Woe to the City of David

1Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add year to year; let feasts run their cycle.

2Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.

3And I will encamp against you round about, and will lay siege against you with a mound, and I will raise siegeworks against you.

4And you shall be brought down, and shall speak out of the ground, and your speech shall be low out of the dust, and your voice shall be, as of one that is a medium, out of the ground, and your speech shall whisper out of the dust.

5Moreover the multitude of your foes shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be like chaff that passes away: yea, it shall be in an instant, suddenly.

6You shall be visited by the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.

7And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her fortress, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.

8It shall even be as when a hungry man dreams, and, behold, he eats; but he awakes, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreams, and, behold, he drinks; but he awakes, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul has appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

9Stop, and wonder; cry you out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

10For the LORD has poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers has he covered.

11And the vision of all has become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray you: and he says, I cannot; for it is sealed:

12And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray you: and he says, I am not learned.

13Therefore the Lord said, Since this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

14Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

15Woe unto them that go the depths to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who sees us? and who knows us?

16Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the thing made say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing formed say of him that formed it, He had no understanding?

Future Blessings

17Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

18And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

19The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

20For the ruthless one is brought to nothing, and the scoffer is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:

21That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproves in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nothing.

22Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now grow pale.

23But when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.

24They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.