Isaiah 30

Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:

1The LORD says, "Trouble is coming to my children who will not obey me. They make plans, but the plans are not mine. They make deals with other countries, and I did not want that. They keep adding more sin."

2That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!

2They travel down to Egypt, but they never ask me first. They want Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to keep them safe. They hope Egypt will cover them like cool shade.

3Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

3But Pharaoh will not keep you safe. He will only bring you shame. Hiding in Egypt's shade will leave you looking foolish.

4For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.

4Judah's leaders have gone to the Egyptian city of Zoan. Their messengers have reached the city of Hanes.

5They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.

5But everyone will be ashamed. These people cannot help them at all. Egypt is no use. It brings only shame and blame.

6The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.

6This is a message about the animals traveling south. They cross a hard, frightening land. Lions live there, and snakes, and flying snakes. Donkeys carry the people's money on their backs. Camels carry their treasure on their humps. All of it goes to people who will not help them.

Note"Burden" in the old English means a heavy message from God, not a load an animal carries.

7For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still.

7Egypt's help is empty. It does nothing at all. So I call Egypt "the one who sits still and never moves."

8Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:

8Now go and write this on a tablet where the people can see it. Write it in a book too. It will stay there for people who come later, always.

9That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:

9These people will not obey. They are children who tell lies. They will not listen to what the LORD teaches.

10Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

10They say to the seers, people who see messages from God, "Stop seeing." They say to the prophets, who tell people what God says, "Do not tell us true things. Tell us nice things instead. Tell us pretty lies."

11Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

11They say, "Get off our road. Move out of our way. Stop telling us about the Holy One of Israel." That name means God.

12Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:

12So the Holy One of Israel says this. "You said no to my message. You trust in being cruel and in lies. You lean on them."

13Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.

13So this sin of yours is like a crack in a tall wall. The wall bulges out. Then it falls down all at once, with no warning.

14And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters’ vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit.

14God will break it like someone smashing a clay jar. He will not hold back. The pieces will be too small to use. Not one piece could scoop hot coals or dip up water.

15For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

15The Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, says this. "If you come back to me and rest, you will be safe. Staying calm and trusting me would make you strong. But you would not do it."

16But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.

16You said, "No. We will ride away fast on horses." So you will run away. You said, "Our horses are quick." But the ones chasing you will be quicker.

17One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.

17One enemy will shout, and a thousand of you will run. Five will shout, and all of you will run. You will be left all alone. You will be like one pole on a mountain top, like one flag on a hill.

18And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

18But the LORD is waiting so he can be kind to you. He stands up so he can show you love. The LORD is a fair God. Everyone who waits for him is happy.

19For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.

19You people who live in Zion, in the city of Jerusalem, will cry no more. God will be kind when you call for help. When he hears you, he will answer you.

20And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

20The Lord may give you hard days, like bread of trouble and water of sadness. Even so, your teacher will not be hidden away. You will see your teacher with your own eyes.

21And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

21You will hear a voice behind you telling you where to go. It will say, "This is the way. Walk here." You will hear it when you turn right and when you turn left.

22Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

22You will treat your idols, the statues people pray to, as dirty things. They are covered with silver and gold. You will throw them away like a filthy rag. You will say to them, "Get out of here."

NoteThe old wording compares the idols to a cloth stained with blood, which people counted as unclean. "Filthy rag" says the same thing.

23Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.

23Then God will send rain for the seeds you plant. The food from your fields will be rich and plenty. That day your cows will eat in wide open fields.

24The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

24The oxen and the donkeys that plow the ground will eat good food. It will be cleaned with a shovel and a fork.

NoteThe old English "ear the ground" means to plow it, to break up the dirt for planting.

25And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

25On that day, water will run down every high mountain and hill. That is the day of great killing, when the towers fall down.

26Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

26The moon will shine as bright as the sun. The sun will shine seven times brighter, like seven days at once. That is the day the LORD wraps up his people's hurt. He heals the wound they were given.

27Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

27Look, the name of the LORD comes from far away. He burns with anger, and thick smoke rises. His mouth is full of anger. His tongue is like fire that eats things up.

28And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.

28His breath is like a flood that rises up to the neck. He will shake the nations in a sieve, a basket with holes, to ruin them. He puts a bit in their mouths and leads them the wrong way.

29Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel.

29You will sing, like people sing on the night of a holy feast. Your heart will be glad. You will be like someone walking with a flute up God's mountain, going to the Strong One of Israel.

30And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.

30The LORD will let everyone hear his great voice. He will show his strong arm coming down. He will come with hot anger and burning fire. He will come with heavy rain, storm, and hail.

31For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.

31The voice of the LORD will break down Assyria, the army that struck others with a rod. God will strike them with his rod.

32And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the LORD shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.

32Every time God's rod comes down to punish them, music will play. There will be drums and harps. God will fight against them, waving his weapons.

33For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

33The burning place called Tophet was made ready long ago. It is ready for the king. It is deep and wide, with much wood and fire. The breath of the LORD lights it, like a river of burning yellow rock.

NoteTophet was a real place in a valley outside Jerusalem where fires were burned. "Brimstone" is sulfur, a yellow rock that burns.