9 Procrastinate, and become bewildered; preoccupy yourselves, until you cry for help. Be drunk, but not with wine; stagger, but not from strong drink. 10 Jehovah has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep: he has shut your eyes, the prophets; he has covered your heads, the seers.
11 For you the sum of vision has become as the words of a sealed book that they give to one who is learned, saying, Please read this, and he answers, I cannot; it is sealed. 12 Or if they give it to one who is unlearned, saying, Please read this, he answers, I am unlearned.
13 But my Lord says, Because these people approach me with the mouth and pay me homage with their lips, while their heart remains far from me— their piety toward me consisting of commandments of men learned by rote— 14 therefore it is that I shall again astound these people with wonder upon wonder, rendering void the knowledge of their sages and the intelligence of their wise men insignificant.
15 Woe to those who contrive
to hide their schemes from Jehovah!
They work in the dark, thinking,
Who will see us? Who will know?
16 What a contradiction you are!
Shall the potter be regarded as the clay?
Shall what is made say of its maker,
He did not make me,
or a work of its designer, He doesn’t understand?
17 In a very little while, shall not Lebanon
again become a fruitful land,
and lands now fruitful be considered backwoods?
18 In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book and the eyes of the blind see out of gross darkness.
19 The lowly shall obtain an increase of joy in Jehovah, and the poorest of men rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20 For tyrants shall come to nought and scorners cease; all who watch for iniquity shall be cut off— 21 those who at a word adjudge a man to be guilty, who ensnare the defender at court, who for nothing turn away him who is in the right.
22 Therefore thus says Jehovah, who redeemed Abraham, to the house of Jacob: No longer shall Jacob be dismayed; his face shall pale no more.
23 For when he sees among him his children, the work of my hands, hallowing my name, devoted to the Holy One of Jacob, reverencing the God of Israel, 24 then will the erring in spirit gain understanding and they who murmured accept instruction.
1 Woe to you, rebellious sons, says Jehovah, for drawing up plans, but not by me, for making alliances without my approval, only adding sin to sin! 2 They are bent on going down to Egypt— but have not inquired at my mouth— on seeking protection in Pharaoh's forces, on taking shelter in Egypt's shadow.
3 But Pharaoh’s protection shall turn to your shame, shelter in Egypt’s shadow to embarrassment. 4 For all their officials at Zoan, and their envoys’ travels to Hanes, 5 they shall be utterly disgusted with a people who will avail them nothing; they shall be of no help or benefit, but a humiliation and disgrace. 6 An oracle concerning the Beasts of Negeb: Through a land of hardship and vicissitudes, of lions and the roaring king of beasts, of vipers and the fiery flying serpent, they carry their wealth on the backs of young asses, their riches on the humps of camels, to a people who cannot profit them. 7 Egypt’s help shall be futile and vain; therefore I refer to her as an idle boast.
8 Go now, write on tablets concerning them; record it in a book for the endtime, as a testimony forever.
9 They are a rebellious people, sons who break faith, children unwilling to obey the law of Jehovah, 10 who say to the seers, See not! and to those with visions, Predict not what is right for us: flatter us; foresee a farce! 11 Get out of the way; move aside, off the path! Cease confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!