Isaiah 10

1 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness [which] they have prescribed;

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

2 To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and [that] they may rob the fatherless!

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

3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation [which] shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?

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?

4 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand [is] stretched out still.

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.

5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.

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

6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

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.

7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but [it is] in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.

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

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

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

9 [Is] not Calno as Carchemish? [is] not Hamath as Arpad? [is] not Samaria as Damascus?

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

10 As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

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

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

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

12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, [that] when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.

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.

13 For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done [it], and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant [man: ]

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.

14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs [that are] left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

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.”

15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? [or] shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake [itself] against them that lift it up, [or] as if the staff should lift up [itself, as if it were] no wood.

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.

16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.

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.

17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;

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.

18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.

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.

19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.

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

20 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

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.

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

A remnant of Jacob will return to the mighty God.

22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, [yet] a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

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.

23 For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.

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

24 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.

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.

25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.

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

26 And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and [as] his rod [was] upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

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.

27 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 be destroyed because of the anointing.

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.

28 He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:

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

29 They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.

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

30 Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.

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

31 Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.

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

32 As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand [against] the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

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

33 Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature [shall be] hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.

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.

34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.

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