Isaiah 31
1 Terrible things will happen to those who reply on Egypt to help them, trusting in their soldiers’ horses and their many chariots and their strong chariot-drivers, instead of trusting that Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, will help them.
Cursed are those who go down to Egypt for help, and who put their faith in horses; looking to war-carriages for salvation, because of their numbers; and to horsemen, because they are very strong; but they are not looking to the Holy One of Israel, or turning their hearts to the Lord;
2 Yahweh is [very] wise, [but] he also causes people to experience disaster! And [when he decides to do that], he does not change his mind! He will strike/punish the wicked people and [all] those who help them.
Though he is wise, and able to send evil, and his purpose will not be changed; but he will go against the house of the evil-doers, and against those to whom they are looking for help.
3 The soldiers of Egypt [that you people of Judah are relying on] are humans, not God! And their horses are only horses; they are not [powerful] spirits! So when Yahweh raises his fist to strike/punish the [soldiers of Egypt whom you thought would help you], he will also strike [you who thought that you would be helped], and you and they will stumble and fall down; all of you will die together.
For the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses are flesh, and not spirit: and when the Lord's hand is stretched out, the helper and he who is helped will come down together.
4 But this is what Yahweh said to me: “When a huge lion stands over the body of a sheep that he has killed and growls, even if a large group of shepherds comes [to chase/shoo away the lion], even if they shout loudly, the lion will not be afraid and will not leave. Similarly, I, the Commander of the armies of angels, will come down to fight [my enemies] on Zion Hill, [and nothing will hinder me].
For the Lord has said to me, As a lion, or a young lion, makes an angry noise over his food, and if a band of herdsmen come out against him, he will not be in fear of their voices, or give up his food for their noise: so the Lord of armies will come down to make war against Mount Zion and its hill.
5 [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, will protect Jerusalem like [SIM] a [mother] bird protects [the baby birds in] her nest: I will defend the city and rescue it from its enemies.”
Like birds with outstretched wings, so will the Lord of armies be a cover to Jerusalem; he will be a cover and salvation for it, going over it he will keep it from danger.
6 My people, [even though] you have greatly rebelled against Yahweh, return to him.
Come back to him who has been so deeply sinned against by the children of Israel.
7 When you do that, each of you will throw away the idols that you [SYN] have sinned by making, idols that are [covered with] silver and gold.
For in that day they will all give up their images of silver and of gold, the sin which they made for themselves.
8 [Many of the] Assyrian [soldiers] will be killed, but not by swords that men use. They will be destroyed by the sword of God; and [those who are not killed] will (panic/be very afraid) and flee. And some of them will [be captured] and forced to become slaves.
Then the Assyrian will come down by the sword, but not of man; the sword, not of men, will be the cause of his destruction: and he will go in flight from the sword, and his young men will be put to forced work.
9 [Even] their very strong soldiers [MTY] will be terrified; they will abandon their battle flags and run away! Yahweh will cause his enemies who attack Jerusalem to be destroyed. Yahweh’s presence on Zion Hill is [like] a fire, [like] a furnace that blazes in Jerusalem; and that is what Yahweh says [about what will happen to the Assyrian army]!
And his rock will come to nothing because of fear, and his chiefs will go in flight from the flag, says the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his altar in Jerusalem.
