God's heavy judgments upon Jerusalem, for their obstinacy: with a
prophecy of the conversion of the Gentiles.
29:1. Woe to Ariel, to Ariel the city which David took: year is added to
year: the solemnities are at an end.
Ariel... This word signifies, the lion of God, and here is taken for the
strong city of Jerusalem.
29:2. And I will make a trench about Ariel, and it shall be in sorrow
and mourning, and it shall be to me as Ariel.
29:3. And I will make a circle round about thee, and I will cast up a
rampart against thee, and raise up bulwarks to besiege thee.
29:4. Thou shalt be brought down, thou shall speak out of the earth, and
thy speech shall be heard out of the ground: and thy voice shall be from
the earth like that of the python, and out of the earth thy speech shall
mutter.
29:5. And the multitude of them that fan thee, shall be like small dust:
and as ashes passing away, the multitude of them that have prevailed
against thee.
29:6. And it shall be at an instant suddenly. A visitation shall come
from the Lord of hosts in thunder, and with earthquake, and with a great
noise of whirlwind and tempest; and with the flame of devouring fire.
29:7. And the multitude of all nations that have fought against Ariel,
shall be as the dream of a vision by night, and all that have fought,
and besieged and prevailed against it.
29:8. And as he that is hungry dreameth, and eateth, but when he is
awake, his soul is empty: and as he that is thirsty dreameth, and
drinketh and after he is awake, is yet faint with thirst, and his soul
is empty: so shall be the multitude of all the Gentiles, that have
fought against mount Sion.
29:9. Be astonished, and wonder, waver, and stagger: be drunk, and not
with wine: stagger, and not with drunkenness.
29:10. For the Lord hath mingled for you the spirit of a deep sleep, he
will shut up your eyes, he will cover your prophets and princes, that
see visions.
29:11. And the vision of all shall be unto you as the words of a book
that is sealed which when they shall deliver to one that is learned,
they shall say: Read this: and he shall answer: I cannot, for it is
sealed.
29:12. And the book shall be given to one that knoweth no letters, and
it shall be said to him: Read: and he shall answer: I know no letters.
29:13. And the Lord said: Forasmuch as this people draw near me with
their mouth, and with their lips glorify me, but their heart is far from
me, and they have feared me with the commandment and doctrines of men:
29:14. Therefore behold I will proceed to cause an admiration in this
people, by a great and wonderful miracle: for wisdom shall perish from
their wise men, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
29:15. Woe to you that are deep of heart, to hide your counsel from the
Lord: and their works are in the dark, and they say: Who seeth us, and
who knoweth us?
29:16. This thought of yours is perverse: as if the clay should think
against the potter, and the work should say to the maker thereof: Thou
madest me not: or the thing framed should say to him that fashioned it:
Thou understandest not.
29:17. Is it not yet a very little while, and Libanus shall be turned
into charmel, and charmel shall be esteemed as a forest?
Charmel... This word signifies a fruitful field.
29:18. And in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and
out of darkness and obscurity the eyes of the blind shall see.
29:19. And the meek shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor
men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
29:20. For he that did prevail hath failed, the scorner is consumed, and
they are all cut off that watched for iniquity:
29:21. That made men sin by word, and supplanted him that reproved them
in the gate, and declined in vain from the just.
29:22. Therefore thus saith the Lord to the house of Jacob, he that
redeemed Abraham: Jacob shall not now be confounded, neither shall his
countenance now be ashamed:
29:23. But when he shall see his children, the work of my hands in the
midst of him sanctifying my name, and they shall sanctify the Holy One
of Jacob, and shall glorify the God of Israel:
29:24. And they that erred in spirit, shall know understanding, and they
that murmured, shall learn the law.