Isaiah 10

1 Woe unto those that decree decrees of unrighteousness, and the writers who write down wrongful things;

Woe to them that make wicked laws: and when they write, write injustice:

2 To turn aside from judgment the needy, and to rob the just due of the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and [that] they may plunder the fatherless!

To oppress the poor in judgment, and do violence to the cause of the humble of my people: that widows might be their prey, and that they might rob the fatherless.

3 And what will ye do on the day of the visitation, and at the desolation which will come from afar? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?

What will you do in the day of visitation, and of the calamity which cometh from afar? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?

4 Without me they shall kneel down under the prisoners, and under the slain shall they fall. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand still remaineth stretched out.

That you be not bowed down under the bond, and fall with the slain? In all these things his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

5 Woe over Asshur, the rod of my anger; and a staff is in their hand my indignation.

Woe to the Assyrian, he is the rod and the staff of my anger, and my indignation is in their hands.

6 Against a hypocritical nation will I send him, and against the people of my fury will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to carry off the prey, and to render them trodden down like the mire of the streets.

I will send him to a deceitful nation, and I will give him a charge against the people of my wrath, to take away the spoils, and to lay hold on the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

7 But he deemeth it not so, and his heart doth not think so; but to destroy is in his heart, and to cut off nations not a few.

But he shall not take it so, and his heart shall not think so: but his heart shall be set to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few.

8 For he saith, “Are not my princes altogether kings?

For he shall say:

9 Is not Calno like Karkemish? is not Chamath like Arpad? is not Samaria like Damascus?

Are not my princes as so many kings? is not Calano as Charcamis: and Emath as Arphad? is not Samaria as Damascus?

10 As my hand hath reached the kingdoms of the idols, whose graven images exceeded in number those of Jerusalem and of Samaria:

As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idol, so also their idols of Jerusalem, and of Samaria.

11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, do so unto Jerusalem and unto her idols?”

Shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

12 Wherefore shall it come to pass, that when the Lord hath completed all his work on mount Zion and in Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the haughtiness of the king of Asshur, and the vain-glory of his proud looks.

And it shall come to pass, that when the Lord shall have performed all his works in mount Sion, and in Jerusalem, I will visit the fruit of the proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of the haughtiness of his eyes.

13 For he hath said, “By the strength of my hand have I done it, and by my wisdom, for I have intelligence; and I have removed the boundaries of nations, and their laid-up treasures have I plundered, and brought down low those that were powerfully seated.

For he hath said: By the strength of my own hand I have done it, and by my own wisdom I have understood: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have taken the spoils of the princes, and as a mighty man hath pulled down them that sat on high.

14 And my hand hath reached, as a bird's nest, the wealth of the people: and as one gathereth up eggs that are forsaken, have I myself gathered up all the earth: and there was not one that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or chirped.”

And my hand hath found the strength of the people as a nest; and as eggs are gathered, that are left, so have I gathered all the earth: and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or made the least noise.

15 Shall the axe boast itself over him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that swingeth it? as if the rod should swing about those that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up him who is no wood.

Shall the axe boast itself against him that cutteth with it? or shall the saw exalt itself against him by whom it is drawn? as if a rod should lift itself up against him that lifteth it up, and a staff exalt itself, which is but wood.

16 Therefore will the Lord, the Eternal of hosts, send forth among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory shall be kindled a burning like the burning of a fire.

Therefore the sovereign Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall send leanness among his fat ones: and under his glory shall be kindled a burning, as it were the burning of a fire.

17 And the light of Israel shall become a fire, and his Holy One a flame; and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers on one day.

And the light of Israel shall be as a fire, and the Holy One thereof as a flame: and his thorns and his briers shall be set on fire, and shall be devoured in one day.

18 And the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body, will he destroy: and he shall be as [a tree] eaten to powder by the worms.

And the glory of his forest, and of his beautiful hill, shall be consumed from the soul even to the flesh, and he shall run away through fear.

19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few in number, so that a boy may write them down.

And they that remain of the trees of his forest shall be so few, that they shall easily be numbered, and a child shall write them down.

20 And it shall come to pass on that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall not farther lean for support upon him that smiteth them; but they shall lean upon the Lord, the Holy one of Israel, in truth.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that shall escape of the house of Jacob, shall lean no more upon him that striketh them: but they shall lean upon the Lord the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21 The remnant shall return, the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

The remnant shall be converted, the remnant, I say, of Jacob, to the mighty God.

22 For though thy people Israel should be as the sand of the sea, [yet] a remnant [only] of them shall return: destruction is decreed, it overfloweth with righteousness.

For if thy people, O Israel, shall be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them shall be converted, the consumption abridged shall overflow with justice.

23 For it is completed and decreed: the Lord, the Eternal of hosts will do it in the midst of all the land.

For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, and an abridgment in the midst of all the land.

24 Therefore thus hath said the Lord the Eternal of hosts, Be not afraid, O my people that dwellest in Zion, of Asshur, who will smite thee with the rod, and lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.

Therefore, thus saith the Lord the God of hosts: O my people that dwellest in Sion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall strike thee with his rod, and he shall lift up his staff over thee in the way of Egypt.

25 For yet but a very little while more, and the indignation shall cease, and my anger shall be for their destruction.

For yet a little and a very little while, and my indignation shall cease, and my wrath shall be upon their wickedness.

26 And the Lord shall lift up a scourge over him like [at] the smiting of Midian at the rock of 'Oreb: and as his staff was lifted over the sea, so will he carry him off after the manner of Egypt.

And the Lord of hosts shall raise up a scourge against him, according to the slaughter of Madian in the rock of Oreb, and his rod over the sea, and he shall lift it up in the way of Egypt.

27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be removed from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be broken because of the fatness.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall putrify at the presence of the oil.

28 He cometh to 'Ayath, he passeth on to Migron; at Michmash he layeth up his baggage;

He shall come into Aiath, he shall pass into Magron: at Machmas he shall lay up his carriages.

29 They go through the pass; they take up their lodging at Geba'; Ramah trembleth; Gib'ah of Saul fleeth.

They have passed in haste, Gaba is our lodging: Rama was astonished, Gabaath of Saul fled away.

30 Let thy voice resound, O daughter of Gallim; listen Layshah; O poor 'Anathoth!

Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim, attend, O Laisa, poor Anathoth.

31 Madmenah is in motion; the inhabitants of Gebim are assembled to flee.

Medemena is removed: ye inhabitants of Gabim, take courage.

32 As yet today will he remain at Nob: then will he swing his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

It is yet day enough, to remain in Nobe: he shall shake his hand against the mountain of the daughter of Sion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33 Behold, the Lord, the Eternal of hosts, will lop off the fruitful bough with terrific might: and those of towering growth shall be hewn down, and the high shall be laid low.

Behold the sovereign Lord of hosts shall break the earthen vessel with terror, and the tall of stature shall be cut down, and the lofty shall be humbled.

34 And he will cut down the thickets of the forests with iron, and the Lebanon shall fall by [means of] a mighty one.

And the thickets of the forest shall be cut down with iron, and Libanus with its high ones shall fall.