1. "How terrible it will be for these stubborn children of mine!" announces the Lord. "How terrible for those who carry out plans that did not come from me! Their agreement with Egypt did not come from my Spirit. So they pile up one sin on top of another.
2. They go down to Egypt without asking me for advice. They look to Pharaoh to help them. They ask Egypt to keep them safe.
3. But looking to Pharaoh will only bring them shame. Asking Egypt for help will bring them dishonor.
4. Their officials have gone to the city of Zoan. Their messengers have arrived in Hanes.
5. But the people of Judah will be put to shame because they are trusting in a nation that is useless to them. Egypt will not bring them any help or advantage. Instead, it will bring them shame and dishonor."
6. Here is a message the Lord gave me about the animals in the Negev Desert. Judah 's messengers carry their riches on the backs of donkeys. They carry their treasures on the humps of camels. They travel through a land of danger and suffering. It's a land that is filled with lions. Poisonous snakes are also there. The messengers travel to a nation that can't do them any good.
7. They travel to Egypt, whose help is totally useless. That's why I call it Rahab the Do-Nothing.
8. The Lord said to me, "Go now. Write on a tablet for the people of Judah what I am about to say. Also write it on a scroll. In days to come it will be a witness that lasts forever.
9. The people of Judah refuse to obey me. They are children who tell lies. They will not listen to what I want to teach them.
10. They say to the seers, 'Don't see any more visions!' They say to the prophets, 'Don't give us any more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things. Prophesy things we want to hear even if they aren't true.