1. WOE TO the rebellious children, says the Lord, who take counsel and carry out a plan, but not Mine, and who make a league and pour out a drink offering, but not of My Spirit, thus adding sin to sin;
2. Who set out to go down into Egypt, and have not asked Me–to flee to the stronghold of Pharaoh and to strengthen themselves in his strength and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
3. Therefore shall the strength and protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame, and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt be to your humiliation and confusion.
4. For though [Pharaoh's] officials are at Zoan and his ambassadors arrive at Hanes [in Egypt],
5. Yet will all be ashamed because of a people [the Egyptians] who cannot profit them, who are not a help or benefit, but a shame and disgrace.
6. A mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning the beasts of the South (the Negeb): Oh, the heavy burden, the load of treasures going to Egypt! Through a land of trouble and anguish, in which are lioness and lion, viper and fiery flying serpent, they carry their riches upon the shoulders of young donkeys, and their treasures upon the humps of camels, to a people that will not and cannot profit them.
7. For Egypt's help is worthless and toward no purpose. Therefore I have called her Rahab Who Sits Still.
8. Now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be as a witness for the time to come forevermore.
9. For this is a rebellious people, faithless and lying sons, children who will not hear the law and instruction of the Lord;
10. Who [virtually] say to the seers [by their conduct], See not! and to the prophets, Prophesy not to us what is right! Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceitful illusions.
11. Get out of the true way, turn aside out of the path, cease holding up before us the Holy One of Israel.
12. Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel: Because you despise and spurn this [My] word and trust in cunning and oppression, in crookedness and perverseness, and rely on them,
13. Therefore this iniquity and guilt will be to you like a broken section of a high wall, bulging out and ready [at some distant day] to fall, whose crash will [then] come suddenly and swiftly, in an instant.