Assyria Is God’s Instrument

1
Woe to those who (A)enact evil statutes
And to those who constantly record (a)unjust decisions,
2
So as (B)to (b)deprive the needy of justice
And rob the poor of My people of their rights,
So (C)that widows may be their spoil
And that they may plunder the (c)orphans.
3
Now (D)what will you do in the (E)day of punishment,
And in the devastation which will come (F)from afar?
(G)To whom will you flee for help?
And where will you leave your (d)wealth?
4
Nothing remains but to crouch (e)among the (H)captives
Or fall (f)among the (I)slain.
(J)In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And His hand is still stretched out.
5
Woe to (K)Assyria, the (L)rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hands is (M)My indignation,
6
I send it against a (N)godless nation
And commission it against the (O)people of My fury
To capture booty and (P)to seize plunder,
And to (g)trample them down like (Q)mud in the streets.
7
Yet it (R)does not so intend,
Nor does (h)it plan so in its heart,
But rather it is (i)its purpose to destroy
And to cut off (j)many nations.
8
For it says, “Are not my princes (k)all kings?
9
“Is not (S)Calno like (T)Carchemish,
Or (U)Hamath like Arpad,
Or (V)Samaria like (W)Damascus?
10
“As my hand has reached to the (X)kingdoms of the idols,
Whose graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11
Shall I not (l)do to Jerusalem and her images
Just as I have done to Samaria and (Y)her idols?”
12 So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His (Z)work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will (m)punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and (AA)the pomp of (n)his haughtiness.” 13 For (AB)he has said,
“By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this,
For I have understanding;
And I (AC)removed the boundaries of the peoples
And plundered their treasures,
And like a mighty man I brought down (o)their inhabitants,
14
And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a (AD)nest,
And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth;
And there was not one that flapped its wing or opened its beak or chirped.”
15
Is the (AE)axe to (AF)boast itself over the one who chops with it?
Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it?
That would be like (AG)a (p)club wielding those who lift it,
Or like (AH)a rod lifting him who is not wood.
16
Therefore the Lord, the (q)God of hosts, will send a (AI)wasting disease among his (AJ)stout warriors;
And under his (AK)glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.
17
And the (AL)light of Israel will become a fire and his (AM)Holy One a flame,
And it will (AN)burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day.
18
And He will (AO)destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body,
And it will be as when a sick man wastes away.
19
And the (AP)rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number
That a child could write them down.

A Remnant Will Return

20 Now in that day the (AQ)remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob (AR)who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly (AS)rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
21
A (AT)remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the (AU)mighty God.
22
For (AV)though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea,
Only a remnant within them will return;
A (AW)destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.
23 For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, (AX)the Lord (r)God of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land.
24 Therefore thus says the Lord (s)God of hosts, “O My people who dwell in (AY)Zion, (AZ)do not fear the Assyrian (t)who (BA)strikes you with the rod and lifts up his staff against you, the way Egypt did. 25 For in a very (BB)little while (BC)My indignation against you will be spent and My anger will be directed to their destruction.” 26 The Lord of hosts will (BD)arouse a scourge against him like the slaughter of (BE)Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His (BF)staff will be over the sea and He will lift it up (BG)the way He did in Egypt. 27 So it will be in that day, that (u)his (BH)burden will be removed from your shoulders and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be broken because (BI)of fatness.
28
He has come against Aiath,
He has passed through (BJ)Migron;
At (BK)Michmash he deposited his (BL)baggage.
29
They have gone through (BM)the pass, saying,
(BN)Geba will be our lodging place.”
(BO)Ramah is terrified, and (BP)Gibeah of Saul has fled away.
30
Cry aloud with your voice, O daughter of (BQ)Gallim!
Pay attention, Laishah and (v)wretched (BR)Anathoth!
31
Madmenah has fled.
The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge.
32
Yet today he will halt at (BS)Nob;
He (BT)shakes his fist at the mountain of the (w)(BU)daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
33
Behold, the Lord, the (x)God of hosts, will lop off the boughs with a terrible crash;
Those also who are (BV)tall in stature will be cut down
And those who are lofty will be abased.
34
He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an iron axe,
And (BW)Lebanon will fall (y)by the Mighty One.

Footnotes:

a. Isaiah 10:1: ['Lit ', mischief, ' or ', misfortune]
b. Isaiah 10:2: ['Lit ', turn aside from]
c. Isaiah 10:2: ['Or ', fatherless]
d. Isaiah 10:3: ['Lit ', glory]
e. Isaiah 10:4: ['Lit ', under]
f. Isaiah 10:4: ['Lit ', under]
g. Isaiah 10:6: ['Lit ', make them a trampled place]
h. Isaiah 10:7: ['Lit ', its heart so plan]
i. Isaiah 10:7: ['Lit ', in its heart]
j. Isaiah 10:7: ['Lit ', not a few]
k. Isaiah 10:8: ['Lit ', altogether]
l. Isaiah 10:11: ['Lit ', do thus]
m. Isaiah 10:12: ['Lit ', visit]
n. Isaiah 10:12: ['Lit ', haughtiness of his eyes]
o. Isaiah 10:13: ['Or ', those who sit, ' on thrones']
p. Isaiah 10:15: ['Lit ', staff]
q. Isaiah 10:16: ['Heb ', YHWH, ', usually rendered ', Lord]
r. Isaiah 10:23: ['Heb ', YHWH, ', usually rendered ', Lord]
s. Isaiah 10:24: ['Heb ', YHWH, ', usually rendered ', Lord]
t. Isaiah 10:24: ['Lit ', he]
u. Isaiah 10:27: ['I.e. the Assyrian']
v. Isaiah 10:30: ['An ancient version reads ', Answer her, O Anathoth]
w. Isaiah 10:32: ['Another reading is ', house of]
x. Isaiah 10:33: ['Heb ', YHWH, ', usually rendered ', Lord]
y. Isaiah 10:34: ['Or ', as a mighty one]

Cross references:

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