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Isaiah 31
International Children’s Bible
Isaiah 31
International Children’s Bible
Warnings About Relying on Egypt
31 How terrible it will be for those people who go down to Egypt for help.
They think horses will save them.
They think their many chariots
and strong horsemen will save them.
They don’t trust God, the Holy One of Israel.
They don’t ask the Lord for help.
2 But it is the Lord who is wise and who can bring them trouble.
He does not change his warnings.
He will rise up and fight against the evil people.
And he will fight against those who try to help evil people.
3 The Egyptians are only people and are not God.
Their horses are only animals and are not spirit.
The Lord will stretch out his arm,
and the one who helps will stumble.
The people who wanted help will fall.
All of them will be destroyed together.
4 The Lord says this to me:
“When a lion or a lion’s cub kills an animal to eat,
it stands over the dead animal and roars.
A band of shepherds
may be assembled against it.
But the lion will not be afraid of their yelling.
It will not be upset by their noise.
So the Lord of heaven’s armies will come down
to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.
5 The Lord of heaven’s armies will defend Jerusalem.
He will defend it like birds flying over their nests.
He will defend and save it.
He will ‘pass over’ and save Jerusalem.”
6 You children of Israel, come back to the God that you fought against. 7 The time is coming when each of you will stop worshiping the idols of gold and silver that you made. You truly sinned when you made them.
8 “Assyria will be defeated by a sword, but not the sword of a man.
Assyria will be destroyed, but not by a man’s sword.
Assyria will run away from the sword of God.
But their young men will be caught and made slaves.
9 They will panic, and their place of safety will be destroyed.
Their commanders will be terrified when they see God’s battle flag.”
The Lord said all these things.
The Lord’s fire is in Jerusalem.
His furnace is in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 31
New International Version
Isaiah 31
New International Version
Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt
31 Woe(A) to those who go down to Egypt(B) for help,
who rely on horses,(C)
who trust in the multitude of their chariots(D)
and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One(E) of Israel,
or seek help from the Lord.(F)
2 Yet he too is wise(G) and can bring disaster;(H)
he does not take back his words.(I)
He will rise up against that wicked nation,(J)
against those who help evildoers.
3 But the Egyptians(K) are mere mortals and not God;(L)
their horses(M) are flesh and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,(N)
those who help will stumble,
those who are helped(O) will fall;
all will perish together.(P)
4 This is what the Lord says to me:
“As a lion(Q) growls,
a great lion over its prey—
and though a whole band of shepherds(R)
is called together against it,
it is not frightened by their shouts
or disturbed by their clamor(S)—
so the Lord Almighty will come down(T)
to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.
5 Like birds hovering(U) overhead,
the Lord Almighty will shield(V) Jerusalem;
he will shield it and deliver(W) it,
he will ‘pass over’(X) it and will rescue it.”
6 Return,(Y) you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted(Z) against. 7 For in that day(AA) every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold(AB) your sinful hands have made.(AC)
8 “Assyria(AD) will fall by no human sword;
a sword, not of mortals, will devour(AE) them.
They will flee before the sword
and their young men will be put to forced labor.(AF)
9 Their stronghold(AG) will fall because of terror;
at the sight of the battle standard(AH) their commanders will panic,(AI)”
declares the Lord,
whose fire(AJ) is in Zion,
whose furnace(AK) is in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 31
King James Version
Isaiah 31
King James Version
31 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!
2 Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.
3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.
4 For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.
5 As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.
6 Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.
7 For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.
8 Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.
9 And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.
International Children’s Bible (ICB) 
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.