Woe to the Leaders of Ephraim and Judah

28 Woef to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’sg drunkards,

to the fading flower, his glorious beauty,

set on the head of a fertile valleyh—

to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!i

2 See, the Lord has one who is powerfulj and strong.

Like a hailstormk and a destructive wind,l

like a driving rain and a floodingm downpour,

he will throw it forcefully to the ground.

3 That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’sn drunkards,

will be trampledo underfoot.

4 That fading flower, his glorious beauty,

set on the head of a fertile valley,p

will be like figsq ripe before harvest—

as soon as people see them and take them in hand,

they swallow them.

5 In that dayr the Lord Almighty

will be a gloriouss crown,t

a beautiful wreath

for the remnantu of his people.

6 He will be a spirit of justicev

to the one who sits in judgment,w

a source of strength

to those who turn back the battlex at the gate.

7 And these also staggery from winez

and reela from beer:

Priestsb and prophetsc stagger from beer

and are befuddled with wine;

they reel from beer,

they stagger when seeing visions,d

they stumble when rendering decisions.

8 All the tables are covered with vomite

and there is not a spot without filth.

9 “Who is it he is trying to teach?f

To whom is he explaining his message?g

To children weanedh from their milk,i

to those just taken from the breast?

10 For it is:

Do this, do that,

a rule for this, a rule for thata;

a little here, a little there.j”

11 Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tonguesk

God will speak to this people,l

12 to whom he said,

“This is the resting place, let the weary rest”;m

and, “This is the place of repose”—

but they would not listen.

13 So then, the word of the Lord to them will become:

Do this, do that,

a rule for this, a rule for that;

a little here, a little theren—

so that as they go they will fall backward;

they will be injuredo and snared and captured.p

14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord,q you scoffersr

who rule this people in Jerusalem.

15 You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death,s

with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement.

When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,t

it cannot touch us,

for we have made a lieu our refuge

and falsehoodb our hiding place.v”

16 So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,w a tested stone,x

a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;y

the one who relies on it

will never be stricken with panic.z

17 I will make justicea the measuring line

and righteousness the plumb line;b

hailc will sweep away your refuge, the lie,

and water will overflowd your hiding place.

18 Your covenant with death will be annulled;

your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand.e

When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,f

you will be beaten downg by it.

19 As often as it comes it will carry you away;h

morning after morning,i by day and by night,

it will sweep through.”

The understanding of this message

will bring sheer terror.j

20 The bed is too short to stretch out on,

the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.k

21 The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim,l

he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeonm—

to do his work,n his strange work,

and perform his task, his alien task.

22 Now stop your mocking,o

or your chains will become heavier;

the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me

of the destruction decreedp against the whole land.q

23 Listenr and hear my voice;

pay attention and hear what I say.

24 When a farmer plows for planting,s does he plow continually?

Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?

25 When he has leveled the surface,

does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin?t

Does he not plant wheat in its place,c

barleyu in its plot,d

and speltv in its field?

26 His God instructs him

and teachesw him the right way.

27 Caraway is not threshedx with a sledge,y

nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin;

caraway is beaten out with a rod,z

and cumin with a stick.

28 Grain must be ground to make bread;

so one does not go on threshing it forever.

The wheels of a threshing carta may be rolled over it,

but one does not use horses to grind grain.

29 All this also comes from the Lord Almighty,

whose plan is wonderful,b

whose wisdom is magnificent.c

Woe to David’s City

29 Woed to you, Ariel, Ariel,e

the cityf where David settled!

Add year to year

and let your cycle of festivalsg go on.

2 Yet I will besiege Ariel;h

she will mourn and lament,i

she will be to me like an altar hearth.a j

3 I will encamp against you on all sides;

I will encirclek you with towers

and set up my siege worksl against you.

4 Brought low, you will speak from the ground;

your speech will mumblem out of the dust.n

Your voice will come ghostlikeo from the earth;

out of the dust your speech will whisper.p

5 But your many enemies will become like fine dust,q

the ruthlessr hordes like blown chaff.s

Suddenly,t in an instant,

6 the Lord Almighty will comeu

with thunderv and earthquakew and great noise,

with windstorm and tempestx and flames of a devouring fire.y

7 Then the hordes of all the nationsz that fight against Ariel,a

that attack her and her fortress and besiege her,

will be as it is with a dream,b

with a vision in the night—

8 as when a hungry person dreams of eating,

but awakensc hungry still;

as when a thirsty person dreams of drinking,

but awakens faint and thirsty still.d

So will it be with the hordes of all the nations

that fight against Mount Zion.e

9 Be stunned and amazed,f

blind yourselves and be sightless;g

be drunk,h but not from wine,i

stagger,j but not from beer.

