Isaiah 30

1Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:

2That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!

3Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

4For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.

5They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.

6The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.

7For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still.footnote a

8Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:footnote b

9That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:

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

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

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

13Therefore 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.

14And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters’ vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that 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.footnote d

15For thus saith the Lord GOD, 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.

16But 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.

17One 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 an hill.footnote e

18And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

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

20And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:footnote f

21And 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.

22Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.footnote gfootnote h

23Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.

24The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.footnote i

25And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.footnote j

26Moreover 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 the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

27Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:footnote kfootnote l

28And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.

29Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel.footnote m

30And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.footnote n

31For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.

32And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the LORD shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.footnote ofootnote pfootnote q

33For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.footnote r

The Worthless Treaty with Egypt

1“Woe to the rebellious children,”declares the LORD,“to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine,who form an alliance, but against My will,heaping up sin upon sin. 2They set out to go down to Egyptwithout asking My advice,to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protectionand take refuge in Egypt’s shade.

3But Pharaoh’s protection will become your shame,and the refuge of Egypt’s shade your disgrace. 4For though their princes are at Zoanand their envoys have arrived in Hanes, 5everyone will be put to shamebecause of a people useless to them.They bring neither help nor benefit,but only shame and disgrace.”

6This is the burden against the beasts of the Negev:Through a land of hardship and distress,of lioness and lion,of viper and flying serpent,they carry their wealth on the backs of donkeysand their treasures on the humps of camels,to a people of no profit to them. 7Egypt’s help is futile and empty;therefore I have called herRahab Who Sits Still.footnote a

8Go now, write it on a tablet in their presenceand inscribe it on a scroll;it will be for the days to come,a witness forever and ever. 9These are rebellious people, deceitful children,children unwilling to obey the LORD’s instruction. 10They say to the seers,“Stop seeing visions!”and to the prophets,“Do not prophesy to us the truth!Speak to us pleasant words;prophesy illusions. 11Get out of the way; turn off the road.Rid us of the Holy One of Israel!”

12Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says:“Because you have rejected this message,trusting in oppression and relying on deceit, 13this iniquity of yours is like a breach about to fail,a bulge in a high wall,whose collapse will come suddenly—in an instant! 14It will break in pieces like a potter’s jar,shattered so that no fragment can be found.Not a shard will be found in the dustlarge enough to scoop the coals from a hearthor to skim the water from a cistern.”

15For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said:“By repentance and restyou would be saved;your strength would lie in quiet confidence—but you were not willing.”

16“No,” you say, “we will flee on horses.”Therefore you will flee!“We will ride swift horses,”but your pursuers will be faster. 17A thousand will flee at the threat of one;at the threat of five you will all flee,until you are left alone like a pole on a mountaintop,like a banner on a hill.

God Will Be Gracious

18Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you;therefore He rises to show you compassion,for the LORD is a just God.Blessed are all who wait for Him.

19O people in Zion who dwell in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will surely be gracious when you cry for help; when He hears, He will answer you. 20The Lord will give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, but your Teacher will no longer hide Himself—with your own eyes you will see Him.

21And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.” 22So you will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away like menstrual cloths, saying to them, “Be gone!”

23Then He will send rain for the seed that you have sown in the ground, and the food that comes from your land will be rich and plentiful. On that day your cattle will graze in open pastures. 24The oxen and donkeys that work the ground will eat salted fodder, winnowed with shovel and pitchfork.

25And from every high mountain and every raised hill, streams of water will flow in the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall. 26The light of the moon will be as bright as the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days—on the day that the LORD binds up the brokenness of His people and heals the wounds He has inflicted.

27Behold, the Name of the LORD comes from afar,with burning anger and dense smoke.His lips are full of fury,and His tongue is like a consuming fire. 28His breath is like a rushing torrentthat rises to the neck.He comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction;He bridles the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray.

29You will singas on the night of a holy festival,and your heart will rejoicelike one who walks to the music of a flute,going up to the mountain of the LORD,to the Rock of Israel. 30And the LORD will cause His majestic voice to be heardand His mighty arm to be revealed,striking in angry wrath with a flame of consuming fire,and with cloudburst, storm, and hailstones.

31For Assyria will be shattered at the voice of the LORD;He will strike them with His scepter. 32And with every stroke of the rod of punishmentfootnote bthat the LORD brings down on them,the tambourines and lyres will soundas He battles with weapons brandished. 33For Topheth has long been prepared;it has been made ready for the king.Its funeral pyre is deep and wide,with plenty of fire and wood.The breath of the LORD, like a torrent of burning sulfur,sets it ablaze.