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13 So the words of the Lord will be,
“·A command here, a command there [T Precept upon precept, precept upon precept].
    ·A rule here, a rule there [T Line upon line, line upon line].
    ·A little lesson here, a little lesson there [L A little there, a little there; C see v. 10; God now uses the same words to mimic the foreign language of the Assyrian invaders].”
They will fall back and be ·defeated [broken];
    they will be ·trapped and captured [snared and taken].

14 So listen to the Lord’s message, you who ·brag [mock; scoff; Prov. 1:22; 9:7, 8, 12; 13:1],
    you ·leaders [L who rule this people] in Jerusalem.
15 You say, “We have made an ·agreement [treaty; covenant] with death;
    we have a ·contract [agreement; pact] with ·death [or the grave; L Sheol].
When ·terrible punishment [an overwhelming scourge/flood] passes by,
    it won’t ·hurt [touch; reach] us.
Our lies ·will keep us safe [L are our refuge],
    and ·our tricks [falsehood] ·will hide us [is our refuge/shelter].”

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13 So then, the word of the Lord to them will become:
    Do this, do that,
    a rule for this, a rule for that;
    a little here, a little there(A)
so that as they go they will fall backward;
    they will be injured(B) and snared and captured.(C)

14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord,(D) you scoffers(E)
    who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15 You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death,(F)
    with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement.
When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,(G)
    it cannot touch us,
for we have made a lie(H) our refuge
    and falsehood[a] our hiding place.(I)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 28:15 Or false gods