Chapter 30

“¹Woe to the rebellious children,” ²They set out to go down to Egypt ³But Pharaoh’s protection will become your shame, ⁴For though their princes are at Zoan ⁵everyone will be put to shame ⁶This is the burden against the beasts of the Negev: ⁷Egypt’s help is futile and empty;

⁸Go now, write it on a tablet in their presence ⁹These are rebellious people, deceitful children, ¹⁰They say to the seers, ¹¹Get out of the way; turn off the road. ¹²Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says: ¹³this iniquity of yours is like a breach about to fail, ¹⁴It will break in pieces like a potter’s jar,

¹⁵For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: ¹⁶“No,” you say, “we will flee on horses.” ¹⁷A thousand will flee at the threat of one;

T¹⁸herefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; ¹⁹O 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. ²⁰The 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. ²¹And 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.” ²²So 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!”

²³Then 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. ²⁴The oxen and donkeys that work the ground will eat salted fodder, winnowed with shovel and pitchfork. ²⁵And from every high mountain and every raised hill, streams of water will flow in the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall. ²⁶The 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.

²⁷Behold, the Name of the LORD comes from afar, ²⁸His breath is like a rushing torrent ²⁹You will sing ³⁰And the LORD will cause His majestic voice to be heard ³¹For Assyria will be shattered at the voice of the LORD; ³²And with every stroke of the rod of punishment ³³For Topheth has long been prepared;