Isaiah 10
1 Woe unto those that decree decrees of unrighteousness, and the writers who write down wrongful things;
Tragedy is coming to those who pass evil decrees and who write laws to harm people.
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!
They pervert the legal rights of the needy, and rob justice from the poor of my people. They steal from widows and cheat orphans.
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 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?
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.
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.
5 Woe over Asshur, the rod of my anger; and a staff is in their hand my indignation.
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!
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 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.
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 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.
8 For he saith, “Are not my princes altogether kings?
He says: “All my commanders are kings!
9 Is not Calno like Karkemish? is not Chamath like Arpad? is not Samaria like Damascus?
We conquered Calno like we did Carchemish; Hamath like Arpad; Samaria like Damascus.
10 As my hand hath reached the kingdoms of the idols, whose graven images exceeded in number those of Jerusalem and of Samaria:
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.
11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, do so unto Jerusalem and unto her idols?”
Why shouldn't I do to Jerusalem and her idols just what I did to Samaria 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.
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.
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 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.
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.”
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!”
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It will totally destroy its splendid forests and orchards. Assyria will waste away, staggering off like someone sick.
19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few in number, so that a boy may write them down.
The trees left in its forests will be so few that a child could count them.
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.
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.
21 The remnant shall return, the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will come back 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.
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.
23 For it is completed and decreed: the Lord, the Eternal of hosts will do it in the midst of all the land.
The Lord God Almighty has rightly decided to bring destruction throughout the whole country.
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.
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.
25 For yet but a very little while more, and the indignation shall cease, and my anger shall be for their destruction.
Very shortly I will stop being angry with you. Then I will turn my anger on them and I will destroy them.
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.
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.
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.
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.
28 He cometh to 'Ayath, he passeth on to Migron; at Michmash he layeth up his baggage;
The Assyrians came to Aiath, passed through Migron, and stored their supplies at Michmash.
29 They go through the pass; they take up their lodging at Geba'; Ramah trembleth; Gib'ah of Saul fleeth.
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.
30 Let thy voice resound, O daughter of Gallim; listen Layshah; O poor 'Anathoth!
Shout out a warning, people of Gallim! Pay attention, those living in Laishah! You poor people of Anathoth!
31 Madmenah is in motion; the inhabitants of Gebim are assembled to flee.
The people of Madmenah, are all running away. The inhabitants of Gebim are looking for somewhere safe.
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.
Today the invaders stop at Nob, shaking their fists at the mountain of the Daughter of Zion, at 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.
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.
34 And he will cut down the thickets of the forests with iron, and the Lebanon shall fall by [means of] a mighty one.
He will cut down the thick forest with an ax, and Lebanon will fall at the hand of the Mighty One.
