"Woeto the rebelliouschildren,"declaresthe LORD,"Who executea plan,but not Mine,And makean alliance,but not of My Spirit,In orderto addsinto sin;
"Nowbehold,you relyon the staffof thiscrushedreed,[even] on Egypt;on whichif a manleans,it will gointo his handand pierceit. Sois Pharaohkingof Egyptto allwho relyon him.
"Howthen can you repulseoneofficialof the leastof my master'sservants,and relyon Egyptfor chariotsand for horsemen?
Let me dwellin Your tentforever;Let me takerefugein the shelterof Your wings.Selah.
Listen,O heavens,and hear,O earth;For the LORDspeaks,"SonsI have rearedand broughtup, But they have revoltedagainst Me.
Your rulersare rebelsAnd companionsof thieves;Everyonelovesa bribeAnd chasesafter rewards.They do not defendthe orphan,Nordoes the widow'spleacomebeforethem.
Alas,sinfulnation,Peopleweigheddownwith iniquity,Offspringof evildoers,Sonswho actcorruptly!They have abandonedthe LORD,They have despisedthe HolyOneof Israel,They have turnedawayfrom Him.
Wherewill you be strickenagain,[As] you continuein [your] rebellion?The wholeheadis sickAnd the wholeheartis faint.
Becauseyou have said,"We have madea covenantwith death,And with Sheolwe have madea pact.The overwhelmingscourgewill not reachus whenit passesby, For we have madefalsehoodour refugeand we have concealedourselves with deception."
The bedis tooshorton which to stretchout, And the blanketis too smallto wraponeself in.
Woeto those who deeplyhidetheir plansfrom the LORD,And whose deedsare [done] in a darkplace,And they say,"Whoseesus?" or "Whoknowsus?"
For thisis a rebelliouspeople,false~sons,Sonswho refuseto listenTo the instructionof the LORD;
Woeto those who godownto Egyptfor help[And] relyon horses,And trustin chariotsbecausethey are manyAnd in horsemenbecausethey are verystrong,But they do not lookto the HolyOneof Israel,norseekthe LORD!
Eachwill be like a refugefrom the windAnd a shelterfrom the storm,Like streamsof waterin a drycountry,Like the shadeof a hugerockin a parchedland.
then the LORDwill createoverthe wholeareaof MountZionand overher assembliesa cloudby day,even smoke,and the brightnessof a flamingfireby night;for overallthe glorywill be a canopy.
Woeto those who draginiquitywith the cordsof falsehood,And sinas if with cartropes;
But they rebelledAnd grievedHis HolySpirit;Therefore He turnedHimself to become their enemy,He foughtagainst them.
"I have spreadout My handsalldaylong to a rebelliouspeople,Who walk[in] the waywhich is not good,followingtheir own thoughts,
For thusthe LORDspoketo me with mightypowerand instructedme not to walkin the wayof thispeople,saying,
"You are not to say,[It is] a conspiracy!'In regard to allthat thispeoplecalla conspiracy,And you are not to fearwhatthey fearor be in dreadof [it].
Whenthey sayto you, "Consultthe mediumsand the spiritistswho whisperand mutter,"should not a peopleconsulttheir God?[Should they] [consult] the deadon behalfof the living?
Thussaysthe LORD,"Cursedis the manwhotrustsin mankindAnd makesfleshhis strength,And whose heartturnsawayfrom the LORD.
"But nowwhatare you doing on the roadto Egypt,To drinkthe watersof the Nile?Or whatare you doing on the roadto Assyria,To drinkthe watersof the Euphrates?
"Thussaysthe LORDGodof Israel,Thusyou are to sayto the kingof Judah,who sentyou to Me to inquireof Me: "Behold,Pharaoh'sarmywhich has comeout for your assistanceis going to returnto its own landof Egypt.
Like watchmenof a fieldthey are againsther roundabout,Becauseshe has rebelledagainst Me,' declaresthe LORD.
The LORDhas spokento you, O remnantof Judah,"Do not gointo Egypt!"You should clearlyunderstandthat todayI have testifiedagainst you.
But thispeoplehasa stubbornand rebelliousheart;They have turnedasideand departed.
He saidto me, "Sonof man,theseare the menwho deviseiniquityand giveeviladvicein thiscity,
Then He saidto me, "Sonof man,I am sendingyou to the sonsof Israel,to a rebelliouspeoplewhohave rebelledagainst Me; they and their fathershave transgressedagainst Me to thisveryday.
"Speaka parableto the rebellioushouseand sayto them, 'Thussaysthe LordGOD,"Puton the pot,put[it] on and alsopourwaterin it;
"And it will neveragainbe the confidenceof the houseof Israel,bringingto mindthe iniquityof their having turnedto Egypt. Then they will knowthat I am the LordGOD."'"
"Like emeryharderthanflintI have madeyour forehead.Do not be afraidof them or be dismayedbeforethem, thoughthey are a rebellioushouse."
The swordwill whirlagainst their cities,And will demolishtheir gate barsAnd consume[them] becauseof their counsels.
And nowthey sinmoreand more,And makefor themselves moltenimages,Idolsskillfullymade from their silver,Allof them the workof craftsmen.They sayof them, "Let the menwho sacrificekissthe calves!"
Woeto them, for they have strayedfrom Me! Destructionis theirs, for they have rebelledagainst Me! I would redeemthem, but they speakliesagainstMe.
Then he saidto me, "Thisis the wordof the LORDto Zerubbabelsaying,Not by mightnorby power,but by My Spirit,'saysthe LORDof hosts.
"Now behold,you have risenup in your fathers'place,a broodof sinfulmen,to addstillmoreto the burningangerof the LORDagainstIsrael.
But becauseof your stubbornnessand unrepentantheartyou are storingup wrathfor yourselfin the dayof wrathand revelationof the righteous judgmentof God,
"It shall be when he hearsthe wordsof thiscurse,that he will boast,saying,'I havepeacethoughI walkin the stubbornnessof my heartin orderto destroythe watered[land] with the dry.'
"You have beenrebelliousagainstthe LORDfrom the dayI knewyou.
"Remember,do not forgethowyou provokedthe LORDyour Godto wrathin the wilderness;from the daythat you leftthe landof Egyptuntilyou arrivedat thisplace,you have beenrebelliousagainstthe LORD.
But evilmenand impostorswill proceed[from bad] to worse,deceivingand being deceived.
So the men[of Israel] tooksomeof their provisions,and did not askfor the counselof the LORD.
