Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt

31 Woep to those who go down to Egyptq for help,

who rely on horses,r

who trust in the multitude of their chariotss

and in the great strength of their horsemen,

but do not look to the Holy Onet of Israel,

or seek help from the Lord.u

2 Yet he too is wisev and can bring disaster;w

he does not take back his words.x

He will rise up against that wicked nation,y

against those who help evildoers.

3 But the Egyptiansz are mere mortals and not God;a

their horsesb are flesh and not spirit.

When the Lord stretches out his hand,c

those who help will stumble,

those who are helpedd will fall;

all will perish together.e

4 This is what the Lord says to me:

“As a lionf growls,

a great lion over its prey—

and though a whole band of shepherdsg

is called together against it,

it is not frightened by their shouts

or disturbed by their clamorh—

so the Lord Almighty will come downi

to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.

5 Like birds hoveringj overhead,

the Lord Almighty will shieldk Jerusalem;

he will shield it and deliverl it,

he will ‘pass over’m it and will rescue it.”

6 Return,n you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revoltedo against. 7 For in that dayp every one of you will reject the idols of silver and goldq your sinful hands have made.r

8 “Assyrias will fall by no human sword;

a sword, not of mortals, will devourt them.

They will flee before the sword

and their young men will be put to forced labor.u

9 Their strongholdv will fall because of terror;

at the sight of the battle standardw their commanders will panic,x”

declares the Lord,

whose firey is in Zion,

whose furnacez is in Jerusalem.