1 Wee die opstandige kinders, spreek die HERE, wat 'n plan uitvoer, maar dit is nie uit My nie; wat 'n verbond sluit, en dit is nie uit my Gees nie, om sonde op sonde te stapel;
2 wat gaan om na Egipte af te trek, en hulle raadpleeg my mond nie, om toevlug te soek onder die beskutting van Farao en om te skuil in die skaduwee van Egipte.
3 Maar die beskutting van Farao sal julle tot skande wees, en die skuiling in die skaduwee van Egipte tot smaadheid.
4 Want hulle vorste is in Soan, en hulle boodskappers het in Hanes aangekom;
5 almal staan beskaamd vanweë die volk wat hulle geen voordeel aanbring nie, geen hulp en geen voordeel nie, maar skande en smaadheid daarby.
6 Godspraak oor die diere van die Suidland. In 'n land van benoudheid en angs, waar leeuin en leeu uitkom, adder en vlieënde draak, vervoer hulle op die rugge van esels hul rykdomme en op die bulte van kamele hul skatte, na 'n volk wat geen voordeel bring nie.
7 En Egipte -- nietig en leeg is sy hulp; daarom noem ek dit: Rahab wat stilsit.
8 Gaan nou in, skryf dit op 'n tafel in hulle teenwoordigheid en teken dit op in 'n boek, dat dit kan bly vir later dae, vir altyd, tot in ewigheid.
9 Want dit is 'n wederstrewige volk, leuenagtige kinders, kinders wat die wet van die HERE nie wil hoor nie;
10 wat aan die sieners sê: Sien nie! en aan die profete: Profeteer vir ons nie wat reg is nie; spreek vleitaal vir ons, profeteer bedrieëry;
11 wyk af van die weg, buig af van die pad, laat die Heilige van Israel voor ons aangesig verdwyn!
12 Daarom, so sê die Heilige van Israel: Omdat julle hierdie woord verwerp en vertrou op verdrukking en slinksheid en daarop steun,
13 daarom sal hierdie skuld vir julle wees soos 'n los stuk wat wil val, wat oorhang in 'n hoë muur, waarvan die instorting heeltemal onverwags kom.
14 Ja, Hy sal dit verbreek soos die kruik van 'n pottebakker verbreek word, wat sonder verskoning stukkend geslaan word, sodat by die brokstukke daarvan geen skerf gevind word om vuur uit die vuurherd te gaan haal of om water uit die kuil te skep nie.
15 Want so sê die Here HERE, die Heilige van Israel: In terugkeer en rus lê julle heil, in stil wees en vertroue bestaan julle krag; maar julle wou nie
16 en het gesê: Nee, maar op perde sal ons vlieg -- daarom sal julle moet vlug! en: Op renperde sal ons ry -- daarom sal julle vervolgers laat jaag!
17 Een duisend van julle sal vlug vir die oorlogsgeroep van een enkele, vir die oorlogsgeroep van vyf, totdat julle oorbly soos 'n vlagpaal op 'n bergtop en soos 'n banier op 'n heuwel.
18 En daarom sal die HERE met ongeduld daarop wag om julle genadig te wees, en daarom sal Hy Hom verhef om Hom oor julle te ontferm; want die HERE is 'n God van die gerig. Welgeluksalig almal wat op Hom wag!
19 Want 'n volk sal op Sion, in Jerusalem, woon; jy sal nie meer ween nie; sekerlik sal Hy jou genade bewys op jou hulpgeroep; sodra Hy hoor, antwoord Hy jou.
20 Die Here gee julle wel brood van benoudheid en water van bedruktheid, maar jou leraars sal hulle nie langer verberg nie -- maar jou oë sal jou leraars sien;
21 en jou ore sal 'n woord agter jou hoor wat sê: Dit is die weg, wandel daarop! wanneer julle regs of wanneer julle links wil gaan.
22 En julle sal verontreinig die oortreksel van jou gesnede beelde van silwer en die beslag van jou gegote beeld van goud; jy sal dit weggooi soos iets wat besoedel is. Weg daarmee! sal jy daarvan sê.
23 Dan sal Hy reën gee vir die saad waarmee jy die grond besaai, en broodkoring wat die grond voortbring, en dit sal smaaklik en voedsaam wees; jou vee sal in die dag wei op 'n uitgestrekte weiveld;
24 en die osse en die esels wat die grond bewerk, sal voer met sout eet, wat uitgewan is met skop en gaffel;
25 en op elke hoë berg en op elke verhewe heuwel sal strome wees, waterlope, op die dag van die groot slagting as die torings val.
26 En die lig van die maan sal wees soos die lig van die son, en die lig van die son sal sewevoudig wees, soos die lig van sewe dae, op die dag as die HERE die breuk van sy volk verbind en die wond gesond maak wat aan hulle geslaan is.
27 Kyk, die Naam van die HERE kom van ver af, sy toorn brand, swaar wolke kom op; sy lippe is vol grimmigheid en sy tong soos 'n verterende vuur,
28 en sy asem soos 'n oorlopende stroom wat tot by die nek kom -- om nasies te sif met 'n sif van vernietiging; en 'n toom wat verkeerd stuur, is in die kakebene van die volke.
29 Die lied sal by julle wees soos in die nag as die fees gevier word, en julle sal vrolik wees van hart soos die wat met die fluite loop, om te kom op die berg van die HERE, na die Steenrots van Israel.
