by Septuagint
Chapter 28
[1] Woe to the crown of pride, the hirelings of Ephraim, the flower that has fallen from the glory of the top of the fertile mountain, they that are drunken without wine. [2] Behold, the anger of the Lord is strong and severe, as descending hail where there is no shelter, violently descending; as a great body of water sweeping away the soil, he shall make rest for the land. [3] The crown of pride, the hirelings of Ephraim, shall be beaten down with the hands and with the feet. [4] And the fading flower of the glorious hope on the top of the high mountain shall be as the early fig; he that sees it, before he takes it into his hand, will desire to swallow it down.
[5] In that day the Lord of hosts shall be the crown of hope, the woven crown of glory, to the remnant of the people. [6] They shall be left in the spirit of judgement for judgement, and for the strength of them that hinder slaying. [7] For these have trespassed through wine; they have erred through strong drink: the priest and the prophet are mad through strong drink, they are swallowed up by reason of wine, they have staggered through drunkenness; they have erred: this is their vision. [8] A curse shall devour this counsel, for this is their counsel for the sake of covetousness. [9] To whom have we reported evils? and to whom have we reported a message? even to those that are weaned from the milk, who are drawn from the breast. [10] Except thou affliction on affliction, hope upon hope: yet a little, and yet a little, [11] by reason of the contemptuous words of the lips, by means of another language: for they shall speak to this people, saying to them, [12] This is the rest to him that is hungry, and this is the calamity: but they would not hear.
[13] Therefore the oracle of God shall be to them affliction on affliction, hope on hope, yet a little, and yet a little, that they may go and fall backward; and they shall be crushed and shall be in danger, and shall be taken.
[14] Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord, ye afflicted men, and ye princes of this people that is in Jerusalem. [15] Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with Hades, and agreements with death; if the rushing storm should pass, it shall not come upon us: we have made falsehood our hope, and by falsehood shall we be protected: [16] Therefore thus saith the Lord, even the Lord,
Behold, I lay for the foundations of Sion a costly stone, a choice, a corner-stone, a precious stone, for its foundations; and he that believes on him shall by no means be ashamed. [17] And I will cause judgement to be for hope, and my compassion shall be for just measures, and ye that trust vainly in falsehood shall fall: for the storm shall by no means pass by you, [18] except it also take away your covenant of death, and your trust in Hades shall by no means stand: if the rushing storm should come upon you, ye shall be beaten down by it. [19] Whenever it shall pass by, it shall take you; morning by morning it shall pass by in the day, and in the night there shall be an evil hope.
Learn to hear, [20] ye that are distressed; we cannot fight, but we are ourselves too weak for you to be gathered. [21] The Lord shall rise up as a mountain of ungodly men, and shall be in the valley of Gabaon; he shall perform his works with wrath, even a work of bitterness, and his wrath shall deal strangely, and his destruction shall be strange. [22] Therefore do not ye rejoice, neither let your bands be made strong; for I have heard of works finished and cut short by the Lord of hosts, which he will execute upon all the earth.
[23] Hearken, and hear my voice; attend, and hear my words. [24] Will the ploughman plough all the day? or will he prepare the seed beforehand, before he tills the ground? [25] Does he not, when he has levelled the surface thereof, then sow the small black poppy, or cumin, and afterward sow wheat, and barley, and millet, and bread-corn in thy borders? [26] So thou shalt be chastened by the judgement of thy God, and shalt rejoice. [27] For the black poppy is not cleansed with harsh treatment, nor will a wagon-wheel pass over the cumin; but the black poppy is threshed with a rod, and the cumin shall be eaten with bread; [28] for I will not be wroth with you for ever, neither shall the voice of my anger crush you. [29] And these signs came forth from the Lord of hosts. Take counsel, exalt vain comfort.
