Isaiah 10

1 Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers who write oppressive decrees

Woe to them that make wicked laws: and when they write, write injustice:

2 to deprive the needy of justice, and to rob the poor amongst my people of their rights, that widows may be their plunder, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

To oppress the poor in judgment, and do violence to the cause of the humble of my people: that widows might be their prey, and that they might rob the fatherless.

3 What will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

What will you do in the day of visitation, and of the calamity which cometh from afar? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?

4 They will only bow down under the prisoners, and will fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

That you be not bowed down under the bond, and fall with the slain? In all these things his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

5 Alas Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my indignation!

Woe to the Assyrian, he is the rod and the staff of my anger, and my indignation is in their hands.

6 I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people who anger me I will give him a command to take the plunder and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

I will send him to a deceitful nation, and I will give him a charge against the people of my wrath, to take away the spoils, and to lay hold on the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

7 However, he doesn’t mean so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations.

But he shall not take it so, and his heart shall not think so: but his heart shall be set to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few.

8 For he says, “Aren’t all of my princes kings?

For he shall say:

9 Isn’t Calno like Carchemish? Isn’t Hamath like Arpad? Isn’t Samaria like Damascus?”

Are not my princes as so many kings? is not Calano as Charcamis: and Emath as Arphad? is not Samaria as Damascus?

10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose engraved images exceeded those of Jerusalem and of Samaria,

As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idol, so also their idols of Jerusalem, and of Samaria.

11 shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

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

12 Therefore it will happen that when the Lord has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the wilful proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of his arrogant looks.

And it shall come to pass, that when the Lord shall have performed all his works in mount Sion, and in Jerusalem, I will visit the fruit of the proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of the haughtiness of his eyes.

13 For he has said, “By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding. I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures. Like a valiant man I have brought down their rulers.

For he hath said: By the strength of my own hand I have done it, and by my own wisdom I have understood: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have taken the spoils of the princes, and as a mighty man hath pulled down them that sat on high.

14 My hand has found the riches of the peoples like a nest, and like one gathers eggs that are abandoned, I have gathered all the earth. There was no one who moved their wing, or that opened their mouth, or chirped.”

And my hand hath found the strength of the people as a nest; and as eggs are gathered, that are left, so have I gathered all the earth: and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or made the least noise.

15 Should an axe brag against him who chops with it? Should a saw exalt itself above him who saws with it? As if a rod should lift those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up someone who is not wood.

Shall the axe boast itself against him that cutteth with it? or shall the saw exalt itself against him by whom it is drawn? as if a rod should lift itself up against him that lifteth it up, and a staff exalt itself, which is but wood.

16 Therefore the Lord, GOD of Hosts, will send amongst his fat ones leanness; and under his glory a burning will be kindled like the burning of fire.

Therefore the sovereign Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall send leanness among his fat ones: and under his glory shall be kindled a burning, as it were the burning of a fire.

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

And the light of Israel shall be as a fire, and the Holy One thereof as a flame: and his thorns and his briers shall be set on fire, and shall be devoured in one day.

18 He will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, both soul and body. It will be as when a standard bearer faints.

And the glory of his forest, and of his beautiful hill, shall be consumed from the soul even to the flesh, and he shall run away through fear.

19 The remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child could write their number.

And they that remain of the trees of his forest shall be so few, that they shall easily be numbered, and a child shall write them down.

20 It will come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and those who have escaped from the house of Jacob will no more again lean on him who struck them, but shall lean on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that shall escape of the house of Jacob, shall lean no more upon him that striketh them: but they shall lean upon the Lord the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

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

The remnant shall be converted, the remnant, I say, of Jacob, to the mighty God.

22 For though your people, Israel, are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.

For if thy people, O Israel, shall be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them shall be converted, the consumption abridged shall overflow with justice.

23 For the Lord, GOD of Hosts, will make a full end, and that determined, throughout all the earth.

For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, and an abridgment in the midst of all the land.

24 Therefore the Lord, GOD of Hosts, says, “My people who dwell in Zion, don’t be afraid of the Assyrian, though he strike you with the rod, and lift up his staff against you, as Egypt did.

Therefore, thus saith the Lord the God of hosts: O my people that dwellest in Sion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall strike thee with his rod, and he shall lift up his staff over thee in the way of Egypt.

25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation against you will be accomplished, and my anger will be directed to his destruction.”

For yet a little and a very little while, and my indignation shall cease, and my wrath shall be upon their wickedness.

26 The LORD of Hosts will stir up a scourge against him, as in the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb. His rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up like he did against Egypt.

And the Lord of hosts shall raise up a scourge against him, according to the slaughter of Madian in the rock of Oreb, and his rod over the sea, and he shall lift it up in the way of Egypt.

27 It will happen in that day that his burden will depart from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing oil.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall putrify at the presence of the oil.

28 He has come to Aiath. He has passed through Migron. At Michmash he stores his baggage.

He shall come into Aiath, he shall pass into Magron: at Machmas he shall lay up his carriages.

29 They have gone over the pass. They have taken up their lodging at Geba. Ramah trembles. Gibeah of Saul has fled.

They have passed in haste, Gaba is our lodging: Rama was astonished, Gabaath of Saul fled away.

30 Cry aloud with your voice, daughter of Gallim! Listen, Laishah! You poor Anathoth!

Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim, attend, O Laisa, poor Anathoth.

31 Madmenah is a fugitive. The inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.

Medemena is removed: ye inhabitants of Gabim, take courage.

32 This very day he will halt at Nob. He shakes his hand at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

It is yet day enough, to remain in Nobe: he shall shake his hand against the mountain of the daughter of Sion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33 Behold, the Lord, GOD of Hosts, will lop the boughs with terror. The tall will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low.

Behold the sovereign Lord of hosts shall break the earthen vessel with terror, and the tall of stature shall be cut down, and the lofty shall be humbled.

34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

And the thickets of the forest shall be cut down with iron, and Libanus with its high ones shall fall.