Isaiah 31

The Folly of Not Trusting God

31Woe to those ^awho go down to Egypt for help,

And ^brely on horses,

Who trust in chariots because they are many,

And in horsemen because they are very strong,

But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel,

^cNor seek the Lord!

²Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster,

And ^dwill not ¹call back His words,

But will arise against the house of evildoers,

And against the help of those who work iniquity.

³Now the Egyptians are men, and not God;

And their horses are flesh, and not spirit.

When the Lord stretches out His hand,

Both he who helps will fall,

And he who is helped will fall down;

They all will perish ^etogether.

God Will Deliver Jerusalem

⁴For thus the Lord has spoken to me:

^f“As a lion roars,

And a young lion over his prey

(When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him,

He will not be afraid of their voice

Nor be disturbed by their noise),

So the Lord of hosts will come down

To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill.

^5gLike birds flying about,

So will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem.

Defending, He will also deliver it;

Passing over, He will preserve it.”

⁶Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have ^hdeeply revolted. ⁷For in that day every man shall ⁱthrow away his idols of silver and his idols of gold—^jsin, which your own hands have made for yourselves.

⁸“Then Assyria shall ^kfall by a sword not of man,

And a sword not of mankind shall ^ldevour him.

But he shall flee from the sword,

And his young men shall become forced labor.

^9mHe shall cross over to his stronghold for fear,

And his princes shall be afraid of the banner,”

Says the Lord,

Whose fire is in Zion

And whose furnace is in Jerusalem.