Isaiah, 30

1. Woe 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:

1. "Woe to the rebellious children," says the Lord; "they make plans which are not mine, they form alliances I did not inspire, and thus add sin upon sin.

2. That 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!

2. They go down to Egypt without my advice to take refuge in Pharaoh's protection and seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt.

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

3. Therefore Pharaoh's protection will be your shame and Egypt's shadow your confusion.

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

4. When your officials reach Zoan and your ambassadors come to Hanes,

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

5. they will all be put to shame by a people who can do nothing for them, who can give neither help nor benefit but only disgrace and reproach."

6. The 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].

6. An oracle concerning the beasts of the Negeb: Through a distressed and troubled land of lions and lionesses, of vipers and darting snakes, the envoys carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, their treasures upon the humps of camels, to a people that is of no use to them.

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

7. Egypt! An illusory and useless help. Because of that I call it: Scarecrow, the Do-Nothing.

8. Now 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:

8. Now go, write it down as a record for them, inscribe it on a scroll, so it will be an everlasting accusation against them.

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

9. These are a rebellious people, their children deceitful. They do not listen to Yahweh's advice.

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

10. To the seers they say, "See not," and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy the truth. Just tell us pleasant things; see illusions and prophesy deceits.

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

11. Stray from the path, turn from the way! Take away from us the Holy One of Israel!"

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

12. Therefore the Holy One of Israel says, "Because you despised this message and resorted instead to lies and abusive taxes, choosing to stay with it,

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.

13. therefore this guilt of yours will be like a breach on a high wall, cracked and bulging, ready to fall; the crash will come suddenly and instantly.

14. And 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.

14. It will be like the breaking of a potter's vessel, smashed so ruthlessly that among its fragments not one shard remains big enough to scoop cinder out of the hearth or ladle water out of the cistern."

15. For 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.

15. For thus said the Lord Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel: "Conversion and calmness would have been your salvation, quietness and trust your strength."

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.

16. But instead you said, "No, we will flee on horses!" Very well then, flee! And you added, "We will ride on swift steeds." Your pursuer will be swifter.

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 an hill.

17. At the threat of one, a thousand will flee, at the threat of five all will flee, till what is left of you will be like a staff on a mountaintop, like a banner 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 mercy upon you: for the LORD [is] a God of judgment: blessed [are] all they that wait for him.

18. Yet Yahweh waits to give you grace; he rises to show you compassion. For Yahweh is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him.

19. For 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.

19. O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. When you cry, he will listen; when he hears, he will answer.

20. And [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:

20. When the Lord has given you the bread of anguish and the water of distress, he, your teacher will hide no longer.

21. And 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.

21. Your own eyes will see him, and your ear will listen to his words behind you: "This is the way, walk in it."

22. Ye 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.

22. You will see the uncleanliness of your idols and images overlaid with silver and gold. You will throw them out like a menstrual cloth."Away with you then!" you will say to them.

23. Then 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.

23. He will then give rain for the seed you sow and make the harvest abundant from the crops you grow. On that day your cattle will graze in wide pastures.

24. The 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.

24. Your beasts of burden will eat silage tossed to them with pitchfork and shovel.

25. And 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.

25. For on the day of the great slaughter, when fortresses fall, streams of water will flow on every mountain and lofty hill.

26. Moreover 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.

26. The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun seven times greater, like the light of seven days, when Yahweh binds up the wounds of his people and heals the bruises inflicted by his blows.

27. Behold, 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:

27. Look, from afar the Name of Yahweh is coming, burning in anger, with a heavy hand. Filled with fury are his lips, like a consuming fire is his tongue.

28. And 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.

28. Like a rushing torrent is his breath, rising up to the neck, shaking the nations as in a sieve of destruction, putting the bit of his bridle between the jaws of the peoples causing them to err and stray.

29. Ye 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.

29. You will sing, as on the night of a holy solemnity; your hearts will rejoice as when people go up with flutes, with timbrels and lyres. to the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel.

30. And 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.

30. Yahweh will make his majestic voice heard and show his arm descending in devastating fury and consuming fire, with sweeping wind and crashing thunder.

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

31. At the voice of Yahweh, Assyria will be battered; at the blows of his rod, it will be shattered.

32. And [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.

32. At every beat of the punishing rod the plagues will fall on him. For Yahweh will fight him with outstretched hand.

33. For 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.

33. The pyre has long been ready, prepared for the king. Broad and deep is its fire pit, piled up with dry grass and wood. The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, will set it ablaze.