Ἠσαΐας 30
1 οὐαὶ τέκνα ἀποστάται τάδε λέγει κύριος ἐποιήσατε βουλὴν οὐ δῑ ἐμοῦ καὶ συνθήκας οὐ διὰ τοῦ πνεύματός μου προσθεῖναι ἁμαρτίας ἐφ’ ἁμαρτίαις
Tragedy is coming to my defiant children, declares the Lord. You make plans that don't come from me; you make alliances against my wishes, adding sin to sin.
2 οἱ πορευόμενοι καταβῆναι εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐμὲ δὲ οὐκ ἐπηρώτησαν τοῦ βοηθηθῆναι ὑπὸ Φαραω καὶ σκεπασθῆναι ὑπὸ Αἰγυπτίων
You go to Egypt without asking me, looking to Pharaoh for protection, hoping to find safety hiding behind Egypt.
3 ἔσται γὰρ ὑμῖν ἡ σκέπη Φαραω εἰς αἰσχύνην καὶ τοῖς πεποιθόσιν ἐπ’ Αἴγυπτον ὄνειδος
But the protection of Pharaoh will be an embarrassment to you; hiding behind Egypt will only bring you humiliation.
4 ὅτι εἰσὶν ἐν Τάνει ἀρχηγοὶ ἄγγελοι πονηροί μάτην κοπιάσουσιν
Even though he has officials at Zoan and his messengers reach Hanes,
5 πρὸς λαόν ὃς οὐκ ὠφελήσει αὐτοὺς οὔτε εἰς βοήθειαν οὔτε εἰς ὠφέλειαν ἀλλὰ εἰς αἰσχύνην καὶ ὄνειδος
the Egyptians will offend everyone because they are useless—they're no help and good for nothing, except for causing shame and bringing disgrace.
6 ἡ ὅρασις τῶν τετραπόδων τῶν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἐν τῇ θλίψει καὶ τῇ στενοχωρίᾳ λέων καὶ σκύμνος λέοντος ἐκεῖθεν καὶ ἀσπίδες καὶ ἔκγονα ἀσπίδων πετομένων οἳ ἔφερον ἐπ’ ὄνων καὶ καμήλων τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτῶν πρὸς ἔθνος ὃ οὐκ ὠφελήσει αὐτοὺς εἰς βοήθειαν ἀλλὰ εἰς αἰσχύνην καὶ ὄνειδος
A message about the animals of the Negev. The messengers travel through a harsh and hostile land where lions and lionesses live, vipers and vicious snakes too. Their donkeys are burdened down with valuable gifts, their camels are loaded with treasure, to give to a worthless people that can't help.
7 Αἰγύπτιοι μάταια καὶ κενὰ ὠφελήσουσιν ὑμᾶς ἀπάγγειλον αὐτοῖς ὅτι ματαία ἡ παράκλησις ὑμῶν αὕτη
Egypt's support is an empty breath of wind. That's why I call her Pride Sitting Down.
8 νῦν οὖν καθίσας γράψον ἐπὶ πυξίου ταῦτα καὶ εἰς βιβλίον ὅτι ἔσται εἰς ἡμέρας καιρῶν ταῦτα καὶ ἕως εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα
Now go and write all this down on a tablet and on a scroll so that it will last forever and ever.
9 ὅτι λαὸς ἀπειθής ἐστιν υἱοὶ ψευδεῖς οἳ οὐκ ἠβούλοντο ἀκούειν τὸν νόμον τοῦ θεοῦ
For they are a rebellious people, deceitful children, who refuse to listen to the Lord's instructions.
10 οἱ λέγοντες τοῖς προφήταις μὴ ἀναγγέλλετε ἡμῖν καὶ τοῖς τὰ ὁράματα ὁρῶσιν μὴ λαλεῖτε ἡμῖν ἀλλὰ ἡμῖν λαλεῖτε καὶ ἀναγγέλλετε ἡμῖν ἑτέραν πλάνησιν
They tell people who see visions, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Don't give us prophecies about doing right—just tell us pleasant things and give us fake prophecies.
11 καὶ ἀποστρέψατε ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ ταύτης ἀφέλετε ἀφ’ ἡμῶν τὸν τρίβον τοῦτον καὶ ἀφέλετε ἀφ’ ἡμῶν τὸν ἅγιον τοῦ Ισραηλ
Stop telling us straight; go a different direction! We don't want to hear any more about the Holy One of Israel.”
12 διὰ τοῦτο οὕτως λέγει κύριος ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ Ισραηλ ὅτι ἠπειθήσατε τοῖς λόγοις τούτοις καὶ ἠλπίσατε ἐπὶ ψεύδει καὶ ὅτι ἐγόγγυσας καὶ πεποιθὼς ἐγένου ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ
So this is how the Holy One of Israel replies, Since you have rejected this message, and since you trust in oppression and believe in dishonesty,
13 διὰ τοῦτο ἔσται ὑμῖν ἡ ἁμαρτία αὕτη ὡς τεῖχος πῖπτον παραχρῆμα πόλεως ὀχυρᾶς ἑαλωκυίας ἧς παραχρῆμα πάρεστιν τὸ πτῶμα
your punishment will suddenly fall on you, like a high wall that bulges out and collapses in an instant.
