OET-RV LES Chapter 10

5 Then I left the reflections I was engaged in, and answered her in anger, 6 “You most foolish woman, don’t you see our mourning, and what’s happened to us? 7 Because Tsiyon (Zion) the mother of us all is full of sorrow, and much humbled. 8 It[fn] is right now to mourn deeply, since we all mourn, and to be sorrowful, since we’re all in sorrow, but you’re mourning for one son. 9 Ask the earth, and she’ll tell you that it’s she which ought to mourn for so many that grow on her. 10 Because out of her, all had their beginnings, and others will come; and almost all of them walk into destruction, and the multitude of them is utterly doomed. 11 Who then should mourn more, she[fn] who’s lost so great a multitude, or you, who are grieved but for one? 12 But if you say to me, ‘My lamentation isn’t like the earth’s, for I’ve lost the fruit of my womb, which I brought forth with pains, and bare with sorrows;’ 13 but it’s with the earth after the manner of the earth. The multitude present in it’s gone as it came. 14 Then say I to you, ‘Just as you’ve brought forth with sorrow, even so the earth also has given her fruit, namely, people, ever since the beginning to him who made her.’ 15 Now therefore keep your sorrow to yourself, and bear with a good courage the adversities which have happened to you. 16 Because if you’ll acknowledge God’s decree to be just, you’ll both receive your son in time, and will be praised among women. 17 Go your way then into the city to your husband.”

18 She said to me, “I won’t do that. I won’t go into the city, but I’ll die here.”

19 So I proceeded to speak further to her, and said, 20 “Don’t do so, but allow yourself to be persuaded because of the adversities of Tsiyon (Zion); and be comforted because of the sorrow of Yerushalem (Jerusalem). 21 Because you see that our sanctuary has been laid waste, our altar broken down, our temple destroyed, 22 our lute has been brought low, our song is put to silence, our rejoicing is at an end, the light of our candlestick is put out, the ark of our covenant is plundered, our holy things are defiled, and the name that we’re called is profaned. Our free men are despitefully treated, our priests are burnt, our Levites have gone into captivity, our virgins are defiled and our wives ravished, our righteous men carried away, our little ones betrayed, our young men are brought into bondage, and our strong men have become weak. 23 What’s more than all, the seal of Tsiyon has now lost the seal of her honour, and is delivered into the hands of those who hate us. 24 Therefore shake off your great heaviness, and put away from yourself the multitude of sorrows, that the Mighty One may be merciful to you again, and the Most High may give you rest, even ease from your troubles.”

25 While I was talking with her, her face suddenly began to shine brightly and flashed like lightning, so that I was very afraid of her, and wondered what this meant. 26 Listen, suddenly she made a great and very fearful cry, so that the earth shook at the noise. 27 I looked and saw that the woman appeared to me no more, but there was a city built, and a place shown itself from large foundations. Then I was afraid, and cried with a loud voice, 28 “Where is Uriel the angel, who came to me at the first? Because he’s caused me to fall into this great trance, and my end has turned into corruption, and my prayer a reproach!”

29 As I was speaking these words, look, the angel who’d come to me at first came to me, and he looked at me. 30 Listen, I lay as one who’d been dead, and my understanding was taken from me. He took me by the right hand, and comforted me, and set me on my feet, and said to me, 31 “What ails you? Why are you so troubled? Why is your understanding and the thoughts of your heart troubled?”

32 I said, “Because you’ve forsaken me; yet I did according to your words, and went into the field, and I’ve seen, and still see, that which I’m not able to explain.”

33 He said to me, “Stand up like a man, and I’ll instruct you.”

34 Then I said, “Speak on, my master; only don’t forsake me, or I might die before my time. 35 Because I’ve seen what I didn’t know, and hear what I don’t know. 36 Or is my sense deceived, or my soul in a dream? 37 Now therefore I beg you to explain to your servant what this vision means.”

38 He answered me, “Listen to me, and I’ll inform you, and tell you about the things you’re afraid of, for the Most High has revealed many secret things to you. 39 He’s seen that your way is righteous, because you’re continually sorry for your people, and make great lamentation for Tsiyon (Zion). 40 This therefore is the meaning of the vision. 41 The woman who appeared to you a little while ago, whom you saw mourning, and began to comfort her, 42 but now you no longer see the likeness of the woman, but a city under construction appeared to you, 43 and she told you of the death of her son, this is the interpretation: 44 This woman, whom you saw, is Tsiyon,[fn] whom you now see as a city being built. 45 She told you that she’d been barren for thirty years because there were three thousand years in the world in which there was no offering as yet offered in her. 46 After three thousand years, Shelomoh (Solomon) built the city and offered offerings. It was then that the barren bore a son. 47 She told you that she nourished him with great care. That was the dwelling in Yerushalem (Jerusalem). 48 When she said to you, ‘My son died when he entered into his marriage chamber, and that misfortune befell her,’ this was the destruction that came to Yerushalem. 49 Listen, you saw her likeness, how she mourned for her son, and you began to comfort her for what’s happened to her. These were the things to be opened to you. 50 Because now the Most High, seeing that you’re sincerely grieved and suffer from your whole heart for her, has shown you the brightness of her glory and the attractiveness of her beauty. 51 Therefore I asked you to remain in the field where no house was built, 52 for I knew that the Most High would show this to you. 53 Therefore I commanded you to come into the field, where no foundation of any building was. 54 Because no human construction could stand in the place in which the city of the Most High was to be shown. 55 Therefore don’t be afraid nor let your heart be terrified, but go your way in and see the beauty and greatness of the building, as much as your eyes are able to see. 56 Then will you hear as much as your ears may comprehend. 57 Because you’re more blessed than many, and are called by name to be with the Most High, like only a few. 58 But stay here tomorrow night, 59 and so the Most High will show you those visions in dreams of what the Most High will do to those who live on the earth in the last days.”

So I slept that night and another, as he commanded me.