Chapter 29
[1] Alas for the city of Ariel, which David besieged. Gather ye fruits year by year; eat ye, for ye shall eat with Moab. [2] For I will grievously afflict Ariel: and her strength and her wealth shall be mine. [3] And I will compass thee about like David, and will raise a mound about thee, and set up towers round thee. [4] And thy words shall be brought down to the earth, and thy words shall sink down to the earth, and thy voice shall be as they that speak out of the earth, and thy voice shall be lowered to the ground. [5] But the wealth of the ungodly shall be as dust from a wheel, and the multitude of them that oppress thee as flying chaff, and it shall be suddenly as a moment, [6] from the Lord of Hosts: for there shall be a visitation with thunder, and earthquake, and a loud noise, a rushing tempest, and devouring flame of fire. [7] And the wealth of all the nations together, as many as have fought against Ariel, and all they that war against Jerusalem, and all who are gathered against her, and they that distress her, shall be as one that dreams in sleep by night. [8] And as men drink and eat in sleep, and when they have arisen, the dream is vain: and as a thirsty man dreams as if he drank, and having arisen is still thirsty, and his soul has desired in vain: so shall be the wealth of all the nations, as many as have fought against the mount Sion.
[9] Faint ye, and be amazed, and be overpowered, not with strong drink nor with wine. [10] For the Lord has made you to drink a spirit of deep sleep; and he shall close their eyes, and the eyes of their prophets and of their rulers, who see secret things. [11] And all these things shall be to you as the words of this sealed book, which if they shall give to a learned man, saying, Read this, he shall then say, I cannot read it, for it is sealed. [12] And this book shall be given into the hands of a man that is unlearned, and one shall say to him, Read this; and he shall say, I am not learned.
[13] And the Lord has said, This people draw nigh to me with their mouth, and they honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me: but in vain do they worship me, teaching the commandments and doctrines of men. [14] Therefore behold I will proceed to remove this people, and I will remove them: and I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will hide the understanding of the prudent. [15] Woe to them that deepen their counsel, and not by the Lord. Woe to them that take secret counsel, and whose works are in darkness, and they say, Who has seen us? and who shall know us, or what we do? [16] Shall ye not be counted as clay of the potter? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Thou didst not form me? or the work to the maker, Thou hast not made me wisely? [17] Is it not yet a little while, and Libanus shall be changed as the mountains of Chermel, and Chermel shall be reckoned as a forest? [18] And in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and they that are in darkness, and they that are in mist: the eyes of the blind shall see, [19] and the poor shall rejoice with joy because of the Lord, and they that had no hope among men shall be filled with joy. [20] The lawless man has come to nought, and the proud man has perished, and they that transgress mischievously have been utterly destroyed: [21] and they that cause men to sin by a word: and men shall make all that reprove in the gates an offence, because they have unjustly turned aside the righteous.
[22] Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the house of Jacob, whom he set apart from Abraam, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall he now change countenance. [23] But when their children shall have seen my works, they shall sanctify my name for my sake, and they sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. [24] And they that erred in spirit shall know understanding, and the murmurers shall learn obedience, and the stammering tongues shall learn to speak peace.
Chapter 30
[1] Woe to the apostate children, saith the Lord: ye have framed counsel, not by me, and covenants not by my Spirit, to add sins to sins: [2] even they that proceed to go down into Egypt, but they have not enquired of me, that they might be helped by Pharao, and protected by the Egyptians. [3] For the protection o
f Pharaoh shall be to you a disgrace, and there shall be a reproach to them that trust in Egypt. [4] For there are princes in Tanes, evil messengers. [5] In vain shall they labour in seeking to a people, which shall not profit them for help, but shall be for a shame and reproach.
[6] THE VISION OF THE QUADRUPEDS IN THE DESERT.
In affliction and distress, where are the lion and lion’s whelp, thence come also asps, and the young of flying asps, there shall they be who bore their wealth on asses and camels to a nation which shall not profit them. [7] The Egyptians shall help you utterly in vain: tell them, This your consolation is vain.
