Isaiah 9:8–10:4

God’s Anger with Israel’s Arrogance

⁸The Lord sends a ¹message against Jacob,

And it falls on Israel.

⁹And all the people know it,

That is, ^aEphraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,

Asserting in pride and in ^barrogance of heart:

¹⁰“The bricks have fallen down,

But we will ^arebuild with smooth stones;

The sycamores have been cut down,

But we will replace them with cedars.”

¹¹Therefore the Lord raises against them adversaries from ^aRezin

And spurs their enemies on,

¹²The Arameans on the east and the ^aPhilistines on the west;

And they ^bdevour Israel with ¹gaping jaws.

^cIn spite of all this, His anger does not turn away

And His hand is still stretched out.

¹³Yet the people ^ado not turn back to Him who struck them,

Nor do they ^bseek the Lord of hosts.

¹⁴So the Lord cuts off ^ahead and tail from Israel,

Both palm branch and bulrush ^bin a single day.

¹⁵The head is ^athe elder and honorable man,

And the prophet who teaches ^bfalsehood is the tail.

^16aFor those who guide this people are leading them astray;

And those who are guided by them are ¹brought to confusion.

¹⁷Therefore the Lord does ^anot take pleasure in their young men,

^bNor does He have pity on their ¹orphans or their widows;

For every one of them is ^cgodless and an ^devildoer,

And every ^emouth is speaking foolishness.

^fIn spite of all this, His anger does not turn away

And His hand is still stretched out.

^18aFor wickedness burns like a fire;

It consumes briars and thorns;

It even sets the thickets of the forest aflame

And they roll upward in a column of smoke.

¹⁹By the ^afury of the Lord of hosts the ^bland is burned up,

And the ^cpeople are like fuel for the fire;

No ^dman spares his brother.

²⁰¹They slice off what is on the right hand but still are ^ahungry,

And ²they eat what is on the left hand but they are not satisfied;

Each of them eats the ^bflesh of his own arm.

²¹Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh,

^aAnd together they are against Judah.

^bIn spite of all this, His anger does not turn away

And His hand is still stretched out.

Chapter 10

Assyria Is God’s Instrument

¹Woe to those who ^aenact evil statutes

And to those who constantly record ¹unjust decisions,

²So as ^ato ¹deprive the needy of justice

And rob the poor of My people of their rights,

So ^bthat widows may be their spoil

And that they may plunder the ²orphans.

³Now ^awhat will you do in the ^bday of punishment,

And in the devastation which will come ^cfrom afar?

^dTo whom will you flee for help?

And where will you leave your ¹wealth?

⁴Nothing remains but to crouch ¹among the ^acaptives

Or fall among the ^bslain.

^cIn spite of all this, His anger does not turn away

And His hand is still stretched out.