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 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 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.
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 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.
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 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 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 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 hover over their young, So shall Jehovah of hosts defend Jerusalem; He will defend and deliver, spare and save.
6 Come back, Israelites, to the one you so blatantly rebelled against.
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 at that time every one of you will throw away all the idols of silver and gold made by your own sinful hands.
silver and his idols of gold, Which your hands have made for 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.
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 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.
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.
