Isaiah 10:3
New International Version
What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?

New Living Translation
What will you do when I punish you, when I send disaster upon you from a distant land? To whom will you turn for help? Where will your treasures be safe?

English Standard Version
What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?

Berean Standard Bible
What will you do on the day of reckoning when devastation comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

King James Bible
And 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?

New King James Version
What will you do in the day of punishment, And in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory?

New American Standard Bible
Now what will you do in the day of punishment, And in the devastation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth?

NASB 1995
Now what will you do in the day of punishment, And in the devastation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth?

NASB 1977
Now what will you do in the day of punishment, And in the devastation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth?

Legacy Standard Bible
Now what will you do in the day of visitation, And in the devastation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory?

Amplified Bible
Now what will you do in the day of [God’s] punishment, And in the storm of devastation which will come from far away? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth [for safekeeping]?

Christian Standard Bible
What will you do on the day of punishment when devastation comes from far away? Who will you run to for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What will you do on the day of punishment when devastation comes from far away? Who will you run to for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

American Standard Version
And 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?

Contemporary English Version
But what will you do when you are fiercely attacked and punished by foreigners? Where will you run for help? Where will you hide your valuables?

English Revised Version
And 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?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
What will you do on the day you are called to account [for these things], when the disaster comes from far away? Where will you run for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

Good News Translation
What will you do when God punishes you? What will you do when he brings disaster on you from a distant country? Where will you run to find help? Where will you hide your wealth?

International Standard Version
What will you do on the day of Judgment, in the calamity that will come from far away? To whom will you run for help, and where will you leave your wealth,

Majority Standard Bible
What will you do on the day of reckoning when devastation comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

NET Bible
What will you do on judgment day, when destruction arrives from a distant place? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

New Heart English Bible
What will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth,

Webster's Bible Translation
And 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?

World English Bible
What will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And what do you do at a day of inspection? And at desolation that comes from afar? Near whom do you flee for help? And where do you leave your glory?

Young's Literal Translation
And what do ye at a day of inspection? And at desolation? -- from afar it cometh. Near whom do ye flee for help? And where do ye leave your honour?

Smith's Literal Translation
And what will ye do for the day of reviewing, and for the tempest coming from far off? upon whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
What will you do in the day of visitation, and of the calamity which cometh from afar? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?

Catholic Public Domain Version
What will you do on the day of visitation and calamity which is approaching from afar? To whom will you flee for assistance? And where will you leave behind your own glory,

New American Bible
What will you do on the day of punishment, when the storm comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth,

New Revised Standard Version
What will you do on the day of punishment, in the calamity that will come from far away? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And what will you do on the day of recompense and in the storm which shall come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
What will you do for the day of vengeance and for the tumult that comes from a distance? To whom will you escape that you will be helped, and to whom will you leave your honor that you may not bow under prisoners?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And what will ye do in the day of visitation, And in the ruin which shall come from far? To whom will ye flee for help? And where will ye leave your glory?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And what will they do in the day of visitation? for affliction shall come to you from afar: and to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Woe to Tyrants
2to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder. 3What will you do on the day of reckoning when 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 captives or fall among the slain. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.…

Cross References
Amos 5:18-20
Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD! What will the Day of the LORD be for you? It will be darkness and not light. / It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake. / Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness and not light, even gloom with no brightness in it?

Zephaniah 1:14-18
The great Day of the LORD is near—near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter. / That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, / a day of horn blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers. ...

Luke 12:20-21
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’ / This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”

James 5:1-3
Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. / Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. / Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days.

Proverbs 11:4
Riches are worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness brings deliverance from death.

Matthew 16:26
What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Ezekiel 7:19
They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will seem unclean. Their silver and gold cannot save them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their appetites or fill their stomachs with wealth, for it became the stumbling block that brought their iniquity.

Zechariah 1:4-6
Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Turn now from your evil ways and deeds.’ But they did not listen or pay attention to Me, declares the LORD. / Where are your fathers now? And the prophets, do they live forever? / But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? They repented and said, ‘Just as the LORD of Hosts purposed to do to us according to our ways and deeds, so He has done to us.’”

Romans 2:5-6
But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. / God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”

Revelation 6:15-17
Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. / And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. / For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”

Jeremiah 5:29
Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?

Hosea 9:7
The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived—let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and hostility.

Micah 6:9-12
The voice of the LORD calls out to the city (and it is sound wisdom to fear Your name): “Heed the rod and the One who ordained it. / Can I forget any longer, O house of the wicked, the treasures of wickedness and the short ephah, which is accursed? / Can I excuse dishonest scales or bags of false weights? ...

Matthew 25:31-46
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. / All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. / He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. ...

1 Thessalonians 5:2-3
For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. / While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.


Treasury of Scripture

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

and what

Isaiah 20:6
And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape?

Isaiah 33:14
The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

Job 31:14
What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

the day

Isaiah 26:21
For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

Hosea 9:7
The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.

Luke 19:44
And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

in the desolation

Isaiah 5:26
And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:

Isaiah 30:27,28
Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire: …

Isaiah 39:3,6,7
Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon…

to whom

Isaiah 30:1-3,16
Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: …

Isaiah 31:1-3
Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! …

Hosea 5:13
When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

where

Isaiah 2:20,21
In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; …

Isaiah 5:14
Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

Genesis 31:1
And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory.

