| Chapter 29 |
1 | Ho Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped! add ye year to year; let the feasts come round: |
2 | then will I distress Ariel, and there shall be mourning and lamentation; and she shall be unto me as Ariel. |
3 | And I will encamp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with posted troops, and I will raise siege works against thee. |
4 | And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust; and thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust. |
5 | But the multitude of thy foes shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be in an instant suddenly. |
6 | She shall be visited of Jehovah of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire. |
7 | And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her stronghold, and that distress her, shall be as a dream, a vision of the night. |
8 | And it shall be as when a hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion. |
9 | Tarry ye and wonder; take your pleasure and be blind: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. |
10 | For Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes, the prophets; and your heads, the seers, hath he covered. |
11 | And all vision is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I cannot, for it is sealed: |
12 | and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I am not learned. |
13 | And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nigh [unto me], and with their mouth and with their lips to honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which hath been taught [them]; |
14 | therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. |
15 | Woe unto them that hide deep their counsel from Jehovah, and whose works are in the dark, and that say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? |
16 | Ye turn things upside down! Shall the potter be esteemed as clay; that the thing made should say of him that made it, He made me not; or the thing formed say of him that formed it, He hath no understanding? |
17 | Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest? |
18 | And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. |
19 | The meek also shall increase their joy in Jehovah, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. |
20 | For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scoffer ceaseth, and all they that watch for iniquity are cut off; |
21 | that make a man an offender in [his] cause, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just with a thing of nought. |
22 | Therefore thus saith Jehovah, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale. |
23 | But when he seeth his children, the work of my hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name; yea, they shall sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall stand in awe of the God of Israel. |
24 | They also that err in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmur shall receive instruction. |