Assyria Shall Be Broken

10 “Woe to those who (A)decree unrighteous decrees,
Who write misfortune,
Which they have prescribed
To rob the needy of justice,
And to take what is right from the poor of My people,
That widows may be their prey,
And that they may rob the fatherless.
(B)What will you do in (C)the day of punishment,
And in the desolation which will come from (D)afar?
To whom will you flee for help?
And where will you leave your glory?
Without Me they shall bow down among the (E)prisoners,
And they shall fall [a]among the slain.”

(F)For all this His anger is not turned away,
But His hand is stretched out still.

Arrogant Assyria Also Judged

“Woe to Assyria, (G)the rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.
I will send him against (H)an ungodly nation,
And against the people of My wrath
I will (I)give him charge,
To seize the spoil, to take the prey,
And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
(J)Yet he does not mean so,
Nor does his heart think so;
But it is in his heart to destroy,
And cut off not a few nations.
(K)For he says,
Are not my princes altogether kings?
Is not (L)Calno (M)like Carchemish?
Is not Hamath like Arpad?
Is not Samaria (N)like Damascus?
10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols,
Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 As I have done to Samaria and her idols,
Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?’ ”

12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has [b]performed all His work (O)on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, (P)“I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”

13 (Q)For he says:

“By the strength of my hand I have done it,
And by my wisdom, for I am prudent;
Also I have removed the boundaries of the people,
And have robbed their treasuries;
So I have put down the inhabitants like a [c]valiant man.
14 (R)My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people,
And as one gathers eggs that are left,
I have gathered all the earth;
And there was no one who moved his wing,
Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.”

15 Shall (S)the ax boast itself against him who chops with it?
Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it?
As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up,
Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!
16 Therefore the Lord, the [d]Lord of hosts,
Will send leanness among his fat ones;
And under his glory
He will kindle a burning
Like the burning of a fire.
17 So the Light of Israel will be for a fire,
And his Holy One for a flame;
(T)It will burn and devour
His thorns and his briers in one day.
18 And it will consume the glory of his forest and of (U)his fruitful field,
Both soul and body;
And they will be as when a sick man wastes away.
19 Then the rest of the trees of his forest
Will be so few in number
That a child may write them.

The Returning Remnant of Israel

20 And it shall come to pass in that day
That the remnant of Israel,
And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob,
(V)Will never again depend on him who [e]defeated them,
But will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
21 The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob,
To the (W)Mighty God.
22 (X)For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea,
(Y)A remnant of them will return;
The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
23 (Z)For the Lord God of hosts
Will make a determined end
In the midst of all the land.

24 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O My people, who dwell in Zion, (AA)do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of (AB)Egypt. 25 For yet a very little while (AC)and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.” 26 And the Lord of hosts will [f]stir up (AD)a scourge for him like the slaughter of (AE)Midian at the rock of Oreb; (AF)as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt.

27 It shall come to pass in that day
That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder,
And his yoke from your neck,
And the yoke will be destroyed because of (AG)the anointing oil.

28 He has come to Aiath,
He has passed Migron;
At Michmash he has attended to his equipment.
29 They have gone [g]along (AH)the ridge,
They have taken up lodging at Geba.
Ramah is afraid,
(AI)Gibeah of Saul has fled.
30 [h]Lift up your voice,
O daughter (AJ)of Gallim!
Cause it to be heard as far as (AK)Laish—
[i]O poor Anathoth!
31 (AL)Madmenah has fled,
The inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge.
32 As yet he will remain (AM)at Nob that day;
He will (AN)shake his fist at the mount of (AO)the daughter of Zion,
The hill of Jerusalem.

33 Behold, the Lord,
The Lord of hosts,
Will lop off the bough with terror;
(AP)Those of high stature will be hewn down,
And the haughty will be humbled.
34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron,
And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 10:4 Lit. under
  2. Isaiah 10:12 completed
  3. Isaiah 10:13 mighty
  4. Isaiah 10:16 So with Bg.; MT, DSS YHWH (the Lord)
  5. Isaiah 10:20 Lit. struck
  6. Isaiah 10:26 arouse
  7. Isaiah 10:29 Or over the pass
  8. Isaiah 10:30 Or Cry shrilly
  9. Isaiah 10:30 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX, Syr. Listen to her, O Anathoth

Assyria Is God’s Instrument

10 Woe to those who (A)enact unjust statutes
And to those who constantly record [a]harmful decisions,
So as (B)to [b]deprive the needy of justice
And rob the poor among My people of their rights,
So (C)that widows may be their spoil
And that they may plunder the [c]orphans.
Now (D)what will you do in the (E)day of punishment,
And in the devastation which will come (F)from afar?
(G)To whom will you flee for help?
And where will you leave your wealth?
Nothing remains but to crouch [d]among the (H)captives
Or fall [e]among those (I)killed.
(J)In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And His hand is still stretched out.

