13. this iniquity of yours will belike a spreading breach,a bulge in a high wallwhose collapse will come in an instant — suddenly!
14. Its collapse will be like the shatteringof a potter’s jar, crushed to pieces,so that not even a fragment of potterywill be found among its shattered remains —no fragment large enough to take fire from a hearthor scoop water from a cistern.”
15. For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said:“You will be delivered by returning and resting;your strength will lie in quiet confidence.But you are not willing.”
16. You say, “No!We will escape on horses” —therefore you will escape! —and, “We will ride on fast horses” —but those who pursue you will be faster.
17. One thousand will flee at the threat of one, at the threat of five you will flee,until you alone remainlike a solitary pole on a mountaintopor a banner on a hill.
18. Therefore the Lord is waiting to show you mercy,and is rising up to show you compassion, for the Lord is a just God.All who wait patiently for Him are happy.
19. For you people will live on Zion in Jerusalem and will never cry again. He will show favor to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears, He will answer you.
20. The Lord will give you meager bread and water during oppression, but your Teacher will not hide Himself any longer. Your eyes will see your Teacher,
21. and whenever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”
22. Then you will defile your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away like menstrual cloths, and call them filth.
23. Then He will send rain for your seed that you have sown in the ground, and the food, the produce of the ground, will be rich and plentiful. On that day your cattle will graze in open pastures.