Even at noon you will have to feel your way around like a blind person in the dark. You won’t have success in anything you do. Day after day you will be robbed and treated badly. No one will be able to save you.

你必在午间摸索，好像瞎子在暗中摸索一样。你所行的必不亨通，时常遭遇欺压、抢夺，无人搭救。

你必在午间摸索，好像盲人在黑暗中摸索。你的道路必不亨通，天天受人欺压、抢夺，无人搭救。

你必在午间摸索，好像盲人在黑暗中摸索。你的道路必不亨通，天天受人欺压、抢夺，无人搭救。

“你们必在大白天摸索，就像盲人在黑暗中摸索一样，你们的道路必不得亨通，你们要终日受人欺压抢掠，无人搭救。

你必在中午的时候摸索，好像瞎子在黑暗中摸索一样；你的道路必不亨通；你必日日受欺压、被抢夺，没有人拯救你。

你必在午間摸索，好像瞎子在暗中摸索一樣。你所行的必不亨通，時常遭遇欺壓、搶奪，無人搭救。

你必在午間摸索，好像盲人在黑暗中摸索。你的道路必不亨通，天天受人欺壓、搶奪，無人搭救。

你必在午間摸索，好像盲人在黑暗中摸索。你的道路必不亨通，天天受人欺壓、搶奪，無人搭救。

「你們必在大白天摸索，就像盲人在黑暗中摸索一樣，你們的道路必不得亨通，你們要終日受人欺壓搶掠，無人搭救。

你必在中午的時候摸索，好像瞎子在黑暗中摸索一樣；你的道路必不亨通；你必日日受欺壓、被搶奪，沒有人拯救你。

你中午必摸來摸去，好像瞎子在墨黑中摸來摸去一樣；你不能使你所行的順利；只能日日不斷地受欺壓受搶奪，也沒有人拯救。

雖在日中、猶如瞽者暗中摸索、所行所為、不獲亨通、恆遭暴虐刦奪、無人救援、

雖至日中、如處幽暗、遍捫不見、與瞽無異、爾凡所為、不獲亨通、恆被人虐取強據、不蒙拯救。

爾必在日中探捫、如瞽者之探捫於暗中、爾所作所為、不得亨通、恆遭暴虐搶奪、無人救援、

At midday you will grope about like a blind person in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you.

and you shall grope at noonday, as the blind grope in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways. And you shall be only oppressed and robbed continually, and there shall be no one to help you.

You will grope around in broad daylight like a blind person groping in the darkness, but you will not find your way. You will be oppressed and robbed continually, and no one will come to save you.

so that at noon you will grope as a blind person gropes in the dark. You will not be successful in anything you do. You will only be oppressed and robbed continually, and no one will help you.

and you will be groping about at noon, just as a person who is blind gropes in the darkness, and you will not be successful in your ways; but you will only be oppressed and robbed all the time, with no one to save you.

And you shall grope at noonday, as a blind man gropes in darkness; you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you.

and thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and robbed alway, and there shall be none to save thee.

so that at noon you will grope as a blind man gropes in the dark. You will not be successful in anything you do. You will only be oppressed and robbed continually, and no one will help you.

And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save[ thee].

You will feel your way along at noon like the blind person does in darkness and you will not succeed in anything you do; you will be constantly oppressed and continually robbed, with no one to save you.

You will grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways. You will only be oppressed and robbed always, and there will be no one to save you.

Like blind people we feel our way along the wall. We are like those who can’t see. At noon we trip and fall as if the sun had already set. Compared to those who are healthy, we are like dead people.

Darkness covers them in the daytime. At noon they feel their way around as if it were night.

Once again the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord handed them over to the Philistines for 40 years.

So the Lord handed them over to the power of Jabin. He was a king in Canaan. He ruled in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera. He lived in Harosheth Haggoyim.Jabin used 900 chariots that had some iron parts. He treated the Israelites very badly for 20 years. So they cried out to the Lord for help.

