5What trouble awaits Assyria, the rod of My anger, and in whose hand is the club of My indignation. 6I will send him against a hypocritical and godless nation, and against the people of My wrath I will give him a charge, to seize the spoil and the plunder, and to trample them down like the mud of the streets. 7But that is not what the King of Assyria intends; he will not understand that he is a tool in My hand, nor does his mind work that way; but his purpose is to destroy and cut down many nations. 8For he says, “Are not my commanders all kings? 9Have I not done to Calno what I did to Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? 10As I have seized the kingdoms of the idols, kingdoms with better carved images than those of Jerusalem and Samaria, 11Shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her idols, as I have dealt with Samaria and her idols?” 12Therefore, when the LORD has accomplished His purpose against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, I will punish the king of Assyria, and his haughty looks. 13For he says, “By my own strength and wisdom, I have done it; for I am prudent. And I have removed the boundaries of nations, and have robbed their treasures, and I have subdued the inhabitants by my power; 14Like one who reaches into a nest, my hand has found the riches of the nations; and as one gathers their abandoned eggs, have I gathered up nations; and there was none that flapped a wing, opened his mouth, or peeped.” 15Shall the axe boast itself against him that swings it? Or shall the saw boast itself against him that uses it? As if the rod or the staff were to control the person who wields them. 16Therefore shall the LORD, the LORD Almighty, send a plague among his sturdy warriors; and shall He set a flaming fire under his pomp. 17And the Light of Israel shall become a fire, and His Holy One a flame; and it shall burn and consume his thorns and briers (the army of Assyria) in a single day; 18And shall destroy the splendor of his forest, and his fruitful field, both soul and body; and they shall be as when a sick person wastes away. 19And the remaining trees of his forest shall be so few, that a child could count them.

20In that day, the remnant of Israel, the survivors of the house of Jacob, shall never more again rely upon him who struck them (Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, whom Ahaz and his counselors had relied upon); but shall truly rely upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. 21The remnant, yes, the remnant of Jacob, shall return to the Mighty God. 22For though your people, Israel, are as the sand by the sea, only a remnant of them shall return; the destruction has rightly been decreed, overwhelming and righteous. 23For the LORD God Almighty shall make a full end, as He decreed, upon the whole land.

24Therefore, thus says the LORD God Almighty, “O My people that live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians when they strike you with a rod, and lift their club against you, as Egypt did. 25For soon My indignation and anger toward you shall end, and turn toward their (the Assyrians’) destruction. 26And the LORD Almighty shall scourge them with a whip like he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb; and raise His rod over the sea as He did in Egypt. 27And in that day, your burden shall be lifted from off your shoulder, and your yoke from off your neck and broken because your neck will be too large.

28The Assyrians are now in Aiath; they passed through Migron; and store their supplies at Michmash. 29They go over the pass; they take up lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul flees. 30Cry in fear, daughter of Gallim! Shout a warning to Laishah! (Laish). O poor Anathoth! 31Madmenah is in flight; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee. 32Yet the enemy shall halt at Nob this day; they shall shake their fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem. 33But look! The LORD, the LORD Almighty shall lop off the boughs (the top bough being Sennacherib) with great power; and the lofty trees shall be felled, and the haughty shall be humbled. 34And He shall cut down the thickets of the forest with an ax, and Lebanon shall fall to a Mighty One.

Isaiah 11