Isaiah 29

oe to Ariel, to Ariel the city which David took: year is added to year the solemnities are at an end. 2 And I will make a trench about Ariel, and it shall be in sorrow and mourning, and it shall be to me as Ariel. 3 And I will make a circle round about you, and I will cast up a rampart against you, and raise up bulwarks to besiege you. 4 You shall be brought down, you shall speak out of the earth, and your speech shall be heard out of the ground: and your voice shall be from the earth like that of the python, and out of the earth your speech shall mutter. 5 And the multitude of them that fan you, shall be like small dust: and as ashes passing away, the multitude of them that have prevailed against you. 6 And it shall be at an instant suddenly. A visitation shall come from the Lord of hosts in thunder, and with earthquake, and with a great noise of whirlwind and tempest; and with the flame of devouring fire. 7 And the multitude of all nations that have fought against Ariel, shall be as the dream of a vision by night, and all that have fought, and besieged and prevailed against it. 8 And as he that is hungry dreams, and eats, but when he is awake, his soul is empty: and as he that is thirsty dreams, and drinks and after he is awake, is yet faint with thirst, and his soul is empty: so shall be the multitude of all the Gentiles, that have fought against mount Sion. 9 Be astonished, and wonder, waver, and stagger: be drunk, and not with wine: stagger, and not with drunkenness. 10 For the Lord has mingled for you the spirit of a deep sleep, he will shut up your eyes, he will cover your prophets and princes, that see visions. 11 And the vision of all shall be unto you as the words of a book that is sealed which when they shall deliver to one that is learned, they shall say: Read this: and he shall answer: I cannot, for it is sealed. 12 And the book shall be given to one that knows no letters, and it shall be said to him: Read: and he shall answer: I know no letters. 13 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: 14 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. 15 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 sees us, and who knows us? 16 This thought of yours is perverse: as if the clay should think against the potter, and the work should say to the maker thereof: You made me not: or the thing framed should say to him that fashioned it: You understand not. 17 Is it not yet a very little while, and Libanus shall be turned into charmel, and charmel shall be esteemed as a forest? 18 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. 19 And the meek shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. 20 For he that did prevail has failed, the scorner is consumed, and they are all cut off that watched for iniquity: 21 That made men sin by word, and supplanted him that reproved them in the gate, and declined in vain from the just. 22 Therefore thus says the Lord to the house of Jacob, he that redeemed Abraham: Jacob shall not now be confounded, neither shall his countenance now be ashamed: 23 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: 24 And they that erred in spirit, shall know understanding, and they that murmured, shall learn the law.