Isaiah 31

1 Tragedy is coming to those who appeal to Egypt for help, depending on their horses and trusting in all their chariots and charioteers! They don't look to the Holy One of Israel for help; they don't ask the Lord for advice.

Woe [to] those going down to Egypt for help, And [who] lean on horses, And trust on chariots, because [they are] many, And on horsemen, because [they are] very strong, And have not looked on the Holy One of Israel, And have not sought YHWH.

2 Yet he's also wise! He will bring disaster and won't withdraw his orders. He will take action against this wicked nation and the evil people who help them.

And He [is] also wise, and brings in evil, And He has not turned aside His words, And He has risen against a house of evildoers, And against the help of workers of iniquity.

3 The Egyptians are only human beings—they're not God! Their horses are only physical, not spiritual. When the Lord lifts up his hand to attack, those who came to help will stumble, and those who are helped will fall. They will all die together.

And the Egyptians [are men], and not God, And their horses [are] flesh, and not spirit, And YHWH stretches out His hand, And the helper has stumbled, And the helped one has fallen, And together all of them are consumed.

4 This is what the Lord told me: It's like a young lion growling as it stands over its prey. Even though a lot of shepherds come to protest, it's not frightened off by their shouting or intimidated by all their noise. In the same way the Lord Almighty will come down to fight on Mount Zion.

For thus said YHWH to me: “As the lion and the young lion growl over his prey, Against whom a multitude of shepherds is called, He is not frightened from their voice, And he is not humbled from their noise; So YHWH of Hosts comes down To war on Mount Zion, and on her height.

5 Like birds that hover above, so the Lord Almighty will take care of Jerusalem. He will protect it and save it; he will pass over it and rescue it.

As birds flying, so does YHWH of Hosts Cover over Jerusalem, covering and delivering, Passing over, and causing to escape.”

6 Come back, Israelites, to the one you so blatantly rebelled against.

Turn back to Him from whom sons of Israel Have deepened apostasy.

7 For at that time every one of you will throw away all the idols of silver and gold made by your own sinful hands.

For in that day each despises His idols of silver, and his idols of gold, That your hands made to you—a sin.

8 The Assyrians will be killed by the sword of one who is not a man. They will destroyed by the sword of one who is not mortal. They will run away at the sight of the sword, and the young Assyrian men will be taken away as slave laborers.

And Asshur has fallen by sword, not of the high, Indeed, a sword—not of the low, consumes him, And he has fled for himself from the face of a sword, And his young men become tributary.

9 Their “rock” will be scared to death, and their officers will be terrified and in panic at the sight of the battle flag, declares the Lord, who has his fire in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.

And he passes on [to] his rock from fear, And his princes have been frightened by the ensign—a declaration of YHWH, Who has a light in Zion, And who has a furnace in Jerusalem!