Isaiah 10

Assyria Is God’s Instrument

1Woe to those who 1enact evil statutes And to those who constantly record 2unjust decisions,2So as 3to 4deprive the needy of justice And rob the poor of My people of their rights, So 5that widows may be their spoil And that they may plunder the 6orphans.3Now 7what will you do in the 8day of punishment, And in the devastation which will come 9from afar? 10To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your 11wealth?4Nothing remains but to crouch 12among the 13captives Or fall 14among the 15slain. 16In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.

5Woe to 17Assyria, the 18rod of My anger And the staff in whose hands is 19My indignation,6I send it against a 20godless nation And commission it against the 21people of My fury To capture booty and 22to seize plunder, And to 23trample them down like 24mud in the streets.7Yet it 25does not so intend, Nor does 26it plan so in its heart, But rather it is 27its purpose to destroy And to cut off 28many nations.8For it says, “Are not my princes 29all kings?9Is not 30Calno like 31Carchemish, Or 32Hamath like Arpad, Or 33Samaria like 34Damascus?10As my hand has reached to the 35kingdoms of the idols, Whose graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,11Shall I not 36do to Jerusalem and her images Just as I have done to Samaria and 37her idols?”

12So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His 38work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will 39punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and 40the pomp of 41his haughtiness.” 13For 42he has said, “By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this, For I have understanding; And I 43removed the boundaries of the peoples And plundered their treasures, And like a mighty man I brought down 44their inhabitants,14And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a 45nest, And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth; And there was not one that flapped its wing or opened its beak or chirped.”

15Is the 46axe to 47boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like 48a 49club wielding those who lift it, Or like 50a rod lifting him who is not wood.16Therefore the Lord, the 51God of hosts, will send a 52wasting disease among his 53stout warriors; And under his 54glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.17And the 55light of Israel will become a fire and his 56Holy One a flame, And it will 57burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day.18And He will 58destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body, And it will be as when a sick man wastes away.19And the 59rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number That a child could write them down.

A Remnant Will Return

20Now in that day the 60remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob 61who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly 62rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.21A 63remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the 64mighty God.22For 65though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, Only a remnant within them will return; A 66destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness. 23For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, 67the Lord 68God of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land.

24Therefore thus says the Lord 69God of hosts, “O My people who dwell in 70Zion, 71do not fear the Assyrian 72who 73strikes you with the rod and lifts up his staff against you, the way Egypt did. 25For in a very 74little while 75My indignation against you will be spent and My anger will be directed to their destruction.” 26The Lord of hosts will 76arouse a scourge against him like the slaughter of 77Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His 78staff will be over the sea and He will lift it up 79the way He did in Egypt. 27So it will be in that day, that 80his 81burden will be removed from your shoulders and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be broken because 82of fatness.

28He has come against Aiath, He has passed through 83Migron; At 84Michmash he deposited his 85baggage.29They have gone through 86the pass, saying, “87Geba will be our lodging place.” 88Ramah is terrified, and 89Gibeah of Saul has fled away.30Cry aloud with your voice, O daughter of 90Gallim! Pay attention, Laishah and 91wretched 92Anathoth!31Madmenah has fled. The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge.32Yet today he will halt at 93Nob; He 94shakes his fist at the mountain of the 9596daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33Behold, the Lord, the 97God of hosts, will lop off the boughs with a terrible crash; Those also who are 98tall in stature will be cut down And those who are lofty will be abased.34He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an iron axe, And 99Lebanon will fall 100by the Mighty One.