Isaiah 10

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

Tragedy is coming to those who pass evil decrees and who write laws to harm people.

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 pervert the legal rights of the needy, and rob justice from the poor of my people. They steal from widows and cheat orphans.

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

What are you going to do on the day you're punished, when disaster falls on you from far away? Who are you going to run to so you can get help? Where are you going to leave all 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.

All you'll be able to do is to bow down as prisoners, or lie among the dead! In all of this he is still angry and his hand is still raised.

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

Tragedy is coming to the Assyrians, even though the rod they use represents my anger and the stick they hold in their hands represents my fury!

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

I am sending the Assyrians against a nation that has given up on its God, against a people that make me angry. I order the Assyrians to loot them, to take their possessions, and to trample them down like mud in the street.

7 Yet 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 isn't what is behind the thinking of the king of Assyria. This isn't the plan he has in mind. What he wants to do is to destroy and eliminate many nations.

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

He says: “All my commanders are kings!

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

We conquered Calno like we did Carchemish; Hamath like Arpad; Samaria like Damascus.

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

I was the one who conquered these kingdoms along with the idols of their gods. These kingdoms had images of their gods that were better than those of Jerusalem and Samaria.

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

Why shouldn't I do to Jerusalem and her idols just what I did to Samaria and her idols?”

12 Therefore 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.

Once the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will punish the king of Assyria for his terrible arrogance and for the conceited look in his eyes.

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 the king of Assyria says: “I have done this in my own strength. It was through my wisdom, because I'm clever. I have wiped out the boundaries of nations and looted their treasures. Like a bull I knocked their rulers off their thrones.

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.

Like robbing a bird's nest, I took the wealth of the nations. Like collecting abandoned eggs, I collected the whole the earth. There wasn't a fluttering wing or an open beak, not even a chirp!”

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

Does an ax say it's more important than the person swinging it? Does a saw boast that it's greater than the person sawing with it? It would be as if a rod waved the person holding it, or a walking stick lifted up a person—who certainly wasn't wood!

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.

So the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will send a disease on the king of Assyria's strong warriors that will make them waste away; a flaming fire will be set under everything he's so proud of.

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;

Israel's light will become a fire, and his Holy One will become a flame. It will burn up his thorns and brambles in just 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.

It will totally destroy its splendid forests and orchards. Assyria will waste away, staggering off like someone sick.

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

The trees left in its forests 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 have escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again lean upon him that smote them; but shall lean upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

At that time those who are left in Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer trust in those who turn on them, but they will truly trust in the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

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

A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will come back 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 full end decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

Israel, even though your people are as numerous as sand on the seashore, only a remnant will return. The Lord has rightly decided to destroy his people.

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

The Lord God Almighty has rightly decided to bring destruction throughout the whole country.

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.

So this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says, My people living in Zion, don't be afraid of the Assyrians who beat you with rods and hit you with clubs, just like the Egyptians did.

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

Very shortly I will stop being angry with you. Then I will turn my anger on them and I will destroy them.

26 And the LORD of hosts shall raise 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.

The Lord Almighty will lash them with a whip, just as he did when he attacked the Midianites at the rock of Oreb. He will hold up his rod over the sea, just 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.

At that time he will remove the burden from your shoulders and the yoke from your neck. The yoke will be broken because of the anointing with oil.

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

The Assyrians came to Aiath, passed through Migron, and stored their supplies at Michmash.

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

They cross the pass, saying, “We'll stay overnight at Geba.” The people of Ramah tremble in fear; the inhabitants of Gibeah of Saul run away.

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

Shout out a warning, people of Gallim! Pay attention, those living in Laishah! You poor people of Anathoth!

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

The people of Madmenah, are all running away. The inhabitants of Gebim are looking for somewhere safe.

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.

Today the invaders stop at Nob, shaking their fists at the mountain of the Daughter of Zion, at 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.

Look how the Lord Almighty is going to chop off the branches with great force. The tall trees will be cut down, the proud trees will be brought crashing down.

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

He will cut down the thick forest with an ax, and Lebanon will fall at the hand of the Mighty One.