Isaiah 30:1-6

English Standard Version

Do Not Go Down to Egypt

30 “Ah, ^(A)stubborn children,” declares the Lord,
^(B)“who carry out a plan, but not mine,
and who make ^(C)an alliance,^[a] but not of my Spirit,
    that they may add sin to sin;
²^(D)who set out to go down to Egypt,
    without asking for my direction,
to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh
    and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!
³^(E)Therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame,
    and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation.
⁴For though his officials are at ^(F)Zoan
    and ^(G)his envoys reach ^(H)Hanes,
⁵everyone comes to shame
    through ^(I)a people that cannot profit them,
that brings neither help nor profit,
    but shame and disgrace.”

⁶An ^(J)oracle on ^(K)the beasts of ^(L)the Negeb.

Through a land of trouble and anguish,
    from where come the lioness and the lion,
    the adder and the ^(M)flying fiery serpent,
they carry their riches on the backs of donkeys,
    and their treasures on the humps of camels,
    to a people that cannot profit them.