1 "Woe to the rebellious children", says Yahweh, "who take counsel, but not from me; and who make an alliance, but not with my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; 2 who set out to go down into Egypt without asking for my advice, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt! 3 Therefore the strength of Pharaoh will be your shame, and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. 4 For their princes are at Zoan, and their ambassadors have come to Hanes. 5 They shall all be ashamed because of a people that can’t profit them, that are not a help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach."

6 The burden of the animals of the South.

Through the land of trouble and anguish, of the lioness and the lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they carry their riches on the shoulders of young donkeys, and their treasures on the humps of camels, to an unprofitable people. 7 For Egypt helps in vain, and to no purpose; therefore I have called her Rahab who sits still. 8 Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come forever and ever. 9 For it is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear Yahweh’s law; 10 who tell the seers, "Don’t see!" and the prophets, "Don’t prophesy to us right things. Tell us pleasant things. Prophesy deceits. 11 Get out of the way. Turn away from the path. Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us." 12 Therefore the Holy One of Israel says, "Because you despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and rely on it, 13 therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking comes suddenly in an instant. 14 He will break it as a potter’s vessel is broken, breaking it in pieces without sparing, so that there won’t be found among the broken pieces a piece good enough to take fire from the hearth, or to dip up water out of the cistern."

15 For thus said the Lord Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, "You will be saved in returning and rest. Your strength will be in quietness and in confidence." You refused, 16 but you said, "No, for we will flee on horses;" therefore you will flee; and, "We will ride on the swift;" therefore those who pursue you will be swift. 17 One thousand will flee at the threat of one. At the threat of five, you will flee until you are left like a beacon on the top of a mountain, and like a banner on a hill.

18 Therefore Yahweh will wait, that he may be gracious to you; and therefore he will be exalted, that he may have mercy on you, for Yahweh is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for him. 19 For the people will dwell in Zion at Jerusalem. You will weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the voice of your cry. When he hears you, he will answer you. 20 Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers won’t be hidden any more, but your eyes will see your teachers; 21 and when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way. Walk in it." 22 You shall defile the overlaying of your engraved images of silver, and the plating of your molten images of gold. You shall cast them away as an unclean thing. You shall tell it, "Go away!"

23 He will give the rain for your seed, with which you will sow the ground; and bread of the increase of the ground will be rich and plentiful. In that day, your livestock will feed in large pastures. 24 The oxen likewise and the young donkeys that till the ground will eat savory feed, which has been winnowed with the shovel and with the fork. 25 There will be brooks and streams of water on every lofty mountain and on every high hill in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. 26 Moreover the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days, in the day that Yahweh binds up the fracture of his people, and heals the wound they were struck with.

27 Behold, Yahweh’s name comes from far away, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke. His lips are full of indignation. His tongue is as a devouring fire. 28 His breath is as an overflowing stream that reaches even to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction. A bridle that leads to ruin will be in the jaws of the peoples. 29 You will have a song, as in the night when a holy feast is kept, and gladness of heart, as when one goes with a flute to come to Yahweh’s mountain, to Israel’s Rock. 30 Yahweh will cause his glorious voice to be heard, and will show the descent of his arm, with the indignation of his anger and the flame of a devouring fire, with a blast, storm, and hailstones. 31 For through Yahweh’s voice the Assyrian will be dismayed. He will strike him with his rod. 32 Every stroke of the rod of punishment, which Yahweh will lay on him, will be with the sound of tambourines and harps. He will fight with them in battles, brandishing weapons. 33 For his burning place has long been ready. Yes, it is prepared for the king. He has made its pyre deep and large with fire and much wood. Yahweh’s breath, like a stream of sulfur, kindles it.

1 Woe to the sons that leave, saith the LORD, to make counsel, but not of me; to cover themselves with a covering, and not by my spirit, adding sin unto sin!

2 They leave to descend into Egypt and have not [asked for a word from] my mouth, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh and to place their hope in the shadow of Egypt.

3 But the strength of Pharaoh shall become your shame, and the hope in the shadow of Egypt [your] confusion.

4 When his princes shall be in Zoan, and his ambassadors have come to Hanes,

5 all shall be ashamed of the people [that] shall not profit them, nor be a help, nor bring them increase, but a shame, and also a reproach.

6 The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence [come] the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent; they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people [that] shall not profit [them].

7 For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose; therefore I have cried [out] concerning this that your strength [should be] to sit still.

8 Now go, write this [vision] before them on a tablet and note it in a book that it may remain unto the last day, for ever, unto all ages.

9 That this [is] a rebellious people, lying sons, sons [that] did not desire to hear the law of the LORD:

10 Who say to those that see, See not; and to the prophets, Do not prophesy right things unto us, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

11 Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to leave our presence.

12 Therefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in violence and perversity and build upon this:

13 Therefore this sin shall be to you as an open [wall] ready to fall and as a breach in a high defence, whose breaking comes suddenly at an instant.

14 And your destruction shall be as the breaking of [a] potter's vessel that without mercy is broken to pieces so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it even a shard to take fire from the hearth or to take water from [the] well.

15 For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel has said; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

16 But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be even more swift.

17 One thousand [shall flee] at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five ye shall [all] flee: until ye are left as a mast upon the top of a mountain and as a banner [of example] on a hill.

18 And therefore will the LORD wait [for you], that he may have mercy on you, and therefore will he be exalted having mercy upon you: for the LORD [is] a God of judgment: blessed [are] all those that wait for him.

19 For the people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he who has mercy shall show mercy unto thee; at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.

20 But the Lord shall give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction; thy rain shall never more be taken away, but thine eyes shall see thy rain:

21 Then thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This [is] the way, walk ye in it, that ye not turn to the right hand and that ye not turn to the left hand.

22 Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver and the protection of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Go away from here.

23 Then he shall give the rain unto thy planting when thou shalt sow the ground; and bread of the fruit of the earth, and it shall be fat and fertile: in that day thy cattle shall feed in large pastures.

24 Thine oxen and thine asses that work the ground shall eat clean grain, which has been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

25 And there shall be upon every high mountain and upon every high hill, rivers [and] streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers shall fall.

26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD binds up the breach of his people and heals the stroke of their wound.

27 Behold, the name of the LORD comes from afar; his face is blazing and difficult to gaze upon: his lips are full of indignation and his tongue as a devouring fire:

28 And his Spirit, as an overflowing stream, shall break even unto the neck to sift the Gentiles with the sieve of vanity and [to put a] bridle in the jaws of the people, causing [them] to err.

29 Ye shall have a song, as in [the] night [in which] the Passover is kept and gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute to come into the mountain of the LORD to the mighty One of Israel.

30 And the LORD shall cause the power of his voice to be heard and shall cause the lighting down of his arm to be seen, with the indignation of [his] countenance and [with] the flame of a devouring fire, [with] scattering and tempest and hailstones.

31 For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, [which] smote with a rod.

32 And [in] every [evil] place there shall be a staff that the LORD shall cause to lay upon him with tambourines and harps: and with [the] strength of heaven he will fight against her.

33 For Tophet [is] ordained of yesterday for the king [of Babylon], it is also prepared; he has deepened [and] enlarged the pile of her fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD like a stream of brimstone kindles it.: