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All shall be ashamed
    of a people that gain them nothing,
Neither help nor benefit,
    but only shame and reproach.(A)
    Oracle on the Beasts of the Negeb.
Through the distressed and troubled land[a]
    of the lioness and roaring lion,
    of the viper and flying saraph,
They carry their riches on the backs of donkeys
    and their treasures on the humps of camels
To a people good for nothing,
    to Egypt whose help is futile and vain.
Therefore I call her
    “Rahab[b] Sit-still.”

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Footnotes

  1. 30:6 Distressed…land: the wilderness between Judah and Egypt, through which Judahite messengers had to pass, carrying their tribute to Egypt to buy assistance in the struggle against Assyria. Flying saraph: see notes on 6:2; 14:29.
  2. 30:7 Here as elsewhere (cf. Ps 87:4) Egypt is compared to Rahab, the raging, destructive sea monster (cf. Is 51:9; Jb 26:12; Ps 89:11); yet Egypt, when asked for aid by Judah, becomes silent and “sits still.”

everyone will be put to shame
    because of a people(A) useless(B) to them,
who bring neither help(C) nor advantage,
    but only shame and disgrace.(D)

A prophecy(E) concerning the animals of the Negev:(F)

Through a land of hardship and distress,(G)
    of lions(H) and lionesses,
    of adders and darting snakes,(I)
the envoys carry their riches on donkeys’(J) backs,
    their treasures(K) on the humps of camels,
to that unprofitable nation,
    to Egypt, whose help is utterly useless.(L)
Therefore I call her
    Rahab(M) the Do-Nothing.

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