The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So for seven years he handed them over to the people of Midian.The Midianites treated the Israelites very badly. That’s why they made hiding places for themselves. They hid in holes in the mountains. They also hid in caves and in other safe places.Each year the people planted their crops. When they did, the Midianites came into the country and attacked it. So did the Amalekites and other tribes from the east.They camped on the land. They destroyed the crops all the way to Gaza. They didn’t spare any living thing for Israel. They didn’t spare sheep or cattle or donkeys.The Midianites came up with their livestock and tents. They came like huge numbers of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels. They came into the land to destroy it.The Midianites made the Israelites very poor. So they cried out to the Lord for help.

For 18 years the Israelites were under the rule of Eglon, the king of Moab.

That year they broke Israel’s power completely. They treated the Israelites badly for 18 years. The people who did this lived east of the Jordan River. They lived in Gilead. That was the land of the Amorites.

So the Lord became angry with his people. He turned away from his own children.He handed them over to the nations. Their enemies ruled over them.Their enemies treated them badly and kept them under their power.

But we have sinned against you. So its great harvest goes to the kings of Persia. You have placed them over us. They rule over our bodies and cattle just as they please. And we are suffering terribly.

Suppose our good news is covered with a veil. Then it is veiled to those who are dying.The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They can’t see the light of the good news that makes Christ’s glory clear. Christ is the likeness of God.

I will bring great trouble on all people. So they will feel their way around like blind people. They have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dust. Their bodies will lie rotting on the ground.

Brothers and sisters, here is a mystery I want you to understand. It will keep you from being proud. Part of Israel has refused to obey God. That will continue until the full number of Gentiles has entered God’s kingdom.

Let their eyes grow weak so they can’t see. Let their backs be bent forever.Pour out your anger on them. Let them feel what it is like.

There weren’t any blacksmiths in the whole land of Israel. That’s because the Philistines had said,“ The Hebrews might hire them to make swords or spears!”So all the Israelites had to go down to the Philistines. They had to go to them to get their plows, hoes, axes and sickles sharpened.It cost a fourth of an ounce of silver to sharpen a plow or a hoe. It cost an eighth of an ounce to sharpen a pitchfork or an axe. That’s also what it cost to put new tips on the large sticks used to drive oxen.So the Israelite soldiers went out to battle without swords or spears in their hands. That was true for all of Saul’s and Jonathan’s soldiers. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had those weapons.

The Philistines gathered together to fight against Israel. They had 3,000 chariots and 6,000 chariot drivers. Their soldiers were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash. It was east of Beth Aven.The Israelites saw that their army was in deep trouble. So they hid in caves. They hid among bushes and rocks. They also hid in pits and empty wells.Some of them even went across the Jordan River. They went to the lands of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal. All the troops with him were shaking with fear.

Without any light, they feel their way along in darkness. God makes them unsteady like those who get drunk.

“ But they didn’t obey you. Instead, they turned against you. They turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets. The prophets had warned them to return to you. But they did very evil things that dishonored you.So you handed them over to their enemies, who treated them badly. Then they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them. You loved them very much. So you sent leaders to help them. The leaders saved them from the power of their enemies.“ Then the people were enjoying peace and rest again. That’s when they did what you did not want them to do. Then you handed them over to their enemies. So their enemies ruled over them. When they cried out to you again, you heard them from heaven. You loved them very much. So you saved them time after time.“ You warned them so that they would obey your law again. But they became proud. They didn’t obey your commands. They sinned against your rules. You said,‘ Anyone who obeys my rules will live by them.’ But the people didn’t care about that. They turned their backs on you. They became very stubborn. They refused to listen to you.

What should we say then? The people of Israel did not receive what they wanted so badly. Those Israelites who were chosen did receive it. But the rest of the people were made stubborn.It is written,“ God made it hard for them to understand. He gave them eyes that could not see. He gave them ears that could not hear. And they are still like that today.”( Deuteronomy 29:4; Isaiah 29:10)David says,“ Let their feast be a trap and a snare. Let them trip and fall. Let them get what’s coming to them.Let their eyes grow dark so they can’t see. Let their backs be bent forever.”( Psalm 69:22, 23)

Slaves rule over us. No one can set us free from their power.

Take them with you. Join them in the Jewish practice that makes people pure and‘ clean.’ Pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that these reports about you are not true in any way. They will know that you yourself obey the law.

So our hearts are weak. Our eyes can’t see very clearly.