Isaiah 10

Woe^q to those who make unjust laws,

to those who issue oppressive decrees,^r

to deprive^s the poor of their rights

and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,^t

making widows their prey

and robbing the fatherless.^u

What will you do on the day of reckoning,^v

when disaster^w comes from afar?

To whom will you run for help?^x

Where will you leave your riches?

Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives^y

or fall among the slain.^z

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,^a

his hand is still upraised.

God’s Judgment on Assyria

“Woe^a to the Assyrian,^b the rod^c of my anger,

in whose hand is the club^d of my wrath!^e

I send him against a godless^f nation,

I dispatch^g him against a people who anger me,^h

to seize loot and snatch plunder,ⁱ

and to trample^j them down like mud in the streets.

But this is not what he intends,^k

this is not what he has in mind;

his purpose is to destroy,

to put an end to many nations.

‘Are not my commanders^l all kings?’ he says.

‘Has not Kalno^m fared like Carchemish?ⁿ

Is not Hamath^o like Arpad,^p

and Samaria^q like Damascus?^r

As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols,^s

kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria—

shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images

as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?^t’ ”

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

“ ‘By the strength of my hand^z I have done this,^a

and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.

I removed the boundaries of nations,

I plundered their treasures;^b

like a mighty one I subdued their kings.^c

As one reaches into a nest,^d

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

as people gather abandoned eggs,

so I gathered all the countries;^f

not one flapped a wing,

or opened its mouth to chirp.^g’ ”

Does the ax raise itself above the one who swings it,

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

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

or a clubⁱ brandish one who is not wood!

Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,

will send a wasting disease^j upon his sturdy warriors;^k

under his pomp^l a fire^m will be kindled

like a blazing flame.

The Light of Israel will become a fire,ⁿ

their Holy One^o a flame;

in a single day it will burn and consume

his thorns^p and his briers.^q

The splendor of his forests^r and fertile fields

it will completely destroy,^s

as when sick people waste away.

And the remaining trees of his forests^t will be so few^u

that a child could write them down.

The Remnant of Israel

In that day^a the remnant of Israel,

the survivors^b of the house of Jacob,

will no longer rely^c on him

who struck them down^d

but will truly rely^e on the Lord,

the Holy One of Israel.^f

A remnant^g will return,^h a remnant of Jacob

will return to the Mighty God.ⁱ

Though your people be like the sand^j by the sea, Israel,

only a remnant will return.^k

Destruction has been decreed,^l

overwhelming and righteous.

The Lord, the Lord Almighty, will carry out

the destruction decreed^m upon the whole land.ⁿ

Therefore, this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:

“My people who live in Zion,^o

do not be afraid^p of the Assyrians,

who beat^q you with a rod^r

and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.

Very soon^s my anger against you will end

and my wrath^t will be directed to their destruction.^u”

The Lord Almighty will lash^v them with a whip,

as when he struck down Midian^w at the rock of Oreb;

and he will raise his staff^x over the waters,^y

as he did in Egypt.

In that day^z their burden^a will be lifted from your shoulders,

their yoke^b from your neck;^c

the yoke^d will be broken

because you have grown so fat.

They enter Aiath;

they pass through Migron;^e

they store supplies^f at Mikmash.^g

They go over the pass, and say,

“We will camp overnight at Geba.^h”

Ramahⁱ trembles;

Gibeah^j of Saul flees.^k

Cry out, Daughter Gallim!^l

Listen, Laishah!

Poor Anathoth!^m

Madmenah is in flight;

the people of Gebim take cover.

This day they will halt at Nob;ⁿ

they will shake their fist^o

at the mount of Daughter Zion,^p

at the hill of Jerusalem.

See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,

will lop off^q the boughs with great power.

The lofty trees will be felled,^r

the tall^s ones will be brought low.^t

He will cut down^u the forest thickets with an ax;

Lebanon^v will fall before the Mighty One.^w