3:9 The look on their faces 1 testifies to their guilt; 2
like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin. 3
Too bad for them! 4
For they bring disaster on themselves.
5:30 At that time 5 they will growl over their prey, 6
it will sound like sea waves crashing against rocks. 7
One will look out over the land and see the darkness of disaster,
clouds will turn the light into darkness. 8
31:2 Yet he too is wise 9 and he will bring disaster;
he does not retract his decree. 10
He will attack the wicked nation, 11
and the nation that helps 12 those who commit sin. 13
47:11 Disaster will overtake you;
you will not know how to charm it away. 14
Destruction will fall on you;
you will not be able to appease it.
Calamity will strike you suddenly,
before you recognize it. 15
1 sn This refers to their proud, arrogant demeanor.
2 tn Heb “answers against them”; NRSV “bears witness against them.”
3 tn Heb “their sin, like Sodom, they declare, they do not conceal [it].”
4 tn Heb “woe to their soul.”
5 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
6 tn Heb “over it”; the referent (the prey) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 tn Heb “like the growling of the sea.”
8 tn Heb “and one will gaze toward the land, and look, darkness of distress, and light will grow dark by its [the land’s?] clouds.”
sn The motif of light turning to darkness is ironic when compared to v. 20. There the sinners turn light (= moral/ethical good) to darkness (= moral/ethical evil). Now ironically the Lord will turn light (= the sinners’ sphere of existence and life) into darkness (= the judgment and death).
9 sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.
10 tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”
11 tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”
12 sn That is, Egypt.
13 tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”
14 tc The Hebrew text has שַׁחְרָהּ (shakhrah), which is either a suffixed noun (“its dawning,” i.e., origin) or infinitive (“to look early for it”). Some have suggested an emendation to שַׁחֲדָהּ (shakhadah), a suffixed infinitive from שָׁחַד (shakhad, “[how] to buy it off”; see BDB 1005 s.v. שָׁחַד). This forms a nice parallel with the following couplet. The above translation is based on a different etymology of the verb in question. HALOT 1466 s.v. III שׁחר references a verbal root with these letters (שׁחד) that refers to magical activity.
15 tn Heb “you will not know”; NIV “you cannot foresee.”