A reading from the book of Isaiah. Ah, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped. Add year to year,

let the feasts run their round. Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be moaning and lamentation,

and she shall be to me like an Ariel.

And I will encamp against you all around, and will besiege you with towers, and I will

raise siege-works against you.

And you will be brought low.

From the earth you shall speak, and from the dust your speech will be bowed down.

Your voice shall come from the ground, like the voice of a ghost, and from the dust your speech shall whisper.

But the multitude of your foreign foes shall be like small dust and the multitude of the ruthless like passing chaff.

And in an instant, suddenly, you will be visited by the Lord of hosts,

with thunder and with earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest,

and the flame of a devouring fire,

and the multitude of all the nations that fight against

Ariel, all that fight against her and her stronghold and distress her, shall be like a dream,

a vision of the night.

As when a hungry man dreams and behold he is eating, and awakes with his hunger not satisfied, or as when a thirsty

man dreams, and behold he is drinking, and awakes faint, with his thirst not quenched,

so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against Mount Zion.

Astonish yourselves and be astonished.

Blind yourselves and be blind.

Be drunk, but not with wine.

Stagger, but not with strong drink.

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