Isaiah 30

1 Woe to the rebellious sons, says Jehovah, who take counsel, but not of me, and who make a league, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to 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 set out to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to take refuge 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 Therefore the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame, and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

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

4 For their rulers are at Zoan, and their ambassadors have come to Hanes.

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

5 They shall all be ashamed because of a people who cannot profit them, who are not a help nor 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 the land of trouble and anguish, from where come the lioness and the lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they carry their riches upon the shoulders of young donkeys, and their treasures upon the humps of camels, to a people who 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 helps in vain, and to no purpose. Therefore I have called her Rahab who sits still.

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 inscribe it on a scroll, that it may be for the time to come forever and 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 For it is a rebellious people, lying sons, sons who 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, Do not see, and to the prophets, Do not prophesy to us right things. Speak to 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 says the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and rely on it,

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 high wall, whose breaking comes 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 a potter's vessel is broken, breaking it in pieces without sparing, so that there shall not be found among the pieces of it a shard with which to take fire from the hearth, or to dip up 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 said the lord Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, Ye shall be saved in returning and rest. Your strength shall be in quietness and in confidence. And 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 but ye said, No, for we will flee upon horses. Therefore ye shall flee. And ye said, We will ride upon the swift. Therefore those who pursue you shall 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 threat of one. Ye shall flee at the threat of five, till ye are left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign 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 Jehovah will wait, that he may be gracious to you. And therefore he will be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you, for Jehovah is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who 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 shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to thee at the voice of thy cry. When he shall hear, 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 though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet thy teachers shall not be hidden anymore, 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 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.

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 overlaying of thy graven images of silver, and the plating of thy molten images of gold. Thou shall cast them away as an unclean thing. Thou shall say to it, Get thee away.

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 for thy seed, with which thou shall sow the ground, and bread of the increase of the ground, and it shall be fat and plenteous. In that day thy cattle shall 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 Likewise the oxen and the young donkeys that till the ground shall eat savory provender, which has been winnowed with the shovel and with the fork.

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 lofty mountain, and upon every high hill, brooks and streams of waters, 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 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 Jehovah binds up the hurt of his people, and heals the stroke of their wound.

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 comes from far, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke. His lips are full of indignation, and his tongue is as a devouring 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 is as an overflowing stream that reaches even to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction. And a bridle that causes to err shall be in the jaws of the peoples.

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 holy feast is kept, and gladness of heart, as he who goes with a pipe to come to 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 his glorious voice to be heard, and will show the coming down of his arm with the indignation of his anger, and the flame of a devouring fire, with a blast and tempest 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 the Assyrian shall be dismayed. With his rod he will smite him.

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

32 And every stroke of the appointed staff, which Jehovah shall lay upon him, shall be with the sound of tambourine and harps. And he will fight with them in battles with the brandishing of his arm.

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 a Topheth is prepared of old, yea, it is made ready for the king. He has made it deep and large. The pile of it is fire and much wood. The breath of Jehovah kindles it, like a stream of brimstone.

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.