[a]Stay yourselves and wonder: they are blind, and make you blind: they are drunken, but not with wine: they stagger, but not by strong drink.

10 For the Lord hath covered you with a spirit of slumber, and hath shut up your eyes: the Prophet, and your chief Seers hath he covered.

11 And the vision of them all is become unto you, as the words of a book that is sealed up, which they deliver to one that can read, saying, Read this, I pray thee. Then shall he say, I [b]cannot; for it is sealed.

12 And the book is given unto him that cannot read, saying, Read this, I pray thee. And he shall say, I cannot read.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 29:9 Muse hereon as long as ye list, yet shall ye find nothing but occasion to be astonied: for your Prophets are blind, and therefore cannot direct you.
  2. Isaiah 29:11 Meaning, that it is all alike, either to read, or not to read, except God open the heart to understand.

Be stunned and amazed,(A)
    blind yourselves and be sightless;(B)
be drunk,(C) but not from wine,(D)
    stagger,(E) but not from beer.
10 The Lord has brought over you a deep sleep:(F)
    He has sealed your eyes(G) (the prophets);(H)
    he has covered your heads (the seers).(I)

11 For you this whole vision(J) is nothing but words sealed(K) in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I can’t; it is sealed.” 12 Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I don’t know how to read.”

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