Isaiah 30:1-15

English Standard Version

30 “Ah, ^(A)stubborn children,” declares the Lord,
^(B)“who carry out a plan, but not mine,
and who make ^(C)an alliance,^[a] but not of my Spirit,
    that they may add sin to sin;
^2 (D)who set out to go down to Egypt,
    without asking for my direction,
to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh
    and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!
^3 (E)Therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame,
    and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation.
⁴ For though his officials are at ^(F)Zoan
    and ^(G)his envoys reach ^(H)Hanes,
⁵ everyone comes to shame
    through ^(I)a people that cannot profit them,
that brings neither help nor profit,
    but shame and disgrace.”

⁸ And now, go, ^(P)write it before them on a tablet
    and inscribe it in a book,
that it may be for the time to come
    as a witness forever.^[b]
9 (Q)For they are a rebellious people,
    lying children,
children unwilling to hear
    the instruction of the Lord;
^10 (R)who say to ^(S)the seers, “Do not see,”
    and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right;
speak to us ^(T)smooth things,
    prophesy illusions,
¹¹ leave the way, turn aside from the path,
    let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”
¹² Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel,
“Because you despise this word
    and trust in ^(U)oppression and perverseness
    and rely on them,
¹³ therefore this iniquity shall be to you
    ^(V)like a breach in a high wall, bulging out and about to collapse,
    whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant;
¹⁴ and its breaking is ^(W)like that of a potter's vessel
    that is smashed so ruthlessly
that among its fragments not a shard is found
    with which to take fire from the hearth,
    or to dip up water out of the cistern.”