Isaiah 10

1Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;footnote a

2To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!

3And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?

4Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

5O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.footnote bfootnote c

6I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.footnote d

7Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.

8For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?

9Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?

10As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

11Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

12Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.footnote efootnote f

13For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:footnote g

14And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

15Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.footnote hfootnote i

16Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.

17And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;

18And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.footnote j

19And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.footnote k

20And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

22For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.footnote lfootnote m

23For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.

24Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.footnote n

25For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.

26And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

27And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.footnote o

28He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:

29They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.

30Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.footnote p

31Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.

32As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.

34And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.footnote q

Woe to Tyrants

1Woe to those who enact unjust statutesand issue oppressive decrees, 2to deprive the poor of fair treatmentand withhold justice from the oppressed of My people,to make widows their preyand orphans their plunder.

3What will you do on the day of reckoningwhen devastation comes from afar?To whom will you flee for help?Where will you leave your wealth? 4Nothing will remain but to crouch among the captivesor fall among the slain.Despite all this, His anger is not turned away;His hand is still upraised.

Judgment on Assyria

5Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger;the staff in their hands is My wrath. 6I will send him against a godless nation;I will dispatch him against a people destined for My rage,to take spoils and seize plunder,and to trample them down like clay in the streets.

7But this is not his intention;this is not his plan.For it is in his heart to destroyand cut off many nations. 8“Are not all my commanders kings?” he says. 9“Is not Calno like Carchemish?Is not Hamath like Arpad?Is not Samaria like Damascus? 10As my hand seized the idolatrous kingdomswhose images surpassed those of Jerusalem and Samaria, 11and as I have done to Samaria and its idols,will I not also do to Jerusalem and her idols?”

12So when the Lord has completed all His work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the fruit of his arrogant heart and the proud look in his eyes. 13For he says:‘By the strength of my hand I have done this,and by my wisdom, for I am clever.I have removed the boundaries of nationsand plundered their treasures;like a mighty one I subdued their rulers. 14My hand reached as into a nestto seize the wealth of the nations.Like one gathering abandoned eggs,I gathered all the earth.No wing fluttered,no beak opened or chirped.’”

15Does an axe raise itself above the one who swings it?Does a saw boast over him who saws with it?It would be like a rod waving the one who lifts it,or a staff lifting him who is not wood!

16Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts will send a wasting diseaseamong Assyria’s stout warriors,and under his pomp will be kindleda fire like a burning flame. 17And the Light of Israel will become a fire,and its Holy One a flame.In a single day it will burn and devourAssyria’s thorns and thistles. 18The splendor of its forests and orchards,both soul and body,it will completely destroy,as a sickness consumes a man. 19The remaining trees of its forests will be so fewthat a child could count them.

A Remnant Shall Return

20On that day the remnant of Israeland the survivors of the house of Jacobwill no longer dependon him who struck them,but they will truly rely on the LORD,the Holy One of Israel.

21A remnant will returnfootnote a—a remnant of Jacob—to the Mighty God. 22Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand of the sea,only a remnant will return.footnote bDestruction has been decreed,overflowing with righteousness. 23For the Lord GOD of Hosts will carry outthe destruction decreed upon the whole land.footnote c

24Therefore this is what the Lord GOD of Hosts says:“O My people who dwell in Zion,do not fear Assyria,who strikes you with a rodand lifts his staff against youas the Egyptians did. 25For in just a little whileMy fury against you will subside,and My anger will turn to their destruction.”

26And the LORD of Hosts will brandish a whip against them,as when He struck Midian at the rock of Oreb.He will raise His staff over the sea,as He did in Egypt. 27On that day the burden will be lifted from your shoulders,and the yoke from your neck.The yoke will be brokenbecause your neck will be too large.footnote d

28Assyria has entered Aiathand passed through Migron,storing their supplies at Michmash. 29They have crossed at the ford:“We will spend the night at Geba.”Ramah trembles;Gibeah of Saul flees. 30Cry aloud, O Daughter of Gallim!Listen, O Laishah!O wretched Anathoth! 31Madmenah flees;the people of Gebim take refuge. 32Yet today they will halt at Nob,shaking a fist at the mount of Daughter Zion,at the hill of Jerusalem.

33Behold, the Lord GOD of Hostswill lop off the branches with terrifying power.The tall trees will be cut down,the lofty ones will be felled. 34He will clear the forest thickets with an axe,and Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.