Do Not Go Down to Egypt

30 “Ah, nstubborn children,” declares the Lord,

o“who carry out a plan, but not mine,

and who make pan alliance,1 but not of my Spirit,

that they may add sin to sin;

2  qwho set out to go down to Egypt,

without asking for my direction,

to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh

and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!

3  rTherefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame,

and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation.

4  For though his officials are at sZoan

and this envoys reach uHanes,

5  everyone comes to shame

through va people that cannot profit them,

that brings neither help nor profit,

but shame and disgrace.”

6 An woracle on xthe beasts of ythe Negeb.

Through a land of trouble and anguish,

from where come the lioness and the lion,

the adder and the zflying fiery serpent,

they carry their riches on the backs of donkeys,

and their treasures on the humps of camels,

to a people that cannot profit them.

7  Egypt’s ahelp is worthless and empty;

therefore I have called her

b“Rahab who sits still.”

A Rebellious People

8  And now, go, cwrite it before them on a tablet

and inscribe it in a book,

that it may be for the time to come

as a witness forever.2