ASSYRIA, THE INSTRUMENT OF WRATH

5 Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger—

the staff in their hands is my wrath.

6 I will send him against a godless nation;

I will command him to go

against a people destined for my rage,

to take spoils, to plunder,b

and to trample them down like clayc in the streets.

7 But this is not what he intends;

this is not what he plans.

It is his intent to destroy

and to cut off many nations.

8 For he says,

“Aren’t all my commanders kings?

9 Isn’t Calno like Carchemish?

Isn’t Hamath like Arpad?

Isn’t Samariad like Damascus?A

10 As my hand seized the kingdoms of worthless images,

kingdoms whose idols exceeded those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

11 and as I did to Samaria and its worthless images

will I not also do to Jerusalem and its idols?”e

JUDGMENT ON ASSYRIA

12 But when the Lord finishes all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “IB will punish the king of Assyria for his arrogant acts and the proud look in his eyes.”f 13 For he said:

I have done this by my own strength

and wisdom, for I am clever.

I abolished the borders of nations

and plundered their treasures;g

like a mighty warrior, I subjugated the inhabitants.C,h

14 My hand has reached out, as if into a nest,

to seize the wealth of the nations.

Like one gathering abandoned eggs,

I gathered the whole earth.

No wing fluttered;

no beak opened or chirped.

15 Does an ax exalt itself

above the one who chops with it?

Does a saw magnify itself

above the one who saws with it?

It would be like a rod waving the one who liftsD it!

It would be like a staff lifting the one who isn’t wood!