Logos Bible Study

Isaiah 31:1–3

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Egypt Will Disappoint

31:1Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead,1

those who rely on war horses,

and trust in Egypt’s many chariots2

and in their many, many horsemen.3

But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel4

and do not seek help from the Lord.

31:2Yet he too is wise5 and he will bring disaster;

he does not retract his decree.6

He will attack the wicked nation,7

and the nation that helps8 those who commit sin.9

31:3The Egyptians are mere humans, not God;

their horses are made of flesh, not spirit.

The Lord will strike with10 his hand;

the one who helps will stumble

and the one being helped will fall.

Together they will perish.11

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”
  2. 2 Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”
  3. 3 Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”
  4. 4 See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in .
  5. 5 This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.
  6. 6 Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; “does not take back his words.”
  7. 7 Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”
  8. 8 That is, Egypt.
  9. 9 Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”
  10. 10 Heb “will extend”; , , , “stretch out.”
  11. 11 Heb “together all of them will come to an end.”

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

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.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

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.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

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.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

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.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

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.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

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.

Public Domain