¶ Woe to the rebellious¹ children, saith the LORD, that take² counsel, but not of me; and that cover³ with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add⁴ sin to sin:

That walk⁵ to go down into Egypt, and have⁶ not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow⁷ of Egypt!

Therefore shall the strength⁸ of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion⁹.

For his princes¹⁰ were at Zoan¹¹, and his ambassadors came to Hanes¹².

¹⁵They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.

The burden¹⁶ of the beasts¹⁷ of the south: into the land¹⁸ of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper¹⁹ and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches²⁰ upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.

For the Egyptians²¹ shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this²², Their strength is to sit still.

¶ Now go, write²³ it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come²⁴ for ever and ever:

That this is²⁵ a rebellious people, lying²⁶ children, children that will not²⁷ hear the law of the LORD:

¶ Which say²⁸ to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak²⁹ unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

Get you out³⁰ of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause³¹ the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because³² ye despise this word, and trust³³ in oppression³⁴ and perverseness, and stay thereon:

Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach³⁵ ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh³⁶ suddenly at an instant.

And he shall break³⁷ it as the breaking of the potters' vessel³⁸ that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that³⁹ 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.

For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One⁴⁰ of Israel; In returning⁴¹ and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye⁴² would not.

But ye said, No; for we will⁴³ flee upon horses; therefore⁴⁴ shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.

One thousand⁴⁵ shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye⁴⁶ be left as a beacon⁴⁷ upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.

¶ And therefore⁴⁸ will the LORD wait⁴⁹, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be⁵⁰ exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD⁵¹ is a God of judgment: blessed⁵² are all they that wait for him.

For the people shall dwell⁵³ in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt⁵⁴ weep no more: he will⁵⁵ be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.

¶ And though the Lord give you the bread⁵⁶ of adversity, and the water of affliction⁵⁷, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

And thine ears⁵⁸ shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right⁵⁹ hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Ye shall defile⁶⁰ also the covering of thy graven images of silver⁶¹, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast⁶² them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get⁶³ thee hence.

Then shall he⁶⁴ give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall⁶⁵ be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle⁶⁶ feed in large pastures.

The oxen⁶⁷ likewise and the young asses that ear the ground⁶⁸ shall eat clean⁶⁹ provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

And there shall be upon every high⁷⁰ mountain, and upon every high⁷¹ hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when⁷² the towers fall.

Moreover the light of the moon⁷³ 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 bindeth⁷⁴ up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

¶ Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning⁷⁵ with his anger, and the burden thereof⁷⁶ is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

And his breath⁷⁷, as an overflowing⁷⁸ stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift⁷⁹ the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle⁸⁰ in the jaws of the people, causing⁸¹ them to err.

Ye shall⁸² have a song, as in the night⁸³ when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe⁸⁴ to come into the mountain⁸⁵ of the LORD, to the mighty One⁸⁶ of Israel.

¶ And the LORD⁸⁷ shall cause his glorious voice⁸⁸ to be heard, and shall shew the lighting⁸⁹ down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame⁹⁰ of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.

For through the voice⁹¹ of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote⁹² with a rod.

And in every place⁹³ where the grounded staff shall pass, which the LORD shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking⁹⁴ will he fight with it⁹⁵.

For Tophet⁹⁶ is ordained⁹⁷ of old⁹⁸; yea, for the king⁹⁹ it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath¹⁰⁰ of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.