Daily Bread

Through a land of hardship and distress,^(Q)
    of lions^(R) and lionesses,
    of adders and darting snakes,^(S)
the envoys carry their riches on donkeys’^(T) backs,
    their treasures^(U) on the humps of camels,
to that unprofitable nation,
⁷     to Egypt, whose help is utterly useless.^(V)
Therefore I call her
    Rahab^(W) the Do-Nothing.

⁸ Go now, write it on a tablet^(X) for them,
    inscribe it on a scroll,^(Y)
that for the days to come
    it may be an everlasting witness.^(Z)
9 For these are rebellious^(AA) people, deceitful^(AB) children,
    children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction.^(AC)
10 They say to the seers,^(AD)
    “See no more visions^(AE)!”
and to the prophets,
    “Give us no more visions of what is right!
Tell us pleasant things,^(AF)
    prophesy illusions.^(AG)
11 Leave this way,^(AH)
    get off this path,
and stop confronting^(AI) us
    with the Holy One^(AJ) of Israel!”

“Because you have rejected this message,^(AL)
    relied on oppression^(AM)
    and depended on deceit,
¹³ this sin will become for you
    like a high wall,^(AN) cracked and bulging,
    that collapses^(AO) suddenly,^(AP) in an instant.
¹⁴ It will break in pieces like pottery,^(AQ)
    shattered so mercilessly
that among its pieces not a fragment will be found
    for taking coals from a hearth
    or scooping water out of a cistern.”

“In repentance and rest^(AT) is your salvation,
    in quietness and trust^(AU) is your strength,
    but you would have none of it.^(AV)
16 You said, ‘No, we will flee^(AW) on horses.’^(AX)
    Therefore you will flee!
You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’
    Therefore your pursuers will be swift!
¹⁷ A thousand will flee
    at the threat of one;
at the threat of five^(AY)
    you will all flee^(AZ) away,
till you are left^(BA)
    like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
    like a banner^(BB) on a hill.”

¹⁸ Yet the Lord longs^(BC) to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.^(BD)
For the Lord is a God of justice.^(BE)
    Blessed are all who wait for him!^(BF)

²⁷ See, the Name^(CF) of the Lord comes from afar,
    with burning anger^(CG) and dense clouds of smoke;
his lips are full of wrath,^(CH)
    and his tongue is a consuming fire.^(CI)
28 His breath^(CJ) is like a rushing torrent,^(CK)
    rising up to the neck.^(CL)
He shakes the nations in the sieve^(CM) of destruction;
    he places in the jaws of the peoples
    a bit^(CN) that leads them astray.
²⁹ And you will sing
    as on the night you celebrate a holy festival;^(CO)
your hearts will rejoice^(CP)
    as when people playing pipes^(CQ) go up
to the mountain^(CR) of the Lord,
    to the Rock^(CS) of Israel.
³⁰ The Lord will cause people to hear his majestic voice^(CT)
    and will make them see his arm^(CU) coming down
with raging anger^(CV) and consuming fire,^(CW)
    with cloudburst, thunderstorm^(CX) and hail.^(CY)
31 The voice of the Lord will shatter Assyria;^(CZ)
    with his rod he will strike^(DA) them down.
³² Every stroke the Lord lays on them
    with his punishing club^(DB)
will be to the music of timbrels^(DC) and harps,
    as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.^(DD)
33 Topheth^(DE) has long been prepared;
    it has been made ready for the king.
Its fire pit has been made deep and wide,
    with an abundance of fire and wood;
the breath^(DF) of the Lord,
    like a stream of burning sulfur,^(DG)
    sets it ablaze.^(DH)