Isaiah 31:1–5

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help

and rely on horses,

who trust in chariots because they are many

and in horsemen because they are very strong,

but do not look to the Holy One of Israel

or consult the Lord!

And yet he is wise and brings disaster;

he does not call back his words,

but will arise against the house of the evildoers

and against the helpers of those who work iniquity.

The Egyptians are man, and not God,

and their horses are flesh, and not spirit.

When the Lord stretches out his hand,

the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall,

and they will all perish together.

For thus the Lord said to me,

“As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey,

and when a band of shepherds is called out against him

he is not terrified by their shouting

or daunted at their noise,

so the Lord of hosts will come down

to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.

Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts

will protect Jerusalem;

he will protect and deliver it;

he will spare and rescue it.”

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,

who rely on horses,

who trust in the multitude of their chariots

and in the great strength of their horsemen,

but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,

or seek help from the Lord.

Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster;

he does not take back his words.

He will rise up against that wicked nation,

against those who help evildoers.

But the Egyptians are mere mortals and not God;

their horses are flesh and not spirit.

When the Lord stretches out his hand,

those who help will stumble,

those who are helped will fall;

all will perish together.

This is what the Lord says to me:

“As a lion growls,

a great lion over its prey—

and though a whole band of shepherds

is called together against it,

it is not frightened by their shouts

or disturbed by their clamor—

so the Lord Almighty will come down

to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.

Like birds hovering overhead,

the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem;

he will shield it and deliver it,

he will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it.”

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help

and who depend on horses!

They trust in the abundance of chariots

and in the large number of horsemen.

They do not look to the Holy One of Israel,

and they do not seek the Lord.

But he also is wise and brings disaster.

He does not go back on what he says;

he will rise up against the house of the wicked

and against the allies of evildoers.

Egyptians are men, not God;

their horses are flesh, not spirit.

When the Lord raises his hand to strike,

the helper will stumble

and the one who is helped will fall;

both will perish together.

For this is what the Lord said to me:

As a lion or young lion growls over its prey

when a band of shepherds is called out against it,

and it is not terrified by their shouting

or subdued by their noise,

so the Lord of Armies will come down

to fight on Mount Zion

and on its hill.

Like hovering birds,

so the Lord of Armies will protect Jerusalem;

by protecting it, he will rescue it;

by passing over it, he will deliver it.

What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help,

trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers

and depending on the strength of human armies

instead of looking to the Lord,

the Holy One of Israel.

In his wisdom, the Lord will send great disaster;

he will not change his mind.

He will rise against the wicked

and against their helpers.

For these Egyptians are mere humans, not God!

Their horses are puny flesh, not mighty spirits!

When the Lord raises his fist against them,

those who help will stumble,

and those being helped will fall.

They will all fall down and die together.

But this is what the Lord has told me:

“When a strong young lion

stands growling over a sheep it has killed,

it is not frightened by the shouts and noise

of a whole crowd of shepherds.

In the same way, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies

will come down and fight on Mount Zion.

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will hover over Jerusalem

and protect it like a bird protecting its nest.

He will defend and save the city;

he will pass over it and rescue it.”

Ah! Those who go down to Egypt for help!

They rely on horses

and trust in chariots because they are many,

and in horsemen because they are very numerous,

and they do not look to the holy one of Israel,

and they do not consult Yahweh.

And indeed, he is wise, and he brings disaster,

and he does not remove his words,

and he will rise against the house of evildoers

and against the help of workers of iniquity.

And the Egyptians are human and not God,

and their horses are flesh and not spirit.

And Yahweh stretches out his hand,

and the helper will stumble,

and the one being helped will fall,

and together all of them will come to an end.

For Yahweh said this to me:

“As which a lion growls

and a young lion over its prey

when a full group of shepherds is called against him,

it is not terrified by their voice,

and to their noise it does not respond,

so Yahweh of hosts will come down to fight upon Mount Zion

and upon its hill.

Like birds flying overhead, so Yahweh of hosts will protect Jerusalem;

he will protect and deliver it;

he will pass over and rescue it.

Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help;

And stay on horses,

And trust in chariots, because they are many;

And in horsemen, because they are very strong;

But they look not unto the Holy One of Israel,

Neither seek the Lord!

Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil,

And will not call back his words:

But will arise against the house of the evildoers,

And against the help of them that work iniquity.

Now the Egyptians are men, and not God;

And their horses flesh, and not spirit.

When the Lord shall stretch out his hand,

Both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down,

And they all shall fail together.

For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me,

Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey,

When a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him,

He will not be afraid of their voice,

Nor abase himself for the noise of them:

So shall the Lord of hosts come down

To fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.

As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem;

Defending also he will deliver it;

And passing over he will preserve it.