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Israel Cannot Depend on Egypt

¹ "It is bad for the children who will not obey!" says the Lord, "They act on a plan that is not Mine, and make an agreement that is not of My Spirit, and so add sin to sin. ² They go down to Egypt without asking Me. They want Pharaoh to keep them safe and they look for a safe place in the shadow of Egypt. ³ So the safe place of Pharaoh will be your shame. You will be brought low in the safe place in the shadow of Egypt. ⁴ For their rulers are at Zoan, and leaders come to Hanes. ⁵ Everyone will be ashamed because of a people who cannot be of help to them. They do not bring help or riches, but only shame."

⁶ The special word about the wild animals of the Negev: They go through a land of trouble and suffering, where there are male and female lions, deadly snakes and flying snakes. They carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys and camels, to a people who cannot be of help to them. ⁷ Egypt's help is of no worth and is empty. So I have called her Rahab who has done nothing.

The People Who Do Not Obey

⁸ Now go and write it down in front of them. And write it in a book, that it may be seen for all time to come. ⁹ For these people will not obey. They are not true sons. They will not listen to the teaching of the Lord. ¹⁰ They say to the men who tell what will happen in the future, "Do not see special dreams." They say to those who speak for God, "You must not tell to us what is right. Speak pleasing things to us, tell us what we like to hear. ¹¹ Get out of the way. Turn aside from the path. We do not want to hear any more about the Holy One of Israel." ¹² So the Holy One of Israel says, "Because you have turned away from this Word, and have put your trust in a power that makes it hard for others and fools them, ¹³ this sin will be to you like a high wall, ready to break and fall apart. It will fall all at once. ¹⁴ Its fall is like the breaking of a pot-maker's jar. It is broken in so many pieces that a piece will not be found big enough to pick up hot coals from the fire or to get water from the well." ¹⁵ The Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In turning away from sin and in rest, you will be saved. Your strength will come by being quiet and by trusting." But you would not. ¹⁶ You said, "No, we will go away fast on horses." So you will go away in a hurry! You say, "We will go on fast horses." So those who come to take you will be fast. ¹⁷ One thousand will run away as one man stands up against them. You will all run away when five stand up against them, until you are like flags lifted up on a mountain top, like something special to see on a hill.

Good Will Come to God's People

¹⁸ So the Lord wants to show you kindness. He waits on high to have loving-pity on you. For the Lord is a God of what is right and fair. And good will come to all those who hope in Him. ¹⁹ O people in Zion who live in Jerusalem, you will cry no more. For sure He will show loving-kindness to you at the sound of your cry. When He hears it, He will answer you. ²⁰ The Lord has given you the bread of trouble and water of suffering. But He, your Teacher, will not hide Himself any more. Your eyes will see your Teacher. ²¹ Your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left. ²² You will take your sinful objects of worship, covered with silver and gold and will throw them away as an unclean cloth, and say to them, "Be gone!"

²³ Then He will give you rain for the seed you will plant in the ground. And He will give you bread from the grain from the ground. It will be good, and more than you need. In that day your cattle will eat in a large field. ²⁴ The oxen and the donkeys which work the ground will eat salted grain, which has been spread out with certain tools. ²⁵ On every high mountain and on every high hill there will be rivers flowing with water in the day when many will be killed, when the towers fall. ²⁶ The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, the light of the sun will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days, on the day the Lord takes care of the hurts of His people and heals the sores He has given them.

God Will Punish Assyria

²⁷ See, the name of the Lord comes from a far away place, with His anger burning, and with dark smoke rising. His lips are full of anger and His tongue is like a destroying fire. ²⁸ His breath is like a river flowing over, that comes up to the neck. It shakes the nations back and forth putting them through a test of pride. And it puts a piece of iron in the mouths of the people to lead them the wrong way.

²⁹ You will have a song as in the night when you have a special holy supper. You will be glad in your heart as when one steps to the sound of the horn going to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel. ³⁰ The Lord will make His voice of great power heard. And He will let His arm be seen coming down in the destroying fire, hard rain, storm, and hailstones. ³¹ The Assyrians will be filled with fear at the voice of the Lord, when He punishes them with His power. ³² Every beat from the special stick of punishment which the Lord will give them will be to the sound of timbrels and of harps. He will fight them in battle with a strong arm. ³³ For a place of fire has long been ready. Yes, it has been made ready for the king. It has been made deep and wide, with fire and much wood. The breath of the Lord starts the fire and it is like a river of sulphur.