Woe to (K)Assyria, the (L)rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hands is (M)My indignation,
I send it against a (N)godless nation
And commission it against the (O)people of My fury
To capture spoils and (P)to seize plunder,
And to [f]trample them down like (Q)mud in the streets.
Yet it (R)does not so intend,
Nor does [g]it plan so in its heart,
But rather it is [h]its purpose to destroy
And to eliminate [i]many nations.
For it says, “Are not my officers [j]all kings?
Is not (S)Calno like (T)Carchemish,
Or (U)Hamath like Arpad,
Or (V)Samaria like (W)Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to the (X)kingdoms of the idols,
Whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 Shall I not do the same to Jerusalem and her images
Just as I have done to Samaria and (Y)her idols?”

12 So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His (Z)work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will [k]punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and (AA)the arrogant pride of his eyes.” 13 For (AB)he has said,

“By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this,
Because I have understanding;
And I (AC)removed the boundaries of the peoples
And plundered their treasures,
And like a powerful man I brought down [l]their inhabitants,
14 And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a (AD)nest,
And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth;
And there was not one that flapped its wing, opened its beak, or chirped.”

15 Is the (AE)axe to (AF)boast itself over the one who chops with it?
Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it?
That would be like (AG)a [m]club wielding those who lift it,
Or like (AH)a rod lifting the one who is not wood.
16 Therefore the Lord, the [n]God of armies, will send a (AI)wasting disease among his (AJ)stout warriors;
And under his (AK)glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.
17 And the (AL)Light of Israel will become a fire and [o]Israel’s (AM)Holy One a flame,
And it will (AN)burn and devour [p]his thorns and his briars in a single day.
18 And He will (AO)destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body,
And it will be as when a sick person wastes away.
19 And the (AP)rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number
That a child could write them down.

A Remnant Will Return

20 Now on that day the (AQ)remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob (AR)who have escaped, will no longer rely on the one who struck them, but will truly (AS)rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

21 A (AT)remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the (AU)mighty God.
22 For (AV)though your people, Israel, may be like the sand of the sea,
Only a remnant within them will return;
A (AW)destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.

23 For a complete destruction, one that is determined, (AX)the Lord [q]God of armies will execute in the midst of the whole land.

24 Therefore this is what the Lord [r]God of armies says: “My people, you who dwell in (AY)Zion, (AZ)do not fear the Assyrian [s]who (BA)strikes you with the rod, and lifts up his staff against you the way Egypt did. 25 For in a very (BB)little while (BC)My indignation against you will be ended and My anger will be directed toward their destruction.” 26 The Lord of armies will (BD)wield a whip against him like the defeat of (BE)Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His (BF)staff will be over the sea, and He will lift it up (BG)the way He did in Egypt. 27 So it will be on that day, that [t]his (BH)burden will be removed from your shoulders, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because (BI)of fatness.

28 He has come against Aiath,
He has passed through (BJ)Migron;
At (BK)Michmash he deposited his (BL)baggage.
29 They have gone through (BM)the pass, saying,
(BN)Geba will be our encampment for the night.”
(BO)Ramah is terrified, and (BP)Gibeah of Saul has fled.
30 Cry aloud with your voice, daughter of (BQ)Gallim!
Pay attention, Laishah and [u]wretched (BR)Anathoth!
31 Madmenah has fled.
The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge.
32 Yet today he will halt at (BS)Nob;
He (BT)shakes his fist at the mountain of the [v](BU)daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33 Behold, the Lord, the [w]God of armies, will lop off the branches with terrifying power;
Those also who are (BV)tall in stature will be cut down,
And those who are lofty will be brought low.
34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an iron axe,
And (BW)Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 10:1 Lit harm
  2. Isaiah 10:2 Lit turn the needy aside from
  3. Isaiah 10:2 Or fatherless
  4. Isaiah 10:4 Lit under
  5. Isaiah 10:4 Lit under
  6. Isaiah 10:6 Lit make them a trampled place
  7. Isaiah 10:7 Lit its heart so plan
  8. Isaiah 10:7 Lit in its heart
  9. Isaiah 10:7 Lit not a few
  10. Isaiah 10:8 Lit altogether
  11. Isaiah 10:12 Lit visit
  12. Isaiah 10:13 Or those who sit on thrones
  13. Isaiah 10:15 Lit staff
  14. Isaiah 10:16 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  15. Isaiah 10:17 Lit his
  16. Isaiah 10:17 I.e., the Assyrian king’s forces
  17. Isaiah 10:23 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  18. Isaiah 10:24 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  19. Isaiah 10:24 Lit he
  20. Isaiah 10:27 I.e., the Assyrian
  21. Isaiah 10:30 An ancient version reads Answer her, O Anathoth
  22. Isaiah 10:32 Another reading is house of
  23. Isaiah 10:33 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord

10 Woe(A) to those who make unjust laws,
    to those who issue oppressive decrees,(B)
to deprive(C) the poor of their rights
    and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,(D)
making widows their prey
    and robbing the fatherless.(E)
What will you do on the day of reckoning,(F)
    when disaster(G) comes from afar?
To whom will you run for help?(H)
    Where will you leave your riches?
Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives(I)
    or fall among the slain.(J)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,(K)
    his hand is still upraised.

