1 ‘Woe to the obstinate children,’declares the Lord,‘to those who carry out plans that are not mine,forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit,heaping sin upon sin;
2 who go down to Egyptwithout consulting me;who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection,to Egypt’s shade for refuge.
3 But Pharaoh’s protection will be to your shame,Egypt’s shade will bring you disgrace.
4 Though they have officials in Zoanand their envoys have arrived in Hanes,
5 everyone will be put to shamebecause of a people useless to them,who bring neither help nor advantage,but only shame and disgrace.’
6 A prophecy concerning the animals of the Negev:Through a land of hardship and distress,of lions and lionesses,of adders and darting snakes,the envoys carry their riches on donkeys’ backs,their treasures on the humps of camels,to that unprofitable nation,
7 to Egypt, whose help is utterly useless.Therefore I call herRahab the Do-Nothing.