[8] Now then sit down and write these words on a tablet, and in a book; for these things shall be for many long days, and even for ever. [9] For the people is disobedient, false children, who would not hear the law of God: [10] who say to the prophets, Report not to us; and to them that see visions, Speak them not to us, but speak and report to us another error; [11] and turn us aside from this way; remove from us this path, and remove from us the oracle of Israel.
[12] Therefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye have refused to obey these words, and have trusted in falsehood; and because thou hast murmured, and been confident in this respect: [13] therefore shall this sin be to you as a wall suddenly falling when a strong city has been taken, of which the fall is very near at hand. [14] And the fall thereof shall be as the breaking of an earthen vessel, as small fragments of a pitcher, so that thou shouldest not find among them a sherd, with which thou mightest take up fire, and with which thou shouldest draw a little water. [15] Thus saith the Lord, the Holy Lord of Israel; When thou shalt turn and mourn, then thou shalt be saved; and thou shalt know where thou wast, when thou didst trust in vanities: then your strength became vain, yet ye would not hearken: [16] but ye said, We will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will be aided by swift riders; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. [17] A thousand shall flee because of the voice of one, and many shall flee on account of the voice of five; until ye be left as a signal-post upon a mountain, and as one bearing an ensign upon a hill.
[18] And the Lord will again wait, that he may pity you, and will therefore be exalted that he may have mercy upon you: because the Lord your God is a judge: blessed are they that stay themselves upon him.
[19] For the holy people shall dwell in Sion: and whereas Jerusalem has wept bitterly, saying, Pity me; he shall pity thee: when he perceived the voice of thy cry, he hearkened to thee. [20] And though the Lord shall give you the bread of affliction and scant water, yet they that cause thee to err shall no more at all draw nigh to thee; for thine eyes shall see those that cause thee to err, [21] and thine ears shall hear the words of them that went after thee to lead thee astray, who say, This is the way, let us walk in it, whether to the right or to the left. [22] And thou shalt pollute the plated idols, and thou shalt grind to powder the gilt ones, and shalt scatter them as the water of a removed woman, and thou shalt thrust them forth as dung. [23] Then shall there be rain to the seed of thy land; and the bread of the fruit of thy land shall be plenteous and rich: and thy cattle shall feed in that day in a fertile and spacious place. [24] Your bulls and your oxen that till the ground, shall eat chaff mixed with winnowed barley. [25] And there shall be upon every lofty mountain and upon every high hill, water running in that day, when many shall perish, and when the towers shall fall. [26] And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold in the day when the Lord shall heal the breach of his people, and shall heal the pain of thy wound.
[27] Behold, the name of the Lord comes after a long time, burning wrath: the word of his lips is with glory, a word full of anger, and the anger of his wrath shall devour as fire. [28] And his breath, as rushing water in a valley, shall reach as far as the neck, and be divided, to confound the nations for their vain error: error also shall pursue them, and overtake them. [29] Must ye always rejoice, and go into my holy places continually, as they that keep a feast? and must ye go with a pipe, as those that rejoice, into the mountain of the Lord, to the God of Israel? [30] And the Lord shall make his glorious voice to be heard, and the wrath of his arm, to make a display with wrath and anger and devouring flame: he shall lighten terribly, and his wrath shall be as water and violent hail. [31] For by the voice of the Lord the Assyrians shall be overcome, even by the stroke wherewith he shall smite them. [32] And it shall happen to him from every side, that they from whom their hope of assistance was, in which he trusted, themselves shall war against him in turn with drums and with harp. [33] For thou shalt be required before thy time: has it been prepared for thee also to reign? nay, God has prepared for thee a deep trench, wood piled, fire and much wood: the wrath of the Lord shall be as a trench kindled with sulphur.
Chapter 31
[1] Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, who trust in horses and chariots, for they are many; and in horses, which are a great multitude; and have not trusted in the Holy One of Israel, and have not sought the Lord. [2] Therefore he has wisely brought evils upon them, and his word shall not be frustrated; and he shall rise up against the houses of wicked men, and against their vain hope, [3] even an Egyptian, a man, and not God; the flesh of horses, and there is no help in them: but the Lord shall bring his hand upon them, and the helpers shall fail, and all shall perish together. [4] For thus said the Lord to me, As a lion would roar, or a lion’s whelp over prey which he has taken, and cry over it, until the mountains are filled with his voice, and the animals are awe-struck and tremble at the fierceness of his wrath: so the Lord of hosts shall descend to fight upon the mount Sion, even upon her mountains. [5] As birds flying, so shall the Lord of hosts defend; he shall defend Jerusalem, and he shall rescue, and save and deliver. [6] Turn, ye children of Israel, who devise a deep and sinful counsel. [7] For in that day men shall renounce their silver idols and their golden idols, which their hands made. [8] And the Assyrian shall fall: not the sword of a great man, nor the sword of a mean man shall devour him; neither shall he flee from the face of the sword: but the young men shall be overthrown: [9] for they shall be compassed with rocks as with a trench, and shall be worsted; and he that flees shall be taken. Thus saith the Lord, Blesses is he that has a seed in Sion, and household friends in Jerusalem.
Chapter 32
[1] For, behold, a righteous king shall reign, and princes shall govern with judgement. [2] And a man shall hide his words, and be hidden, as from rushing water, and shall appear in Sion as a rushing river, glorious in a thirsty land. [3] And they shall no more trust in men, but they shall incline their ears to hear. [4] And the heart of the weak ones shall attend to hear, and the stammering tongues shall soon learn to speak peace. [5] And they shall no more at all tell a fool to rule, and thy servants shall no more at all say, Be silent. [6] For the fool shall speak foolish words, and his heart shall meditate vanities, and to perform lawless deeds and to speak error against the Lord, to scatter hungry souls, and he will cause the thirsty souls to be empty. [7] For the counsel of the wicked will devise iniquity, to destroy the poor with unjust words, and ruin the cause of the poor in judgement. [8] But the godly have devised wise measures, and this counsel shall stand.
[9] Rise up, ye rich women, and hear my voice; ye confident daughters, hearken to my words. [10] Remember for a full year in pain, yet with hope: the vintage has been cut off; it has ceased, it shall by no means come again. [11] Be amazed, be pained, ye confident ones: strip you, bare yourselves, gird your loins; [12] and beat your breasts, because of the pleasant field, and the fruit of the vine. [13] As for the land of my people, the thorn and grass shall come upon it, and joy shall be removed from every house. [14] As for the rich city, the houses are deserted; they shall abandon the wealth of the city, and the pleasant houses: and the villages shall be caves for ever, the joy of wild asses, shepherds’ pastures; [15] until the Spirit shall come upon you from on high, and Chermel shall be desert, and Chermel shall be counted for a forest. [16] Then ju
dgement shall abide in the wilderness, and righteousness shall dwell in Carmel. [17] And the works of righteousness shall be peace; and righteousness shall ensure rest, and the righteous shall be confident for ever. [18] And his people shall inhabit a city of peace, and dwell in it in confidence, and they shall rest with wealth. [19] And if the hail should come down, it shall not come upon you; and they that dwell in the forests shall be in confidence, as those in the plain country. [20] Blessed are they that sow by every water, where the ox and ass tread.
Chapter 33
[1] Woe to them that afflict you; but no one makes you miserable: and he that deals perfidiously with you does not deal perfidiously: they that deal perfidiously shall be taken and given up, and as a moth on a garment, so shall they be spoiled. [2] Lord, have mercy upon us; for we have trusted in thee: the seed of the rebellious is gone to destruction, but our deliverance was in a time of affliction. [3] By reason of the terrible sound the nations were dismayed for fear of thee, and the heathen were scattered.
[4] And now shall the spoils of your small and great be gathered: as if one should gather locusts, so shall they mock you. [5] The God who dwells on high is holy: Sion is filled with judgment and righteousness. [6] They shall be delivered up to the law: our salvation is our treasure: there are wisdom and knowledge and piety toward the Lord; these are the treasures of righteousness.
