1Woe [to] apostate sons, || A declaration of YHWH! To do counsel, and not from Me, || And to spread out a covering, and not of My Spirit, || So as to add sin to sin.
2Who are walking to go down to Egypt, || And have not asked My mouth, || To be strong in the strength of Pharaoh, || And to trust in the shadow of Egypt.
3And the strength of Pharaoh || Has been to you for shame, || And the trust in the shadow of Egypt confusion,
4For his princes were in Zoan, || And his messengers reach Hanes.
5He made all ashamed of a people that do not profit, || Not for help, and not for profit, || But for shame, and also for reproach!
6The burden of the beasts of the south. Into a land of adversity and distress, || Of young lion and of old lion, || From where [are] viper and flying, burning serpent, || They carry their wealth on the shoulder of donkeys, || And their treasures on the hump of camels, || To a people not profitable.
7Indeed, Egyptians [are] vanity, and help in vain, || Therefore I have cried concerning this: “Their strength [is] to sit still.”
8No, go in, write it on a tablet with them, || And inscribe it on a scroll, || And it is for a latter day, for a witness for all time,
9That this [is] a people of rebellion, sons—liars, || Sons not willing to hear the Law of YHWH.
10Who have said to seers, “Do not see,” || And to prophets, “Do not prophesy to us straightforward things, || Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits,
11Turn aside from the way, || Decline from the path, || Cause the Holy One of Israel || To cease from before us.”
12Therefore, thus said the Holy One of Israel: “Because of your kicking against this word, || And you trust in oppression, || And perverseness, and rely on it,
13Therefore this iniquity is to you as a breach falling, || Swelled out in a wall set on high, || Whose destruction comes suddenly, in an instant.
14And He has broken it || As the breaking of the potters’ bottle, || Beaten down—He does not spare, || Nor is there found, in its beating down, || A potsherd to take fire from the burning, || And to draw out waters from a ditch.”
15For thus said Lord YHWH, || The Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you are saved, || In keeping quiet and in confidence is your might,” || And you have not been willing.
16And you say, “No, for we flee on a horse,” || Therefore you flee, || And, “We ride on the swift!” Therefore your pursuers are swift.
17One thousand [flee] because of the rebuke of one, || Because of the rebuke of five you flee, || Until you have surely been left as a pole || On the top of the mountain, || And as an ensign on the height.
18And therefore YHWH waits to favor you, || And therefore He is exalted to pity you, || For YHWH [is] a God of judgment, || O the blessedness of all waiting for Him.
19For the people in Zion dwell in Jerusalem, || Do not weep—weeping, || Pitying, He pities you at the voice of your cry, || When He hears He answers you.
20And the Lord has given to you bread of adversity, || And water of oppression. And your teachers remove no longer, || And your eyes have seen your teachers,
21And your ear hears a word behind you, saying, “This [is] the way, go in it,” || When you turn to the right, || And when you turn to the left.
22And you have defiled the covering of Your carved images of silver, || And the ephod of your molten image of gold, || You scatter them as a sickening thing, “Go out,” you say to it.
23And He has given rain [for] your seed, || With which you sow the ground, || And bread, the increase of the ground, || And it has been fat and plentiful, || Your livestock enjoy an enlarged pasture in that day.
24And the oxen and the young donkeys serving the ground, || Eat fermented provender, || That one is winnowing with shovel and fan.
25And there has been on every high mountain, || And on every exalted hill, || Streams—conduits of waters, || In a day of much slaughter, in the falling of towers.
26And the light of the moon has been as the light of the sun, || And the light of the sun is sevenfold, || As the light of seven days, || In the day of YHWH’s binding up the breach of His people, || When He heals the stroke of its wound.
27Behold, the Name of YHWH is coming from far, || His anger is burning, and the flame [is] great, || His lips have been full of indignation, || And His tongue [is] as a devouring fire.
28And His breath [is] as an overflowing stream, || It divides to the neck, || To sift nations with a sieve of vanity, || And a bridle causing to err, || [Is] on the jaws of the peoples.
29Singing is to you as in a night sanctified for a festival, || And joy of heart as he who is going with a pipe, || To go to the mountain of YHWH, || To the rock of Israel.
30And YHWH has caused || The splendor of His voice to be heard, || And the coming down of His arm || He shows with the raging of anger, || And the flame of a consuming fire, || Scattering, and inundation, and hailstone.
31For from the voice of YHWH Asshur [is] broken down, || He strikes with a rod.
32And every passage of the settled staff, || That YHWH causes to rest on him, || Has been with tambourines and with harps, || And in battles of shaking He has fought with it.
33For Tophet is arranged from former time, || Even it is prepared for the king, || He has made deep, || He has made large, || Its pile [is] fire and much wood, || The breath of YHWH, || As a stream of brimstone, is burning in it!