The Lord Will Judge His Stubborn People
1“How terrible it will be for these stubborn children of mine!”
announces the Lord.
“How terrible for those who carry out plans that did not come from me!
Their agreement with Egypt did not come from my Spirit.
So they pile up one sin on top of another.
2They go down to Egypt
without asking me for advice.
They look to Pharaoh to help them.
They ask Egypt to keep them safe.
3But looking to Pharaoh will only bring them shame.
Asking Egypt for help will bring them dishonor.
4Their officials have gone to the city of Zoan.
Their messengers have arrived in Hanes.
5But the people of Judah will be put to shame.
That’s because they are trusting in a nation that is useless to them.
Egypt will not bring them any help or advantage.
Instead, it will bring them shame and dishonor.”
6Here is a prophecy the Lord gave me about the animals in the Negev Desert.
Judah’s messengers carry their riches on the backs of donkeys.
They carry their treasures on the humps of camels.
They travel through a land of danger and suffering.
It’s a land filled with lions.
Poisonous snakes are also there.
The messengers travel to a nation
that can’t do them any good.
7They travel to Egypt, whose help is totally useless.
That’s why I call it Rahab the Do-Nothing.
8The Lord said to me, “Go now.
Write on a tablet for the people of Judah
what I am about to say.
Also write it on a scroll.
In days to come
it will be a witness that lasts forever.
9That’s because these people of Judah refuse to obey me.
They are children who tell lies.
They will not listen to what I want to teach them.
10They say to the seers,
‘Don’t see any more visions!’
They say to the prophets,
‘Don’t give us any more visions of what is right!
Tell us pleasant things.
Prophesy things we want to hear even if they aren’t true.
11Get out of our way!
Get off our path!
Keep the Holy One of Israel away from us!’ ”
12So the Holy One of Israel speaks. He says,
“You have turned your backs on what I have said.
You have depended on telling people lies.
You have crushed others.
13Those sins are like cracks in a high wall.
They get bigger and bigger.
Suddenly the wall breaks apart.
Then it quickly falls down.
14It breaks into small pieces like a clay pot.
It breaks up completely.
Not one piece is left big enough
for taking coals from a fireplace.
Not one piece is left for dipping water out of a well.”
15The Lord and King is the Holy One of Israel. He says,
“You will find peace and rest
when you turn away from your sins and depend on me.
You will receive the strength you need
when you stay calm and trust in me.
But you do not want to do what I tell you to.
16You said, ‘No. We’ll escape on horses.’
So you will have to escape!
You said, ‘We’ll ride off on fast horses.’
So those who chase you will use faster horses!
17When one of them dares you to fight,
a thousand of you will run away.
When five of them dare you,
all of you will run away.
So few of you will be left that you will be
like a flagpole on top of a mountain.
You will be like only one banner on a hill.”
18But the Lord wants to have mercy on you.
So he will rise up to give you his tender love.
The Lord is a God who is always fair.
Blessed are all those who wait for him to act!
19People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you won’t weep anymore. When you cry out to the Lord for help, he will have mercy on you. As soon as he hears you, he’ll answer you. 20He might treat you like prisoners. You might eat the bread of trouble. You might drink the water of suffering. But he will be your Teacher. He won’t hide himself anymore. You will see him with your own eyes. 21You will hear your Teacher’s voice behind you. You will hear it whether you turn to the right or the left. It will say, “Here is the path I want you to take. So walk on it.” 22Then you will get rid of the silver statues of your gods. You won’t have anything to do with the gold statues either. All of them are “unclean.” So you will throw them away like dirty rags. You will say to them, “Get away from us!”
23The Lord will send rain on the seeds you plant in the ground. The crops that grow will be rich and plentiful. At that time your cattle will eat grass in rolling meadows. 24The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat the finest feed and crushed grain. The farmers will use pitchforks and shovels to separate it from the straw. 25At that time the towers of your enemies will fall down. Their soldiers will die. Streams of water will flow on every high mountain and hill. 26The moon will shine like the sun. And the sunlight will be seven times brighter than usual. It will be like the light of seven full days. That will happen when the Lord bandages and heals the wounds and bruises he has brought on his people.
27The Lord will come from far away
in all his power and glory.
He will show his burning anger.
Thick clouds of smoke will be all around him.
His mouth will speak angry words.
The words from his tongue will be like a destroying fire.
28His breath will be like a rushing flood
that rises up to the neck.
He’ll separate out the nations he is going to destroy.
He’ll place a bit in their jaws.
It will lead them down the road to death.
29You will sing
as you do on the night you celebrate a holy feast.
Your hearts will be filled with joy.
You will be as joyful as people playing their flutes
as they go up to the mountain of the Lord.
He is the Rock of Israel.
30The Lord will cause people to hear his powerful voice.
He will make them see his arm coming down to punish them.
It will come down with burning anger and destroying fire.
It will come down with rain, thunderstorms and hail.
31The voice of the Lord will tear the Assyrians apart.
He will strike them down with his scepter.
32He will strike them
with his club to punish them.
Each time he does, his people will celebrate
with the music of harps and tambourines.
He will use his powerful arm
to strike down the Assyrians in battle.
33In the Valley of Ben Hinnom, Topheth has been prepared for a long time.
It has been made ready for the king of Assyria.
Its fire pit has been made deep and wide.
It has plenty of wood for the fire.
The breath of the Lord
will be like a stream of burning sulfur.
It will set the wood on fire.
