The Hebrew Prophets

Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: `Lo, I am laying a foundation in Zion, A stone--a tried stone, a corner stone precious, a settled foundation, He who is believing doth not make haste.

And I have put judgment for a line, And righteousness for a plummet, And sweep away doth hail the refuge of lies, And the secret hiding-place do waters overflow.

And disannulled hath been your covenant with death, And your provision with Sheol doth not stand, An overflowing scourge, when it passeth over, Then ye have been to it for a treading-place.

From the fulness of its passing over it taketh you, For morning by morning it passeth over, By day and by night, And it hath been only a trembling to consider the report.

For shorter hath been the bed Than to stretch one's self out in, And the covering hath been narrower Than to wrap one's self up in.

For as at mount Perazim rise doth Jehovah, As at the valley in Gibeon He is troubled, To do His work--strange is His work, And to do His deed--strange is His deed.'

And now, show not yourselves scorners, Lest strong be your bands, For a consumption, that is determined, I have heard, by the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, Is for all the land.

Give ear, and hear my voice, Attend, and hear my saying:

The whole day plougheth the ploughman to sow? He openeth and harroweth his ground!

Hath he not, if he have made level its face, Then scattered fitches, and cummin sprinkle, And hath placed the principal wheat, And the appointed barley, And the rie in its own border?

And instruct him for judgment doth his God, He doth direct him.

For not with a sharp-pointed thing threshed are fitches, And the wheel of a cart on cummin turned round, For with a staff beaten out are fitches, And cummin with a rod.

Bread- corn is beaten small, For not for ever doth he sorely thresh it, Nor crushed it hath a wheel of his cart, Nor do his hoofs beat it small.

Even this from Jehovah of Hosts hath gone out, He hath made counsel wonderful, He hath made wisdom great!

Woe to Ariel, Ariel, The city of the encampment of David! Add year to year, let festivals go round.

And I have sent distress to Ariel, And it hath been lamentation and mourning, And it hath been to me as Ariel.

And I encamped, O babbler, against thee, And I laid siege against thee--a camp. And I raised up against thee bulwarks.

And thou hast been low, From the earth thou speakest, And from the dust makest thy saying low, And thy voice hath been from the earth, As one having a familiar spirit, And from the dust thy saying whisperest,

And as small dust hath been The multitude of those scattering thee, And as chaff passing on the multitude of the terrible, And it hath been at an instant--suddenly.

By Jehovah of Hosts thou art inspected, With thunder, and with an earthquake, And great noise, hurricane, and whirlwind, And flame of devouring fire.

And as a dream, a vision of night, hath been The multitude of all the nations Who are warring against Ariel, And all its warriors, and its bulwark, Even of those distressing her.

And it hath been, as when the hungry dreameth, And lo, he is eating, And he hath waked, and empty is his soul, And as when the thirsty dreameth, And lo, he is drinking, and he hath waked, And lo, he is weary, and his soul is longing, So is the multitude of all the nations Who are warring against mount Zion.

Tarry and wonder, look ye, yea, look, Be drunk, and not with wine, Stagger, and not with strong drink.

For poured out on you hath Jehovah a spirit of deep sleep, And He closeth your eyes--the prophets, And your heads--the seers--He covered.

And the vision of the whole is to you, As words of the sealed book, That they give unto one knowing books, Saying, `Read this, we pray thee,' And he hath said, `I am not able, for it is sealed;'