Through a land of hardship and distress,^(Q)
    of lions^(R) and lionesses,
    of adders and darting snakes,^(S)
the envoys carry their riches on donkeys’^(T) backs,
    their treasures^(U) on the humps of camels,
to that unprofitable nation,
⁷     to Egypt, whose help is utterly useless.^(V)
Therefore I call her
    Rahab^(W) the Do-Nothing.

⁸ Go now, write it on a tablet^(X) for them,
    inscribe it on a scroll,^(Y)
that for the days to come
    it may be an everlasting witness.^(Z)
9 For these are rebellious^(AA) people, deceitful^(AB) children,
    children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction.^(AC)
10 They say to the seers,^(AD)
    “See no more visions^(AE)!”
and to the prophets,
    “Give us no more visions of what is right!
Tell us pleasant things,^(AF)
    prophesy illusions.^(AG)
11 Leave this way,^(AH)
    get off this path,
and stop confronting^(AI) us
    with the Holy One^(AJ) of Israel!”

“Because you have rejected this message,^(AL)
    relied on oppression^(AM)
    and depended on deceit,
¹³ this sin will become for you
    like a high wall,^(AN) cracked and bulging,
    that collapses^(AO) suddenly,^(AP) in an instant.
¹⁴ It will break in pieces like pottery,^(AQ)
    shattered so mercilessly
that among its pieces not a fragment will be found
    for taking coals from a hearth
    or scooping water out of a cistern.”

“In repentance and rest^(AT) is your salvation,
    in quietness and trust^(AU) is your strength,
    but you would have none of it.^(AV)
16 You said, ‘No, we will flee^(AW) on horses.’^(AX)
    Therefore you will flee!
You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’
    Therefore your pursuers will be swift!
¹⁷ A thousand will flee
    at the threat of one;
at the threat of five^(AY)
    you will all flee^(AZ) away,
till you are left^(BA)
    like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
    like a banner^(BB) on a hill.”

¹⁸ Yet the Lord longs^(BC) to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.^(BD)
For the Lord is a God of justice.^(BE)
    Blessed are all who wait for him!^(BF)

²⁷ See, the Name^(CF) of the Lord comes from afar,
    with burning anger^(CG) and dense clouds of smoke;
his lips are full of wrath,^(CH)
    and his tongue is a consuming fire.^(CI)
28 His breath^(CJ) is like a rushing torrent,^(CK)
    rising up to the neck.^(CL)
He shakes the nations in the sieve^(CM) of destruction;
    he places in the jaws of the peoples
    a bit^(CN) that leads them astray.
²⁹ And you will sing
    as on the night you celebrate a holy festival;^(CO)
your hearts will rejoice^(CP)
    as when people playing pipes^(CQ) go up
to the mountain^(CR) of the Lord,
    to the Rock^(CS) of Israel.
³⁰ The Lord will cause people to hear his majestic voice^(CT)
    and will make them see his arm^(CU) coming down
with raging anger^(CV) and consuming fire,^(CW)
    with cloudburst, thunderstorm^(CX) and hail.^(CY)
31 The voice of the Lord will shatter Assyria;^(CZ)
    with his rod he will strike^(DA) them down.
³² Every stroke the Lord lays on them
    with his punishing club^(DB)
will be to the music of timbrels^(DC) and harps,
    as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.^(DD)
33 Topheth^(DE) has long been prepared;
    it has been made ready for the king.
Its fire pit has been made deep and wide,
    with an abundance of fire and wood;
the breath^(DF) of the Lord,
    like a stream of burning sulfur,^(DG)
    sets it ablaze.^(DH)

“As a lion^(DY) growls,
    a great lion over its prey—
and though a whole band of shepherds^(DZ)
    is called together against it,
it is not frightened by their shouts
    or disturbed by their clamor^(EA)—
so the Lord Almighty will come down^(EB)
    to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.
⁵ Like birds hovering^(EC) overhead,
    the Lord Almighty will shield^(ED) Jerusalem;
he will shield it and deliver^(EE) it,
    he will ‘pass over’^(EF) it and will rescue it.”

⁸ “Assyria^(EL) will fall by no human sword;
    a sword, not of mortals, will devour^(EM) them.
They will flee before the sword
    and their young men will be put to forced labor.^(EN)
9 Their stronghold^(EO) will fall because of terror;
    at the sight of the battle standard^(EP) their commanders will panic,^(EQ)”
declares the Lord,
    whose fire^(ER) is in Zion,
    whose furnace^(ES) is in Jerusalem.

14 The wise woman builds her house,^(A)
    but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

² Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,
    but those who despise him are devious in their ways.

³ A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride,^(B)
    but the lips of the wise protect them.^(C)

⁴ Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,
    but from the strength of an ox^(D) come abundant harvests.

⁵ An honest witness does not deceive,
    but a false witness pours out lies.^(E)

⁶ The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
    but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.^(F)

⁷ Stay away from a fool,
    for you will not find knowledge on their lips.

⁸ The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,^(G)
    but the folly of fools is deception.^(H)

⁹ Fools mock at making amends for sin,
    but goodwill is found among the upright.

¹⁰ Each heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no one else can share its joy.

¹¹ The house of the wicked will be destroyed,^(I)
    but the tent of the upright will flourish.^(J)

¹² There is a way that appears to be right,^(K)
    but in the end it leads to death.^(L)

¹³ Even in laughter^(M) the heart may ache,
    and rejoicing may end in grief.

¹⁴ The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,^(N)
    and the good rewarded for theirs.^(O)

¹⁵ The simple believe anything,
    but the prudent give thought to their steps.^(P)

¹⁶ The wise fear the Lord and shun evil,^(Q)
    but a fool^(R) is hotheaded and yet feels secure.

¹⁷ A quick-tempered person^(S) does foolish things,^(T)
    and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.^(U)

¹⁸ The simple inherit folly,
    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹ Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good,
    and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.^(V)

²⁰ The poor are shunned even by their neighbors,
    but the rich have many friends.^(W)

²¹ It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor,^(X)
    but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.^(Y)

²² Do not those who plot evil go astray?^(Z)
    But those who plan what is good find^[a] love and faithfulness.

²³ All hard work brings a profit,
    but mere talk leads only to poverty.

²⁴ The wealth of the wise is their crown,
    but the folly of fools yields folly.^(AA)

²⁵ A truthful witness saves lives,
    but a false witness is deceitful.^(AB)

²⁶ Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,^(AC)
    and for their children it will be a refuge.^(AD)

²⁷ The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,^(AE)
    turning a person from the snares of death.^(AF)

²⁸ A large population is a king’s glory,
    but without subjects a prince is ruined.^(AG)

²⁹ Whoever is patient has great understanding,^(AH)
    but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.^(AI)

³⁰ A heart at peace gives life to the body,
    but envy rots the bones.^(AJ)

³¹ Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,^(AK)
    but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.^(AL)

³² When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,^(AM)
    but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.^(AN)

³³ Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning^(AO)
    and even among fools she lets herself be known.^[b]

³⁴ Righteousness exalts a nation,^(AP)
    but sin condemns any people.

³⁵ A king delights in a wise servant,
    but a shameful servant arouses his fury.^(AQ)