Isaiah 30

1Woe to the rebellious children, saith Jehovah, that take counsel, but not of me; and that make a league, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin,

1“Woe to the rebellious children,” says the LORD, “who carry out plans that are not mine, and make alliances but not by my Spirit, adding one sin to another.

2that set out to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt!

2They set out to go down to Egypt without asking me for advice; they look to Pharaoh for protection and hide in the shadow of Egypt.

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

3But Pharaoh’s protection will turn into your shame, and hiding in Egypt’s shadow will bring you humiliation.

4For their princes are at Zoan, and their ambassadors are come to Hanes.

4Even though their officials have reached Zoan and their ambassadors have arrived at Hanes,

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

5everyone will be put to shame by a people who cannot help them. They offer no aid or benefit, only shame and disgrace.”

6The 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 fiery 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.

6This is a message concerning the animals of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress, the home of lions, vipers, and darting snakes, the ambassadors carry their wealth on the backs of donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a nation that cannot help them.

7For Egypt helpeth in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I called her Rahab that sitteth still.

7Egypt’s help is completely useless; therefore, I have called her ‘Rahab who sits still.’

8Now 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.

8Now go, write this on a tablet in their presence and record it in a scroll, so that in the days to come it will be a witness forever and ever.

9For it is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of Jehovah;

9For these are rebellious people, deceitful children, children who refuse to listen to the LORD’s instructions.

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

10They tell the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and tell the prophets, “Do not tell us what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions.

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

11Get out of the way, leave the path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!”

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

12Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “Because you have rejected this message and have trusted in oppression and relied on deceit,

13therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly in an instant.

13this guilt will be like a high wall with a crack in it, bulging out and ready to collapse; it will fall suddenly, in an instant.

14And 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 wherewith to take fire from the hearth, or to dip up water out of the cistern.

14It will shatter like a clay jar, smashed so ruthlessly that among the pieces not even a shard will be found to carry a coal from the hearth or to scoop water from a cistern.”

15For thus said the Lord Jehovah, 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:

15For this is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In returning and rest you will be saved; in quietness and trust is your strength. But you would have none of it.

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.

16Instead, you said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore, you will indeed flee! You said, ‘We will ride on swift horses.’ Therefore, your pursuers will be swift!

17One thousand shall flee at the threat of one; at the threat 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.

17One thousand will flee at the threat of one person; at the threat of five, you will all flee, until you are left like a flagpole on a mountaintop or a banner on a hill.”

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

18Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for him!

19For the people shall dwell 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.

19People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you when you cry out for help; as soon as he hears, he will answer you.

20And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be hidden anymore, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers;

20Even though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will no longer be hidden; your own eyes will see them.

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.

21Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

22And ye shall defile the overlaying of thy graven images of silver, and the plating of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as an unclean thing; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

22Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images plated with gold; you will throw them away like a filthy cloth and say to them, “Get out of here!”

23And he will give the rain for thy seed, wherewith thou shalt sow the ground; and bread of the increase of the ground, and it shall be fat and plenteous. In that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures;

23He will also provide rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your livestock will graze in large pastures.

24the oxen likewise and the young asses that till the ground shall eat savory provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fork.

24The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat seasoned fodder, winnowed with shovel and pitchfork.

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

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

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 Jehovah bindeth up the hurt of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

26The moon will shine as bright as the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the LORD binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted. outdoor

27Behold, the name of Jehovah cometh from far, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue is as a devouring fire;

27Look, the Name of the LORD comes from far away, burning with anger, surrounded by thick rising smoke; his lips are full of fury, and his tongue is like a consuming fire.

28and his breath is as an overflowing stream, that reacheth even unto the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction: and a bridle that causeth to err shall be in the jaws of the peoples.

28His breath is like a rushing flood, rising up to the neck. He comes to shake the nations in a sieve of destruction; he places a bit in the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray.

29Ye shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come unto the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel.

29And you will sing as on the night you celebrate a holy festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people go up with flutes to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.

30And Jehovah will cause his glorious voice to be heard, and will show the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and the flame of a devouring fire, with a blast, and tempest, and hailstones.

30The LORD will cause his majestic voice to be heard and will make his arm come down with fierce anger and consuming fire, with cloudbursts, thunderstorms, and hail.

31For through the voice of Jehovah shall the Assyrian be dismayed; with his rod will he smite him.

31The voice of the LORD will shatter Assyria; he will strike them with his rod.Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing staff will be to the music of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with his powerful arm.

32And every stroke of the appointed staff, which Jehovah shall lay upon him, shall be with the sound of tabrets and harps; and in battles with the brandishing of his arm will he fight with them.

32Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing staff will be to the music of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with his powerful arm.

33For a Topheth is prepared of old; yea, for the king it is made ready; he hath made it deep and large; the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of Jehovah, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

33Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide, with plenty of wood and fire. The breath of the LORD, like a stream of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze.