English Standard Version

International Standard Version

1Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression,

1"How terrible it will be for the one who enacts unjust decrees, for those who write oppressive laws that they have prescribed

2to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

2to deprive the needy of justice and to rob the poor of my people of their rights, so that widows may become their spoil and so that they may plunder orphans!

3What 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?

3What 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,

4Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

4so you won't have to crouch among those in chains or fall among the slain? "Yet for all this, his anger has not turned away, and his hand is still stretched out, ready to strike."

5Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury!

5"How terrible it will be for Assyria, the rod of my anger! The club is in their hands!

6Against a godless nation I send him, and against the people of my wrath I command him, to take spoil and seize plunder, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

6I'm sending my fury against a godless nation, and I'll command him against the people with whom I'm angry to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets.

7But he does not so intend, and his heart does not so think; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few;

7But this is not what he intends, and this is not what he thinks in his mind; but it is in his mind to destroy, and to cut down many nations.

8for he says: “Are not my commanders all kings?

8"Because this is what he is saying: 'My commanders are all kings, are they not?

9Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?

9Isn't Calno like Carchemish? Isn't Hamath like Arpad? Isn't Samaria like Damascus?

10As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

10As my hand has reached to the idolatrous kingdoms whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

11shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols as I have done to Samaria and her images?”

11will I not deal with Jerusalem and her idols as I have dealt with Samaria and her images?'"

12When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes.

12"For the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and against Jerusalem; he will punish the speech that comes from that willful heart of Assyria's king and the haughty look in his eyes.

13For he says: “By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding; I remove the boundaries of peoples, and plunder their treasures; like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.

13He keeps bragging: 'I've done it by the strength of my hand, and by my wisdom, because I'm so clever. I removed the boundaries of peoples, and plundered their treasures; like a bull I brought down those who sat on thrones.

14My hand has found like a nest the wealth of the peoples; and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken, so I have gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved a wing or opened the mouth or chirped.”

14My hand has found, as if in a nest, the wealth of the people; and as one gathers eggs that have been abandoned, so I have gathered all the inhabitants of the earth. Nothing moved a wing, opened its mouth, or chirped.'

15Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!

15"Does the ax exalt itself over the one who swings it? Or does the saw magnify itself in opposition to the one who wields it? As if a rod were to wield those who lift it, or as if a club were to brandish the one who is not wood!

16Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors, and under his glory a burning will be kindled, like the burning of fire.

16Therefore, the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies will send a wasting disease among Assyria's sturdy warriors, and under its glory a conflagration will be kindled, like a blazing bonfire.

17The light of Israel will become a fire, and his Holy One a flame, and it will burn and devour his thorns and briers in one day.

17"The light of Israel will become a fire, and its Holy One a flame, and it will burn and consume Assyria's thorns and briers in a single day.

18The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land the LORD will destroy, both soul and body, and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.

18The splendor of its forest and its fruitful land the LORD will destroy— both soul and body— and Assyria will be as when a dying man wastes away.

19The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few that a child can write them down.

19What survives of the trees in his forest will be so few that a child can count them."

20In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

20At that time, the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer rely on the one who struck them down, but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.

21A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.

21A remnant will return—a remnant of Jacob—to the Mighty God.

22For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness.

22For even if your people of Israel number as many as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Overwhelming, righteous destruction is decreed,

23For the Lord GOD of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.

23because the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies will bring about destruction, as has been decreed, throughout the entire region.

24Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: “O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did.

24Therefore this is what the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies says: "My people, you who live in Zion, don't be afraid of the Assyrians, of the rod that beats you, who lift up their club against you as the Egyptians did.

25For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction.

25In just a little while, my fury will come to an end, and my anger then will be directed to their destruction.

26And the LORD of hosts will wield against them a whip, as when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. And his staff will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt.

26The LORD of the Heavenly Armies will brandish a whip against them, as when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb; and as his staff was stretched out over the sea, so he will lift it up as he did in Egypt.

27And in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because of the fat.”

27At that time, his burden will depart from your shoulder and his yoke from your neck. Indeed, the yoke will be broken, because you've become obese."

28He has come to Aiath; he has passed through Migron; at Michmash he stores his baggage;

28"The Assyrian commander has come upon Aiath and has passed through Migron; he stores his supplies at Michmash.

29they have crossed over the pass; at Geba they lodge for the night; Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul has fled.

29He has crossed over by the pass; his overnight lodging is at Geba. Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul has fled.

30Cry aloud, O daughter of Gallim! Give attention, O Laishah! O poor Anathoth!

30Cry aloud, you daughter of Gallim! Pay attention, Laish! Poor Anathoth!

31Madmenah is in flight; the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.

31Marmenah is in flight; the inhabitants of Gebim take cover.

32This very day he will halt at Nob; he will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

32This very day he will halt at Nob; he will shake his fists at the mountain that is the Daughter of Zion, at Jerusalem's hill.

33Behold, the Lord GOD of hosts will lop the boughs with terrifying power; the great in height will be hewn down, and the lofty will be brought low.

33Behold, the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies will lop off its boughs with terrifying power; the tallest in height will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low.

34He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an axe, and Lebanon will fall by the Majestic One.

34He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an ax, and Lebanon will fall by the Majestic One."

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