Isaiah 10

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

Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers that write iniquity;

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

To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right of the poor of My people, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

3 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?

And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the ruin which shall come from far? To whom will ye flee for help? And where will ye leave your glory?

4 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.

They can do nought except crouch under the captives, and fall under the slain. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.

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

O Asshur, the rod of Mine anger, in whose hand as a staff is Mine indignation!

6 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.

I do send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath do 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.

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

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

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

For he saith: 'Are not my princes all of them kings?

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

Is not Calno as Carchemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad? Is not Samaria as Damascus?

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

As my hand hath reached the kingdoms of the idols, whose graven images did exceed them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

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

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

12 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.

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 arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.

13 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.

For he hath said: by the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent; in that I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures, and have brought down as one mighty the inhabitants;

14 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.”

And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the peoples; and as one gathereth eggs that are forsaken, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or that opened the mouth, or chirped.

15 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.

Should the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Should the saw magnify itself against him that moveth it? as if a rod should move them that lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up him that is not wood.

16 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.

Therefore will the Lord, the LORD of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory there shall be kindled a burning like the burning of fire.

17 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.

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.

18 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.

And the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, he will consume both soul and body; and it shall be as when a sick man wasteth away.

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

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

20 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.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that 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.

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

A remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto God the Mighty.

22 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.

For though thy people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them shall return; an extermination is determined, overflowing with righteousness.

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

For an extermination wholly determined shall the Lord, the GOD of hosts, make in the midst of all the earth.

24 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.

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

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

For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall be accomplished, and Mine anger shall be to their destruction.

26 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.

And the LORD of hosts shall stir up against him a scourge, as in the slaughter of Midian at the Rock of Oreb; and as His rod was over the sea, so shall He lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

27 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.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall depart from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed by reason of fatness.

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

He is come to Aiath, he is passed through Migron; at Michmas he layeth up his baggage;

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

They are gone over the pass; they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah trembleth; Gibeath-shaul is fled.

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

Cry thou with a shrill voice, O daughter of Gallim! Hearken, O Laish! O thou poor Anathoth!

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

Madmenah is in mad flight; the inhabitants of Gebim flee to cover.

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

This very day shall he halt at Nob, shaking his hand at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33 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.

Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the boughs with terror; and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the lofty shall be laid low.

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

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