10 The Lord has brought over you a deep sleep:k

He has sealed your eyesl (the prophets);m

he has covered your heads (the seers).n

11 For you this whole visiono is nothing but words sealedp in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I can’t; it is sealed.” 12 Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I don’t know how to read.”

13 The Lord says:

“These peopleq come near to me with their mouth

and honor me with their lips,r

but their hearts are far from me.s

Their worship of me

is based on merely human rules they have been taught.b t

14 Therefore once more I will astound these people

with wonder upon wonder;u

the wisdom of the wisev will perish,

the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.w”

15 Woe to those who go to great depths

to hidex their plans from the Lord,

who do their work in darkness and think,

“Who sees us?y Who will know?”z

16 You turn things upside down,

as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!a

Shall what is formed say to the one who formedb it,

“You did not make me”?

Can the pot say to the potter,c

“You know nothing”?d

17 In a very short time,e will not Lebanonf be turned into a fertile fieldg

and the fertile field seem like a forest?h

18 In that dayi the deafj will hear the words of the scroll,

and out of gloom and darknessk

the eyes of the blind will see.l

19 Once more the humblem will rejoice in the Lord;

the needyn will rejoice in the Holy Oneo of Israel.

20 The ruthlessp will vanish,q

the mockersr will disappear,

and all who have an eye for evils will be cut down—

21 those who with a word make someone out to be guilty,

who ensnare the defender in courtt

and with false testimonyu deprive the innocent of justice.v

22 Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemedw Abraham,x says to the descendants of Jacob:

“No longer will Jacob be ashamed;y

no longer will their faces grow pale.z

23 When they see among them their children,a

the work of my hands,b

they will keep my name holy;c

they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy Oned of Jacob,

and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

24 Those who are waywarde in spirit will gain understanding;f

those who complain will accept instruction.”g

Woe to the Obstinate Nation

30 “Woeh to the obstinate children,”i

declares the Lord,

“to those who carry out plans that are not mine,

forming an alliance,j but not by my Spirit,

heaping sin upon sin;

2 who go down to Egyptk

without consultingl me;

who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection,m

to Egypt’s shade for refuge.n

3 But Pharaoh’s protection will be to your shame,

Egypt’s shadeo will bring you disgrace.p

4 Though they have officials in Zoanq

and their envoys have arrived in Hanes,

5 everyone will be put to shame

because of a peopler uselesss to them,

who bring neither helpt nor advantage,

but only shame and disgrace.u”

6 A prophecyv concerning the animals of the Negev:w

Through a land of hardship and distress,x

of lionsy and lionesses,

of adders and darting snakes,z

the envoys carry their riches on donkeys’a backs,

their treasuresb on the humps of camels,

to that unprofitable nation,

7 to Egypt, whose help is utterly useless.c

Therefore I call her

Rahabd the Do-Nothing.

8 Go now, write it on a tablete for them,

inscribe it on a scroll,f

that for the days to come

it may be an everlasting witness.g

9 For these are rebellioush people, deceitfuli children,

children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction.j

10 They say to the seers,k

“See no more visionsl!”

and to the prophets,

“Give us no more visions of what is right!

Tell us pleasant things,m

prophesy illusions.n

11 Leave this way,o

get off this path,

and stop confrontingp us

with the Holy Oneq of Israel!”

12 Therefore this is what the Holy Oner of Israel says:

“Because you have rejected this message,s

relied on oppressiont

and depended on deceit,

13 this sin will become for you

like a high wall,u cracked and bulging,

that collapsesv suddenly,w in an instant.

14 It will break in pieces like pottery,x

shattered so mercilessly

that among its pieces not a fragment will be found

for taking coals from a hearth

or scooping water out of a cistern.”

15 This is what the Sovereigny Lord, the Holy Onez of Israel, says:

“In repentance and resta is your salvation,

in quietness and trustb is your strength,

but you would have none of it.c

16 You said, ‘No, we will fleed on horses.’e

Therefore you will flee!

You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’

Therefore your pursuers will be swift!

17 A thousand will flee

at the threat of one;

at the threat of fivef

you will all fleeg away,

till you are lefth

like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,

like a banneri on a hill.”

18 Yet the Lord longsj to be gracious to you;

therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.k

For the Lord is a God of justice.l

Blessed are all who wait for him!m

19 People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.n How gracious he will be when you cry for help!o As soon as he hears, he will answerp you. 20 Although the Lord gives you the breadq of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachersr will be hiddens no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voicet behind you, saying, “This is the way;u walk in it.” 22 Then you will desecrate your idolsv overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold;w you will throw them away like a menstrualx cloth and say to them, “Away with you!y”

23 He will also send you rainz for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be richa and plentiful.b In that dayc your cattle will graze in broad meadows.d 24 The oxene and donkeys that work the soil will eat fodderf and mash, spread out with forkg and shovel. 25 In the day of great slaughter,h when the towersi fall, streams of water will flowj on every high mountain and every lofty hill. 26 The moon will shine like the sun,k and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and healsl the wounds he inflicted.