God’s Judgment on Assyria

“Woe(L) to the Assyrian,(M) the rod(N) of my anger,
    in whose hand is the club(O) of my wrath!(P)
I send him against a godless(Q) nation,
    I dispatch(R) him against a people who anger me,(S)
to seize loot and snatch plunder,(T)
    and to trample(U) them down like mud in the streets.
But this is not what he intends,(V)
    this is not what he has in mind;
his purpose is to destroy,
    to put an end to many nations.
‘Are not my commanders(W) all kings?’ he says.
    ‘Has not Kalno(X) fared like Carchemish?(Y)
Is not Hamath(Z) like Arpad,(AA)
    and Samaria(AB) like Damascus?(AC)
10 As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols,(AD)
    kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria—
11 shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images
    as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?(AE)’”

12 When the Lord has finished all his work(AF) against Mount Zion(AG) and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria(AH) for the willful pride(AI) of his heart and the haughty look(AJ) in his eyes. 13 For he says:

“‘By the strength of my hand(AK) I have done this,(AL)
    and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.
I removed the boundaries of nations,
    I plundered their treasures;(AM)
    like a mighty one I subdued[a] their kings.(AN)
14 As one reaches into a nest,(AO)
    so my hand reached for the wealth(AP) of the nations;
as people gather abandoned eggs,
    so I gathered all the countries;(AQ)
not one flapped a wing,
    or opened its mouth to chirp.(AR)’”

15 Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it,
    or the saw boast against the one who uses it?(AS)
As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up,
    or a club(AT) brandish the one who is not wood!
16 Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    will send a wasting disease(AU) upon his sturdy warriors;(AV)
under his pomp(AW) a fire(AX) will be kindled
    like a blazing flame.
17 The Light of Israel will become a fire,(AY)
    their Holy One(AZ) a flame;
in a single day it will burn and consume
    his thorns(BA) and his briers.(BB)
18 The splendor of his forests(BC) and fertile fields
    it will completely destroy,(BD)
    as when a sick person wastes away.
19 And the remaining trees of his forests(BE) will be so few(BF)
    that a child could write them down.

The Remnant of Israel

20 In that day(BG) the remnant of Israel,
    the survivors(BH) of Jacob,
will no longer rely(BI) on him
    who struck them down(BJ)
but will truly rely(BK) on the Lord,
    the Holy One of Israel.(BL)
21 A remnant(BM) will return,[b](BN) a remnant of Jacob
    will return to the Mighty God.(BO)
22 Though your people be like the sand(BP) by the sea, Israel,
    only a remnant will return.(BQ)
Destruction has been decreed,(BR)
    overwhelming and righteous.
23 The Lord, the Lord Almighty, will carry out
    the destruction decreed(BS) upon the whole land.(BT)

24 Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:

“My people who live in Zion,(BU)
    do not be afraid(BV) of the Assyrians,
who beat(BW) you with a rod(BX)
    and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.
25 Very soon(BY) my anger against you will end
    and my wrath(BZ) will be directed to their destruction.(CA)

26 The Lord Almighty will lash(CB) them with a whip,
    as when he struck down Midian(CC) at the rock of Oreb;
and he will raise his staff(CD) over the waters,(CE)
    as he did in Egypt.
27 In that day(CF) their burden(CG) will be lifted from your shoulders,
    their yoke(CH) from your neck;(CI)
the yoke(CJ) will be broken
    because you have grown so fat.[c]

28 They enter Aiath;
    they pass through Migron;(CK)
    they store supplies(CL) at Mikmash.(CM)
29 They go over the pass, and say,
    “We will camp overnight at Geba.(CN)
Ramah(CO) trembles;
    Gibeah(CP) of Saul flees.(CQ)
30 Cry out, Daughter Gallim!(CR)
    Listen, Laishah!
    Poor Anathoth!(CS)
31 Madmenah is in flight;
    the people of Gebim take cover.
32 This day they will halt at Nob;(CT)
    they will shake their fist(CU)
at the mount of Daughter Zion,(CV)
    at the hill of Jerusalem.

33 See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    will lop off(CW) the boughs with great power.
The lofty trees will be felled,(CX)
    the tall(CY) ones will be brought low.(CZ)
34 He will cut down(DA) the forest thickets with an ax;
    Lebanon(DB) will fall before the Mighty One.(DC)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 10:13 Or treasures; / I subdued the mighty,
  2. Isaiah 10:21 Hebrew shear-jashub (see 7:3 and note); also in verse 22
  3. Isaiah 10:27 Hebrew; Septuagint broken / from your shoulders

10 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;

To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!

And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?

Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.

I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.

For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?

Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?

10 As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.

13 For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:

14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.

16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.

17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;

18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth.

19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.

20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21 The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

23 For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.

24 Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.

25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.

26 And the Lord of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

28 He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:

29 They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.

30 Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.

31 Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.

32 As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33 Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.

34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.