< Ἠσαΐας 31 >

1 οὐαὶ οἱ καταβαίνοντες εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐπὶ βοήθειαν οἱ ἐφ’ ἵπποις πεποιθότες καὶ ἐφ’ ἅρμασιν ἔστιν γὰρ πολλά καὶ ἐφ’ ἵπποις πλῆθος σφόδρα καὶ οὐκ ἦσαν πεποιθότες ἐπὶ τὸν ἅγιον τοῦ Ισραηλ καὶ τὸν θεὸν οὐκ ἐξεζήτησαν
Tragedy is coming to those who appeal to Egypt for help, depending on their horses and trusting in all their chariots and charioteers! They don't look to the Holy One of Israel for help; they don't ask the Lord for advice.
2 καὶ αὐτὸς σοφὸς ἦγεν ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς κακά καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ ἀθετηθῇ καὶ ἐπαναστήσεται ἐπ’ οἴκους ἀνθρώπων πονηρῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἐλπίδα αὐτῶν τὴν ματαίαν
Yet he's also wise! He will bring disaster and won't withdraw his orders. He will take action against this wicked nation and the evil people who help them.
3 Αἰγύπτιον ἄνθρωπον καὶ οὐ θεόν ἵππων σάρκας καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν βοήθεια ὁ δὲ κύριος ἐπάξει τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπ’ αὐτούς καὶ κοπιάσουσιν οἱ βοηθοῦντες καὶ ἅμα πάντες ἀπολοῦνται
The Egyptians are only human beings—they're not God! Their horses are only physical, not spiritual. When the Lord lifts up his hand to attack, those who came to help will stumble, and those who are helped will fall. They will all die together.
4 ὅτι οὕτως εἶπέν μοι κύριος ὃν τρόπον ἐὰν βοήσῃ ὁ λέων ἢ ὁ σκύμνος ἐπὶ τῇ θήρᾳ ᾗ ἔλαβεν καὶ κεκράξῃ ἐπ’ αὐτῇ ἕως ἂν ἐμπλησθῇ τὰ ὄρη τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡττήθησαν καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ θυμοῦ ἐπτοήθησαν οὕτως καταβήσεται κύριος σαβαωθ ἐπιστρατεῦσαι ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος τὸ Σιων ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη αὐτῆς
This is what the Lord told me: It's like a young lion growling as it stands over its prey. Even though a lot of shepherds come to protest, it's not frightened off by their shouting or intimidated by all their noise. In the same way the Lord Almighty will come down to fight on Mount Zion.
5 ὡς ὄρνεα πετόμενα οὕτως ὑπερασπιεῖ κύριος ὑπὲρ Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἐξελεῖται καὶ περιποιήσεται καὶ σώσει
Like birds that hover above, so the Lord Almighty will take care of Jerusalem. He will protect it and save it; he will pass over it and rescue it.
6 ἐπιστράφητε οἱ τὴν βαθεῖαν βουλὴν βουλευόμενοι καὶ ἄνομον
Come back, Israelites, to the one you so blatantly rebelled against.
7 ὅτι τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἀπαρνήσονται οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὰ χειροποίητα αὐτῶν τὰ ἀργυρᾶ καὶ τὰ χρυσᾶ ἃ ἐποίησαν αἱ χεῖρες αὐτῶν
For at that time every one of you will throw away all the idols of silver and gold made by your own sinful hands.
8 καὶ πεσεῖται Ασσουρ οὐ μάχαιρα ἀνδρὸς οὐδὲ μάχαιρα ἀνθρώπου καταφάγεται αὐτόν καὶ φεύξεται οὐκ ἀπὸ προσώπου μαχαίρας οἱ δὲ νεανίσκοι ἔσονται εἰς ἥττημα
The Assyrians will be killed by the sword of one who is not a man. They will destroyed by the sword of one who is not mortal. They will run away at the sight of the sword, and the young Assyrian men will be taken away as slave laborers.
9 πέτρᾳ γὰρ περιλημφθήσονται ὡς χάρακι καὶ ἡττηθήσονται ὁ δὲ φεύγων ἁλώσεται τάδε λέγει κύριος μακάριος ὃς ἔχει ἐν Σιων σπέρμα καὶ οἰκείους ἐν Ιερουσαλημ
Their “rock” will be scared to death, and their officers will be terrified and in panic at the sight of the battle flag, declares the Lord, who has his fire in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.

< Ἠσαΐας 31 >