18 Listen you deaf people,

and look you blind people and see.

19 Who is blind other than my servant,

or deaf like my messenger who I’ll send?

Who’s blind like my partner in our agreement,

or blind like Yahweh’s servant.

20 You see many things but don’t take any notice.

≈ Your ears are open but you don’t listen.

21 Yahweh was pleased to do what’s right—

≈ he made his instructions honourable and splendid.

22 But this is a people who’ve been robbed and plundered.

≈ They’re all trapped in holes and hidden away in prisons.

They’ve become the spoil, and there’s no one to rescue them.

≈ They’ve become plunder and no one speaks up to help them back.

23 Will any of you take any notice of that?

≈ Will anyone listen or pay attention afterwards?

24 Who gave Yakov (Jacob) to the robbers,

≈ and Yisrael (Israel) to the looters?

→ Wasn’t it Yahweh, the one we disobeyed?

They weren’t willing to do what he wanted,

≈ and they didn’t listen to his instructions.

25 Then he poured out his rage and the violence of war.

The flames burnt all around, yet Yisrael didn’t realise.

≈ They burnt it up, but it didn’t take it to heart.