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With whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire.

⁷And the multitude of all the nations that war against Ariel,

Even all that war against her, and the bulwarks about her, and they that distress her,

Shall be as a dream, a vision of the night.

⁸And it shall be as when a hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth,

But he awaketh, and his soul is empty;

Or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh,

But he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite—

So shall the multitude of all the nations be,

That fight against mount Zion.

 

⁹Stupefy yourselves, and be stupid!

Blind yourselves, and be blind!

Ye that are drunken, but not with wine,

That stagger, but not with strong drink.

¹⁰For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep,

And hath closed your eyes;

The prophets, and your heads, the seers, hath He covered.

¹¹And the vision of all this is become unto you as the words of a writing that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying: 'Read this, I pray thee'; and he saith: 'I cannot, for it is sealed'; ¹²and the writing is delivered to him that is not learned, saying: 'Read this, I pray thee'; and he saith: 'I am not learned.'

¹³And the Lord said: Forasmuch as this people draw near,

And with their mouth and with their lips do honour Me,

But have removed their heart far from Me,

And their fear of Me is a commandment of men learned by rote;

¹⁴Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvellous work among this people,

Even a marvellous work and a wonder;

And the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,

And the prudence of their prudent men shall be hid.

 

¹⁵Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord,

And their works are in the dark,

And they say: 'Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?'

¹⁶O your perversity!

Shall the potter be esteemed as clay;

That the thing made should say of him that made it: 'He made me not';

Or the thing framed say of him that framed it: 'He hath no understanding?'

¹⁷Is it not yet a very little while,

And Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field,

And the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

¹⁸And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of a book,

And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.

¹⁹The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord,

And the neediest among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.

²⁰For the terrible one is brought to nought,

And the scorner ceaseth,

And all they that watch for iniquity are cut off;

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