⁴ Woe to the sinful nation,
    a people whose guilt is great,^(P)
a brood of evildoers,^(Q)
    children given to corruption!^(R)
They have forsaken^(S) the Lord;
    they have spurned the Holy One^(T) of Israel
    and turned their backs^(U) on him.

⁵ Why should you be beaten^(V) anymore?
    Why do you persist^(W) in rebellion?^(X)
Your whole head is injured,
    your whole heart^(Y) afflicted.^(Z)
6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head^(AA)
    there is no soundness^(AB)—
only wounds and welts^(AC)
    and open sores,
not cleansed or bandaged^(AD)
    or soothed with olive oil.^(AE)

⁷ Your country is desolate,^(AF)
    your cities burned with fire;^(AG)
your fields are being stripped by foreigners^(AH)
    right before you,
    laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.^(AI)
8 Daughter Zion^(AJ) is left^(AK)
    like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a hut^(AL) in a cucumber field,
    like a city under siege.
⁹ Unless the Lord Almighty
    had left us some survivors,^(AM)
we would have become like Sodom,
    we would have been like Gomorrah.^(AN)

¹⁰ Hear the word of the Lord,^(AO)
    you rulers of Sodom;^(AP)
listen to the instruction^(AQ) of our God,
    you people of Gomorrah!^(AR)
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
    what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
    of rams and the fat of fattened animals;^(AS)
I have no pleasure^(AT)
    in the blood of bulls^(AU) and lambs and goats.^(AV)
12 When you come to appear before me,
    who has asked this of you,^(AW)
    this trampling of my courts?
¹³ Stop bringing meaningless offerings!^(AX)
    Your incense^(AY) is detestable^(AZ) to me.
New Moons,^(BA) Sabbaths and convocations^(BB)—
    I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
¹⁴ Your New Moon^(BC) feasts and your appointed festivals^(BD)
    I hate with all my being.^(BE)
They have become a burden to me;^(BF)
    I am weary^(BG) of bearing them.
¹⁵ When you spread out your hands^(BH) in prayer,
    I hide^(BI) my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.^(BJ)

Your hands^(BK) are full of blood!^(BL)

⁴ “I will make mere youths their officials;
    children will rule over them.”^(K)

⁵ People will oppress each other—
    man against man, neighbor against neighbor.^(L)
The young will rise up against the old,
    the nobody against the honored.

⁶ A man will seize one of his brothers
    in his father’s house, and say,
“You have a cloak, you be our leader;
    take charge of this heap of ruins!”
⁷ But in that day^(M) he will cry out,
    “I have no remedy.^(N)
I have no food^(O) or clothing in my house;
    do not make me the leader of the people.”^(P)

⁸ Jerusalem staggers,
    Judah is falling;^(Q)
their words^(R) and deeds^(S) are against the Lord,
    defying^(T) his glorious presence.
⁹ The look on their faces testifies^(U) against them;
    they parade their sin like Sodom;^(V)
    they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
    They have brought disaster^(W) upon themselves.

¹⁰ Tell the righteous it will be well^(X) with them,
    for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.^(Y)
11 Woe to the wicked!^(Z)
    Disaster^(AA) is upon them!
They will be paid back^(AB)
    for what their hands have done.^(AC)

¹² Youths^(AD) oppress my people,
    women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;^(AE)
    they turn you from the path.

¹³ The Lord takes his place in court;^(AF)
    he rises to judge^(AG) the people.
¹⁴ The Lord enters into judgment^(AH)
    against the elders and leaders of his people:
“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
    the plunder^(AI) from the poor^(AJ) is in your houses.
¹⁵ What do you mean by crushing my people^(AK)
    and grinding^(AL) the faces of the poor?”^(AM)
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.^(AN)

¹⁶ The Lord says,
    “The women of Zion^(AO) are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,^(AP)
    flirting with their eyes,
strutting along with swaying hips,
    with ornaments jingling on their ankles.
¹⁷ Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion;
    the Lord will make their scalps bald.^(AQ)”

²⁴ Instead of fragrance^(BA) there will be a stench;^(BB)
    instead of a sash,^(BC) a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;^(BD)
    instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;^(BE)
    instead of beauty,^(BF) branding.^(BG)
25 Your men will fall by the sword,^(BH)
    your warriors in battle.^(BI)
26 The gates^(BJ) of Zion will lament and mourn;^(BK)
    destitute,^(BL) she will sit on the ground.^(BM)

⁵ In that day^(M) the Lord Almighty
    will be a glorious^(N) crown,^(O)
a beautiful wreath
    for the remnant^(P) of his people.
⁶ He will be a spirit of justice^(Q)
    to the one who sits in judgment,^(R)
a source of strength
    to those who turn back the battle^(S) at the gate.

⁷ And these also stagger^(T) from wine^(U)
    and reel^(V) from beer:
Priests^(W) and prophets^(X) stagger from beer
    and are befuddled with wine;
they reel from beer,
    they stagger when seeing visions,^(Y)
    they stumble when rendering decisions.
⁸ All the tables are covered with vomit^(Z)
    and there is not a spot without filth.

