1Woe,O Ariel,Arielthe city[where] David[once] camped!Addyearto year,observe[your] feastson schedule.
2I will bringdistressto Ariel,And she will be [a city of] lamentingand mourning;And she will be like an Arielto me.
3I will campagainstyou encircling[you], And I will setsiegeworksagainstyou, And I will raiseup battletowersagainstyou.
4Then you will be broughtlow;From the earthyou will speak,And from the dust[where] you are prostrateYour words[will come]. Your voicewill also be like that of a spiritfrom the ground,And your speechwill whisperfrom the dust.
5But the multitudeof your enemieswill becomelike finedust,And the multitudeof the ruthlessoneslike the chaffwhich blowsaway;And it will happeninstantly,suddenly.
6From the LORDof hostsyou will be punishedwith thunderand earthquakeand loudnoise,[With] whirlwindand tempestand the flameof a consumingfire.
7And the multitudeof allthe nationswho wagewaragainstAriel,Even allwho wagewaragainst her and her stronghold,and who distressher, Will be like a dream,a visionof the night.
8It will be as whena hungrymandreams--And behold,he is eating;But when he awakens,his hungeris not satisfied,Or as whena thirstymandreams--And behold,he is drinking,But when he awakens,behold,he is faintAnd his thirstis not quenched.Thusthe multitudeof allthe nationswill be Who wagewaragainstMountZion.
9Be delayedand wait,Blindyourselves and be blind;They becomedrunk,but not with wine,They stagger,but not with strongdrink.
10For the LORDhas pouredoveryou a spiritof deepsleep,He has shutyour eyes,the prophets;And He has coveredyour heads,the seers.
11The entirevisionwill be to you like the wordsof a sealedbook,whichwhen they giveit to the one who is literate,saying,"Pleasereadthis,"he will say,"I cannot,for it is sealed."12Then the bookwill be givento the one whois illiterate,saying,"Pleasereadthis."And he will say,"I cannotread."
13Then the Lordsaid,"Becausethispeopledrawnearwith their wordsAnd honorMe with their lipservice,But they removetheir heartsfarfrom Me, And their reverencefor Me consistsof traditionlearned[by rote],
14Thereforebehold,I will once againdealmarvelouslywith thispeople,wondrouslymarvelous;And the wisdomof their wisemenwill perish,And the discernmentof their discerningmen will be concealed."
15Woeto those who deeplyhidetheir plansfrom the LORD,And whose deedsare [done] in a darkplace,And they say,"Whoseesus?" or "Whoknowsus?"
16You turn[things] around!Shall the potterbe consideredas equal with the clay,That whatis madewould sayto its maker,"He did not makeme"; Or whatis formedsayto him who formedit, "He has nounderstanding"?
17Is it not yetjust a littlewhileBefore Lebanonwill be turnedinto a fertilefield,And the fertilefieldwill be consideredas a forest?
18On that daythe deafwill hearwordsof a book,And out of [their] gloomand darknessthe eyesof the blindwill see.
19The afflictedalso will increasetheir gladnessin the LORD,And the needyof mankindwill rejoicein the HolyOneof Israel.
20For the ruthlesswill cometo an endand the scornerwill be finished,Indeed allwho are intenton doingevilwill be cutoff;
21Who cause a personto be indictedby a word,And ensnarehim who adjudicatesat the gate,And defraudthe onein the rightwith meaninglessarguments.
22Thereforethussaysthe LORD,whoredeemedAbraham,concerningthe houseof Jacob:"Jacobshall not nowbe ashamed,norshall his facenowturnpale;
23But whenhe seeshis children,the workof My hands,in his midst,They will sanctifyMy name;Indeed, they will sanctifythe HolyOneof JacobAnd will standin aweof the Godof Israel.
24"Those who errin mindwill knowthe truth,And those who criticizewill acceptinstruction.
