The Hebrew Prophets

And the book shall be given to one that knoweth no letters, and it shall be said to him: Read: and he shall answer: I know no letters.

And the Lord said: Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips glorify me, but their heart is far from me, and they have feared me with the commandment and doctrines of men:

Therefore behold I will proceed to cause an admiration in this people, by a great and wonderful miracle: for wisdom shall perish from their wise men, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

Woe to you that are deep of heart, to hide your counsel from the Lord: and their works are in the dark, and they say: Who seeth us, and who knoweth us?

This thought of yours is perverse: as if the clay should think against the potter, and the work should say to the maker thereof: Thou madest me not: or the thing framed should say to him that fashioned it: Thou understandest not.

Is it not yet a very little while, and Libanus shall be turned into charmel, and charmel shall be esteemed as a forest?

And in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and out of darkness and obscurity the eyes of the blind shall see.

And the meek shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

For he that did prevail hath failed, the scorner is consumed, and they are all cut off that watched for iniquity:

That made men sin by word, and supplanted him that reproved them in the gate, and declined in vain from the just.

Therefore thus saith the Lord to the house of Jacob, he that redeemed Abraham: Jacob shall not now be confounded, neither shall his countenance now be ashamed:

But when he shall see his children, the work of my hands in the midst of him sanctifying my name, and they shall sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall glorify the God of Israel:

And they that erred in spirit, shall know understanding, and they that murmured, shall learn the law.

Woe to you, apostate children, saith the Lord, that you would take counsel, and not of me: and would begin a web, and not by my spirit, that you might add sin upon sin:

Who walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth, hoping for help in the strength of Pharao, and trusting in the shadow of Egypt.

And the strength of Pharao shall be to your confusion, and the confidence of the shadow of Egypt to your shame.

For thy princes were in Tanis, and thy messengers came even to Hanes.

They were all confounded at a people that could not profit them: they were no help, nor to any profit, but to confusion and to reproach.

The burden of the beasts of the south. In a land of trouble and distress, from whence come the lioness, and the lion, the viper and the flying basilisk, they carry their riches upon the shoulders of beasts, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels to a people that shall not be able to profit them.

For Egypt shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this: It is pride only, sit still.

Now therefore go in and write for them upon box, and note it diligently in a book, and it shall be in the latter days for a testimony for ever.

For it is a people that provoketh to wrath, and lying children that will not hear the law of God.

Who say to the seers: See not: and to them that behold: Behold not for us those things that are right: speak unto us pleasant things, see errors for us.

Take away from me the way, turn away the path from me, let the Holy One of Israel cease from before us.

Therefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel: Because you have rejected this word, and have trusted in oppression and tumult, and have leaned upon it: