Isaiah 10

1 Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers who write perverseness,

Woe to them that make wicked laws: and when they write, write injustice:

2 to turn aside the needy from justice, and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

To oppress the poor in judgment, and do violence to the cause of the humble of my people: that widows might be their prey, and that they might rob the fatherless.

3 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?

What will you do in the day of visitation, and of the calamity which cometh from afar? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?

4 They shall only bow down under the prisoners, and shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

That you be not bowed down under the bond, and fall with the slain? In all these things his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

5 Ho, Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my indignation!

Woe to the Assyrian, he is the rod and the staff of my anger, and my indignation is in their hands.

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

I will send him to a deceitful nation, and I will give him a charge against the people of my wrath, to take away the spoils, and to lay hold on the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

7 However he does not so reason, nor does his heart so think, but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few.

But he shall not take it so, and his heart shall not think so: but his heart shall be set to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few.

8 For he says, Are not my rulers all of them kings?

For he shall say:

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

Are not my princes as so many kings? is not Calano as Charcamis: and Emath as Arphad? is not Samaria as Damascus?

10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose graven images excelled those of Jerusalem and of Samaria,

As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idol, so also their idols of Jerusalem, and of Samaria.

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

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

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

And it shall come to pass, that when the Lord shall have performed all his works in mount Sion, and in Jerusalem, I will visit the fruit of the proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of the haughtiness of his eyes.

13 For he has said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding. And I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures. And like a valiant man I have brought down those who sit on thrones.

For he hath said: By the strength of my own hand I have done it, and by my own wisdom I have understood: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have taken the spoils of the princes, and as a mighty man hath pulled down them that sat on high.

14 And my hand has found as a nest the riches of the peoples. And like a gathering of eggs that are forsaken, I have gathered all the earth. And there was none that moved the wing, or that opened the mouth, or chirped.

And my hand hath found the strength of the people as a nest; and as eggs are gathered, that are left, so have I gathered all the earth: and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or made the least noise.

15 Shall the axe boast itself against him who hews with it? Shall the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if a rod should wield those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up him who is not wood.

Shall the axe boast itself against him that cutteth with it? or shall the saw exalt itself against him by whom it is drawn? as if a rod should lift itself up against him that lifteth it up, and a staff exalt itself, which is but wood.

16 Therefore will the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, send among his fat ones, leanness, and under his glory there shall be kindled a burning like the burning of fire.

Therefore the sovereign Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall send leanness among his fat ones: and under his glory shall be kindled a burning, as it were the burning of a fire.

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

And the light of Israel shall be as a fire, and the Holy One thereof as a flame: and his thorns and his briers shall be set on fire, and shall be devoured in one day.

18 And he will consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body. And it shall be as when a standard-bearer faints.

And the glory of his forest, and of his beautiful hill, shall be consumed from the soul even to the flesh, and he shall run away through fear.

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

And they that remain of the trees of his forest shall be so few, that they shall easily be numbered, and a child shall write them down.

20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and those who are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again lean upon him who smote them, but shall lean upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that shall escape of the house of Jacob, shall lean no more upon him that striketh them: but they shall lean upon the Lord the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21 A remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.

The remnant shall be converted, the remnant, I say, of Jacob, to the mighty God.

22 For though thy people, Israel, be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them shall return. A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.

For if thy people, O Israel, shall be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them shall be converted, the consumption abridged shall overflow with justice.

23 For a full end, and that determined, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, will make in the midst of all the earth.

For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, and an abridgment in the midst of all the land.

24 Therefore thus says the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, O my people who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian, though he smites thee with the rod, and lifts up his staff against thee, according to the manner of Egypt.

Therefore, thus saith the Lord the God of hosts: O my people that dwellest in Sion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall strike thee with his rod, and he shall lift up his staff over thee in the way of Egypt.

25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall be accomplished, and my anger is to his destruction.

For yet a little and a very little while, and my indignation shall cease, and my wrath shall be upon their wickedness.

26 And Jehovah of hosts will stir up against him a scourge as in the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb. And his rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up according to the manner of Egypt.

And the Lord of hosts shall raise up a scourge against him, according to the slaughter of Madian in the rock of Oreb, and his rod over the sea, and he shall lift it up in the way of Egypt.

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

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 putrify at the presence of the oil.

28 He has come to Aiath. He has passed through Migron. At Michmash he lays up his baggage.

He shall come into Aiath, he shall pass into Magron: at Machmas he shall lay up his carriages.

29 They have gone over the pass. They have taken up their lodging at Geba. Ramah trembles. Gibeah of Saul has fled.

They have passed in haste, Gaba is our lodging: Rama was astonished, Gabaath of Saul fled away.

30 Cry aloud with thy voice, O daughter of Gallim! Hearken, O Laishah! O thou poor Anathoth!

Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim, attend, O Laisa, poor Anathoth.

31 Madmenah is a fugitive. The inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.

Medemena is removed: ye inhabitants of Gabim, take courage.

32 This very day he shall halt at Nob. He shakes his hand at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

It is yet day enough, to remain in Nobe: he shall shake his hand against the mountain of the daughter of Sion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33 Behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, will lop off the boughs with terror. And the high of stature shall be hewn down, and the lofty shall be brought low.

Behold the sovereign Lord of hosts shall break the earthen vessel with terror, and the tall of stature shall be cut down, and the lofty shall be humbled.

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

And the thickets of the forest shall be cut down with iron, and Libanus with its high ones shall fall.