Isaiah 30

1 Woe to rebellious children, says the Lord. You made plans without me and covenants without my Spirit, adding sin to sin.

2 They proceed down to Egypt without asking me, seeking Pharaoh’s help and Egyptian protection.

3 Pharaoh’s protection will bring you shame, and trusting in Egypt will bring disgrace.

4 There are heads in Tanis, evil messengers.

5 They labor for nothing by seeking a people that cannot help them and will only bring shame and disgrace.

6 The vision of the four-footed animals in the desert: In affliction and distress are a lion and lion’s cub, vipers and the young of flying vipers. People carry their wealth on donkeys and camels to a nation that cannot help them but will bring shame and disgrace.

7 Egyptians will help you with empty, useless things. Tell them, ‘This comfort of yours is empty.’

8 Now sit down and write these words on a tablet and in a book, because these things will remain for many days, even forever.

9 These people are disobedient, false children who refuse to hear God’s law.

10 They tell the prophets, ‘Do not report to us,’ and the visionaries, ‘Do not speak about these things. Speak and report another error to us.

11 Turn us aside from this road. Remove this path from us, and take the Holy One of Israel away from us.’

12 Therefore this is what the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: You refused to obey these words, trusted in falsehood, grumbled, and placed confidence in it.

13 Therefore this sin will become for you like a wall suddenly collapsing when a fortified city is captured, whose fall is very near.

14 Its collapse will be like a clay jar smashed into tiny pieces. Not even a fragment will remain large enough to carry fire or draw a little water.

15 This is what the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: When you turn back and mourn, you will be rescued. You will recognize where you were when you trusted in empty things. Your strength became empty, yet you refused to listen.

16 But you said, ‘We will flee on horses,’ so you will flee. You said, ‘Swift riders will help us,’ so those pursuing you will be swift.

17 A thousand will flee at one person’s voice, and many at the voices of five, until you are left like a signal post on a mountain or a person carrying a signal on a hill.

18 God will wait again so he may pity you, and he will be exalted so he may show you mercy, because the Lord our God is a judge. Where will you leave your glory? Blessed are those who remain in him.

19 A holy people will live in Zion. Jerusalem wept bitterly and said, ‘Pity me,’ and he will pity you at the sound of your cry. When he saw it, he listened to you.

20 Though the Lord gives you bread of affliction and little water, those who mislead you will no longer approach. Your eyes will see those who mislead you,

21 and your ears will hear the words of those who followed behind to lead you astray, saying, ‘This is the road; let us walk on it,’ whether right or left.

22 You will remove the silver-plated idols, grind the gold-plated idols to powder, scatter them like menstrual water, and throw them away like dung.

23 Then rain will fall on the seed in your land, and the food produced by your land will be abundant and rich. On that day your cattle will feed in a fertile, spacious place.

24 Your bulls and oxen that work the ground will eat chaff mixed with winnowed barley.

25 On that day, when many die and towers fall, water will run on every high mountain and hill.

26 The moon’s light will be like the sun’s, and the sun’s light seven times brighter, on the day the Lord heals his people’s wound and the pain of your injury.

27 Look, after a long time the Lord’s name comes with burning wrath. His glorious word is full of anger, and his furious anger will consume like fire.

28 His breath will reach the neck like rushing water in a valley and divide to confuse the nations in their empty error. Error will pursue and overtake them.

29 Must you always celebrate and continually enter my holy places like people keeping a feast? Must you enter the Lord’s mountain, coming to the God of Israel with a flute like people celebrating?

30 The Lord will make his glorious voice heard and display his arm’s wrath in anger and consuming flame. He will flash terribly, and his wrath will be like water and violent hail.

31 The Assyrians will be defeated by the Lord’s voice, by the blow with which he strikes them.

32 The one he trusted for help will surround him, and they will fight him in turn with flutes and a harp.

33 You will be called to account before your time. Was a deep ravine prepared for you to rule, filled with fire and abundant wood? The Lord’s fury will be like a ravine burning with sulfur.