1Woe to the rebellious children, saith Jehovah, Who form plans, and not from me, And make covenants without my spirit, That they may add sin to sin!
2Who go down into Egypt, Without inquiring at my mouth, To seek refuge in Pharaoh's protection, And to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
3The protection of Pharaoh shall be your shame; Your trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.
4For their princes are at Zoan, Their ambassadors have arrived at Hanes.
5But they are all ashamed of a people that do not profit them; That are no help and no profit, But only a shame and a reproach.
6The loaded beasts go southward. Through a land of anguish and distress, Whence come forth the lioness, and the fierce lion, The viper, and the flying fiery serpent; On the shoulders of young asses they carry their wealth, And on the bunches of camels their treasures, To a people that will not profit them!
7Vain and empty is the help of Egypt; Wherefore I call her, The Blusterer that sitteth still.
8Go now, write this on a tablet before them; Note it down upon a book, That it may remain for future times, A testimony forever!
9For this is a rebellious people, false children; Children who will not hear the law of Jehovah;
10Who say to the seers, “See not!” And to the prophets, “Prophesy not right things; Speak to us smooth things, Prophesy falsehood!
11Turn aside from the way, Depart from the path, Remove from our sight the Holy One of Israel!”
12Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel: Since ye despise this word, And trust in oppression and perverseness, And lean thereon,
13Therefore shall this iniquity be to you Like a breach ready to give way, That swelleth out in a high wall, Whose fall cometh suddenly, in an instant.
14It is broken like a potter's vessel, Which is dashed in pieces and not spared, So that among its fragments not a sherd is found to take up fire from the hearth, Or to dip water from the cistern.
15For thus said the Lord Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel: By a return and by rest shall ye be saved; In quietness and confidence is your strength;
16But ye would not. Ye said, “No! we will bound along upon horses”; Truly ye shall bound along in flight. “We will ride upon swift coursers”; But they shall be swift that pursue you.
17A thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one, And ten thousand at the rebuke of five, Till what remains of you shall be as a beacon on the top of a mountain, As a banner upon a hill.
18And yet will Jehovah wait to be gracious to you, And yet will he arise to have mercy upon you; For Jehovah is a righteous God; Happy are all they who wait for him!
19For, O people of Zion, that dwellest in Jerusalem, Thou shalt not always weep! He will be very gracious to thee at the voice of thy cry; No sooner shall he hear it, than he will answer thee.
20Though Jehovah hath given thee the bread of distress, and the water of affliction, Yet shall thy teachers be hidden from thee no more; But thine eyes shall see thy teachers.
21And thine ears shall hear a voice behind thee, Saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it!” When ye turn aside to the right hand, or to the left.
22Ye shall treat as defiled the silver coverings of your graven images, And the golden clothing of your molten images, Ye shall cast them away as an unclean thing; Away! shall ye say to them.
23Then will he give rain for thy seed, With which thou shalt sow the ground, And the bread-corn, the produce of the land, shall be rich and nourishing; Then shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.
24The oxen also, and the young asses, that till the ground, Shall eat well-seasoned provender, Which hath been winnowed with the shovel and the fan.
25And on every lofty mountain, And on every high hill, Shall be brooks and streams of water, In the day of the great slaughter, When the towers fall.
26Then shall the light of the moon be as the light of the sun, And the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, [[As the light of seven days,]] When Jehovah bindeth up the bruises of his people, And healeth the wound which they have received.
27Behold, the name of Jehovah cometh from afar, His anger burneth, and violent is the flame, His lips are full of indignation, And his tongue like a devouring fire.
28His breath is like an overflowing torrent, That reacheth even to the neck; He will toss the nation with the winnowing-fan of destruction; He will put a bridle upon the jaws of the people, that shall lead them astray.
29But ye shall then sing as in the night of a solemn festival; Your heart shall be glad, like his who marcheth with the sound of the pipe To the mountain of Jehovah, to the rock of Israel.
30Jehovah will cause his glorious voice to be heard, And the blow of his arm to be seen, With furious anger, and flames of devouring fire; With flood, and storm, and hailstones.
31For by the voice of Jehovah shall the Assyrian be beaten down; He will smite him with the rod.
32And as often as the appointed rod shall strike, Which Jehovah shall lay heavily upon him, It shall be accompanied with tabrets and harps; And with fierce battles will he fight against him.
33For long hath the burning place been prepared; Yea, for the king hath it been made ready; The pile is made deep and broad; There is fire and wood in abundance; The breath of Jehovah, like a stream of brimstone, kindle it.