Isaiah 31:1–5

Warnings About Relying on Egypt

31How terrible it will be for those people who go down to Egypt for help.

They think horses will save them.

They think their many chariots

and strong horsemen will save them.

But they don’t trust God, the Holy One of Israel,

or ask the Lord for help.

²But he is wise and can bring them disaster.

He does not change his warnings.

He will rise up and fight against the evil people

and against those who try to help evil people.

³The Egyptians are only people and are not God.

Their horses are only animals and are not spirit.

The Lord will stretch out his arm,

and the one who helps will stumble,

and the people who wanted help will fall.

All of them will be destroyed together.

⁴The Lord says this to me:

“When a lion or a lion’s cub kills an animal to eat,

it stands over the dead animal and roars.

A band of shepherds

may be assembled against it,

but the lion will not be afraid of their yelling

or upset by their noise.

So the Lord All-Powerful will come down

to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.

⁵The Lord All-Powerful will defend Jerusalem

like birds flying over their nests.

He will defend and save it;

he will ‘pass over’ and save Jerusalem.”