Isaiah 10

Assyria Is God’s Instrument

1Woe to those who 1enact unjust statutes And to those who constantly record 2harmful decisions,2So as 3to 4deprive the needy of justice And rob the poor among 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 wealth?4Nothing remains but to crouch 11among the 12captives Or fall 13among those 14killed. 15In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.

5Woe to 16Assyria, the 17rod of My anger And the staff in whose hands is 18My indignation,6I send it against a 19godless nation And commission it against the 20people of My fury To capture spoils and 21to seize plunder, And to 22trample them down like 23mud in the streets.7Yet it 24does not so intend, Nor does 25it plan so in its heart, But rather it is 26its purpose to destroy And to eliminate 27many nations.8For it says, “Are not my officers 28all kings?9Is not 29Calno like 30Carchemish, Or 31Hamath like Arpad, Or 32Samaria like 33Damascus?10As my hand has reached to the 34kingdoms of the idols, Whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,11Shall I not do the same to Jerusalem and her images Just as I have done to Samaria and 35her idols?”

12So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His 36work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will 37punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and 38the arrogant pride of his eyes.” 13For 39he has said, “By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this, Because I have understanding; And I 40removed the boundaries of the peoples And plundered their treasures, And like a powerful man I brought down 41their inhabitants,14And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a 42nest, And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth; And there was not one that flapped its wing, opened its beak, or chirped.”

15Is the 43axe to 44boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like 45a 46club wielding those who lift it, Or like 47a rod lifting the one who is not wood.16Therefore the Lord, the 48God of armies, will send a 49wasting disease among his 50stout warriors; And under his 51glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.17And the 52Light of Israel will become a fire and 53Israel’s 54Holy One a flame, And it will 55burn and devour 56his thorns and his briars in a single day.18And He will 57destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body, And it will be as when a sick person wastes away.19And the 58rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number That a child could write them down.

A Remnant Will Return

20Now on that day the 59remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob 60who have escaped, will no longer rely on the one who struck them, but will truly 61rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.21A 62remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the 63mighty God.22For 64though your people, Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, Only a remnant within them will return; A 65destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness. 23For a complete destruction, one that is determined, 66the Lord 67God of armies will execute in the midst of the whole land.

24Therefore this is what the Lord 68God of armies says: “My people, you who dwell in 69Zion, 70do not fear the Assyrian 71who 72strikes you with the rod, and lifts up his staff against you the way Egypt did. 25For in a very 73little while 74My indignation against you will be ended and My anger will be directed toward their destruction.” 26The Lord of armies will 75wield a whip against him like the defeat of 76Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His 77staff will be over the sea, and He will lift it up 78the way He did in Egypt. 27So it will be on that day, that 79his 80burden will be removed from your shoulders, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because 81of fatness.

28He has come against Aiath, He has passed through 82Migron; At 83Michmash he deposited his 84baggage.29They have gone through 85the pass, saying, “86Geba will be our encampment for the night.” 87Ramah is terrified, and 88Gibeah of Saul has fled.30Cry aloud with your voice, daughter of 89Gallim! Pay attention, Laishah and 90wretched 91Anathoth!31Madmenah has fled. The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge.32Yet today he will halt at 92Nob; He 93shakes his fist at the mountain of the 9495daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33Behold, the Lord, the 96God of armies, will lop off the branches with terrifying power; Those also who are 97tall in stature will be cut down, And those who are lofty will be brought low.34He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an iron axe, And 98Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.