Isaiah 10:12–19

¹²When the Lord has finished all his work^x against Mount Zion^y and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria^z for the willful pride^a of his heart and the haughty look^b in his eyes. ¹³For he says:

“ ‘By the strength of my hand^c I have done this,^d

and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.

I removed the boundaries of nations,

I plundered their treasures;^e

like a mighty one I subdued^a their kings.^f

¹⁴As one reaches into a nest,^g

so my hand reached for the wealth^h of the nations;

as people gather abandoned eggs,

so I gathered all the countries;ⁱ

not one flapped a wing,

or opened its mouth to chirp.^j’ ”

¹⁵Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it,

or the saw boast against the one who uses it?^k

As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up,

or a club^l brandish the one who is not wood!

¹⁶Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,

will send a wasting disease^m upon his sturdy warriors;ⁿ

under his pomp^o a fire^p will be kindled

like a blazing flame.

¹⁷The Light of Israel will become a fire,^q

their Holy One^r a flame;

in a single day it will burn and consume

his thorns^s and his briers.^t

¹⁸The splendor of his forests^u and fertile fields

it will completely destroy,^v

as when a sick person wastes away.

¹⁹And the remaining trees of his forests^w will be so few^x

that a child could write them down.