1 W oe to the rebellious children, saith Jehovah, that take counsel, but not of me; and that make a league, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin,

“It is bad for the children who will not obey!” says the Lord, “They act on a plan that is not Mine, and make an agreement that is not of My Spirit, and so add sin to sin.

2 t hat 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!

They go down to Egypt without asking Me. They want Pharaoh to keep them safe and they look for a safe place in the shadow of Egypt.

3 T herefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

So the safe place of Pharaoh will be your shame. You will be brought low in the safe place in the shadow of Egypt.

4 F or their princes are at Zoan, and their ambassadors are come to Hanes.

For their rulers are at Zoan, and leaders come to Hanes.

5 T hey shall all be ashamed because of a people that cannot profit them, that are not a help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.

Everyone will be ashamed because of a people who cannot be of help to them. They do not bring help or riches, but only shame.”

6 T he burden of the beasts of the South. Through the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the lioness and the lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the humps of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.

The special word about the wild animals of the Negev: They go through a land of trouble and suffering, where there are male and female lions, deadly snakes and flying snakes. They carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys and camels, to a people who cannot be of help to them.

7 F or Egypt helpeth in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I called her Rahab that sitteth still.

Egypt’s help is of no worth and is empty. So I have called her Rahab who has done nothing. The People Who Do Not Obey

8 N ow go, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever.

Now go and write it down in front of them. And write it in a book, that it may be seen for all time to come.

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

For these people will not obey. They are not true sons. They will not listen to the teaching of the Lord.

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

They say to the men who tell what will happen in the future, “Do not see special dreams.” They say to those who speak for God, “You must not tell to us what is right. Speak pleasing things to us, tell us what we like to hear.

11 g et you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

Get out of the way. Turn aside from the path. We do not want to hear any more about the Holy One of Israel.”

12 W herefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and rely thereon;

So the Holy One of Israel says, “Because you have turned away from this Word, and have put your trust in a power that makes it hard for others and fools them,

13 t herefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly in an instant.

this sin will be to you like a high wall, ready to break and fall apart. It will fall all at once.

14 A nd 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 thereof a sherd wherewith to take fire from the hearth, or to dip up water out of the cistern.

Its fall is like the breaking of a pot-maker’s jar. It is broken in so many pieces that a piece will not be found big enough to pick up hot coals from the fire or to get water from the well.”

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

The Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In turning away from sin and in rest, you will be saved. Your strength will come by being quiet and by trusting.” But you would not.

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

You said, “No, we will go away fast on horses.” So you will go away in a hurry! You say, “We will go on fast horses.” So those who come to take you will be fast.

17 O ne thousand shall flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on a hill.

One thousand will run away as one man stands up against them. You will all run away when five stand up against them, until you are like flags lifted up on a mountain top, like something special to see on a hill. Good Will Come to God’s People

18 A nd therefore will Jehovah wait, that he may be gracious unto you; and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for Jehovah is a God of justice; blessed are all they that wait for him.

So the Lord wants to show you kindness. He waits on high to have loving-pity on you. For the Lord is a God of what is right and fair. And good will come to all those who hope in Him.

19 F or the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; thou shalt weep no more; he will surely be gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear, he will answer thee.

O people in Zion who live in Jerusalem, you will cry no more. For sure He will show loving-kindness to you at the sound of your cry. When He hears it, He will answer you.

20 A nd though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be hidden anymore, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers;

The Lord has given you the bread of trouble and water of suffering. But He, your Teacher, will not hide Himself any more. Your eyes will see your Teacher.

21 a nd 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.

Your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.

22 A nd ye shall defile the overlaying of thy graven images of silver, and the plating of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as an unclean thing; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

You will take your sinful objects of worship, covered with silver and gold and will throw them away as an unclean cloth, and say to them, “Be gone!”

23 A nd he will give the rain for thy seed, wherewith thou shalt sow the ground; and bread of the increase of the ground, and it shall be fat and plenteous. In that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures;

Then He will give you rain for the seed you will plant in the ground. And He will give you bread from the grain from the ground. It will be good, and more than you need. In that day your cattle will eat in a large field.

24 t he oxen likewise and the young asses that till the ground shall eat savory provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fork.

The oxen and the donkeys which work the ground will eat salted grain, which has been spread out with certain tools.

25 A nd 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.

On every high mountain and on every high hill there will be rivers flowing with water in the day when many will be killed, when the towers fall.

26 M oreover 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 hurt of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, the light of the sun will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days, on the day the Lord takes care of the hurts of His people and heals the sores He has given them. God Will Punish Assyria

27 B ehold, the name of Jehovah cometh 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;

See, the name of the Lord comes from a far away place, with His anger burning, and with dark smoke rising. His lips are full of anger and His tongue is like a destroying fire.

28 a nd his breath is as an overflowing stream, that reacheth even unto the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction: and a bridle that causeth to err shall be in the jaws of the peoples.

His breath is like a river flowing over, that comes up to the neck. It shakes the nations back and forth putting them through a test of pride. And it puts a piece of iron in the mouths of the people to lead them the wrong way.

29 Y e shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come unto the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel.

You will have a song as in the night when you have a special holy supper. You will be glad in your heart as when one steps to the sound of the horn going to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel.

30 A nd Jehovah will cause his glorious voice to be heard, and will show the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and the flame of a devouring fire, with a blast, and tempest, and hailstones.

The Lord will make His voice of great power heard. And He will let His arm be seen coming down in the destroying fire, hard rain, storm, and hailstones.

31 F or through the voice of Jehovah shall the Assyrian be dismayed; with his rod will he smite him.

The Assyrians will be filled with fear at the voice of the Lord, when He punishes them with His power.

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

Every beat from the special stick of punishment which the Lord will give them will be to the sound of timbrels and of harps. He will fight them in battle with a strong arm.

33 F or a Topheth is prepared of old; yea, for the king it is made ready; he hath made it deep and large; the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of Jehovah, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

For a place of fire has long been ready. Yes, it has been made ready for the king. It has been made deep and wide, with fire and much wood. The breath of the Lord starts the fire and it is like a river of sulphur.