¹ 耶和华的使者从吉甲上到波金，对以色列人说：我使你们从埃及上来，领你们到我向你们列祖起誓应许之地。我又说：我永不废弃与你们所立的约。

² 你们也不可与这地的居民立约，要拆毁他们的祭坛。你们竟没有听从我的话！为何这样行呢？

³ 因此我又说：我必不将他们从你们面前赶出；他们必作你们肋下的荆棘。他们的神必作你们的网罗。

⁴ 耶和华的使者向以色列众人说这话的时候，百姓就放声而哭。

⁵ 於是给那地方起名叫波金（就是哭的意思）。众人在那里向耶和华献祭。

⁶ 从前约书亚打发以色列百姓去的时候，他们各归自己的地业，占据地土。

⁷ 约书亚在世和约书亚死後，那些见耶和华为以色列人所行大事的长老还在的时候，百姓都事奉耶和华。

⁸ 耶和华的仆人、嫩的儿子约书亚，正一百一十岁就死了。

⁹ 以色列人将他葬在他地业的境内，就是在以法莲山地的亭拿希烈，在迦实山的北边。

¹⁰ 那世代的人也都归了自己的列祖。後来有别的世代兴起，不知道耶和华，也不知道耶和华为以色列人所行的事。

¹¹ 以色列人行耶和华眼中看为恶的事，去事奉诸巴力，

¹² 离弃了领他们出埃及地的耶和华─他们列祖的神，去叩拜别神，就是四围列国的神，惹耶和华发怒；

¹³ 并离弃耶和华，去事奉巴力和亚斯他录。

¹⁴ 耶和华的怒气向以色列人发作，就把他们交在抢夺他们的人手中，又将他们付与四围仇敌的手中，甚至他们在仇敌面前再不能站立得住。

¹⁵ 他们无论往何处去，耶和华都以灾祸攻击他们，正如耶和华所说的话，又如耶和华向他们所起的誓；他们便极其困苦。

¹⁶ 耶和华兴起士师，士师就拯救他们脱离抢夺他们人的手。

¹⁷ 他们却不听从士师，竟随从叩拜别神，行了邪淫，速速地偏离他们列祖所行的道，不如他们列祖顺从耶和华的命令。

¹⁸ 耶和华为他们兴起士师，就与那士师同在。士师在世的一切日子，耶和华拯救他们脱离仇敌的手。他们因受欺压扰害，就哀声叹气，所以耶和华後悔了。

¹⁹ 及至士师死後，他们就转去行恶，比他们列祖更甚，去事奉叩拜别神，总不断绝顽梗的恶行。

²⁰ 於是耶和华的怒气向以色列人发作。他说：因这民违背我吩咐他们列祖所守的约，不听从我的话，

²¹ 所以约书亚死的时候所剩下的各族，我必不再从他们面前赶出，

²² 为要藉此试验以色列人，看他们肯照他们列祖谨守遵行我的道不肯。

²³ 这样耶和华留下各族，不将他们速速赶出，也没有交付约书亚的手。

¹ Yahweh said to me, "Take a large tablet, and write on it with a man's pen, 'For Maher Shalal Hash Baz;'

² and I will take for myself faithful witnesses to testify: Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah."

³ I went to the prophetess, and she conceived, and bore a son. Then Yahweh said to me, "Call his name 'Maher Shalal Hash Baz.'

⁴ For before the child knows how to say, 'My father,' and, 'My mother,' the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away by the king of Assyria."

⁵ Yahweh spoke to me yet again, saying,

⁶ "Because this people have refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son;

⁷ now therefore, behold, the Lord brings upon them the mighty flood waters of the River: the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will come up over all its channels, and go over all its banks.

⁸ It will sweep onward into Judah. It will overflow and pass through; it will reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of its wings will fill the breadth of your land, Immanuel.

⁹ Make an uproar, you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Listen, all you from far countries: dress for battle, and be shattered! Dress for battle, and be shattered!

¹⁰ Take counsel together, and it will be brought to nothing; speak the word, and it will not stand: for God is with us."

¹¹ For Yahweh spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,

¹² "Don't say, 'A conspiracy!' concerning all about which this people say, 'A conspiracy!' neither fear their threats, nor be terrorized.

¹³ Yahweh of Armies is who you must respect as holy. He is the one you must fear. He is the one you must dread.

¹⁴ He will be a sanctuary, but for both houses of Israel, he will be a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

¹⁵ Many will stumble over it, fall, be broken, be snared, and be captured."

¹⁶ Wrap up the testimony. Seal the law among my disciples.

¹⁷ I will wait for Yahweh, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

¹⁸ Behold, I and the children whom Yahweh has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from Yahweh of Armies, who dwells in Mount Zion.

¹⁹ When they tell you, "Consult with those who have familiar spirits and with the wizards, who chirp and who mutter:" shouldn't a people consult with their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?

²⁰ Turn to the law and to the testimony! If they don't speak according to this word, surely there is no morning for them.

²¹ They will pass through it, very distressed and hungry; and it will happen that when they are hungry, they will worry, and curse by their king and by their God. They will turn their faces upward,

²² and look to the earth, and see distress, darkness, and the gloom of anguish. They will be driven into thick darkness.