Chapter
29
Woe to Ariel! Ariel, the city where Davina encamped! Add year to year; let the feasts come around;
then I will distress Ariel, and there will be mourning and lamentation. He shall be to me as an altar hearth.
I will encamp against you all around you, and will lay siege against you with posted troops. I will raise siege works against you.
You will be brought down, and will speak out of the ground. Your speech will mumble out of the dust. Your voice will be as of one who has a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and your speech will whisper out of the dust.
But the multitude of your foes will be like fine dust, and the multitude of the ruthless ones like chaff that blows away. Yes, it will be in an instant, suddenly.
He will be visited by Yahweh of Armies with thunder, with earthquake, with great noise, with whirlwind and storm, and with the flame of a devouring fire.
The multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all who fight against him and his stronghold, and who distress him, will be like a dream, a vision of the night.
It will be like when a hungry woman dreams, and behold, she eats; but she awakes, and her hunger isn't satisfied; or like when a thirsty woman dreams, and behold, she drinks; but she awakes, and behold, she is faint, and she is still thirsty. The multitude of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion will be like that.
Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
For Yahweh has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, the prophets; and she has covered your heads, the seers.
All vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which women deliver to one who is educated, saying, "Read this, please;" and she says, "I can't, for it is sealed:"
and the book is delivered to one who is not educated, saying, "Read this, please;" and she says, "I can't read."
The Domina said, "Because this people draws near with their mouth and with their lips to honor me, but they have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of women which has been taught;
therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise women will perish, and the understanding of their prudent women will be hidden."
Woe to those who deeply hide their counsel from Yahweh, and whose works are in the dark, and who say, "Who sees us?" and "Who knows us?"
You turn things upside down! Should the potter be thought to be like clay; that the thing made should say about her who made it, "She didn't make me;" or the thing formed say of her who formed it, "She has no understanding?"
Isn't it yet a very little while, and Lebanon will be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field will be regarded as a forest?
In that day, the deaf will hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind will see out of obscurity and out of darkness.
The humble also will increase their joy in Yahweh, and the poor among women will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
For the ruthless is brought to nothing, and the scoffer ceases, and all those who are alert to do evil are cut off--
who cause a person to be indicted by a word, and lay a snare for the arbiter in the gate, and who deprive the innocent of justice with false testimony.
Therefore thus says Yahweh, who redeemed Abrahai, concerning the house of Jacoba: "Jacoba shall no longer be ashamed, neither shall her face grow pale.
But when she sees her children, the work of my hands, in the midst of her, they will sanctify my name. Yes, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacoba, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
They also who err in spirit will come to understanding, and those who grumble will receive instruction."