Judah’s Worthless Treaty with Egypt

1 “What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,”

says the Lord.

“You make plans that are contrary to mine.

You make alliances not directed by my Spirit,

thus piling up your sins.

2 For without consulting me,

you have gone down to Egypt for help.

You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection.

You have tried to hide in his shade.

3 But by trusting Pharaoh, you will be humiliated,

and by depending on him, you will be disgraced.

4 For though his power extends to Zoan

and his officials have arrived in Hanes,

5 all who trust in him will be ashamed.

He will not help you.

Instead, he will disgrace you.”

6 This message came to me concerning the animals in the Negev:

The caravan moves slowly

across the terrible desert to Egypt—

donkeys weighed down with riches

and camels loaded with treasure—

all to pay for Egypt’s protection.

They travel through the wilderness,

a place of lionesses and lions,

a place where vipers and poisonous snakes live.

All this, and Egypt will give you nothing in return.

7 Egypt’s promises are worthless!

Therefore, I call her Rahab—

the Harmless Dragon.*

A Warning for Rebellious Judah

8 Now go and write down these words.

Write them in a book.

They will stand until the end of time

as a witness

9 that these people are stubborn rebels

who refuse to pay attention to the Lord’s instructions.

10 They tell the seers,

“Stop seeing visions!”

They tell the prophets,

“Don’t tell us what is right.

Tell us nice things.

Tell us lies.

11 Forget all this gloom.

Get off your narrow path.

Stop telling us about your

‘Holy One of Israel.’ ”

12 This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel:

“Because you despise what I tell you

and trust instead in oppression and lies,

13 calamity will come upon you suddenly—

like a bulging wall that bursts and falls.

In an instant it will collapse

and come crashing down.

14 You will be smashed like a piece of pottery—

shattered so completely that

there won’t be a piece big enough

to carry coals from a fireplace

or a little water from the well.”

15 This is what the Sovereign Lord,

the Holy One of Israel, says:

“Only in returning to me

and resting in me will you be saved.

In quietness and confidence is your strength.

But you would have none of it.

16 You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt.

They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’

But the only swiftness you are going to see

is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!

17 One of them will chase a thousand of you.

Five of them will make all of you flee.

You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill

or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.”

Blessings for the Lord’s People

18 So the Lord must wait for you to come to him

so he can show you his love and compassion.

For the Lord is a faithful God.

Blessed are those who wait for his help.

19 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,

you will weep no more.

He will be gracious if you ask for help.

He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.

20 Though the Lord gave you adversity for food

and suffering for drink,

he will still be with you to teach you.

You will see your teacher with your own eyes.

21 Your own ears will hear him.

Right behind you a voice will say,

“This is the way you should go,”

whether to the right or to the left.

22 Then you will destroy all your silver idols

and your precious gold images.

You will throw them out like filthy rags,

saying to them, “Good riddance!”

23 Then the Lord will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock. 24 The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind. 25 In that day, when your enemies are slaughtered and the towers fall, there will be streams of water flowing down every mountain and hill. 26 The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days in one! So it will be when the Lord begins to heal his people and cure the wounds he gave them.