Ariel and Her Enemies

291 Woe , O Ariel , Ariel the city where David once camped ! Add year to year , observe your feasts on schedule . 2 I will bring distress to Ariel , And she will be a city of lamenting and mourning ; And she will be like an Ariel to me. 3 I will camp against you encircling you, And I will set siegeworks against you, And I will raise up battle towers against you. 4 Then you will be brought low ; From the earth you will speak , And from the dust where you are prostrate Your words will come. Your voice will also be like that of a spirit from the ground , And your speech will whisper from the dust . 5 But the multitude of your enemies will become like fine dust , And the multitude of the ruthless ones like the chaff which blows away ; And it will happen instantly , suddenly . 6 From the Lord of hosts you will be punished with thunder and earthquake and loud noise , With whirlwind and tempest and the flame of a consuming fire . 7 And the multitude of all the nations who wage war against Ariel , Even all who wage war against her and her stronghold , and who distress her, Will be like a dream , a vision of the night . 8 It will be as when a hungry man dreams - And behold , he is eating ; But when he awakens , his hunger is not satisfied , Or as when a thirsty man dreams - And behold , he is drinking , But when he awakens , behold , he is faint And his thirst is not quenched . Thus the multitude of all the nations will be Who wage war against Mount Zion .

The Blindness and Hypocrisy of Israel

9 Be delayed and wait , Blind yourselves and be blind ; They become drunk , but not with wine , They stagger , but not with strong drink . 10 For the Lord has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep , He has shut your eyes , the prophets ; And He has covered your heads , the seers . 11 The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed book , which when they give it to the one who is literate e , saying , "Please read this ," he will say , "I cannot e , for it is sealed ." 12 Then the book will be given to the one who is illiterate e e , saying , "Please read this ." And he will say , "I cannot read e ." 13 Then the Lord said , "Because e this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service , But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition e learned by rote, 14 Therefore behold , I will once again deal marvelously with this people , wondrously marvelous ; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish , And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed ." 15 Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord , And whose deeds are done in a dark place , And they say , " Who sees us?" or "Who knows us?" 16 You turn things around ! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay , That what is made would say to its maker , "He did not make me"; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, "He has no understanding "?

The Redemption of Israel

17 Is it not yet just a little while Before Lebanon will be turned into a fertile field , And the fertile field will be considered as a forest ? 18 On that day the deaf will hear words of a book , And out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see . 19 The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the Lord , And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel . 20 For the ruthless will come to an end and the scorner will be finished , Indeed all who are intent on doing evil will be cut off ; 21 Who cause a person to be indicted by a word , And ensnare him who adjudicates at the gate , And defraud the one in the right with meaningless arguments . 22 Therefore thus says the Lord , who redeemed Abraham , concerning the house of Jacob : "Jacob shall not now be ashamed , nor shall his face now turn pale ; 23 But when he sees his children , the work of My hands , in his midst , They will sanctify My name ; Indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob And will stand in awe of the God of Israel . 24 "Those who err in mind will know the truth , And those who criticize will accept instruction .