Isaiah 30

1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith Jehovah, who take counsel, but not of me, and who make leagues, but not by my Spirit, that they may heap sin upon sin;

Woe to the rebellious children, saith Jehovah, Who form plans, and not from me, And make covenants without my spirit, That they may add sin to sin!

2 who walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked of my mouth, — to take refuge under the protection of Pharaoh, and trust in the shadow of Egypt!

Who go down into Egypt, Without inquiring at my mouth, To seek refuge in Pharaoh's protection, And to trust in the shadow of Egypt!

3 For to you the protection of Pharaoh shall be a shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt a confusion.

The protection of Pharaoh shall be your shame; Your trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

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

For their princes are at Zoan, Their ambassadors have arrived at Hanes.

5 They were all ashamed of a people [that] did not profit them, nor were a help or profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.

But they are all ashamed of a people that do not profit them; That are no help and no profit, But only a shame and a reproach.

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

The loaded beasts go southward. Through a land of anguish and distress, Whence come forth the lioness, and the fierce lion, The viper, and the flying fiery serpent; On the shoulders of young asses they carry their wealth, And on the bunches of camels their treasures, To a people that will not profit them!

7 For Egypt shall help in vain, and to no purpose; therefore have I named her, Arrogance, that doeth nothing.

Vain and empty is the help of Egypt; Wherefore I call her, The Blusterer that sitteth still.

8 Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and record it in a book, that it may be for the time to come, as a witness for ever,

Go now, write this on a tablet before them; Note it down upon a book, That it may remain for future times, A testimony forever!

9 that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of Jehovah;

For this is a rebellious people, false children; Children who will not hear the law of Jehovah;

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

Who say to the seers, “See not!” And to the prophets, “Prophesy not right things; Speak to us smooth things, Prophesy falsehood!

11 get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us!

Turn aside from the way, Depart from the path, Remove from our sight the Holy One of Israel!”

12 Therefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel: Because ye reject this word, and confide in oppression and wilfulness, and depend thereon,

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

13 therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a towering wall, whose breaking shall come suddenly in an instant.

Therefore shall this iniquity be to you Like a breach ready to give way, That swelleth out in a high wall, Whose fall cometh suddenly, in an instant.

14 And he shall break it as the breaking of a potter's vessel, that is broken in pieces unsparingly; and in the pieces of it there shall not be found a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to scoop water out of the cistern.

It is broken like a potter's vessel, Which is dashed in pieces and not spared, So that among its fragments not a sherd is found to take up fire from the hearth, Or to dip water from the cistern.

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

For thus said the Lord Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel: By a return and by rest shall ye be saved; In quietness and confidence is your strength;

16 And ye said, No, but we will flee upon horses, — therefore shall ye flee; and, We will ride upon the swift, — therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.

But ye would not. Ye said, “No! we will bound along upon horses”; Truly ye shall bound along in flight. “We will ride upon swift coursers”; But they shall be swift that pursue you.

17 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 a banner on a hill.

A thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one, And ten thousand at the rebuke of five, Till what remains of you shall be as a beacon on the top of a mountain, As a banner upon a hill.

18 And therefore will Jehovah wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he lift himself up, that he may have mercy upon you; for Jehovah is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

And yet will Jehovah wait to be gracious to you, And yet will he arise to have mercy upon you; For Jehovah is a righteous God; Happy are all they who wait for him!

19 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; as he heareth it, he will answer thee.

For, O people of Zion, that dwellest in Jerusalem, Thou shalt not always weep! He will be very gracious to thee at the voice of thy cry; No sooner shall he hear it, than he will answer thee.

20 And the Lord will give you the bread of adversity, and the water of oppression; yet thy teachers shall not be hidden any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers.

Though Jehovah hath given thee the bread of distress, and the water of affliction, Yet shall thy teachers be hidden from thee no more; But thine eyes shall see thy teachers.

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

And thine ears shall hear a voice behind thee, Saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it!” When ye turn aside to the right hand, or to the left.

22 And ye shall defile the silver covering of your graven images, and the gold overlaying of your molten images; thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth: Out! shalt thou say unto it.

Ye shall treat as defiled the silver coverings of your graven images, And the golden clothing of your molten images, Ye shall cast them away as an unclean thing; Away! shall ye say to them.

23 And he will give the rain of thy seed with which thou shalt sow the ground; and bread, the produce of the ground, and it shall be fat and rich. In that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures;

Then will he give rain for thy seed, With which thou shalt sow the ground, And the bread-corn, the produce of the land, shall be rich and nourishing; Then shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.

24 and the oxen and the asses that till the ground shall eat salted provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

The oxen also, and the young asses, that till the ground, Shall eat well-seasoned provender, Which hath been winnowed with the shovel and the fan.

25 And there shall be upon every high mountain and upon every hill that is lifted up, brooks [and] water-courses, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

And on every lofty mountain, And on every high hill, Shall be brooks and streams of water, In the day of the great slaughter, When the towers fall.

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

Then shall the light of the moon be as the light of the sun, And the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, [[As the light of seven days, ]] When Jehovah bindeth up the bruises of his people, And healeth the wound which they have received.

27 Behold, the name of Jehovah cometh from far, burning [with] his anger — a grievous conflagration; his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a consuming fire;

Behold, the name of Jehovah cometh from afar, His anger burneth, and violent is the flame, His lips are full of indignation, And his tongue like a devouring fire.

28 and his breath as an overflowing torrent, which reacheth even to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction, and [to put] a bridle into the jaws of the peoples, that causeth them to go astray.

His breath is like an overflowing torrent, That reacheth even to the neck; He will toss the nation with the winnowing-fan of destruction; He will put a bridle upon the jaws of the people, that shall lead them astray.

29 Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a feast is sanctified; and joy of heart, as of one who goeth with a pipe to come unto the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel.

But ye shall then sing as in the night of a solemn festival; Your heart shall be glad, like his who marcheth with the sound of the pipe To the mountain of Jehovah, to the rock of Israel.

30 And Jehovah will cause the majesty of his voice to be heard, and will shew the lighting down of his arm with indignation of anger, and a flame of consuming fire, with waterflood and storm and hailstones.

Jehovah will cause his glorious voice to be heard, And the blow of his arm to be seen, With furious anger, and flames of devouring fire; With flood, and storm, and hailstones.

31 For through the voice of Jehovah shall the Assyrian be broken down: he will smite [him] with the rod.

For by the voice of Jehovah shall the Assyrian be beaten down; He will smite him with the rod.

32 And wherever shall pass the appointed staff, which Jehovah shall lay upon him, it shall be with tambours and harps; and with tumultuous battles will he fight with it.

And as often as the appointed rod shall strike, Which Jehovah shall lay heavily upon him, It shall be accompanied with tabrets and harps; And with fierce battles will he fight against him.

33 For Topheth is prepared of old; for the king also it is prepared: he hath made it deep and large; its pile is fire and much wood; the breath of Jehovah, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

For long hath the burning place been prepared; Yea, for the king hath it been made ready; The pile is made deep and broad; There is fire and wood in abundance; The breath of Jehovah, like a stream of brimstone, kindle it.