⁹ “Who is it he is trying to teach?^(AA)
    To whom is he explaining his message?^(AB)
To children weaned^(AC) from their milk,^(AD)
    to those just taken from the breast?
¹⁰ For it is:
    Do this, do that,
    a rule for this, a rule for that^[a];
    a little here, a little there.^(AE)”

¹¹ Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues^(AF)
    God will speak to this people,^(AG)
12 to whom he said,
    “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”;^(AH)
and, “This is the place of repose”—
    but they would not listen.
¹³ So then, the word of the Lord to them will become:
    Do this, do that,
    a rule for this, a rule for that;
    a little here, a little there^(AI)—
so that as they go they will fall backward;
    they will be injured^(AJ) and snared and captured.^(AK)

¹⁴ Therefore hear the word of the Lord,^(AL) you scoffers^(AM)
    who rule this people in Jerusalem.
¹⁵ You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death,^(AN)
    with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement.
When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,^(AO)
    it cannot touch us,
for we have made a lie^(AP) our refuge
    and falsehood^[b] our hiding place.^(AQ)”

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,^(AR) a tested stone,^(AS)
    a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;^(AT)
the one who relies on it
    will never be stricken with panic.^(AU)
17 I will make justice^(AV) the measuring line
    and righteousness the plumb line;^(AW)
hail^(AX) will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
    and water will overflow^(AY) your hiding place.
¹⁸ Your covenant with death will be annulled;
    your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand.^(AZ)
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,^(BA)
    you will be beaten down^(BB) by it.
¹⁹ As often as it comes it will carry you away;^(BC)
    morning after morning,^(BD) by day and by night,
    it will sweep through.”

The understanding of this message
    will bring sheer terror.^(BE)
20 The bed is too short to stretch out on,
    the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.^(BF)
21 The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim,^(BG)
    he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon^(BH)—
to do his work,^(BI) his strange work,
    and perform his task, his alien task.
²² Now stop your mocking,^(BJ)
    or your chains will become heavier;
the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me
    of the destruction decreed^(BK) against the whole land.^(BL)

²³ Listen^(BM) and hear my voice;
    pay attention and hear what I say.
²⁴ When a farmer plows for planting,^(BN) does he plow continually?
    Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?
²⁵ When he has leveled the surface,
    does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin?^(BO)
Does he not plant wheat in its place,^[c]
    barley^(BP) in its plot,^[d]
    and spelt^(BQ) in its field?
²⁶ His God instructs him
    and teaches^(BR) him the right way.

²⁷ Caraway is not threshed^(BS) with a sledge,^(BT)
    nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin;
caraway is beaten out with a rod,^(BU)
    and cumin with a stick.
²⁸ Grain must be ground to make bread;
    so one does not go on threshing it forever.
The wheels of a threshing cart^(BV) may be rolled over it,
    but one does not use horses to grind grain.
²⁹ All this also comes from the Lord Almighty,
    whose plan is wonderful,^(BW)
    whose wisdom is magnificent.^(BX)

⁵ But your many enemies will become like fine dust,^(N)
    the ruthless^(O) hordes like blown chaff.^(P)
Suddenly,^(Q) in an instant,
⁶     the Lord Almighty will come^(R)
with thunder^(S) and earthquake^(T) and great noise,
    with windstorm and tempest^(U) and flames of a devouring fire.^(V)
7 Then the hordes of all the nations^(W) that fight against Ariel,^(X)
    that attack her and her fortress and besiege her,
will be as it is with a dream,^(Y)
    with a vision in the night—
⁸ as when a hungry person dreams of eating,
    but awakens^(Z) hungry still;
as when a thirsty person dreams of drinking,
    but awakens faint and thirsty still.^(AA)
So will it be with the hordes of all the nations
    that fight against Mount Zion.^(AB)

⁹ Be stunned and amazed,^(AC)
    blind yourselves and be sightless;^(AD)
be drunk,^(AE) but not from wine,^(AF)
    stagger,^(AG) but not from beer.
¹⁰ The Lord has brought over you a deep sleep:^(AH)
    He has sealed your eyes^(AI) (the prophets);^(AJ)
    he has covered your heads (the seers).^(AK)

“These people^(AN) come near to me with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,^(AO)
    but their hearts are far from me.^(AP)
Their worship of me
    is based on merely human rules they have been taught.^[b](AQ)
14 Therefore once more I will astound these people
    with wonder upon wonder;^(AR)
the wisdom of the wise^(AS) will perish,
    the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.^(AT)”
¹⁵ Woe to those who go to great depths
    to hide^(AU) their plans from the Lord,
who do their work in darkness and think,
    “Who sees us?^(AV) Who will know?”^(AW)
16 You turn things upside down,
    as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!^(AX)
Shall what is formed say to the one who formed^(AY) it,
    “You did not make me”?
Can the pot say to the potter,^(AZ)
    “You know nothing”?^(BA)

¹⁷ In a very short time,^(BB) will not Lebanon^(BC) be turned into a fertile field^(BD)
    and the fertile field seem like a forest?^(BE)
18 In that day^(BF) the deaf^(BG) will hear the words of the scroll,
    and out of gloom and darkness^(BH)
    the eyes of the blind will see.^(BI)
19 Once more the humble^(BJ) will rejoice in the Lord;
    the needy^(BK) will rejoice in the Holy One^(BL) of Israel.
²⁰ The ruthless^(BM) will vanish,^(BN)
    the mockers^(BO) will disappear,
    and all who have an eye for evil^(BP) will be cut down—
²¹ those who with a word make someone out to be guilty,
    who ensnare the defender in court^(BQ)
    and with false testimony^(BR) deprive the innocent of justice.^(BS)

“No longer will Jacob be ashamed;^(BV)
    no longer will their faces grow pale.^(BW)
23 When they see among them their children,^(BX)
    the work of my hands,^(BY)
they will keep my name holy;^(BZ)
    they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One^(CA) of Jacob,
    and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
²⁴ Those who are wayward^(CB) in spirit will gain understanding;^(CC)
    those who complain will accept instruction.”^(CD)

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)