Isaiah 31

1 Cursed are those who go down to Egypt for help, and who put their faith in horses; looking to war-carriages for salvation, because of their numbers; and to horsemen, because they are very strong; but they are not looking to the Holy One of Israel, or turning their hearts to the Lord;

Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, And put their trust in horses, And confide in chariots, because they are many, And in horsemen, because their number is great, But look not to the Holy One of Israel, And resort not to Jehovah.

2 Though he is wise, and able to send evil, and his purpose will not be changed; but he will go against the house of the evil-doers, and against those to whom they are looking for help.

Yet he, too, is wise; He will bring evil, and not take back his words; He will arise against the house of the evil-doers, And against the help of them that do iniquity.

3 For the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses are flesh, and not spirit: and when the Lord's hand is stretched out, the helper and he who is helped will come down together.

The Egyptians are men, and not God, And their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When Jehovah shall stretch forth his hand, Then shall the helper fall, and the helped be overthrown; And they shall all perish together.

4 For the Lord has said to me, As a lion, or a young lion, makes an angry noise over his food, and if a band of herdsmen come out against him, he will not be in fear of their voices, or give up his food for their noise: so the Lord of armies will come down to make war against Mount Zion and its hill.

For thus hath Jehovah said to me: As when the lion and the young lion growl over their prey, And a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, By their noise he is not terrified, Nor by their tumult disheartened; So shall Jehovah of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and her hill.

5 Like birds with outstretched wings, so will the Lord of armies be a cover to Jerusalem; he will be a cover and salvation for it, going over it he will keep it from danger.

As birds hover over their young, So shall Jehovah of hosts defend Jerusalem; He will defend and deliver, spare and save.

6 Come back to him who has been so deeply sinned against by the children of Israel.

Turn, O ye children of Israel, To him from whom ye have so deeply revolted! For in that day shall every one cast away his idols of

7 For in that day they will all give up their images of silver and of gold, the sin which they made for themselves.

silver and his idols of gold, Which your hands have made for sin.

8 Then the Assyrian will come down by the sword, but not of man; the sword, not of men, will be the cause of his destruction: and he will go in flight from the sword, and his young men will be put to forced work.

The Assyrian shall fall by a sword not of man, Yea, a sword not of mortal shall devour him; He shall flee before the sword, And his young warriors shall be slaves.

9 And his rock will come to nothing because of fear, and his chiefs will go in flight from the flag, says the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his altar in Jerusalem.

Through fear shall he pass beyond his stronghold, And his princes shall be afraid of the standard. Thus saith Jehovah, who hath his fire in Zion, And his furnace in Jerusalem.