27 See, the Namem of the Lord comes from afar,

with burning angern and dense clouds of smoke;

his lips are full of wrath,o

and his tongue is a consuming fire.p

28 His breathq is like a rushing torrent,r

rising up to the neck.s

He shakes the nations in the sievet of destruction;

he places in the jaws of the peoples

a bitu that leads them astray.

29 And you will sing

as on the night you celebrate a holy festival;v

your hearts will rejoicew

as when people playing pipesx go up

to the mountainy of the Lord,

to the Rockz of Israel.

30 The Lord will cause people to hear his majestic voicea

and will make them see his armb coming down

with raging angerc and consuming fire,d

with cloudburst, thunderstorme and hail.f

31 The voice of the Lord will shatter Assyria;g

with his rod he will strikeh them down.

32 Every stroke the Lord lays on them

with his punishing clubi

will be to the music of timbrelsj and harps,

as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.k

33 Tophethl has long been prepared;

it has been made ready for the king.

Its fire pit has been made deep and wide,

with an abundance of fire and wood;

the breathm of the Lord,

like a stream of burning sulfur,n

sets it ablaze.o

Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt

31 Woep to those who go down to Egyptq for help,

who rely on horses,r

who trust in the multitude of their chariotss

and in the great strength of their horsemen,

but do not look to the Holy Onet of Israel,

or seek help from the Lord.u

2 Yet he too is wisev and can bring disaster;w

he does not take back his words.x

He will rise up against that wicked nation,y

against those who help evildoers.

3 But the Egyptiansz are mere mortals and not God;a

their horsesb are flesh and not spirit.

When the Lord stretches out his hand,c

those who help will stumble,

those who are helpedd will fall;

all will perish together.e

4 This is what the Lord says to me:

“As a lionf growls,

a great lion over its prey—

and though a whole band of shepherdsg

is called together against it,

it is not frightened by their shouts

or disturbed by their clamorh—

so the Lord Almighty will come downi

to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.

5 Like birds hoveringj overhead,

the Lord Almighty will shieldk Jerusalem;

he will shield it and deliverl it,

he will ‘pass over’m it and will rescue it.”

6 Return,n you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revoltedo against. 7 For in that dayp every one of you will reject the idols of silver and goldq your sinful hands have made.r

8 “Assyrias will fall by no human sword;

a sword, not of mortals, will devourt them.

They will flee before the sword

and their young men will be put to forced labor.u

9 Their strongholdv will fall because of terror;

at the sight of the battle standardw their commanders will panic,x”

declares the Lord,

whose firey is in Zion,

whose furnacez is in Jerusalem.

The Kingdom of Righteousness

32 See, a kinga will reign in righteousness

and rulers will rule with justice.b

2 Each one will be like a shelterc from the wind

and a refuge from the storm,d

like streams of watere in the desertf

and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

3 Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,g

and the earsh of those who hear will listen.

4 The fearful heart will know and understand,i

and the stammering tonguej will be fluent and clear.

5 No longer will the foolk be called noble

nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

6 For fools speak folly,l

their hearts are bent on evil:m

They practice ungodlinessn

and spread erroro concerning the Lord;

the hungry they leave emptyp

and from the thirsty they withhold water.

7 Scoundrels use wicked methods,q

they make up evil schemesr

to destroy the poor with lies,

even when the plea of the needys is just.t

8 But the noble make noble plans,

and by noble deedsu they stand.v

The Women of Jerusalem

9 You womenw who are so complacent,

rise up and listenx to me;

you daughters who feel secure,y

hear what I have to say!

10 In little more than a yearz

you who feel secure will tremble;

the grape harvest will fail,a

and the harvest of fruit will not come.

11 Tremble,b you complacent women;

shudder, you daughters who feel secure!c

Strip off your fine clothesd

and wrap yourselves in rags.e

12 Beat your breastsf for the pleasant fields,

for the fruitful vinesg

13 and for the land of my people,

a land overgrown with thorns and briersh—

yes, mourni for all houses of merriment

and for this city of revelry.j

14 The fortressk will be abandoned,

the noisy city deserted;l

citadel and watchtowerm will become a wasteland forever,

the delight of donkeys,n a pasture for flocks,o

15 till the Spiritp is poured on us from on high,

and the desert becomes a fertile field,q

and the fertile field seems like a forest.r

16 The Lord’s justices will dwell in the desert,t

his righteousnessu live in the fertile field.

17 The fruit of that righteousnessv will be peace;w

its effect will be quietness and confidencex forever.

18 My people will live in peacefuly dwelling places,

in secure homes,z

in undisturbed places of rest.a

19 Though hailb flattens the forestc

and the city is leveledd completely,

20 how blessed you will be,

sowinge your seed by every stream,f

and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.g