Isaiah 30:1-19 ▼

1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, That take counsel, but not of Me; And that form projects, but not of My spirit, That they may add sin to sin;

2 That walk to go down into Egypt, And have not asked at My mouth; To take refuge in the stronghold of Pharaoh, And to take shelter in the shadow of Egypt!

3 Therefore shall the stronghold of Pharaoh turn to your shame, And the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your confusion.

4 For his princes are at Zoan, And his ambassadors are come to Hanes.

5 They shall all be ashamed of a people that cannot profit them, That are not a help nor profit, But a shame, and also a reproach.

6 The 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 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.

7 For Egypt helpeth in vain, and to no purpose; Therefore have I called her arrogancy that sitteth still.

8 Now 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.

9 For it is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children that refuse to hear the teaching of the LORD;

10 That say to the seers: 'See not', And to the prophets: 'Prophesy not unto us right things, Speak unto us smooth things, prophesy delusions;

11 Get you out of the way, Turn aside out of the path, Cause the Holy One of Israel To cease from before us.'

12 Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel: Because ye despise this word, And trust in oppression and perverseness, And stay thereon;

13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you As a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, Whose breaking cometh suddenly at 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 thereof a sherd To take fire from the hearth, Or to take water out of the cistern.

15 For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: In sitting still and rest shall ye be saved, In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength; And ye would not.

16 But 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.

17 One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one, At the rebuke 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.

18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that He may be gracious unto you, And therefore will He be exalted, that He may have compassion upon you; For the LORD is a God of justice, Happy are all they that wait for Him.

19 For, O people that dwellest 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.