| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, | 1Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees, |
| 2to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. | 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 disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches? | 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 cringe among the captives or fall among the slain. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. | 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. |
| 5"Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath! | 5Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath. |
| 6I send him against a godless nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets. | 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 what he intends, this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations. | 7But this is not his intention; this is not his plan. For it is in his heart to destroy and cut off many nations. |
| 8Are not my commanders all kings?' he says. | 8“Are not all my commanders kings?” he says. |
| 9Has not Kalno fared like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad, and Samaria like Damascus? | 9“Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? |
| 10As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols, kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria-- | 10As my hand seized the idolatrous kingdoms whose images surpassed those of Jerusalem and Samaria, |
| 11shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?'" | 11and as I have done to Samaria and its idols, will I not also do to Jerusalem and her idols?” |
| 12When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, "I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. | 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, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings. | 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 nations and plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their rulers. |
| 14As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations; as people gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries; not one flapped a wing, or opened its mouth to chirp.'" | 14My hand reached as into a nest to 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 the ax raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it? As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up, or a club brandish the one who is not wood! | 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, the LORD Almighty, will send a wasting disease upon his sturdy warriors; under his pomp a fire will be kindled like a blazing flame. | 16Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts will send a wasting disease among Assyria’s stout warriors, and under his pomp will be kindled a fire like a burning flame. |
| 17The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers. | 17And the Light of Israel will become a fire, and its Holy One a flame. In a single day it will burn and devour Assyria’s thorns and thistles. |
| 18The splendor of his forests and fertile fields it will completely destroy, as when a sick person wastes away. | 18The splendor of its forests and orchards, both soul and body, it will completely destroy, as a sickness consumes a man. |
| 19And the remaining trees of his forests will be so few that a child could write them down. | 19The remaining trees of its forests will be so few that a child could count them. |
| 20In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. | 20On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on him who struck them, but they will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. |
| 21A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God. | 21A remnant will return—a remnant of Jacob—to the Mighty God. |
| 22Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous. | 22Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overflowing with righteousness. |
| 23The Lord, the LORD Almighty, will carry out the destruction decreed upon the whole land. | 23For the Lord GOD of Hosts will carry out the destruction decreed upon the whole land. |
| 24Therefore this is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says: "My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians, who beat you with a rod and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did. | 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 rod and lifts his staff against you as the Egyptians did. |
| 25Very soon my anger against you will end and my wrath will be directed to their destruction." | 25For in just a little while My fury against you will subside, and My anger will turn to their destruction.” |
| 26The LORD Almighty will lash them with a whip, as when he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb; and he will raise his staff over the waters, as he did in Egypt. | 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. |
| 27In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken because you have grown so fat. | 27On that day the burden will be lifted from your shoulders, and the yoke from your neck. The yoke will be broken because your neck will be too large. |
| 28They enter Aiath; they pass through Migron; they store supplies at Mikmash. | 28Assyria has entered Aiath and passed through Migron, storing their supplies at Michmash. |
| 29They go over the pass, and say, "We will camp overnight at Geba." Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees. | 29They have crossed at the ford: “We will spend the night at Geba.” Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees. |
| 30Cry out, Daughter Gallim! Listen, Laishah! Poor Anathoth! | 30Cry aloud, O Daughter of Gallim! Listen, O Laishah! O wretched Anathoth! |
| 31Madmenah is in flight; the people of Gebim take cover. | 31Madmenah flees; the people of Gebim take refuge. |
| 32This day they will halt at Nob; they will shake their fist at the mount of Daughter Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem. | 32Yet today they will halt at Nob, shaking a fist at the mount of Daughter Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem. |
| 33See, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will lop off the boughs with great power. The lofty trees will be felled, the tall ones will be brought low. | 33Behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts will lop off the branches with terrifying power. The tall trees will be cut down, the lofty ones will be felled. |
| 34He will cut down the forest thickets with an ax; Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One. | 34He will clear the forest thickets with an axe, and Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One. |
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