Go now, write it on a tablet(A) for them,
    inscribe it on a scroll,(B)
that for the days to come
    it may be an everlasting witness.(C)
For these are rebellious(D) people, deceitful(E) children,
    children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction.(F)
10 They say to the seers,(G)
    “See no more visions(H)!”
and to the prophets,
    “Give us no more visions of what is right!
Tell us pleasant things,(I)
    prophesy illusions.(J)
11 Leave this way,(K)
    get off this path,
and stop confronting(L) us
    with the Holy One(M) of Israel!”

12 Therefore this is what the Holy One(N) of Israel says:

“Because you have rejected this message,(O)
    relied on oppression(P)
    and depended on deceit,
13 this sin will become for you
    like a high wall,(Q) cracked and bulging,
    that collapses(R) suddenly,(S) in an instant.
14 It will break in pieces like pottery,(T)
    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.”

15 This is what the Sovereign(U) Lord, the Holy One(V) of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest(W) is your salvation,
    in quietness and trust(X) is your strength,
    but you would have none of it.(Y)
16 You said, ‘No, we will flee(Z) on horses.’(AA)
    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(AB)
    you will all flee(AC) away,
till you are left(AD)
    like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
    like a banner(AE) on a hill.”

18 Yet the Lord longs(AF) to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.(AG)
For the Lord is a God of justice.(AH)
    Blessed are all who wait for him!(AI)

19 People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.(AJ) How gracious he will be when you cry for help!(AK) As soon as he hears, he will answer(AL) you. 20 Although the Lord gives you the bread(AM) of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers(AN) will be hidden(AO) no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice(AP) behind you, saying, “This is the way;(AQ) walk in it.” 22 Then you will desecrate your idols(AR) overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold;(AS) you will throw them away like a menstrual(AT) cloth and say to them, “Away with you!(AU)

23 He will also send you rain(AV) for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich(AW) and plentiful.(AX) In that day(AY) your cattle will graze in broad meadows.(AZ) 24 The oxen(BA) and donkeys that work the soil will eat fodder(BB) and mash, spread out with fork(BC) and shovel. 25 In the day of great slaughter,(BD) when the towers(BE) fall, streams of water will flow(BF) on every high mountain and every lofty hill. 26 The moon will shine like the sun,(BG) and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals(BH) the wounds he inflicted.

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The Disobedient People

God told me to write down in a book what the people are like, so that there would be a permanent record of how evil they are. They are always rebelling against God, always lying, always refusing to listen to the Lord's teachings. 10 They tell the prophets to keep quiet. They say, “Don't talk to us about what's right. Tell us what we want to hear. Let us keep our illusions. 11 Get out of our way and stop blocking our path. We don't want to hear about your holy God of Israel.”

12 But this is what the holy God of Israel says: “You ignore what I tell you and rely on violence and deceit. 13 You are guilty. You are like a high wall with a crack running down it; suddenly you will collapse. 14 You will be shattered like a clay pot, so badly broken that there is no piece big enough to pick up hot coals with or to dip water from a cistern.”

15 The Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says to the people, “Come back and quietly trust in me. Then you will be strong and secure.” But you refuse to do it. 16 Instead, you plan to escape from your enemies by riding fast horses. And you are right—escape is what you will have to do! You think your horses are fast enough, but those who pursue you will be faster! 17 A thousand of you will run away when you see one enemy soldier, and five soldiers will be enough to make you all run away. Nothing will be left of your army except a lonely flagpole on the top of a hill. 18 And yet the Lord is waiting to be merciful to you. He is ready to take pity on you because he always does what is right. Happy are those who put their trust in the Lord.

God Will Bless His People

19 You people who live in Jerusalem will not weep any more. The Lord is compassionate, and when you cry to him for help, he will answer you. 20 The Lord will make you go through hard times, but he himself will be there to teach you, and you will not have to search for him any more. 21 If you wander off the road to the right or the left, you will hear his voice behind you saying, “Here is the road. Follow it.” 22 You will take your idols plated with silver and your idols covered with gold, and will throw them away like filth, shouting, “Out of my sight!” 23 Whenever you plant your crops, the Lord will send rain to make them grow and will give you a rich harvest, and your livestock will have plenty of pasture. 24 The oxen and donkeys that plow your fields will eat the finest and best fodder. 25 On the day when the forts of your enemies are captured and their people are killed, streams of water will flow from every mountain and every hill. 26 The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter than usual, like the light of seven days in one. This will all happen when the Lord bandages and heals the wounds he has given his people.

