Isaiah 37:24–26

24 By your messengers

you have ridiculed the Lord.

And you have said,

‘With my many chariots

I have ascended the heights of the mountains,

the utmost heights of Lebanon.

I have cut down its tallest cedars,

the choicest of its junipers.

I have reached its remotest heights,

the finest of its forests.

25 I have dug wells in foreign lands

and drunk the water there.

With the soles of my feet

I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.’

26 “Have you not heard?

Long ago I ordained it.

In days of old I planned it;

now I have brought it to pass,

that you have turned fortified cities

into piles of stone.

24 By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, and hast said,

By the multitude of my chariots am I come up

To the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon;

And I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof:

And I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his Carmel.

25 I have digged, and drunk water;

And with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places.

26 Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it;

And of ancient times, that I have formed it?

Now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste

Defenced cities into ruinous heaps.

24 By your messengers you have defied the Lord.

You have said, ‘With my many chariots

I have conquered the highest mountains—

yes, the remotest peaks of Lebanon.

I have cut down its tallest cedars

and its finest cypress trees.

I have reached its farthest heights

and explored its deepest forests.

25 I have dug wells in many foreign lands

and refreshed myself with their water.

With the sole of my foot,

I stopped up all the rivers of Egypt!’

26 “But have you not heard?

I decided this long ago.

Long ago I planned it,

and now I am making it happen.

I planned for you to crush fortified cities

into heaps of rubble.

24 By your servants you have reproached the Lord,

And said, ‘By the multitude of my chariots

I have come up to the height of the mountains,

To the limits of Lebanon;

I will cut down its tall cedars

And its choice cypress trees;

I will enter its farthest height,

To its fruitful forest.

25 I have dug and drunk water,

And with the soles of my feet I have dried up

All the brooks of defense.’

26 “Did you not hear long ago

How I made it,

From ancient times that I formed it?

Now I have brought it to pass,

That you should be

For crushing fortified cities into heaps of ruins.

24 You have sent your messengers to insult the Lord.

You have said, “With my many chariots

I have gone to the tops of the mountains,

to the highest mountains of Lebanon.

I have cut down its tallest cedars

and its best pine trees.

I have gone to its greatest heights

and its best forests.

25 I have dug wells in foreign countries

and drunk water there.

By the soles of my feet,

I have dried up all the rivers of Egypt.”

26 “ ‘King of Assyria, surely you have heard.

Long ago I, the Lord, planned these things.

Long ago I designed them,

and now I have made them happen.

I allowed you to turn those strong, walled cities

into piles of rocks.

24 By thy servants hast thou defied the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir-trees thereof; and I will enter into its farthest height, the forest of its fruitful field; 25 I have digged and drunk water, and with the sole of my feet will I dry up all the rivers of Egypt.

26 Hast thou not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? now have I brought it to pass, that it should be thine to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.

24 By thy servants thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the recesses of Lebanon; and I will cut down its tall cedars, the choice of its cypresses; and I will enter into its furthest height, into the forest of its fruitful field. 25 I have digged and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the streams of Matsor. 26 Hast thou not heard that long ago I did it, and that from ancient days I formed it? Now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.

24 Through your servants you defy the Lord and say, 

“With my many chariots I’ll ride up the high mountains, 

up the slopes of Lebanon. 

I’ll cut down its tallest cedars and its finest cypresses. 

I’ll come to its most distant heights 

and its most fertile forests. 

25 I’ll dig wells and drink water. 

I’ll dry up all the streams of Egypt 

with the trampling of my feet.” 

26 “ ‘Haven’t you heard? I did this long ago. 

I planned it in the distant past. 

Now I make it happen so that you will turn fortified cities 

into piles of rubble. 

24 You have mocked the Lord through your servants.

You have said, “With my many chariots

I have gone up to the heights of the mountains,

to the far recesses of Lebanon.

I cut down its tallest cedars,

its choice cypress trees.

I came to its distant heights,

its densest forest.

25 I dug wells and drank water.

I dried up all the streams of Egypt

with the soles of my feet.”

26 Have you not heard?

I designed it long ago;

I planned it in days gone by.

I have now brought it to pass,

and you have crushed fortified cities

into piles of rubble.

24 By your servants you have mocked the Lord,

and you have said, ‘With my many chariots

I have gone up the heights of the mountains,

to the far recesses of Lebanon;

I felled its tallest cedars,

its choicest cypresses;

I came to its remotest height,

its densest forest.

25 I dug wells

and drank waters;

I dried up with the sole of my foot

all the streams of Egypt.’

26 “Have you not heard

that I determined it long ago?

I planned from days of old

what now I bring to pass,

that you should make fortified cities

crash into heaps of ruins,

24 By the hand of your servants you have taunted the Lord,

and you have said, “With my many chariots,

I myself have gone up the height of the mountains,

to the remote areas of Lebanon.

And I cut off its tall cedars,

the choicest of its junipers.

And I came to the height of its limit,

the forest of its orchard.

25 I myself dug and drank waters,

and I caused all the streams of Egypt to dry up by the sole of my feet.”

26 Have you not heard from a long time ago? I have made it

from days of primeval time, and I formed it.

Now I have brought it about,

and it is for fortified cities to collapse into heaps of destroyed stones.

24 Through your messengers

you have laughed at me again and again.

And you have said,

‘I have many chariots.

With them I have climbed to the tops of the mountains.

I’ve climbed the highest mountains in Lebanon.

I’ve cut down its tallest cedar trees.

I’ve cut down the best of its pine trees.

I’ve reached its farthest mountains.

I’ve reached its finest forests.

25 I’ve dug wells in strange lands.

I’ve drunk the water from them.

I’ve walked through all of Egypt’s streams.

I’ve dried up every one of them.’

26 “ ‘ “But I, the Lord, say, ‘Haven’t you heard what I have done?

Long ago I arranged for you to do all of that.

In days of old I planned it.

Now I have made it happen.

You have turned cities with high walls

into piles of stone.

24 “Through your servants you have reproached the Lord,

And you have said, ‘With my many chariots I came up to the heights of the mountains,

To the remotest parts of Lebanon;

And I cut down its tall cedars and its choice cypresses.

And I will go to its highest peak, its thickest forest.

25 ‘I dug wells and drank waters,

And with the sole of my feet I dried up

All the rivers of Egypt.’

26 “Have you not heard?

Long ago I did it,

From ancient times I planned it.

Now I have brought it to pass,

That you should turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps.