Isaiah 10

1 Woe to those who enact unjust laws and write unfair decrees.

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

2 They deprive the needy of justice, rob the poor of my people of their rights, plunder widows, and make the fatherless their prey!

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!

3 What will you do on judgment day when the destruction comes from far away? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?

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?

4 Nothing remains, and you crouch among the prisoners or fall among the killed. In all these things, his anger does not subside; instead, his hand is still stretched out.

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.

5 Woe to the Assyrian, the club of my anger, the rod by whom I wield my fury!

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

6 I send him against an arrogant nation and against the people who bear my overflowing wrath. I order him to take the spoil, to take the prey, and to trample them like mud in the streets.

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.

7 But this is not what he intends, nor does he think this way. It is in his heart to destroy and eliminate many nations.

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.

8 For he says, “Are not all my princes kings?

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

9 Is not Kalno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?

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

10 As my hand has overcome idolatrous kingdoms, whose carved figures were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

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

11 just as I did to Samaria and her worthless idols, will I not also do the same to Jerusalem and to her idols?”

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

12 When the Lord has finished his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and his prideful looks.

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.

13 For he says, “By my strength and by my wisdom I acted. I have understanding, and I have removed the boundaries of the peoples. I have stolen their treasures, and like a bull I have brought down the inhabitants.

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.

14 My hand has seized, as from a nest, the wealth of nations, and as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth. None fluttered their wings or opened their mouth or chirped.”

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.”

15 Will the ax boast about itself against the one who wields it? Will the saw praise itself more than the one who cuts with it? It is as if a rod could lift up those who raise it, or as if a wooden club could lift up a person.

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.

16 Therefore the Lord Yahweh of hosts will send emaciation among his elite warriors; and under his glory there will be kindled a burning like fire.

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.

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

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.

18 Yahweh will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful land, both soul and body; it will be like when a sick man's life wastes away.

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.

19 The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few, that a child could count them.

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

20 On that day, the remnant of Israel, the family of Jacob that has escaped, will no longer rely on the one who defeated them, but will indeed depend on Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel.

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.

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

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

22 For though your people, Israel, are like the sand of the seashore, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, as overflowing righteousness demands.

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.

23 For the Lord Yahweh of hosts, is about to carry out the destruction determined throughout the land.

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

24 Therefore the Lord Yahweh of hosts says, “My people who live in Zion, do not fear the Assyrian. He will strike you with the rod and raise his staff against you, as the Egyptians did.

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.

25 Do not fear him, for in a very short time my anger against you will end, and my anger will lead to his destruction.”

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

26 Then Yahweh of hosts will wield a whip against them, as when he defeated Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will raise his rod over the sea and lift it up as he did in Egypt.

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.

27 On that day, his burden is lifted from your shoulder and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of fatness.

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.

28 The enemy has come to Aiath and has passed through Migron; at Michmash he has stored his provisions.

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

29 They have crossed over the pass and they lodge at Geba. Ramah trembles and Gibeah of Saul has fled.

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

30 Cry aloud, daughter of Gallim! Give attention, Laishah! You poor Anathoth!

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

31 Madmenah is fleeing, and the inhabitants of Gebim run for safety.

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

32 This very day he will halt at Nob and shake his fist at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

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.

33 Behold, the Lord Yahweh of hosts will lop off the boughs with a terrifying crash; the tallest trees will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low.

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.

34 He will chop down the thickets of the forest with an ax, and Lebanon in his majesty will fall.

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