The Worthless Treaty with Egypt

1` Woe to the rebellious” sons,

says YHWH,

“Making counsels not from Me

and weaving webs not of My Spirit,

for the purpose of adding sin upon sin—

2those proceeding to go down to Egypt

(and they have not asked My mouth)

to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh

and to take shelter in the shadow of Egypt!

3And the strength of Pharaoh will be unto you⁺ for shame,

and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt for disgrace.

4For his princes are in Zoan,

and his messengers have reached Hanes;

5they all come to shame

over a people of no profit to them,

not for help and not for gain,

but for shame and even for scorn.”

6The burden of the beasts of the Negev:

In a land of distress and anguish,

from which came lioness and lion,

the flying viper and serpent,

they carry their riches on the shoulder of donkeys,

and their treasures on the humps of camels,

to a people of no profit to them,

7and to Egypt in emptiness and uselessness for helping;

therefore I have called to her,

Rahab-hem-shebeth.†

8Now go write it on a tablet before them

and inscribe it on a scroll,

that it may be for a day to come

for a witness even to forever;

9for it is a rebellious people, sons of deceit,

sons not willing to hear the instruction of YHWH,

10who say to the seers,

“Do not see,”

and to the prophets,

“Do not prophesy to us the truth;

speak to us smooth things;

prophesy illusions.

11Turn aside from the way, bend away from the path,

make cease before our faces the Holy One of Israel.”

12Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel,

“Because you⁺ reject this word,

and you⁺ trust in oppression and corruption and lean on it,

13so will be to you⁺ this iniquity like a breach ready to fall,

bulging in a high wall,

whose breach suddenly comes in an instant.

14And He will break it like the breaking of the vessel of a potter

shattered with no pity;

and there will not be found among its fragments

a shard to scrape fire from the hearth

or to draw water from the cistern.”

15For thus says the Lord YHWH, the Holy One of Israel:

“In returning and rest

you⁺ will be saved;

in quietness and in confidence will be your⁺ strength.”

And you⁺ were not willing,”

16and you⁺ said, “No,” for we will flee on horses.”

Therefore you⁺ will flee—

“For we will ride on swift ones.”

(upon thus, those pursuing you⁺ will be swift.)

17One thousand from the face of the threat of one,

from the face of the threat of five you⁺ will flee,

until only you⁺ are left behind like a pole on the top of the mountain

and like a banner on the hill!

God Will Be Gracious

18And YHWH waits to show you⁺ favor,

and therefore He rises up to show you⁺ mercy.

For YHWH is a God of justice;

blessed are all those waiting for Him.

19Indeed, O people in Zion who dwell in Jerusalem, surely you will weep no more. surely He will show you favor at the voice of your crying; at His hearing it, He will answer you. 20The Lord gives to you⁺ the bread of distress and the water of oppression, and your teachers will not be hidden in a corner anymore, and your eyes will be seeing your teachers.

21And Your ears will hear a word from behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it,” when you⁺ turn to the right or when you⁺ turn to the left. 22And you⁺ will defile the overlaid idols of your silver, and the plating of the molten images of your gold; you will throw them away like menstrual cloths—“Filth!”” You will say to it.

23And He will give the rain for your seed with which you sow the ground, and the bread of the produce of the ground, and it will be fat and rich. In that day your cattle will feed in broad pastures, 24and the oxen and the donkeys working the ground will eat seasoned fodder that has been winnowed with the shovel and the pitchfork.

25And there will be on every high mountain and on every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of great slaughter at the falling of the towers. 26And the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold—like the light of seven days—on the day that YHWH binds up the brokenness of His people and heals the wounds of His scourging.

27Behold, the name of YHWH is coming from afar!

With His nose burning and denseness of smoke,

His lips are full of indignation,

and His tongue is like a devouring fire.

28And His breath is like an overflowing torrent;

it reaches up to the neck,

to sift the nations with the sieve of futility,

and a bridle leading them astray is upon the jaws of the peoples.

29There will be for you⁺ a song,

as in the night of a holy feast,

and gladness of heart,

as when one walks with a flute

to go into the mountain of YHWH,

to the Rock of Israel.

30And YHWH will make heard the splendor of His voice,

and He will make seen the sweeping down of His arm,

in the rage of His nose and a flame of devouring fire,

with storm and tempest and stone of hail.

31For at the voice of YHWH Assyria will be shattered;

with the rod He will strike.

32With every passing of the rod of punishment†

that YHWH brings down on him,

then it will come to pass that with tambourines and with harps,

as in battle of shaking He will fight against them.

33For Topheth was arranged long ago—

even for the king it was prepared.

He has made it deep and large, the pile of fire and much wood.

The breath of YHWH like a torrent of brimstone

will set fire to it!