17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury—thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling wrung out—17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.18 And none to guide her among all the sons she hath brought forth; neither that taketh her by the hand, of all the sons she hath brought up.18 There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons thatshe hath brought up.
The differences in the King James text of these two verses were apparently added to make it read better in English as the italicized words indicate.
Isaiah now speaks of the second gathering place of the covenant people, Jerusalem. The people are invited to awaken from their long sleep of apostasy. They have been through the pronounced “furnace of affliction” (see 1 Nephi 20:10).
Because Judah’s sons are without the priesthood, there is no proper leadership. This is the same thought contained in Isaiah 50:2 as interpreted in Doctrine and Covenants 133:67. Both refer to Judah (see note on 2 Nephi 7:1–3).