Isaiah 10
1 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers that write perverseness;
Woe to those who enact unjust laws and write unfair decrees.
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!
They deprive the needy of justice, rob the poor of my people of their rights, plunder widows, and make the fatherless their prey!
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 on judgment day when the destruction comes from far away? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?
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.
Nothing remains, and you crouch among the prisoners or fall among the killed. In all these things, his anger does not subside; instead, his hand is still stretched out.
5 Ho Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, the staff in whose hand is mine indignation!
Woe to the Assyrian, the club of my anger, the rod by whom I wield my fury!
6 I will send him against a profane 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.
I send him against an arrogant nation and against the people who bear my overflowing wrath. I order him to take the spoil, to take the prey, and to trample them like mud in the streets.
7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few.
But this is not what he intends, nor does he think this way. It is in his heart to destroy and eliminate many nations.
8 For he saith, Are not my princes all of them kings?
For he says, “Are not all my princes kings?
9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?
Is not Kalno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
10 As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
As my hand has overcome idolatrous kingdoms, whose carved figures were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?
just as I did to Samaria and her worthless idols, will I not also do the same to Jerusalem and to 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.
When the Lord has finished his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and his prideful looks.
13 For he hath 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 them that sit [on thrones]:
For he says, “By my strength and by my wisdom I acted. I have understanding, and I have removed the boundaries of the peoples. I have stolen their treasures, and like a bull I have brought down the inhabitants.
14 and my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the peoples; and as one gathereth eggs that are forsaken, have I gathered all the earth: and there was none that moved the wing, or that opened the mouth, or chirped.
My hand has seized, as from a nest, the wealth of nations, and as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth. None fluttered their wings or opened their mouth or chirped.”
15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? shall the saw magnify itself against him that wieldeth it? as if a rod should wield them that lift it up, [or] as if a staff should lift up [him that is] not wood.
Will the ax boast about itself against the one who wields it? Will the saw praise itself more than the one who cuts with it? It is as if a rod could lift up those who raise it, or as if a wooden club could lift up a person.
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 Lord Yahweh of hosts will send emaciation among his elite warriors; and under his glory there will be kindled a burning like 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.
The light of Israel will become a fire, and his Holy One a flame; it will burn and devour his thorns and briers 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 fainteth.
Yahweh will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful land, both soul and body; it will be like when a sick man's life wastes away.
19 And the remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child may write them.
The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few, that a child could count them.
20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again lean upon him that smote them, but shall lean upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
On that day, the remnant of Israel, the family of Jacob that has escaped, will no longer rely on the one who defeated them, but will indeed depend on Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel.
21 A remnant shall return, [even] the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
A remnant of Jacob will return to the mighty God.
22 For though thy people, Israel, be as the sand of the sea, [only] a remnant of them shall return: a destruction [is] determined, overflowing with righteousness.
For though your people, Israel, are like the sand of the seashore, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, as overflowing righteousness demands.
23 For a full end, and that determined, will the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, make in the midst of all the earth.
For the Lord Yahweh of hosts, is about to carry out the destruction determined throughout the land.
24 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian, though he smite thee with the rod, and lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.
Therefore the Lord Yahweh of hosts says, “My people who live in Zion, do not fear the Assyrian. He will strike you with the rod and raise his staff against you, as the Egyptians did.
25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation [against thee] shall be accomplished, and mine anger [shall be directed] to his destruction.
Do not fear him, for in a very short time my anger against you will end, and my anger will lead to his destruction.”
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 after the manner of Egypt.
Then Yahweh of hosts will wield a whip against them, as when he defeated Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will raise his rod over the sea and lift it up as he did in 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 by reason of fatness.
On that day, his burden is lifted from your shoulder and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of fatness.
28 He is come to Aiath, he is passed through Migron; at Michmash he layeth up his baggage;
The enemy has come to Aiath and has passed through Migron; at Michmash he has stored his provisions.
29 they are gone over the pass; they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah trembleth; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
They have crossed over the pass and they lodge at Geba. Ramah trembles and Gibeah of Saul has fled.
30 Cry aloud with thy voice, O daughter of Gallim! hearken, O Laishah! O thou poor Anathoth!
Cry aloud, daughter of Gallim! Give attention, Laishah! You poor Anathoth!
31 Madmenah is a fugitive; the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.
Madmenah is fleeing, and the inhabitants of Gebim run for safety.
32 This very day shall he halt at Nob: he shaketh his hand at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
This very day he will halt at Nob and shake his fist at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
33 Behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, will lop the boughs with terror: and the high of stature shall be hewn down, and the lofty shall be brought low.
Behold, the Lord Yahweh of hosts will lop off the boughs with a terrifying crash; the tallest trees will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low.
34 And he will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.
He will chop down the thickets of the forest with an ax, and Lebanon in his majesty will fall.
