29
1 Woe
to Ariel! Ariel, the
city where David
encamped! Add year
to year; let the
feasts come around;
2 then
I will
distress Ariel, and
there will be
mourning and lamentation. She shall
be to me
as an altar hearth.
3 I will
encamp against you
all around you,
and will lay siege
against you with
posted troops. I will
raise siege works
against you.
4 You
will be brought
down, and will
speak out of
the ground. Your
speech will mumble
out of the
dust. Your voice
will be as
of one who has
a familiar spirit, out
of the ground,
and your speech
will whisper out
of the dust.
5 But
the multitude of
your foes will be
like fine dust,
and the multitude
of the ruthless
ones like chaff
that blows away.
Yes, it will be
in an instant,
suddenly.
6 She
will be visited
by the LORD
of Armies with
thunder, with
earthquake, with
great noise, with
whirlwind and
storm, and with
the flame of
a devouring fire.
7 The
multitude of all
the nations that
fight against Ariel,
even all who
fight against her
and her stronghold,
and who distress
her, will be
like a dream,
a vision of
the night.
8 It
will be like
when a hungry
man dreams, and
behold, he eats;
but he awakes, and
his hunger isn’t
satisfied; or like
when a thirsty
man dreams, and
behold, he drinks;
but he awakes, and
behold, he is
faint, and he
is still thirsty.
The multitude of
all the nations
that fight against
Mount Zion will
be like that.
9 Pause and
wonder! Blind yourselves
and be blind!
They are drunken,
but not with
wine; they stagger,
but not with
strong drink.
10 For
the LORD has
poured out on
you a spirit
of deep sleep,
and has closed
your eyes, the
prophets; and he
has covered your
heads, the seers.
11 All
vision has become
to you like
the words of
a book that
is sealed, which
men deliver to
one who
is educated, saying, “Read
this, please;” and
he says, “I
can’t, for it
is sealed;”
12 and
the book is
delivered to one
who is
not educated, saying, “Read
this, please;” and
he says, “I can’t
read.”
13 The Lord
said, “Because
this people draws
near with their
mouth and honors
me with their
lips, but they
have removed their
heart far from
me, and their
fear of me
is a commandment
of men which
has been taught;
14 therefore,
behold, I will
proceed to do
a marvelous work
among this people,
even a marvelous
work and a
wonder; and the
wisdom of their
wise men
will perish, and
the understanding of
their prudent men
will be hidden.”
15 Woe
to those who
deeply hide their
counsel from the
LORD, and whose
deeds are in
the dark, and
who say, “Who sees
us?” and “Who
knows us?”
16 You turn
things upside down!
Should the potter
be thought to
be like clay,
that the thing
made should say
about him who
made it, “He didn’t
make me;” or
the thing
formed say of him
who formed it, “He
has no understanding”?
17 Isn’t it
yet a very
little while, and
Lebanon will be
turned into a
fruitful field,
and the fruitful
field will be
regarded as a
forest?
18 In
that day, the
deaf will hear
the words of
the book, and
the eyes of
the blind will
see out of
obscurity and out
of darkness.
19 The
humble also will
increase their joy
in the LORD,
and the poor
among men will
rejoice in the
Holy One of
Israel.
20 For
the ruthless is
brought to nothing,
and the scoffer ceases,
and all those
who are alert to
do evil are cut
off—
21 who
cause a person
to be indicted
by a word,
and lay a snare
for one who
reproves in the
gate, and who
deprive the
innocent of justice
with false testimony.
22 Therefore
the LORD, who
redeemed Abraham, says
concerning the
house of Jacob: “Jacob
shall no longer
be ashamed, neither
shall his face grow
pale.
23 But
when he sees
his children, the
work of my
hands, in the
middle of him,
they will sanctify
my name. Yes,
they will sanctify
the Holy One
of Jacob, and
will stand in
awe of the
God of Israel.
24 They
also who err
in spirit will
come to understanding,
and those who grumble
will receive instruction.”