1The distress of Jerusalem by a siege, and the sudden destruction of the invaders by the hand of God. 9The Jews reproved for their insensibility, 13and hypocrisy, which is threatened with judgment. 17A promise of better things in succeeding times.
1aWOE to Ariel, to Ariel, bthe city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them ckill sacrifices.
21Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.
31And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.
41And 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 awhisper out of the dust.
5Moreover 1the multitude of thy 2strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be3as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.
6Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts 1with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.
7¶ 1And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her 2munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.
81It shall even be as when an hungry man2dreameth, 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¶ 1Stay yourselves, and wonder; acry ye out, and cry: they 2are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
101For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath 2closed your eyes: the prophets and your arulers, the 3seers hath he covered.
111And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a abook that is 2sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
12And the book is delivered to him that is 1not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
13¶ Wherefore the Lord said, 1Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
14Therefore, 1behold, aI will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: 2for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
15Woe unto them that 1seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
16Surely 1your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
17is it not yet a 1very little while, and 2Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?
18¶ And 1in that day 2shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
191The meek also ashall increase their joy in the Lord, and 2the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20For 1the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and 2all that watch for iniquity are cut off:
21That 1make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that 2reproveth in the gate, 3and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
22Therefore thus saith the Lord, who 1redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, 2Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.
23But when he seeth 1his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall 2sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear 3the God of Israel.
241They also that erred in spirit shall acome to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.