9. Exasperate yourselves, O ye Amim (Nations), and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries; gird yourselves for battle, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves for battle, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
10. Consult etzah (counsel, plan), and it shall come to naught; speak the davar, and it shall not stand; for Immanu El (G-d is with us).
11. For Hashem hath spoken thus to me with chezkat haYad, and instructed me that I should not walk in the Derech HaAm HaZeh, saying,
12. Call ye not Kesher (Conspiracy) all that this people calls kesher; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread.
13. Regard Hashem Tzva'os as kadosh; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.
14. And He shall be for a Mikdash; but for an Even Negef (Stone of Stumbling) and for a Tzur Michshol to both the Batei Yisroel, for a pach (snare) and for a mokesh (trap) to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim.
15. And rabbim (many) among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
16. Bind up [to preserve for the future] the te'udah (testimony, i.e. prophetic record such as chapter 6), chatom (seal up) the torah (teaching) among my disciples.
17. And I will wait for Hashem, that hideth His face from the Bais Ya'akov, and I will look [in hope] for Him.
18. Hinei, I and the yeladim whom Hashem hath given me are for otot and for mofetim [see Zecharyah 3:8] in Yisroel from Hashem Tzva'os, which dwelleth in Mt Tziyon.
19. And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto mediums that have familiar spirits, and unto spiritists that whisper, and that mutter: should not Am seek unto Elohav? Should they consult the mesim (dead ones) for the benefit of the chayyim (living)?
20. To the torah (teaching of G-d) and to the te'udah (recorded testimony, see verse 16); if they speak not according to Davar HaZeh, it is because there is no shachar (dawn, light) in them.