14 καὶ τὸ πτῶμα αὐτῆς ἔσται ὡς σύντριμμα ἀγγείου ὀστρακίνου ἐκ κεραμίου λεπτὰ ὥστε μὴ εὑρεῖν ἐν αὐτοῖς ὄστρακον ἐν ᾧ πῦρ ἀρεῖς καὶ ἐν ᾧ ἀποσυριεῖς ὕδωρ μικρόν
You will be smashed like a clay pot, broken into such tiny pieces that there won't be a big enough piece to pick up coals from a hearth or a little bit of water from a well.
15 οὕτω λέγει κύριος ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ Ισραηλ ὅταν ἀποστραφεὶς στενάξῃς τότε σωθήσῃ καὶ γνώσῃ ποῦ ἦσθα ὅτε ἐπεποίθεις ἐπὶ τοῖς ματαίοις ματαία ἡ ἰσχὺς ὑμῶν ἐγενήθη καὶ οὐκ ἠβούλεσθε ἀκούειν
This is what the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, said, If you repent and patiently trust in me, you would be saved; you would be strong if you had such calm confidence. But you refused to do it.
16 ἀλλ’ εἴπατε ἐφ’ ἵππων φευξόμεθα διὰ τοῦτο φεύξεσθε καὶ εἴπατε ἐπὶ κούφοις ἀναβάται ἐσόμεθα διὰ τοῦτο κοῦφοι ἔσονται οἱ διώκοντες ὑμᾶς
You replied, “No! We'll escape on horseback! We'll get away on fast horses!” But the fast ones will be the ones chasing you!
17 διὰ φωνὴν ἑνὸς φεύξονται χίλιοι καὶ διὰ φωνὴν πέντε φεύξονται πολλοί ἕως ἂν καταλειφθῆτε ὡς ἱστὸς ἐπ’ ὄρους καὶ ὡς σημαίαν φέρων ἐπὶ βουνοῦ
Just one of them will chase after a thousand of you. Just five of them will make you all run away. All that will be left of you will look like a flag fluttering on the top of a mountain, a banner waving on a hill.
18 καὶ πάλιν μενεῖ ὁ θεὸς τοῦ οἰκτιρῆσαι ὑμᾶς καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὑψωθήσεται τοῦ ἐλεῆσαι ὑμᾶς διότι κριτὴς κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ἐστιν καὶ ποῦ καταλείψετε τὴν δόξαν ὑμῶν μακάριοι οἱ ἐμμένοντες ἐν αὐτῷ
So the Lord waits, wanting to be kind to you, ready to act to show you mercy, for the Lord is a God who does what is right. All who wait for him are blessed.
19 διότι λαὸς ἅγιος ἐν Σιων οἰκήσει καὶ Ιερουσαλημ κλαυθμῷ ἔκλαυσεν ἐλέησόν με ἐλεήσει σε τὴν φωνὴν τῆς κραυγῆς σου ἡνίκα εἶδεν ἐπήκουσέν σου
People of Zion, you who live in Jerusalem, you won't have to weep any more. When you cry for help he will be kind to you. He will answer you immediately he hears you.
20 καὶ δώσει κύριος ὑμῖν ἄρτον θλίψεως καὶ ὕδωρ στενόν καὶ οὐκέτι μὴ ἐγγίσωσίν σοι οἱ πλανῶντές σε ὅτι οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὄψονται τοὺς πλανῶντάς σε
Even though the Lord will give you the bread of hardship to eat and the water of suffering to drink, your teacher will no longer hide himself from you—you will see him with your own eyes.
21 καὶ τὰ ὦτά σου ἀκούσονται τοὺς λόγους τῶν ὀπίσω σε πλανησάντων οἱ λέγοντες αὕτη ἡ ὁδός πορευθῶμεν ἐν αὐτῇ εἴτε δεξιὰ εἴτε ἀριστερά
When you walk to the right or to the left, you will hear this command coming from behind you: “This is the way to follow.”
22 καὶ ἐξαρεῖς τὰ εἴδωλα τὰ περιηργυρωμένα καὶ τὰ περικεχρυσωμένα λεπτὰ ποιήσεις καὶ λικμήσεις ὡς ὕδωρ ἀποκαθημένης καὶ ὡς κόπρον ὤσεις αὐτά
You will defile your silver-coated idols coated with silver and your gold-covered images. You will throw them away like a dirty cloth used for periods, and say to them, “out of here!”
23 τότε ἔσται ὁ ὑετὸς τῷ σπέρματι τῆς γῆς σου καὶ ὁ ἄρτος τοῦ γενήματος τῆς γῆς σου ἔσται πλησμονὴ καὶ λιπαρός καὶ βοσκηθήσεταί σου τὰ κτήνη τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τόπον πίονα καὶ εὐρύχωρον
He will send rain when you sow, and the land will produce great harvests. At that time your cattle will feed in rich pastures.
