5

And it is no sooner in his hand, than he swalloweth it.

In that day shall JEHOVAH God of Hosts become a beauteous

crown,

And a glorious diadem, to the remnant of his people;

6 And a spirit of judgement, to them that sit in judgement : And strength to them, that repel the war to the gate [of the

enemy.]

7 But even these have erred through wine, and through strong drink they have reeled:

The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink : They are overwhelmed with wine; they have reeled through strong drink :

They have erred in vision, they have stumbled in judgement. 8 For all their tables are full of vomit ;

Of filthiness, so that no place is free.

9" Whom [say they] would he teach knowledge; and to whom "would he impart instruction ?

"To such as are weaned from the milk, as are kept back from "the breast ?

10" For it is command upon command; command upon command:

line; line upon

line:

"Line upon
"A little here, and a little there."

11 Yea verily, with a stammering lip, and a strange tongue,
He shall speak unto this people.

12 For when he said unto them:

This is the true rest; give ye rest unto the weary;

And this is the refreshment; they would not hear.

13 Therefore shall the word of JEHOVAH be indeed unto them, Command upon command, command upon command;

14

Line upon line, line upon line;

A little here, and a little there :

That they may go on, and fall backward;

And be broken, and snared, and caught.

Wherefore hear ye the word of JEHOVAH, ye scoffers; Ye of this people in Jerusalem, who utter sententious speeches : 15 Who say, we have entered into a covenant with death ; And with the grave we have made a treaty :

The overflowing plague, when it passeth through, shall not reach us :

For we have made falsehood our refuge;

And under deceit we have hidden ourselves.

16 Wherefore thus saith the Lord JEHOVAH:

Behold, I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone, an approved stone;

A corner-stone, precious, immoveably fixed:

He, that trusteth in him, shall not be confounded.

17 And I will mete out judgement by the rule;

And strict justice, by the plummet:

And the hail shall sweep away the refuge of falsehood;
And the hiding-place the waters shall overwhelm.

18 And your covenant with death shall be broken ;
And your treaty with the grave shall not stand:
When the overflowing plague passeth through,
By it shall ye be beaten down.

19 As soon as it passeth through, shall it seize you;

Yea morning after morning shall it pass through, by day and by night;

And even the report alone shall cause terror.

20 For the bed is too short, for one to stretch himself out at length: And the covering is too narrow, for one to gather himself up

under it.

21 For as in mount Peratsim, JEHOVAH will arise;

As in the valley of Gibeon, shall he be moved with anger : That he may execute his work, his strange work, And effect his operation, his unusual operation. 22 And now, give yourselves up to scoffing no more, Lest your chastisements become more severe :

For a full and decisive decree have I heard,

From the Lord JEHOVAH God of Hosts, on the whole land.

23 Listen ye, and hear my voice;

Attend, and hearken unto my words.

24 Doth the husbandman plough every day that he may sow, Opening, and breaking the clods of his field?

25 When he hath made even the face thereof;

Doth not he then scatter the dill, and cast abroad the cummin ; And sow the wheat in due measure;

And the barley, and the rye, hath its appointed limit :

26 For his God rightly instructeth him; he furnisheth him with knowledge.

27 The dill is not beaten out with the corn-drag;

Nor is the wheel of the wain made to turn upon the cummin : But the dill is beaten out with the staff;

28 And the cummin with the flail: but the bread-corn with the

threshing-wain ;

But not for ever will he continue thus to thresh it;

Nor to vex it with the wheel of his wain;

Nor to bruise it with the hoofs of his cattle.

29 This also proceedeth from JEHOVAH God of Hosts;

He sheweth himself wonderful in counsel, great in operation.

CHAP. XXIX. 1 WO to Ariel, to Ariel, the city which David besieged!

Add year to year; let the feasts go round in their course. 2 Yet will I bring distress upon Ariel ;

And there shall be continual mourning and sorrow:

And it shall be unto me as the hearth of the great altar.

3 And I will encamp against thee, like David;

And I will lay siege against thee with a mound;

And I will exact towers against thee.

