1. Woe to the rebellious children,says the Lord,who take counsel, but not from Me,and make an alliance, but not of My Spirit,in order to add sin to sin;
2. they walk down to Egyptand have not asked from My mouth,to strengthen themselves in the safety of Pharaohand to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
3. Therefore the safety of Pharaoh shall be your shameand the trust in the shadow of Egypt your humiliation.
4. For their princes were at Zoan,and their ambassadors came to Hanes.
5. They all will be ashamedof a people who cannot profit them,who are not a help or profit,but a shame and also a reproach.
6. The burden of the beasts of the Negev. Through a land of trouble and anguish,from which comes the lioness and lion,the viper and fiery flying serpent,they will carry their riches on the shoulders of young donkeys,and their treasures on the humps of camels,to a people who shall not profit them.
7. For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose.Therefore, I have called her,“Rahab who has been exterminated.”
8. Now go, write it before them on a tablet,and note it in a book,that it may serve in the time to comeas a witness forever;
9. for this is a rebellious people, lying children,children who refuse to listen to the law of the Lord;
10. they say to the seers,“You must not see visions,”and to the prophets,“You must not prophesy to us right things;speak to us pleasant things,prophesy illusions.
11. Get out of the way,turn aside from the path,let us hear no moreabout the Holy One of Israel.”
12. Therefore, thus says the Holy One of Israel: Because you despise this wordand trust in oppression and perverseness,and rely on them,
13. therefore this iniquity shall be to youas a breach ready to fall, swelling up in a high wall,whose collapse comes suddenly, in an instant.
14. He shall break it as the breaking of the potter’s vesselthat is broken in pieces;He shall not spare so that there shall not be found in the breaking of it a shardto take fire from the hearthor with which to take water out of a cistern.
15. For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved;in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.Yet you were not willing,
16. and you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”;therefore you shall flee.“And we will ride on swift horses”;therefore those who pursue you shall be swift.
17. One thousand shall fleeat the threat of one man;at the threat of fiveyou shall fleeuntil you are leftas a flag on the top of a mountainand as a banner on a hill.
18. Therefore, the Lord longs to be gracious to you,and therefore, He waits on high to have mercy on you;for the Lord is a God of justice;how blessed are all who long for Him.