
The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness:
Read in context
1 Samuel 25:33–36
And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.
Read in context
Psalms 31:22
For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.
Read in context