The Worthless Treaty with Egypt 1 UEB "Woe to the rebellious children," this is Yahweh's declaration. "They make plans, but not from me; they make alliances with other nations, but they were not directed by my Spirit, so they add sin to sin. BSB BSB: “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.
2 UEB They set out to go down into Egypt, but have not asked for my direction. They seek protection from Pharaoh and take refuge in the shadow of Egypt. BSB BSB: They set out to go down to Egypt without asking My advice, to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s shade.
3 UEB Therefore Pharaoh's protection will be your shame, and the refuge in Egypt's shade, your humiliation, BSB BSB: But Pharaoh’s protection will become your shame, and the refuge of Egypt’s shade your disgrace.
4 UEB although their princes are at Zoan, and their messengers have come to Hanes. BSB BSB: For though their princes are at Zoan and their envoys have arrived in Hanes,
5 UEB They will all be ashamed because of a people who cannot help them, who are neither help nor aid, but a shame, and even a disgrace." BSB BSB: everyone will be put to shame because of a people useless to them. They bring neither help nor benefit, but only shame and disgrace.”
6 UEB A declaration about the beasts of the Negev: Through the land of trouble and danger, of the lioness and the lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they carry their riches on the backs of donkeys, and their treasures on the camels' humps, to a people who cannot help them. BSB BSB: This 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 donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people of no profit to them.
7 UEB For Egypt's help is worthless; therefore I have called her Rahab, who sits still. BSB BSB: Egypt’s help is futile and empty; therefore I have called her Rahab Who Sits Still.
8 UEB Now go, write it in their presence on a tablet, and inscribe it on a scroll, that it may be preserved for the time to come as a testimony. BSB BSB: Go now, write it on a tablet in their presence and inscribe it on a scroll; it will be for the days to come, a witness forever and ever.
9 UEB For these are a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the instruction of Yahweh. BSB BSB: These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to obey the LORD’s instruction.
10 UEB They say to the seers, "Do not see;" and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy the truth to us; speak flattering words to us, prophesy illusions. BSB BSB: They 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.
11 UEB Turn aside from the way, stray off the path; cause the Holy One of Israel to cease speaking before our face." BSB BSB: Get out of the way; turn off the road. Rid us of the Holy One of Israel!”
12 UEB Therefore the Holy One of Israel says, "Because you reject this word and trust in oppression and deceit and lean on it, BSB BSB: Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “Because you have rejected this message, trusting in oppression and relying on deceit,
13 UEB so this sin will be to you like a broken part ready to fall, like a bulge in a high wall whose fall will happen suddenly, in an instant." BSB BSB: this iniquity of yours is like a breach about to fail, a bulge in a high wall, whose collapse will come suddenly—in an instant!
14 UEB He will break it as a potter's vessel is broken; he will not spare it, so that there will not be found among its pieces a shard with which to scrape fire from the hearth, or to scoop up water out of the cistern. BSB BSB: It 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 dust large enough to scoop the coals from a hearth or to skim the water from a cistern.”
15 UEB For this is what the Lord Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel says, "In returning and resting you will be saved; in quietness and in trust will be your strength. But you were not willing. BSB BSB: For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “By repentance and rest you would be saved; your strength would lie in quiet confidence—but you were not willing.”
16 UEB You said, 'No, for we will flee on horses,' so you will flee; and, 'We will ride upon swift horses,' so those who pursue you will be swift. BSB BSB: “No,” you say, “we will flee on horses.” Therefore you will flee! “We will ride swift horses,” but your pursuers will be faster.
17 UEB One thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will flee until your remnant will be like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain, or like a flag on a hill." BSB BSB: A 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 18 UEB Yet Yahweh is waiting to be gracious to you, therefore he is ready to show you mercy. For Yahweh is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. BSB BSB: Therefore 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.
19 UEB For a people will live in Zion, in Jerusalem, and you will weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. When he hears it, he will answer you. BSB BSB: O 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.
20 UEB Though Yahweh gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, even so, your teacher will not hide himself anymore, but you will see your teacher with your own eyes. BSB BSB: The 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.
21 UEB Your ears will hear a word behind you saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. BSB BSB: And 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.”
22 UEB You will desecrate your carved figures overlaid with silver and your gold cast figures. You will throw them away like a menstrual rag. You will say to them, "Get out of here." BSB BSB: So 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!”
23 UEB He will give the rain for your seed when you sow the ground, and bread with abundance from the ground, and the crops will be abundant. In that day your cattle will graze in broad pastures. BSB BSB: Then 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.
24 UEB The oxen and the donkeys, who plow the ground, will eat seasoned feed that has been winnowed with a shovel and a fork. BSB BSB: The oxen and donkeys that work the ground will eat salted fodder, winnowed with shovel and pitchfork.
25 UEB On every high mountain and on every high hill, there will be flowing brooks and streams of waters, in the day of the great slaughter when the towers fall. BSB BSB: And from every high mountain and every raised hill, streams of water will flow in the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall.
26 UEB The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter, like the sunlight of seven days. Yahweh will bind up the breaking of his people and heal the bruises of his wounding them. BSB BSB: The 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.
27 UEB Look, the name of Yahweh comes from a distant place, burning with his anger and in dense smoke. His lips are full of fury, and his tongue is like a devouring fire. BSB BSB: Behold, 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.
28 UEB His breath is like an overflowing torrent that reaches up to the middle of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction. His breath is a bridle in the jaws of the peoples to cause them to wander away. BSB BSB: His breath is like a rushing torrent that 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.
29 UEB You will have a song as in the night when a holy feast is observed, and gladness of heart, as when one goes with a flute to the mountain of Yahweh, to the Rock of Israel. BSB BSB: You will sing as on the night of a holy festival, and your heart will rejoice like one who walks to the music of a flute, going up to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.
30 UEB Yahweh will make the splendor of his voice heard and show the motion of his arm in storming anger and flames of fire, with windstorm, rainstorm, and hailstones. BSB BSB: And the LORD will cause His majestic voice to be heard and His mighty arm to be revealed, striking in angry wrath with a flame of consuming fire, and with cloudburst, storm, and hailstones.
31 UEB For at the voice of Yahweh, Assyria will be shattered; he will strike them with a staff. BSB BSB: For Assyria will be shattered at the voice of the LORD; He will strike them with His scepter.
32 UEB Every stroke of the appointed rod that Yahweh will lay on them will be accompanied with the music of tambourines and harps as he battles and fights with them. BSB BSB: And with every stroke of the rod of punishment that the LORD brings down on them, the tambourines and lyres will sound as He battles with weapons brandished.
33 UEB For a place of burning was prepared long ago. Indeed, it is prepared for the king, and God has made it deep and wide. The pile is ready with a fire and much wood. The breath of Yahweh, like a stream of brimstone, will set it on fire. BSB BSB: For 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.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.