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A Rebellious People

Go now, write it before them on a tablet,
    and inscribe it on a scroll,
so that it may be for the time to come
    as a witness forever.(A)
For they are a rebellious people,
    faithless children,
children who will not hear
    the instruction of the Lord;(B)
10 who say to the seers, “Do not see,”
    and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right;
speak to us smooth things;
    prophesy illusions;(C)
11 leave the way; turn aside from the path;
    let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”(D)
12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel:
Because you reject this word
    and put your trust in oppression and deceit
    and rely on them,(E)
13 therefore this iniquity shall become for you
    like a break in a high wall, bulging out and about to collapse,
    whose crash comes suddenly, in an instant;(F)
14 its breaking is like that of a potter’s vessel
    that is smashed so ruthlessly
that among its fragments not a sherd is found
    for taking fire from the hearth
    or dipping water out of the cistern.(G)

15 For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
In returning and rest you shall be saved;
    in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.
But you refused(H) 16 and said,
‘No! We will flee upon horses’—
    therefore you shall flee!
and, ‘We will ride upon swift steeds’—
    therefore your pursuers shall be swift!(I)
17 A thousand shall flee at the threat of one;
    at the threat of five you shall flee
until you are left
    like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain,
    like a signal on a hill.(J)

God’s Promise to Zion

18 Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
    blessed are all those who wait for him.(K)

19 O people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you.(L) 20 Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any longer, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.(M) 21 And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”(N) 22 Then you will defile your silver-covered idols and your gold-plated images. You will scatter them like impure things; you will say to them, “Away with you!”(O)

23 He will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and grain, the produce of the ground, will be rich and plenteous. On that day your cattle will graze in broad pastures,(P) 24 and the oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat silage that has been winnowed with shovel and fork. 25 On every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water—on a day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. 26 Moreover, the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of seven days, on the day when the Lord binds up the injuries of his people and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.(Q)

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Now go, write it before them on a tablet,
    inscribe it on a scroll,
    so in the future it will endure as a witness.
These are rebellious people, lying children,
    children unwilling to hear the Lord’s teaching,
10     who say to the seers, “Don’t foresee,”
    and to the visionaries, “Don’t report truthful visions;
        tell us flattering things;
        envision deceptions;
11         get out of the way;
        step off the path;
        let’s have no more ‘holy one of Israel.’”

12 Therefore, the holy one of Israel says:

Because you reject this word
    and trust in oppression and cunning and rely on them,
13     your sin will be like a crack in a high wall; it bulges, about to fall:
    suddenly, in an instant, it breaks!
14 Its breaking is like the breaking of a storage jar
    that is totally shattered.
No piece from among its fragments will be large enough to take fire from a hearth,
    or to dip water from a cistern.

15 Therefore, the Lord God,
    the holy one of Israel, says:
In return and rest you will be saved;
    quietness and trust will be your strength—
    but you refused.
16 You said,
“No! We’ll flee on horses”—
    therefore, you will indeed flee—
    “and we’ll ride off; on swift steeds we will ride”—
    therefore, your pursuers will be swift.
17 One thousand will flee at the threat of one,
    and at the threat of five you will flee,
    until you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
    like a flag on a hill.
18 Nonetheless, the Lord is waiting to be merciful to you,
    and will rise up to show you compassion.
The Lord is a God of justice;
    happy are all who wait for him.

This is the way

19 People in Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. God will certainly be merciful to you. Hearing the sound of your outcry, God will answer you. 20 Though the Lord gives you the bread of distress and the water of oppression, your teacher will no longer hide, but you will see your teacher. 21 If you stray to the right or the left, you will hear a word that comes from behind you: “This is the way; walk in it.” 22 You will defile your silver-plated idols and your gold-covered priestly vest,[a] and you will scatter them like menstrual rags. “Get out,” you will say to them.

23 God will provide rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food the ground produces will be rich and abundant. On that day, your cattle will graze in large pastures. 24 The oxen and donkeys that are working the ground will eat tasty feed spread for them with shovel and fork.

25 On every lofty mountain, and on every high hill, streams will run with water on the day of the great massacre, when the towers fall. 26 The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days—on the day that the Lord bandages the people’s brokenness and heals the wounds inflicted by his blows.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 30:22 Correction; Heb ephod