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The Lord, Not the Egyptians, Will Protect His People from Assyria

31 How horrible it will be for those
    who go to Egypt for help,
    who rely on horses,
    who depend on many chariots,
    who depend on very strong war horses.
        They don’t look to Qedosh Yisrael.
        They don’t seek Yahweh.
            He is wise and can bring about disaster.
            He doesn’t take back his words.
            He rises against wicked people
                and against those who help troublemakers.
The Egyptians are humans, not gods.
    Their horses are flesh and blood, not spirit.
    When Yahweh uses his powerful hand,
    the one who gives help will stumble,
        and the one who receives help will fall.
            Both will die together.

This is what Yahweh said to me:

A lion, even a young lion, growls over its prey
    when a crowd of shepherds is called to fight it.
        It isn’t frightened by their voices
            or disturbed by the noise they make.
    So Yahweh Tsebaoth will come to fight for
    Mount Zion and its hill.
Yahweh Tsebaoth will defend Jerusalem like a hovering bird.
    He will defend it and rescue it.
    He will pass over it and protect it.
You people of Israel, return to the one
    whom you have so violently rebelled against.
When that day comes, all of you will reject
    the silver and gold idols
        that your sinful hands have made.
Then Assyrians will be killed with swords not made by human hands.
    Swords not made by human hands will destroy them.
    They will flee from battle,
    and their young men will be made to do forced labor.
In terror they will run to their stronghold,[a]
    and their officers will be frightened at the sight of the battle flag.

Yahweh declares this. His fire is in Zion and his furnace is in Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 31:9 Hebrew meaning of this line uncertain.

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)
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.
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)

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.
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.”

Return,(Y) you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted(Z) against. For in that day(AA) every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold(AB) your sinful hands have made.(AC)

“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)
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.