Isaiah 10

1 Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers who write oppressive decrees;

Cursed are those who make evil decisions, and the writers who make the records of their cruel acts:

2 to deprive the needy from justice, and to rob the poor among my people of their rights, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey.

Who do wrong to the poor in their cause, and take away the right of the crushed among my people, so that they may have the property of widows, and get under their power those who have no father.

3 What will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth,

And what will you do in the day of punishment, and in the destruction which is coming from far? to whom will you go for help, and what will become of your glory?

4 so as not to kneel with the prisoners, or fall among the slain? For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

... For all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

5 Alas Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my indignation.

Ho! Assyrian, the rod of my wrath, the instrument of my punishment!

6 I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people who anger me will I give him a command to take the spoil and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

I will send him against a nation of wrongdoers, and against the people of my wrath I will give him orders, to take their wealth in war, crushing them down like the dust in the streets.

7 However he doesn't mean so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations.

But this is not what is in his mind, and this is not his design; but his purpose is destruction, and the cutting off of more and more nations.

8 For he says, "Aren't all of my officials kings?

For he says, Are not all my captains kings?

9 Isn't Calno like Carchemish? Isn't Hamath like Arpad? Isn't Samaria like Damascus?

Will not the fate of Calno be like that of Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?

10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose engraved images exceeded those of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

As my hand has come on the kingdoms of the images, whose pictured images were more in number than those of Jerusalem and Samaria;

11 shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?"

So, as I have done to Samaria and her images, I will do to Jerusalem and her images.

12 Therefore it will happen that, when the LORD has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will punish the fruit of the willful proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of his haughty looks.

For this cause it will be that, when the purpose of the Lord against Mount Zion and Jerusalem is complete, I will send punishment on the pride of the heart of the king of Assyria, and on the glory of his uplifted eyes.

13 For he has said, "By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I have understanding: and I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures. Like a valiant man I have brought down their rulers.

For he has said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my knowledge, for I am wise: and I have taken away the limits of the peoples' lands, and the stores of their wealth have become mine; and I have made towns low in the dust, sending destruction on those living in them;

14 My hand has found the riches of the peoples like a nest, and like one gathers eggs that are abandoned, have I gathered all the earth. There was no one who moved their wing, or that opened their mouth, or chirped."

And I have put my hands on the wealth of the peoples, as on the place where a bird has put her eggs; and as a man may take the eggs from which a bird has gone, so I have taken all the earth for myself: and not a wing was moved, and not a mouth gave out a sound.

15 Should an axe brag against him who chops with it? Should a saw exalt itself above him who saws with it? As if a rod should lift those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up someone who is not wood.

Will the axe say high-sounding words against him who is using it, or the blade be full of pride against him who is cutting with it? As if a rod had the power of shaking him who is using it, or as if a stick might take up him who is not wood.

16 Therefore the LORD of hosts will send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory a burning will be kindled like the burning of fire.

For this cause the Lord, the Lord of armies, will make his fat become wasted; and in his inner parts a fire will be lighted like a burning flame.

17 The light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.

And the light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: wasting and burning up his thorns in one day.

18 He will consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body. It will be as when a standard bearer faints.

And he will put an end to the glory of his woods and of his planted fields, soul and body together; and it will be as when a man is wasted by disease.

19 The remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child could write their number.

And the rest of the trees of his wood will be small in number, so that a child may put them down in writing.

20 It will come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and those who have escaped from the house of Jacob will no more again lean on him who struck them, but shall lean on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

And it will be in that day that the rest of Israel, and those of Jacob who have come safely through these troubles, will no longer go for help to him whose rod was on their back, but their faith will be in the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

21 A remnant will return, even the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.

The rest, even the rest of Jacob, will come back to the Strong God.

22 For though your people, Israel, are as the sand of the sea, a remnant will be kept safe. For he will fulfill the word and decisively in righteousness;

For though your people, O Israel, are as the sand of the sea, only a small number will come back: for the destruction is fixed, overflowing in righteousness.

23 because the LORD will carry out the word decisively in the midst of the earth.

For the Lord, the Lord of armies, is about to make destruction complete in all the land.

24 Therefore the LORD of hosts says: "My people who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian, though he strike you with the rod, and lift up his staff against you, as Egypt did.

For this cause the Lord, the Lord of armies, says, O my people living in Zion, have no fear of the Assyrian, even if his rod comes on your back, and his stick is lifted up as in Egypt.

25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation against you will be accomplished, and my anger will be directed to his destruction."

For in a very short time my passion will be over, and my wrath will be turned to their destruction.

26 The LORD of hosts will stir up a scourge against him, as in the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb. His rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up like he did against Egypt.

And the Lord of armies will be shaking a whip against him, as when he overcame Midian at the rock of Oreb: and his rod will be lifted up against them as it was against the Egyptians.

27 It will happen in that day, that his burden will depart from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

And in that day the weight which he put on your back will be taken away, and his yoke broken from off your neck.

28 He has come to Aiath. He has passed through Migron. At Michmash he stores his baggage.

He has gone up from Pene-Rimmon, he has come to Aiath; he has gone past Migron, at Michmash he puts his forces in order.

29 He went through the pass. He has lodged at Geba. Ramah trembles. Gibeah of Saul has fled.

They have gone across the mountain; Geba will be our resting-place tonight, they say: Ramah is shaking with fear; Gibeah of Saul has gone in flight.

30 Cry aloud with your voice, daughter of Gallim. Listen, Laishah. You poor Anathoth.

Give a loud cry, daughter of Gallim; let Laishah give ear; let Anathoth give answer to her.

31 Madmenah is a fugitive. The inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.

Madmenah has gone; the men of Gebim are putting their goods in a safe place.

32 This very day he will halt at Nob. He shakes his hand at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

This very day he is stopping at Nob; he is shaking his hand against the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33 Look, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, will lop the boughs with terror. The tall will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low.

See, the Lord, the Lord of armies, is cutting off his branches with a great noise, and his strong ones are falling and his high ones are coming down.

34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

And he is cutting down the thick places of the wood with an axe, and Lebanon with its tall trees is coming down.