4 And thou shalt be brought low; tbou shalt speak as from beneath the earth:

And from out of the dust thou shalt utter a feeble speech;

And thy voice shall come out of the ground, like that of a nec

romancer;

And thy, words from out of the dust shall give a small shrill sound.

5 But the multitude of the proud shall be like the small dust; And like the flitting chaff the multitude of the terrible: Yea, the effect shall be momentary, in an instant.

6 From JEHOVAH God of Hosts there shall be a sudden visitation, With thunder, and earthquake, and a mighty voice;

With storm, and tempest, and flame of devouring fire.

7 And like as a dream, a vision of the night,

So shall it be with the multitude of all the nations, that fight against Ariel

;

And all their armies, and their towers, and those that distress

her...

8 As when a hungry man dreameth; and lo! he seemeth to eat; But he awaketh, and his appetite is still unsatisfied:

9

And as a thirsty man dreameth; and lo! he seemeth to drink ; But he awaketh, and he is still faint, and his appetite still craving: So shall it be with the multitude of all the nations,

Which have set themselves in array against mount Sion.

They are struck with amazement, they stand astonished; They stare with a look of stupid surprise;

They are drunken, but not with wine;

They stagger, but not with strong drink.

10 For JEHOVAH hath poured upon you a spirit of profound sleep; And he hath closed up your eyes:

The prophets, and the rulers; the seers hath he blindfolded. 11 So that all the vision is to you, as the words of a book sealed up; Which if one delivers to a man, that knoweth letters,

Saying, Read this, I pray thee;

He answereth, I cannot read it; for it is sealed up:

12 Or should the book be given to one that knoweth not letters, Saying, Read this, I pray thee;

He answereth, I know not letters. 13 Wherefore JEHOVAH hath said:

Forasmuch as this people draweth near with their mouth,

And honoureth me with their lips,

While their heart is far from me :
And vain is their fear of me,

Teaching the commandments of men:

14 Therefore behold, I will again deal with this people, In a manner so wonderful and astonishing;

15

That the wisdom of the wise shall perish,

And the prudence of the prudent shall disappear.

Wo unto them, that are too deep for JEHOVAH in forming

secret designs;

Whose deeds are in the dark; and who say,

Who is there that seeth us; and who shall know us ?

16 Perverse as ye are! shall the potter be esteemed as the clay ? Shall the work say of the workman, He hath not made me ? And shall the thing formed say of the former of it, He hath no understanding?

17 Shall it not be but a very short space,

Ere Lebanon become like Carmel,

And Carmel appear like a desert?

18 Then shall the deaf hear the words of the book;

And the eyes of the blind, covered before with clouds and

darkness, shall see.

19 The meek shall increase their joy in JEHOVAH;

And the needy shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. 20 For the terrible one faileth, the scoffer is no more;

And all that were vigilant in iniquity are utterly cut off: 21 Who bewildered the poor man in speaking;

22

And laid snares for him that pleaded in the gate;

And with falsehood subverted the righteous.

Therefore thus saith JEHOVAH the God of the house of Jacob, He who redeemed Abraham :

Jacob shall no more be ashamed;

His face shall no more be covered with confusion: 23 For when his children shall see the work of my hands, Among themselves shall they sanctify my name:

They shall sanctify the Holy One of Jacob,

And tremble before the God of Israel.

24 Those that were led away with the spirit of error, shall gain knowledge;

And the malignant shall attend to instruction.

CHAP. XXX. 1 WO unto the rebellious children, saith JEHOVAH ; Who form counsels, but not from me;

Who ratify covenants, but not by my spirit;

That they may add sin to sin.

2 Who set forward to go down to Egypt;

But have not inquired at my mouth:

To strengthen themselves with the strength of Pharaoh ;
And to trust in the shadow of Egypt.

3 But the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame;
And your trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

4 Their princes were at Tsoan;

And their ambassadors arrived at Hanes :

5 They were all ashamed of a people, that profited them not; Who were of no help, and of no profit;

6

But proved even a shame, and a reproach unto them.

The burthen of the beasts travelling southward,

Through a land of distress and difficulty:

Whence come forth the lioness, and the fierce lion;
The viper, and the flying fiery serpent: