Isaiah 10:5-34

5Woe to 1Assyria, the 2rod of My anger And the staff in whose hands is 3My indignation,6I send it against a 4godless nation And commission it against the 5people of My fury To capture booty and 6to seize plunder, And to 7trample them down like 8mud in the streets.7Yet it 9does not so intend, Nor does 10it plan so in its heart, But rather it is 11its purpose to destroy And to cut off 12many nations.8For it says, “Are not my princes 13all kings?9Is not 14Calno like 15Carchemish, Or 16Hamath like Arpad, Or 17Samaria like 18Damascus?10As my hand has reached to the 19kingdoms of the idols, Whose graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,11Shall I not 20do to Jerusalem and her images Just as I have done to Samaria and 21her idols?”

12So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His 22work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will 23punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and 24the pomp of 25his haughtiness.” 13For 26he has said, “By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this, For I have understanding; And I 27removed the boundaries of the peoples And plundered their treasures, And like a mighty man I brought down 28their inhabitants,14And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a 29nest, 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 30axe to 31boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like 32a 33club wielding those who lift it, Or like 34a rod lifting him who is not wood.16Therefore the Lord, the 35God of hosts, will send a 36wasting disease among his 37stout warriors; And under his 38glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.17And the 39light of Israel will become a fire and his 40Holy One a flame, And it will 41burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day.18And He will 42destroy 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 43rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number That a child could write them down.

20Now in that day the 44remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob 45who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly 46rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.21A 47remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the 48mighty God.22For 49though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, Only a remnant within them will return; A 50destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness. 23For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, 51the Lord 52God of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land.

24Therefore thus says the Lord 53God of hosts, “O My people who dwell in 54Zion, 55do not fear the Assyrian 56who 57strikes you with the rod and lifts up his staff against you, the way Egypt did. 25For in a very 58little while 59My indignation against you will be spent and My anger will be directed to their destruction.” 26The Lord of hosts will 60arouse a scourge against him like the slaughter of 61Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His 62staff will be over the sea and He will lift it up 63the way He did in Egypt. 27So it will be in that day, that 64his 65burden will be removed from your shoulders and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be broken because 66of fatness.

28He has come against Aiath, He has passed through 67Migron; At 68Michmash he deposited his 69baggage.29They have gone through 70the pass, saying, “71Geba will be our lodging place.” 72Ramah is terrified, and 73Gibeah of Saul has fled away.30Cry aloud with your voice, O daughter of 74Gallim! Pay attention, Laishah and 75wretched 76Anathoth!31Madmenah has fled. The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge.32Yet today he will halt at 77Nob; He 78shakes his fist at the mountain of the 7980daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33Behold, the Lord, the 81God of hosts, will lop off the boughs with a terrible crash; Those also who are 82tall 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 83Lebanon will fall 84by the Mighty One.