1. “Ah, stubborn children,” declares the Lord, “who carry out a plan, but not mine,and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit,that they may add sin to sin;
2. who set out to go down to Egypt,without asking for my direction,to take refuge in the protection of Pharaohand to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!
3. Therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame,and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation.
4. For though his officials are at Zoanand his envoys reach Hanes,
5. everyone comes to shamethrough a people that cannot profit them,that brings neither help nor profit,but shame and disgrace.”
6. An oracle on the beasts of the Negeb.Through a land of trouble and anguish,from where come the lioness and the lion,the adder and the flying fiery serpent,they carry their riches on the backs of donkeys,and their treasures on the humps of camels,to a people that cannot profit them.
7. Egypt’s help is worthless and empty;therefore I have called her “Rahab who sits still.”
8. And now, go, write it before them on a tabletand inscribe it in a book,that it may be for the time to comeas a witness forever.