Isaiah 31

1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and lean on horses, and trust in chariots (for they are many) and in horsemen (for they are countless). But they are not concerned about the Holy One of Israel, nor do they seek Yahweh!

Woe [to] those going down to Egypt for help, And on horses lean, And trust on chariots, because many, And on horsemen, because very strong, And have not looked on the Holy One of Israel, And Jehovah have not sought.

2 Yet he is wise, and he will bring disaster and will not retract his words. He will arise against the evil house and against the helpers of those who commit sin.

And He also [is] wise, and bringeth in evil, And His words He hath not turned aside, And He hath risen against a house of evil doers, And against the help of workers of iniquity.

3 Egypt is a man and not God, their horses flesh and not spirit. When Yahweh reaches out with his hand, both the one who helps will stumble, and the one who is helped will fall; both will perish together.

And the Egyptians [are men], and not God, And their horses [are] flesh, and not spirit, And Jehovah stretcheth out His hand, And stumbled hath the helper, And fallen hath the helped one, And together all of them are consumed.

4 This is what Yahweh says to me, “As a lion, even a young lion, growls over its torn prey, when a group of shepherds is called out against it, but it does not tremble at their voices, nor creep away from their sound; thus Yahweh of hosts will descend to fight on Mount Zion, on that hill.

For thus said Jehovah unto me: 'As growl doth the lion and the young lion over his prey, Called against whom is a multitude of shepherds, From their voice he is not affrighted, And from their noise he is not humbled; So come down doth Jehovah of Hosts To war on mount Zion, and on her height.

5 Like birds in flight, so Yahweh of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and rescue as he passes over it and preserves it.

As birds flying, so doth Jehovah of Hosts Cover over Jerusalem, covering and delivering, Passing over, and causing to escape.'

6 Return to him from whom you have deeply turned away, people of Israel.

Turn back to Him from whom sons of Israel Have deepened apostasy.

7 For in that day each one will get rid of his idols of silver and his idols of gold that your own hands have sinfully made.

For in that day despise doth each His idols of silver, and his idols of gold, That your hands made to you — a sin.

8 Assyria will fall by the sword; a sword not wielded by man will consume him. He will flee from the sword, and his young men will be forced to do hard labor.

And fallen hath Asshur by sword, not of the high, Yea, a sword — not of the low, doth consume him, And he hath fled for himself from the face of a sword, And his young men become tributary.

9 They will lose all confidence because of terror, and his princes will be afraid at the sight of Yahweh's battle flag— this is Yahweh's declaration—whose fire is in Zion and whose firepot is in Jerusalem.”

And [to] his rock from fear he passeth on, And affrighted by the ensign have been his princes — an affirmation of Jehovah, Who hath a light in Zion, And who hath a furnace in Jerusalem!