⁶ The burden concerning the beasts of the south. Into the land of trouble and woe. The lioness and the lion are from them; the viper, and the fiery flying serpent. They carry their riches on the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people that cannot profit. ⁷ For Egypt helps vainly, and worthlessly. So I have cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still.

⁸ Now go, write it before them in a tablet, and note it in a book, so that it may be for the time to come forever and ever, ⁹ that this is a rebellious people, lying sons. They are sons who will not hear the Law of Jehovah; ¹⁰ who say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Do not prophesy to us right things, speak to us smooth things, prophesy falsehood; ¹¹ go out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. ¹² Therefore so says the Holy One of Israel, Because you have despised this Word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and rest on them; ¹³ therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant. ¹⁴ And He shall break it as the breaking of the potters' vessel that is broken in pieces. He shall have no pity, so that there shall not be found in the breaking of it a shard to take fire from the hearth, or to take water out of the pit. ¹⁵ For so says the Lord Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, In returning and rest you shall be saved; and in quietness and hope shall be your strength. And you were not willing. ¹⁶ But you said, No; for we will flee on a horse. Therefore you shall flee. And you said, We will ride on the swift; therefore those who pursue you shall be swift. ¹⁷ One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five you shall flee, until you are left as a pole on the top of a mountain, and as a sign on a hill.