1 Woe to rebellious children, declares the LORD, who carry out plans that are not mine and make alliances without my Spirit, adding sin to sin.

Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:

2 They set out to go down to Egypt without consulting me, seeking protection in Pharaoh's stronghold and taking refuge in the shadow of Egypt.

That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!

3 But Pharaoh's protection will be your shame, and refuge in the shadow of Egypt will bring humiliation.

Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

4 Though their officials are at Zoan and their envoys have arrived at Hanes,

For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.

5 all will be ashamed of a people that cannot profit them, bringing neither help nor benefit, but only shame and disgrace.

They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.

6 An oracle concerning the animals of the Negev: Through a land of trouble and distress, of lions, lionesses, adders, and flying serpents, they carry their wealth on donkeys’ backs and their treasures on the humps of camels to a people who will not help them.

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 Egypt's help is futile and empty; therefore, I have called her 'Rahab Who Sits Still.'

For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still.

8 Now go, write it on a tablet before them and inscribe it in a book, so it will stand as a witness forever and ever.

Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:

9 These are a rebellious people, deceitful children, unwilling to listen to the LORD's instruction.

That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:

10 They say to the seers, 'See no more visions!' and to the prophets, 'Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions.'

Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

11 'Leave the way, turn aside from the path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!'

Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

12 Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says: 'Because you have rejected this message and relied on oppression and deceit, leaning on them for support—'

Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:

13 'this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an instant.'

Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.

14 'Its collapse will be like that of a jar shattered into pieces so small that no fragment can be used to scoop fire from the hearth or draw water from a cistern.'

And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters' vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit.

15 For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: 'In repentance and rest you will be saved; in quietness and trust is your strength. But you were not willing.'

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

16 You said, 'No, we will flee on horses'—therefore you will flee! And, 'We will ride on swift horses'—therefore your pursuers will be swift!

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 swift.

17 A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will flee, until you are left like a flagpole on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.

One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.

18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

19 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you.

For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.

20 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them.

And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

22 Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, 'Away with you!'

Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

23 He will also send rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. On that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows.

Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.

24 The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat fodder and mash, spread out with fork and shovel.

The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

25 On every high mountain and every lofty hill there will be streams of water flowing, in the day of great slaughter when the towers fall.

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 fall.

26 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, on the day the LORD binds up his people’s wounds and heals the injuries he has inflicted.

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 bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

27 Behold, the name of the LORD comes from afar, burning with anger and dense with smoke; his lips are full of wrath, and his tongue is like a consuming fire.

Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

28 His breath is like a rushing torrent that rises to the neck. He will sift the nations with the sieve of destruction, and place a bridle in the jaws of the peoples, leading them astray.

And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.

29 You will sing as on the night of a sacred festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people go up with flutes to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.

Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel.

30 The LORD will cause his majestic voice to be heard and will display the strength of his arm with furious anger and consuming fire, with a cloudburst, storm, and hailstones.

And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.

31 At the voice of the LORD, Assyria will be shattered; he will strike them down with his rod.

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

32 Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the sound of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.

And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the LORD shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.

33 Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its fire pit is deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood. The breath of the LORD, like a stream of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze.

For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.