Isaiah 31

31ST CHAPTER

The Lord, Not the Egyptians, Will Protect His People from Assyria

¹How horrible it will be for those 

who go to Egypt for help, 

who rely on horses, 

who depend on many chariots, 

who depend on very strong war horses. 

They don’t look to the Holy One of Israel. 

They don’t seek the Lord. 

²He is wise and can bring about disaster. 

He doesn’t take back his words. 

He rises against wicked people 

and against those who help troublemakers. 

³The Egyptians are humans, not gods. 

Their horses are flesh and blood, not spirit. 

When the Lord uses his powerful hand, 

the one who gives help will stumble, 

and the one who receives help will fall. 

Both will die together. 

⁴This is what the Lord said to me: 

A lion, even a young lion, growls over its prey 

when a crowd of shepherds is called to fight it. 

It isn’t frightened by their voices 

or disturbed by the noise they make. 

So the Lord of Armies will come to fight for 

Mount Zion and its hill. 

⁵The Lord of Armies will defend Jerusalem like a hovering bird. 

He will defend it and rescue it. 

He will pass over it and protect it. 

⁶You people of Israel, return to the one 

whom you have so violently rebelled against. 

⁷When that day comes, all of you will reject 

the silver and gold idols 

that your sinful hands have made. 

⁸Then Assyrians will be killed with swords not made by human hands. 

Swords not made by human hands will destroy them. 

They will flee from battle, 

and their young men will be made to do forced labor. 

⁹In terror they will run to their stronghold, 

and their officers will be frightened at ⸤the sight of⸥ the battle flag. 

The Lord declares this. His fire is in Zion and his furnace is in Jerusalem.