1-5. “Doom, rebel children!”God’s Decree.“You make plans, but not mine.You make deals, but not in my Spirit.You pile sin on sin,one sin on top of another,Going off to Egyptwithout so much as asking me,Running off to Pharaoh for protection,expecting to hide out in Egypt.Well, some protection Pharaoh will be!Some hideout, Egypt!They look big and important, true,with officials strategically established inZoan in the north and Hanes in the south,but there’s nothing to them.Anyone stupid enough to trust themwill end up looking stupid—All show, no substance,an embarrassing farce.”
12-14. Therefore, The Holy of Israel says this:“Because you scorn this Message,Preferring to live by injusticeand shape your lives on lies,This perverse way of lifewill be like a towering, badly built wallThat slowly, slowly tilts and shifts,and then one day, without warning, collapses—Smashed to bits like a piece of pottery,smashed beyond recognition or repair,Useless, a pile of debristo be swept up and thrown in the trash.”
15-17. God, the Master, The Holy of Israel,has this solemn counsel:“Your salvation requires you to turn back to meand stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.Your strength will come from settling downin complete dependence on me—The very thingyou’ve been unwilling to do.You’ve said, ‘Nothing doing! We’ll rush off on horseback!’You’ll rush off, all right! Just not far enough!You’ve said, ‘We’ll ride off on fast horses!’Do you think your pursuers ride old nags?Think again: A thousand of you will scatter before one attacker.Before a mere five you’ll all run off.There’ll be nothing left of you—a flagpole on a hill with no flag,a signpost on a roadside with the sign torn off.”
18. But God’s not finished. He’s waiting around to be gracious to you.He’s gathering strength to show mercy to you.God takes the time to do everything right—everything.Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.