30 En die HERE sal sy stem vol majesteit laat hoor en die neerdaling van sy arm laat sien, met grimmige toorn en die vlam van 'n verterende vuur, storm en stortreën en haelkorrels.
31 Want vir die stem van die HERE sal Assur verskrik wees; met die stok sal Hy slaan,
32 en elke swaai van die roede wat vir hom beskik is, wat die HERE op hom laat val, sal wees onder begeleiding van tamboeryn en sitermusiek, en met 'n uitgeswaaide vegtersarm sal Hy teen hulle veg.
33 Want 'n Tofet is van gister af gereedgemaak, ook is dit vir die koning berei; diep en wyd het Hy die houtstapel daarvan aangelê met vuur en hout in menigte; die asem van die HERE is soos 'n stroom van swawel wat dit aan die brand steek.
1 Ho! uncontrolled children, says the Lord, who give effect to a purpose which is not mine, and who make an agreement, but not by my spirit, increasing their sin:
2 Who make a move to go down into Egypt, without authority from me; who are looking to the strength of Pharaoh for help, and whose hope is in the shade of Egypt.
3 And the strength of Pharaoh will be your shame, and your hope in the shade of Egypt will come to nothing.
4 For his chiefs are at Zoan, and his representatives have come to Hanes.
5 For they have all come with offerings to a people of no use to them, in whom is no help or profit, but only shame and a bad name.
6 The word about the Beasts of the South. Through the land of trouble and grief, the land of the she-lion and the voice of the lion, of the snake and the burning winged snake, they take their wealth on the backs of young asses, and their stores on camels, to a people in whom is no profit.
7 For there is no use or purpose in the help of Egypt: so I have said about her, She is Rahab, who has come to an end.
8 Now go, put it in writing before them on a board, and make a record of it in a book, so that it may be for the future, a witness for all time to come.
9 For they are an uncontrolled people, false-hearted, who will not give ear to the teaching of the Lord:
10 Who say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Do not give us word of what is true, but say false things to give us pleasure:
11 Get out of the good way, turning from the right road; do not keep the Holy One of Israel before our minds.
12 For this cause the Holy One of Israel says, Because you will not give ear to this word, and are looking for help in ways of deceit and evil, and are putting your hope in them:
13 This sin will be to you like a crack in a high wall, causing its fall suddenly and in a minute.
14 And he will let it be broken as a potter's vessel is broken: it will be smashed to bits without mercy; so that there will not be a bit in which one may take fire from the fireplace, or water from the spring.
15 For the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, said, In quiet and rest is your salvation: peace and hope are your strength: but you would not have it so.
16 Saying, No, for we will go in flight on horses; so you will certainly go in flight: and, We will go on the backs of quick-running beasts; so those who go after you will be quick-footed.
17 A thousand will go in fear before one; even before five you will go in flight: till you are like a pillar by itself on the top of a mountain, and like a flag on a hill.
18 For this cause the Lord will be waiting, so that he may be kind to you; and he will be lifted up, so that he may have mercy on you; for the Lord is a God of righteousness: there is a blessing on all whose hope is in him.
19 O people, living in Zion, at Jerusalem, your weeping will be ended; he will certainly have mercy on you at the sound of your cry; when it comes to his ear, he will give you an answer.
20 And though the Lord will give you the bread of trouble and the water of grief, you will no longer put your teacher on one side, but you will see your teacher:
21 And at your back, when you are turning to the right hand or to the left, a voice will be sounding in your ears, saying, This is the way in which you are to go.
22 And you will make unclean what is covering your pictured images of silver, and the plating of your images of gold: you will send them away as an unclean thing, saying, Be gone!
23 And he will give rain for your seed, so that you may put it in the earth; and you will have bread from the produce of the earth, good and more than enough for your needs: in that day the cattle will get their food in wide grass-lands.
24 And the oxen and the young asses which are used for ploughing, will have salted grain which has been made free from the waste with fork and basket.
25 And there will be rivers and streams of water on every tall mountain and on every high hill, in the day when great numbers are put to the sword, when the towers come down.
26 And the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times greater, as the light of seven days, in the day when the Lord puts oil on the wounds of his people, and makes them well from the blows they have undergone.
27 See, the name of the Lord is coming from far, burning with his wrath, with thick smoke going up: his lips are full of passion, and his tongue is like a burning fire:
28 And his breath is as an overflowing stream, coming up even to the neck, shaking the nations for their destruction, like the shaking of grain in a basket: and he will put a cord in the mouths of the people, turning them out of their way.
29 You will have a song, as in the night when a holy feast is kept; and you will be glad in heart, as when they go with music of the pipe to the mountain of the Lord, the Rock of Israel.
30 And the Lord will send out the sound of his great voice, and they will see his arm stretched out, with the heat of his wrath, and the flame of a burning fire; with a cloud-burst, and storm, and a rain of ice.
31 For through the voice of the Lord the Assyrian will be broken, and the Lord's rod will be lifted up against him.
32 And every blow of the rod of his punishment, which the Lord will send on him, will be with the sound of music: and with the waving of his sword the Lord will make war against him.
33 For a place of fire has long been ready; yes, it has been made ready for the king; he has made it deep and wide: it is massed with fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of fire, puts a light to it.