Jump to Previous
Afar Desolation Destruction Devastation Disaster Far Flee Glory Help Honour Inspection Leave Punishment Reckoning Riches Ruin Run Storm Sudden Visitation Wealth
Jump to Next
Afar Desolation Destruction Devastation Disaster Far Flee Glory Help Honour Inspection Leave Punishment Reckoning Riches Ruin Run Storm Sudden Visitation Wealth
Isaiah 10
1. The woe of tyrants
5. Assyria, the rod of hypocrites, for its pride shall be broken
20. A remnant of Israel shall be saved
23. Judah is comforted with promise of deliverance from Assyria














What will you do
This phrase challenges the reader to consider their actions and decisions in light of impending judgment. The Hebrew root for "do" (עָשָׂה, asah) implies not just action but also creation and accomplishment. It suggests a call to introspection about one's deeds and their alignment with God's will. In a historical context, this question would have resonated deeply with the Israelites, who were often warned by prophets about the consequences of their actions.

on the day of reckoning
The "day of reckoning" refers to a time of divine judgment. The Hebrew word for "reckoning" (פְּקֻדָּה, pequddah) can also mean visitation or punishment. This phrase underscores the certainty of God's justice and the accountability that comes with it. In the biblical narrative, such days were often marked by significant events where God intervened in human history, reminding the faithful of His sovereignty and righteousness.

when devastation comes from afar
"Devastation" (שֹׁד, shod) conveys a sense of ruin and destruction. The phrase "from afar" indicates that the threat is external, possibly referring to foreign invaders like the Assyrians, who were instruments of God's judgment. Historically, this reflects the geopolitical realities of ancient Israel, surrounded by powerful empires. Spiritually, it serves as a metaphor for the unforeseen consequences of turning away from God.

To whom will you flee for help?
This rhetorical question emphasizes the futility of relying on human alliances or idols for salvation. The Hebrew root for "flee" (נוס, nus) suggests a desperate escape, highlighting the urgency and helplessness of those who have not placed their trust in God. The Israelites often sought help from neighboring nations, but this question redirects them to seek refuge in the Lord, the only true source of deliverance.

Where will you leave your wealth?
This phrase challenges the misplaced trust in material possessions. The Hebrew word for "wealth" (כָּבוֹד, kavod) can also mean glory or honor, suggesting that what people value most will ultimately be of no use in the face of divine judgment. Historically, wealth was often seen as a sign of God's favor, but this question reveals its limitations and calls believers to store up treasures in heaven, where they are secure from earthly devastation.

(3) And what will ye do in the day of visitation . . .?--The question was not without a certain touch of irony. Had those corrupt judges asked themselves what they would do when the Supreme Judge should call them to account? Had they an ally who could protect them against Jehovah? Or had they found a hiding-place for the treasures which they had made their "glory"? Had they made a covenant with Hades and with death? (Isaiah 28:18).

Verse 3. - What will ye do in the day of visitation? "The day of visitation" is the day when God reckons with his servants, and demands an account from each of the work done in his vineyard, being prepared to recompense the good and punish the bad (comp. Hosea 9:7). It is oftenest used in a bad sense because, unhappily, so many more are found to deserve punishment than reward. The desolation which shall come from far; rather, the crashing ruin (Cheyne). It is sudden, and complete destruction, rather than mere desolateness, that is threatened. Previous prophecies, especially Isaiah 7:17-20, had informed the Jews that it was to "come from far," "by them that were beyond the river." To whom will ye flee? The prophet speaks in bitter irony. Is there any one to whom ye can flee? any one who can protect you from the wrath of God? Ye well know there is no one. Where will ye leave your glory? With whom will ye deposit your riches, your magnificence, your jewels, your grand apparel? You cannot save them. They will all make to themselves wings, and "fly away like a bird" (Hosea 9:11).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
What
וּמַֽה־ (ū·mah-)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

will you do
תַּעֲשׂוּ֙ (ta·‘ă·śū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

on the day
לְי֣וֹם (lə·yō·wm)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3117: A day

of reckoning
פְּקֻדָּ֔ה (pə·qud·dāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6486: Oversight, mustering, visitation, store

when devastation
וּלְשׁוֹאָ֖ה (ū·lə·šō·w·’āh)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7722: A tempest, devastation

comes
תָּב֑וֹא (tā·ḇō·w)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

from afar?
מִמֶּרְחָ֣ק (mim·mer·ḥāq)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4801: Remoteness, a distant place, from afar

To
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

whom
מִי֙ (mî)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

will you flee
תָּנ֣וּסוּ (tā·nū·sū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 5127: To flit, vanish away

for help?
לְעֶזְרָ֔ה (lə·‘ez·rāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5833: Help, helper, assistance

Where
וְאָ֥נָה (wə·’ā·nāh)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 575: Where?, whither?, when?, hither and thither

will you leave
תַעַזְב֖וּ (ṯa·‘az·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 5800: To loosen, relinquish, permit

your wealth?
כְּבוֹדְכֶֽם׃ (kə·ḇō·wḏ·ḵem)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 3519: Weight, splendor, copiousness


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 10:3 What will you do in the day (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 10:2
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