Isaiah 30

Judah Warned against Egyptian Alliance

1“Woe to the 1rebellious children,” declares the Lord, “Who 2execute a plan, but not Mine, And 34make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin;2Who 5proceed down to Egypt Without 6consulting 7Me, 8To take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh, And to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!3Therefore the safety of Pharaoh will be 9your shame, And the shelter in the shadow of Egypt, your humiliation.4For 10their officials are at Zoan And their ambassadors arrive at Hanes.5Everyone will be 11ashamed because of a people who do not benefit them, Who are 12not a help or benefit, but a source of shame and also disgrace.”

6The pronouncement concerning the 13animals of the 14Negev: Through a land of 15distress and anguish, From 16where come lioness and lion, viper and 17flying serpent, They 18carry their riches on the 19backs of young donkeys, And their treasures on 20camels’ humps, To a people who will not benefit them;7Even Egypt, whose 21help is vain and empty. Therefore, I have called 22her “2324Rahab who has been exterminated.”8Now go, 25write it on a tablet in their presence And inscribe it on a scroll, That it may 26serve in the time to come 27As a witness forever.9For this is a 28rebellious people, 29false sons, Sons who 30refuse to 31listen To the 32instruction of the Lord;10Who say to the 33seers, “You must not see visions”; And to the prophets, “You must not 34prophesy the truth to us. 35Speak to us 36pleasant words, Prophesy illusions.11Get out of the way, 37turn aside from the path, 38Stop speaking before us about the Holy One of Israel!” 12Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “39Since you have rejected this word And have put your trust in 40oppression and crookedness, and have relied on them,13Therefore this 41wrongdoing will be to you Like a 42breach about to fall, A bulge in a high wall, Whose collapse comes 43suddenly in an instant,14Whose collapse is like the smashing of a 44potter’s jar, 45So ruthlessly shattered That a shard will not be found among its pieces To 46take fire from a hearth Or to scoop water from a cistern.” 15For this is what the Lord 47God, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “In 48repentance and 49rest you will be saved, In 50quietness and trust is your strength.” But you were not willing,16And you said, “No, for we will flee on 51horses!” Therefore you shall flee! “And we will ride on swift horses!” Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift.1752One thousand will flee at the threat of one man; You will flee at the threat of five, Until you are left like a signal post on a mountain top, And like a flag on a hill.

God Is Gracious and Just

18Therefore the Lord 5354longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He 55waits on 56high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a 57God of justice; How blessed are all those who 5859long for Him.

1960For, you people in Zion, 61inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will 62weep no longer. He will certainly be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will 63answer you. 20Although the Lord has given you 64bread of deprivation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher, will no longer 65hide Himself, but your eyes will see your Teacher. 21Your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the 66way, walk in it,” whenever you 67turn to the right or to the left. 22And you will desecrate your carved 68images plated with silver, and your cast metal 69images plated with gold. You will scatter them as a filthy thing, and say to 70them, “71Be gone!”

23Then He will 72give you rain for your seed which you will sow in the ground, and bread from the yield of the ground, and it will be 73rich and 74plentiful; on that day 75your livestock will graze in a wide pasture. 24Also the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat 76seasoned feed, which 77has been 78winnowed with shovel and pitchfork. 25And on every lofty mountain and 79every high hill there will be 80streams running with water on the day of the great 81slaughter, when the towers fall. 2682And the light of the full moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days, on the day 83the Lord binds up the 84fracture of His people and 85heals the wound 86He has inflicted.

27Behold, 87the name of the Lord comes from a 88remote place; 89His anger is burning and 90dense with 91smoke; His lips are filled with 92indignation, And His tongue is like a 93consuming fire;28His 94breath is like an overflowing river, Which 95reaches to the neck, To 96shake the nations back and forth in a 97sieve, And to put in the jaws of the peoples 98the bridle which leads astray.29You will have 99songs as in the night when you keep the festival, And gladness of heart as when one marches to the sound of the flute, To go to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel.30And the Lord will cause 100His voice of authority to be heard, And the 101descending of His arm to be seen in fierce anger, And in the flame of a consuming fire In cloudburst, downpour, and hailstones.31For 102at the voice of the Lord 103Assyria will be terrified, When He strikes with the 104rod.32And every 105blow of the 106107rod of punishment, Which the Lord will lay on him, Will be with the music of 108tambourines and lyres; And in battles, 109brandishing weapons, He will fight them.33For 110111Topheth has long been ready, Indeed, it has been prepared for the king. He has made it deep and large, 112A pyre of fire with plenty of wood; The 113breath of the Lord, like a torrent of 114brimstone, sets it afire.