Ay de la nación obstinada
1El Señor ha dictado esta sentencia:
«Ay de los hijos rebeldes
que ejecutan planes que no son míos,
que hacen alianzas contrarias a mi Espíritu,
que amontonan pecado sobre pecado,
2que bajan a Egipto sin consultarme,
para buscar la protección de Faraón
y se refugian bajo la sombra de Egipto.
3¡La protección de Faraón será su vergüenza!
¡El refugiarse bajo la sombra de Egipto, su humillación!
4Aunque en Zoán tengan oficiales,
y a Janés hayan llegado sus mensajeros,
5todos quedarán avergonzados
por culpa de un pueblo que les resulta inútil,
que no les brinda ninguna ayuda ni provecho,
sino solo vergüenza y desgracia».
6Esta es la profecía sobre los animales del Néguev:
Por tierra de dificultades y angustias,
de leones y leonas,
de serpientes veloces y venenosas,
llevan ellos a lomo de burro
las riquezas de esa nación inútil,
y sus tesoros, a lomo de camello.
7La ayuda de Egipto no sirve para nada;
por eso la llamo:
«Rahab, la inútil».
8Anda, pues, delante de ellos, y grábalo en una tablilla.
Escríbelo en un rollo de cuero,
para que en los días venideros
quede como un testimonio eterno.
9Porque este es un pueblo rebelde; son hijos mentirosos,
hijos que no quieren escuchar la Ley del Señor.
10A los videntes les dicen:
«¡No tengan más visiones!»,
y a los profetas:
«¡No nos sigan profetizando la verdad!
Dígannos cosas agradables,
profeticen ilusiones.
11¡Apártense del camino,
retírense de esta senda
y dejen de enfrentarnos
con el Santo de Israel!».
12Así dice el Santo de Israel:
«Ustedes han rechazado esta palabra;
han confiado en la opresión y en la perversidad
y se han apoyado en ellas.
13Por eso su iniquidad se alzará frente a ustedes
como un muro alto y agrietado, a punto de derrumbarse:
¡de repente, en un instante, se desplomará!
14Quedará hecha pedazos,
hecha añicos sin piedad, como vasija de barro:
ni uno solo de sus pedazos servirá
para sacar brasas del fuego
ni agua de una cisterna».
15Porque así dice el Señor y Dios, el Santo de Israel:
«En el arrepentimiento y la calma está su salvación,
en la serenidad y la confianza está su fuerza,
¡pero ustedes no lo quieren reconocer!
16Se resisten y dicen: “Huiremos a caballo”.
¡Por eso, así tendrán que huir!
Dicen: “Cabalgaremos sobre caballos veloces”.
¡Por eso, veloces serán sus perseguidores!
17Ante la amenaza de uno solo,
mil de ustedes saldrán huyendo;
ante la amenaza de cinco,
huirán todos ustedes.
Quedarán abandonados
como un mástil en la cima de una montaña,
como una bandera sobre una colina».
18Por eso el Señor los espera, para tenerles piedad;
por eso se levanta para mostrarles compasión.
Porque el Señor es un Dios de justicia.
¡Dichosos todos los que en él esperan!
19Pueblo de Sión, que habitas en Jerusalén, ya no llorarás más. ¡El Dios de piedad se apiadará de ti cuando clames pidiendo ayuda! Tan pronto como te oiga, te responderá. 20Aunque el Señor te dé pan de adversidad y agua de aflicción, tus maestros no se esconderán más; con tus propios ojos los verás. 21Ya sea que te desvíes a la derecha o a la izquierda, tus oídos percibirán a tus espaldas una voz que te dirá: «Este es el camino; síguelo». 22Entonces profanarás tus ídolos enchapados en plata y tus imágenes revestidas de oro; los arrojarás como trapo impuro y les dirás: «¡Fuera de aquí!».
23El Señor te enviará lluvia para la semilla que siembres en la tierra, y el alimento que produzca la tierra será suculento y abundante. En aquel día tu ganado pacerá en extensas praderas. 24Los bueyes y los burros que trabajan la tierra comerán el mejor grano, arrojado al aire con pala y rastrillo. 25En el día de la gran masacre, cuando caigan las torres, habrá arroyos y corrientes de agua en toda montaña alta y en toda colina elevada. 26Cuando el Señor ponga una venda en la fractura de su pueblo y sane las heridas que le causó, brillará la luna como el sol, y será la luz del sol siete veces más intensa, como la luz de siete días enteros.
27¡Miren! El nombre del Señor viene de lejos,
con ardiente ira y densa humareda.
Sus labios están llenos de furor;
su lengua es como un fuego consumidor.
28Su aliento es cual torrente desbordado
que llega hasta el cuello,
para sacudir a las naciones y llevarlas a la ruina.
Pone en las quijadas de los pueblos
un freno que los desvía.
29Ustedes cantarán
como en noche de fiesta sagrada;
su corazón se alegrará,
como cuando uno sube con flautas
a la montaña del Señor,
a la Roca de Israel.
30El Señor hará oír su majestuosa voz;
su brazo descenderá con rugiente ira
y llama de fuego consumidor;
con aguacero, tormenta y granizo.
31La voz del Señor quebrantará a Asiria;
la golpeará con su bastón.
32Cada golpe que el Señor descargue sobre ella
con su vara de castigo
será al son de panderos y de arpas;
agitando su brazo, peleará contra ellos.
33Porque Tofet30:33 Tofet. Lugar de incineración, cercano a Jerusalén. está preparada desde hace tiempo;
está dispuesta incluso para el rey.
Se ha hecho una pira de fuego profunda y ancha,
con abundancia de fuego y leña;
el soplo del Señor la encenderá
como un torrente de azufre ardiente.
