Isaiah 31:1–5

Help Not in Egypt but in God

¹Woe to those who go down to ^aEgypt for help

And ^brely on horses,

And trust in chariots because they are many

And in horsemen because they are very strong,

But they do not ^clook to the ^dHoly One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!

²Yet He also is ^awise and will ^bbring disaster

And does ^cnot retract His words,

But will arise against the house of ^devildoers

And against the help of the ^eworkers of iniquity.

³Now the Egyptians are ^amen and not God,

And their ^bhorses are flesh and not spirit;

So the Lord will ^cstretch out His hand,

And ^dhe who helps will stumble

And he who is helped will fall,

And all of them will come to an end together.

⁴For thus says the Lord to me,

“As the ^alion or the young lion growls over his prey,

Against which a band of shepherds is called out,

And he will not be terrified at their voice nor disturbed at their noise,

So will the Lord of hosts come down to wage ^bwar on Mount Zion and on its hill.”

⁵Like ¹flying ^abirds so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem.

He will ^bprotect and deliver it;

He will pass over and rescue it.