15 Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it,

or the saw boast against the one who uses it?

As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up,

or a club brandish the one who is not wood!

16 Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,

will send a wasting disease upon his sturdy warriors;

under his pomp a fire will be kindled

like a blazing flame.

17 The Light of Israel will become a fire,

their Holy One a flame;

in a single day it will burn and consume

his thorns and his briers.

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.

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.

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;

15 But can the ax boast greater power than the person who uses it?

Is the saw greater than the person who saws?

Can a rod strike unless a hand moves it?

Can a wooden cane walk by itself?

16 Therefore, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,

will send a plague among Assyria’s proud troops,

and a flaming fire will consume its glory.

17 The Lord, the Light of Israel, will be a fire;

the Holy One will be a flame.

He will devour the thorns and briers with fire,

burning up the enemy in a single night.

15 Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it?

Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it?

As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up,

Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!

16 Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts,

Will send leanness among his fat ones;

And under his glory

He will kindle a burning

Like the burning of a fire.

17 So the Light of Israel will be for a fire,

And his Holy One for a flame;

It will burn and devour

His thorns and his briers in one day.

15 An ax is not better than the person who swings it.

A saw is not better than the one who uses it.

A stick cannot control the person who picks it up.

A club cannot pick up the person!

16 So the Lord God All-Powerful

will send a terrible disease upon Assyria’s soldiers.

The strength of Assyria will be burned up

like a fire burning until everything is gone.

17 God, the Light of Israel, will be like a fire;

the Holy One will be like a flame.

He will be like a fire

that suddenly burns the weeds and thorns.

15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? shall the saw magnify itself against him that wieldeth it? as if a rod should wield them that lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up him that is not wood. 16 Therefore will the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory there shall be kindled a burning like the burning of fire. 17 And the light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.

15 —Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? shall the saw magnify itself against him that wieldeth it? As if the rod should wield them that lift it up; as if the staff should lift up him who is not wood! 16 Therefore shall the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness, and under his glory he shall kindle a burning, like the burning of a 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 briars in one day,

15 Can an ax attack the person who cuts with it? 

Can a saw make itself greater than the person who saws with it? 

A rod cannot move the person who lifts it. 

A wooden stick cannot pick up a person. 

16 That is why the Almighty Lord of Armies 

will send a degenerative disease against brave men. 

A flame will be turned into a raging fire under his power. 

17 Israel’s light will become a flame. 

Its Holy One will become a fire. 

He will burn up and devour the weeds and thornbushes in one day. 

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 staff waving the one who lifts it!

It would be like a rod lifting a man who isn’t wood!

16 Therefore the Lord God of Hosts

will inflict an emaciating disease

on the well-fed of Assyria,

and He will kindle a burning fire

under its glory.

17 Israel’s Light will become a fire,

and its Holy One, a flame.

In one day it will burn up Assyria’s thorns and thistles.

15 Shall the ax vaunt itself over the one who wields it,

or the saw magnify itself against the one who handles it?

As if a rod should raise the one who lifts it up,

or as if a staff should lift the one who is not wood!

16 Therefore the Sovereign, the Lord of hosts,

will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors,

and under his glory a burning will be kindled,

like the burning of fire.

17 The light of Israel will become a fire,

and his Holy One a flame;

and it will burn and devour

his thorns and briers in one day.

15 Does the ax boast against the one who cuts with it,

or the saw magnify itself against the one who moves it to and fro?

As if a rod should move the one who lifts it!

As if a staff should lift up that which is not wood!

16 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, will send leanness among his sturdy warriors,

and a burning like the burning of fire will burn under his glory.

17 And the light of Israel will become like a fire,

and his holy one like a flame,

and it will burn and devour his thorns and briers in one day.

15 Does an ax claim to be more important

than the one who swings it?

Does a saw brag that it is better

than the one who uses it?

That would be like a stick

swinging someone who picks it up!

It would be like a war club

waving the one who carries it!

16 So the Lord who rules over all will send a sickness.

The Lord will send it on the king of Assyria’s strong fighting men.

It will make them weaker and weaker.

The army he was so proud of will be completely destroyed.

It will be as if it had been burned up in a fire.

17 The Lord is the light of Israel.

He will become a fire.

Israel’s Holy One will become a flame.

In a single day he will burn up all of Assyria’s bushes.

He will destroy all of their thorns.

15 Is the axe to 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 a club wielding those who lift it,

Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.

16 Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors;

And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.

17 And the light of Israel will become a fire and his Holy One a flame,

And it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day.