[ This chapter is unlocked by the study of 2 Ne. 27 ] 1 ^aWOE to Ariel, [ Ariel (verses 1, 2, 7) clearly means Jerusalem. BD:;Hebrew, altar of God. A name for Jerusalem (Isa. 29:1–7). It is the same word as is used for "fiery altar", a characteristic play on words by the prophet. The point then is that just as Jerusalem with its temple altar is the center of the pilgrim-feasts with their great national sacrifices, so now the whole city will become like a burning altar as the invaders ravage and set it on fire. ] to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.

2 Yet I will distress Ariel, [ BD: Hebrew, altar of God. A name for Jerusalem (Isa. 29:1–7). The altar of God was found in God's holy house and therefore is primarily associated with the house of Joseph. There was only one temple among the Jews and for a while there was one with the Samaritan's as well, and in the Book of Mormon there are many temples in the land. In the last days the Lord said that he would use Joseph to restore temple once again. Ephraim was given the birthright in Israel (1 Chr. 5:1–2; Jer. 31:9), and in the last days it has been the tribe of Ephraim’s privilege first to bear the message of the Restoration of the gospel to the world and to gather scattered Israel (Deut. 33:13–17; D&C 64:36; 133:26–34). ] and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: [ Why because the tribes of Joseph rebelled from God as well, and were scattered. ] and it shall be unto me as Ariel.

3 And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee. [ See 2 Ne 26:15-16 for Nephis explanation of what this means. ]

4 And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.

5 Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.

6 Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.

7 ¶ And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.

8 It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

9 ¶ Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. [ What are they drunken with? Verse 14 ]

10 For the LORD hath poured [ "nasak" to pour or to pour out. ] out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.

11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:

12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

13 ¶ Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. [ This is what they are drunken with - it is unbelief. They cannot believe what is happening to them as it is beyond description. Same thing that is talked about in 3 Ne. 21:9 ]

15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, [ Secret combinations. Their actions are in the dark and they say: Who sees us and who knows of us?’ “And thus the works of darkness began to prevail among all the sons of men” (Moses 5:55). Those who "sought their own counsels in the dark” (Moses 6:28)". a theme in the Book of Moses, wherein the wicked repeatedly reject the counsel of God and instead rely on Satan or other mortals for counsel. ] and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

16 Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

17 Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

18 ¶ And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

20 For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:

21  That make a man an offender for a word, [ Do we see any examples of this today? How about the cancel culture and Black Lives Matter groups of the 2020's. If you said even a word that they did not like, and mind you they were the one's who decided which words you could use. If you used the wrong word your life could be destroyed. words that have been identified as racist include: "Master bedrooms"; "Blacklist/whitelist", Cakewalk, Lynch mob, ] , and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.

22 Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.

23 But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.

24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.