Isaiah 10

1 Tragedy is coming to those who pass evil decrees and who write laws to harm people.

Woe to them that write wickedness; for when they write they do write wickedness,

2 They pervert the legal rights of the needy, and rob justice from the poor of my people. They steal from widows and cheat orphans.

perverting the cause of the poor, violently wresting the judgment of the needy ones of my people, that the widow may be a prey to them, and the orphan a spoil.

3 What are you going to do on the day you're punished, when disaster falls on you from far away? Who are you going to run to so you can get help? Where are you going to leave all your wealth?

And what will they do in the day of visitation? for affliction shall come to you from afar: and to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory,

4 All you'll be able to do is to bow down as prisoners, or lie among the dead! In all of this he is still angry and his hand is still raised.

that ye may not fall into captivity? For all this [his] wrath is not turned away, but [his] hand is yet exalted.

5 Tragedy is coming to the Assyrians, even though the rod they use represents my anger and the stick they hold in their hands represents my fury!

Woe to the Assyrians; the rod of my wrath, and anger are in their hands.

6 I am sending the Assyrians against a nation that has given up on its God, against a people that make me angry. I order the Assyrians to loot them, to take their possessions, and to trample them down like mud in the street.

I will send my wrath against a sinful nation, and I will charge my people to take plunder and spoil, and to trample the cities, and to make them dust.

7 But this isn't what is behind the thinking of the king of Assyria. This isn't the plan he has in mind. What he wants to do is to destroy and eliminate many nations.

But he meant not thus, neither did he devise thus in his soul: but his mind shall change, and [that] to destroy nations not a few.

8 He says: “All my commanders are kings!

And if they should say to him, Thou alone art ruler;

9 We conquered Calno like we did Carchemish; Hamath like Arpad; Samaria like Damascus.

then shall he say, Have I not taken the country above Babylon and Chalanes, where the tower was built? and have I [not] taken Arabia, and Damascus, and Samaria?

10 I was the one who conquered these kingdoms along with the idols of their gods. These kingdoms had images of their gods that were better than those of Jerusalem and Samaria.

As I have taken them, I will also take all the kingdoms: howl, ye idols in Jerusalem, and in Samaria.

11 Why shouldn't I do to Jerusalem and her idols just what I did to Samaria and her idols?”

For as I did to Samaria and her idols, so will I do also to Jerusalem and her idols.

12 Once the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will punish the king of Assyria for his terrible arrogance and for the conceited look in his eyes.

And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have finished doing all things on Mount Sion and Jerusalem, [that] I will visit upon the proud heart, [even] upon the ruler of the Assyrians, and upon the boastful haughtiness of his eyes.

13 For the king of Assyria says: “I have done this in my own strength. It was through my wisdom, because I'm clever. I have wiped out the boundaries of nations and looted their treasures. Like a bull I knocked their rulers off their thrones.

For he said, I will act in strength, and in the wisdom of [my] understanding I will remove the boundaries of nations, and will spoil their strength.

14 Like robbing a bird's nest, I took the wealth of the nations. Like collecting abandoned eggs, I collected the whole the earth. There wasn't a fluttering wing or an open beak, not even a chirp!”

And I will shake the inhabited cities: and I will take with my hand all the world as a nest: and I will even take them as eggs that have been left; and there is none that shall escape me, or contradict me.

15 Does an ax say it's more important than the person swinging it? Does a saw boast that it's greater than the person sawing with it? It would be as if a rod waved the person holding it, or a walking stick lifted up a person—who certainly wasn't wood!

Shall the axe glorify itself without him that hews with it? or shall the saw lift up itself without him that uses it, as if one should lift a rod or staff? but it shall not be so;

16 So the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will send a disease on the king of Assyria's strong warriors that will make them waste away; a flaming fire will be set under everything he's so proud of.

but the Lord of hosts shall send dishonour upon thine honour, and burning fire shall be kindled upon thy glory.

17 Israel's light will become a fire, and his Holy One will become a flame. It will burn up his thorns and brambles in just one day.

And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and he shall sanctify him with burning fire, and it shall devour the wood as grass.

18 It will totally destroy its splendid forests and orchards. Assyria will waste away, staggering off like someone sick.

In that day the mountains shall be consumed, and the hills, and the forests, and [fire] shall devour [both] soul and body: and he that flees shall be as one fleeing from burning flame.

19 The trees left in its forests will be so few that a child could count them.

And they that are left of them shall be a [small] number, and a child shall write them.

20 At that time those who are left in Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer trust in those who turn on them, but they will truly trust in the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

And it shall come to pass in that day [that] the remnant of Israel shall no more join themselves with, and the saved of Jacob shall no more trust in, them that injured them; but they shall trust in the Holy God of Israel, in truth.

21 A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will come back to the Mighty God.

And the remnant of Jacob shall [trust] on the mighty God.

22 Israel, even though your people are as numerous as sand on the seashore, only a remnant will return. The Lord has rightly decided to destroy his people.

And though the people of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them shall be saved.

23 The Lord God Almighty has rightly decided to bring destruction throughout the whole country.

He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because the Lord will make a short work in all the world.

24 So this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says, My people living in Zion, don't be afraid of the Assyrians who beat you with rods and hit you with clubs, just like the Egyptians did.

Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Be not afraid, my people who dwell in Sion, of the Assyrians, because he shall smite thee with a rod: for I am bringing a stroke upon thee, that [thou] mayest see the way of Egypt.

25 Very shortly I will stop being angry with you. Then I will turn my anger on them and I will destroy them.

For yet a little while, and the indignation shall cease: but my wrath shall be against their council.

26 The Lord Almighty will lash them with a whip, just as he did when he attacked the Midianites at the rock of Oreb. He will hold up his rod over the sea, just as he did in Egypt.

And God will stir up [enemies] against them, according to the stroke of Madiam in the place of affliction: and his wrath shall be by the way of the sea, [even] to the way that leads to Egypt.

27 At that time he will remove the burden from your shoulders and the yoke from your neck. The yoke will be broken because of the anointing with oil.

And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] his yoke shall be taken away from thy shoulder, and his fear from thee, and the yoke shall be destroyed from off your shoulders.

28 The Assyrians came to Aiath, passed through Migron, and stored their supplies at Michmash.

For he shall arrive at the city of Angai, and shall pass on to Maggedo, and shall lay up his stores in Machmas.

29 They cross the pass, saying, “We'll stay overnight at Geba.” The people of Ramah tremble in fear; the inhabitants of Gibeah of Saul run away.

And he shall pass by the valley, and shall arrive at Angai: fear shall seize upon Rama, the city of Saul.

30 Shout out a warning, people of Gallim! Pay attention, those living in Laishah! You poor people of Anathoth!

The daughter of Gallim shall flee; Laisa shall hear; one shall hear in Anathoth.

31 The people of Madmenah, are all running away. The inhabitants of Gebim are looking for somewhere safe.

Madebena also is amazed, and the inhabitants of Gibbir.

32 Today the invaders stop at Nob, shaking their fists at the mountain of the Daughter of Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.

Exhort ye [them] to-day to remain in the way: exhort ye [beckoning] with the hand the mountain, the daughter of Sion, even ye hills that are in Jerusalem.

33 Look how the Lord Almighty is going to chop off the branches with great force. The tall trees will be cut down, the proud trees will be brought crashing down.

Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will mightily confound the glorious ones; and the haughty in pride shall be crushed, and the lofty shall be brought low:

34 He will cut down the thick forest with an ax, and Lebanon will fall at the hand of the Mighty One.

and the lofty ones shall fall by the sword, and the Libanus shall fall with his lofty ones.