Isaiah 10:5–15

Arrogant Assyria Also Judged

⁵“Woe to Assyria, ^gthe rod of My anger

And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.

⁶I will send him against ^han ungodly nation,

And against the people of My wrath

I will ⁱgive him charge,

To seize the spoil, to take the prey,

And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

^7jYet he does not mean so,

Nor does his heart think so;

But it is in his heart to destroy,

And cut off not a few nations.

^8kFor he says,

‘Are not my princes altogether kings?

⁹Is not ^lCalno ^mlike Carchemish?

Is not Hamath like Arpad?

Is not Samaria ⁿlike Damascus?

¹⁰As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols,

Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

¹¹As I have done to Samaria and her idols,

Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?’ ”

¹²Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has ²performed all His work ^oon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, ^p“I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”

^13qFor he says:

“By the strength of my hand I have done it,

And by my wisdom, for I am prudent;

Also I have removed the boundaries of the people,

And have robbed their treasuries;

So I have put down the inhabitants like a ³valiant man.

^14rMy hand has found like a nest the riches of the people,

And as one gathers eggs that are left,

I have gathered all the earth;

And there was no one who moved his wing,

Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.”

¹⁵Shall ^sthe ax boast itself against him who chops with it?

Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it?

As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up,

Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!