“Heaven is my throne,^(A)
    and the earth is my footstool.^(B)
Where is the house^(C) you will build for me?
    Where will my resting place be?
² Has not my hand made all these things,^(D)
    and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:
    those who are humble and contrite in spirit,^(E)
    and who tremble at my word.^(F)
3 But whoever sacrifices a bull^(G)
    is like one who kills a person,
and whoever offers a lamb
    is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
    is like one who presents pig’s^(H) blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense^(I)
    is like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,^(J)
    and they delight in their abominations;^(K)
4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
    and will bring on them what they dread.^(L)
For when I called, no one answered,^(M)
    when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil^(N) in my sight
    and chose what displeases me.”^(O)

⁵ Hear the word of the Lord,
    you who tremble at his word:^(P)
“Your own people who hate^(Q) you,
    and exclude you because of my name, have said,
‘Let the Lord be glorified,
    that we may see your joy!’
    Yet they will be put to shame.^(R)
6 Hear that uproar from the city,
    hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound^(S) of the Lord
    repaying^(T) his enemies all they deserve.

⁷ “Before she goes into labor,^(U)
    she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
    she delivers a son.^(V)
8 Who has ever heard of such things?
    Who has ever seen^(W) things like this?
Can a country be born in a day^(X)
    or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
    than she gives birth to her children.^(Y)
9 Do I bring to the moment of birth^(Z)
    and not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Do I close up the womb
    when I bring to delivery?” says your God.
¹⁰ “Rejoice^(AA) with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
    all you who love^(AB) her;
rejoice greatly with her,
    all you who mourn^(AC) over her.
¹¹ For you will nurse^(AD) and be satisfied
    at her comforting breasts;^(AE)
you will drink deeply
    and delight in her overflowing abundance.”^(AF)

“I will extend peace^(AG) to her like a river,^(AH)
    and the wealth^(AI) of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried^(AJ) on her arm
    and dandled on her knees.
¹³ As a mother comforts her child,^(AK)
    so will I comfort^(AL) you;
    and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

¹⁴ When you see this, your heart will rejoice^(AM)
    and you will flourish^(AN) like grass;
the hand^(AO) of the Lord will be made known to his servants,^(AP)
    but his fury^(AQ) will be shown to his foes.
¹⁵ See, the Lord is coming with fire,^(AR)
    and his chariots^(AS) are like a whirlwind;^(AT)
he will bring down his anger with fury,
    and his rebuke^(AU) with flames of fire.
¹⁶ For with fire^(AV) and with his sword^(AW)
    the Lord will execute judgment^(AX) on all people,
    and many will be those slain^(AY) by the Lord.

See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud^(C)
    and is coming to Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him,
    and the hearts of the Egyptians melt^(D) with fear.

² “I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian—
    brother will fight against brother,^(E)
    neighbor against neighbor,
    city against city,
    kingdom against kingdom.^(F)
3 The Egyptians will lose heart,^(G)
    and I will bring their plans^(H) to nothing;^(I)
they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead,
    the mediums and the spiritists.^(J)
4 I will hand the Egyptians over
    to the power of a cruel master,
and a fierce king^(K) will rule over them,”
    declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

⁵ The waters of the river will dry up,^(L)
    and the riverbed will be parched and dry.^(M)
6 The canals will stink;^(N)
    the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up.^(O)
The reeds^(P) and rushes will wither,^(Q)
7     also the plants^(R) along the Nile,
    at the mouth of the river.
Every sown field^(S) along the Nile
    will become parched, will blow away and be no more.^(T)
8 The fishermen^(U) will groan and lament,
    all who cast hooks^(V) into the Nile;
those who throw nets on the water
    will pine away.
⁹ Those who work with combed flax^(W) will despair,
    the weavers of fine linen^(X) will lose hope.
¹⁰ The workers in cloth will be dejected,
    and all the wage earners will be sick at heart.

¹¹ The officials of Zoan^(Y) are nothing but fools;
    the wise counselors^(Z) of Pharaoh give senseless advice.^(AA)
How can you say to Pharaoh,
    “I am one of the wise men,^(AB)
    a disciple of the ancient kings”?

¹² Where are your wise men^(AC) now?
    Let them show you and make known
what the Lord Almighty
    has planned^(AD) against Egypt.
¹³ The officials of Zoan^(AE) have become fools,
    the leaders of Memphis^(AF) are deceived;
the cornerstones^(AG) of her peoples
    have led Egypt astray.
¹⁴ The Lord has poured into them
    a spirit of dizziness;^(AH)
they make Egypt stagger in all that she does,
    as a drunkard staggers^(AI) around in his vomit.
¹⁵ There is nothing Egypt can do—
    head or tail, palm branch or reed.^(AJ)