24 οἱ ταῦροι ὑμῶν καὶ οἱ βόες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν γῆν φάγονται ἄχυρα ἀναπεποιημένα ἐν κριθῇ λελικμημένα
The oxen and donkeys that help cultivate the earth will eat good greens and grain, spread with fork and shovel.
25 καὶ ἔσται ἐπὶ παντὸς ὄρους ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς βουνοῦ μετεώρου ὕδωρ διαπορευόμενον ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ὅταν ἀπόλωνται πολλοὶ καὶ ὅταν πέσωσιν πύργοι
At that time when your enemies are killed and the fortresses fall, streams of water will flow down every mountain and hill.
26 καὶ ἔσται τὸ φῶς τῆς σελήνης ὡς τὸ φῶς τοῦ ἡλίου καὶ τὸ φῶς τοῦ ἡλίου ἔσται ἑπταπλάσιον ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ὅταν ἰάσηται κύριος τὸ σύντριμμα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ὀδύνην τῆς πληγῆς σου ἰάσεται
The moon will shine as bright as the sun, and the sun will shine seven times brighter, like having seven days light in one. This is the way it will be when the Lord bandages the injuries of his people and heals the wounds he caused them.
27 ἰδοὺ τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου διὰ χρόνου ἔρχεται πολλοῦ καιόμενος ὁ θυμός μετὰ δόξης τὸ λόγιον τῶν χειλέων αὐτοῦ τὸ λόγιον ὀργῆς πλῆρες καὶ ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θυμοῦ ὡς πῦρ ἔδεται
Look how the Lord arrives from far away, burning with anger and accompanied by thick clouds of smoke! What he says shows his anger—it's like a fire that burns everything up.
28 καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ ὡς ὕδωρ ἐν φάραγγι σῦρον ἥξει ἕως τοῦ τραχήλου καὶ διαιρεθήσεται τοῦ ἔθνη ταράξαι ἐπὶ πλανήσει ματαίᾳ καὶ διώξεται αὐτοὺς πλάνησις καὶ λήμψεται αὐτοὺς κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν
His breath rushes out like a flood that comes up to the neck. He shakes the nations in a sieve that destroys them; he puts bridles in the mouths of the different peoples to lead them away.
29 μὴ διὰ παντὸς δεῖ ὑμᾶς εὐφραίνεσθαι καὶ εἰσπορεύεσθαι εἰς τὰ ἅγιά μου διὰ παντὸς ὡσεὶ ἑορτάζοντας καὶ ὡσεὶ εὐφραινομένους εἰσελθεῖν μετὰ αὐλοῦ εἰς τὸ ὄρος τοῦ κυρίου πρὸς τὸν θεὸν τοῦ Ισραηλ
But you will have a song to sing like you do on the night of a holy festival. You will celebrate in happiness like those who play pipes as they go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel.
30 καὶ ἀκουστὴν ποιήσει ὁ θεὸς τὴν δόξαν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν θυμὸν τοῦ βραχίονος αὐτοῦ δείξει μετὰ θυμοῦ καὶ ὀργῆς καὶ φλογὸς κατεσθιούσης κεραυνώσει βιαίως καὶ ὡς ὕδωρ καὶ χάλαζα συγκαταφερομένη βίᾳ
The Lord will shout so everyone hears him he will reveal his great power. He will hit out in his anger and fury, with a fire that burns everything up, and with torrential rain, storm, and hail.
31 διὰ γὰρ φωνὴν κυρίου ἡττηθήσονται Ἀσσύριοι τῇ πληγῇ ᾗ ἂν πατάξῃ αὐτούς
At the Lord's command the Assyrians will be shattered, knocked down by his scepter.
32 καὶ ἔσται αὐτῷ κυκλόθεν ὅθεν ἦν αὐτῷ ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς βοηθείας ἐφ’ ᾗ αὐτὸς ἐπεποίθει αὐτοὶ μετὰ αὐλῶν καὶ κιθάρας πολεμήσουσιν αὐτὸν ἐκ μεταβολῆς
Every time the Lord hits them with his rod of punishment it will be accompanied by the music of tambourines and harps as he fights them, swinging into them in battle.
33 σὺ γὰρ πρὸ ἡμερῶν ἀπαιτηθήσῃ μὴ καὶ σοὶ ἡτοιμάσθη βασιλεύειν φάραγγα βαθεῖαν ξύλα κείμενα πῦρ καὶ ξύλα πολλά ὁ θυμὸς κυρίου ὡς φάραγξ ὑπὸ θείου καιομένη
The place of burning has been prepared a long time ago, ready for the king. Its funeral pyre is deep and wide, and has plenty of fire and wood. The breath of the Lord, like a flood of burning sulfur, sets it on fire.
