Isaiah 10

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

Woe to them that write wickedness; for when they write they do write wickedness,

2 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!

perverting the cause of the poor, violently wresting the judgment of the needy ones of my people, that the widow may be a prey to them, and the orphan a spoil.

3 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?

And what will they do in the day of visitation? for affliction shall come to you from afar: and to whom will you flee for help? and where will you leave your glory,

4 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.

that you may not fall into captivity? For all this [his] wrath is not turned away, but [his] hand is yet exalted.

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

Woe to the Assyrians; the rod of my wrath, and anger are in their hands.

6 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.

I will send my wrath against a sinful nation, and I will charge my people to take plunder and spoil, and to trample the cities, and to make them dust.

7 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.

But he meant not thus, neither did he devise thus in his soul: but his mind shall change, and [that] to destroy nations not a few.

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

And if they should say to him, You alone are ruler;

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

then shall he say, Have I not taken the country above Babylon and Chalanes, where the tower was built? and have I [not] taken Arabia, and Damascus, and Samaria?

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

As I have taken them, I will also take all the kingdoms: howl, you idols in Jerusalem, and in Samaria.

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

For as I did to Samaria and her idols, so will I do also to Jerusalem and her idols.

12 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.

And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have finished doing all things on Mount Sion and Jerusalem, [that] I will visit upon the proud heart, [even] upon the ruler of the Assyrians, and upon the boastful haughtiness of his eyes.

13 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.

For he said, I will act in strength, and in the wisdom of [my] understanding I will remove the boundaries of nations, and will spoil their strength.

14 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.”

And I will shake the inhabited cities: and I will take with my hand all the world as a nest: and I will even take them as eggs that have been left; and there is none that shall escape me, or contradict me.

15 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.

Shall the axe glorify itself without him that hews with it? or shall the saw lift up itself without him that uses it, as if one should lift a rod or staff? but it shall not be so;

16 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.

but the Lord of hosts shall send dishonor upon your honor, and burning fire shall be kindled upon your glory.

17 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.

And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and he shall sanctify him with burning fire, and it shall devour the wood as grass.

18 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.

In that day the mountains shall be consumed, and the hills, and the forests, and [fire] shall devour [both] soul and body: and he that flees shall be as one fleeing from burning flame.

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

And they that are left of them shall be a [small] number, and a child shall write them.

20 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.

And it shall come to pass in that day [that] the remnant of Israel shall no more join themselves with, and the saved of Jacob shall no more trust in, them that injured them; but they shall trust in the Holy God of Israel, in truth.

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

And the remnant of Jacob shall [trust] on the mighty God.

22 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.

And though the people of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them shall be saved.

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

He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because the Lord will make a short work in all the world.

24 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.

Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, Be not afraid, my people who dwell in Sion, of the Assyrians, because he shall strike you with a rod: for I am bringing a stroke upon you, that [you] may see the way of Egypt.

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

For yet a little while, and the indignation shall cease: but my wrath shall be against their council.

26 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.

And God will stir up [enemies] against them, according to the stroke of Madiam in the place of affliction: and his wrath shall be by the way of the sea, [even] to the way that leads to Egypt.

27 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.

And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] his yoke shall be taken away from your shoulder, and his fear from you, and the yoke shall be destroyed from off your shoulders.

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

For he shall arrive at the city of Angai, and shall pass on to Maggedo, and shall lay up his stores in Machmas.

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

And he shall pass by the valley, and shall arrive at Angai: fear shall seize upon Rama, the city of Saul.

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

The daughter of Gallim shall flee; Laisa shall hear; one shall hear in Anathoth.

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

Madebena also is amazed, and the inhabitants of Gibbir.

32 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.

Exhort you [them] today to remain in the way: exhort you [beckoning] with the hand the mountain, the daughter of Sion, even you hills that are in Jerusalem.

33 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.

Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will mightily confound the glorious ones; and the haughty in pride shall be crushed, and the lofty shall be brought low:

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

and the lofty ones shall fall by the sword, and the Libanus shall fall with his lofty ones.