Isaiah

¹ to those who issue oppressive decrees,

² and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.

³ when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?

⁴ or fall among the slain. Yet for 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!

⁶ 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.

⁷ this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations.

⁸ ‘Are not my commanders all kings?’ he says.

⁹ Is not Hamath like Arpad, and Samaria like Damascus?

¹⁰ kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria—

¹¹ as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?’”

¹² When 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.

¹³ “‘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.

¹⁴ so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations; as men gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries; not one flapped a wing, or opened its mouth to chirp.’”

¹⁵ or the saw boast against him who uses it? As if a rod were to wield him who lifts it up, or a club brandish him who is not wood!

¹⁶ will send a wasting disease upon his sturdy warriors; under his pomp a fire will be kindled like a blazing flame.

¹⁷ their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers.

¹⁸ it will completely destroy, as when a sick man wastes away.

¹⁹ that a child could write them down.

²⁰ In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of the house of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

²¹ will return to the Mighty God.

²² only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous.

²³ the destruction decreed upon the whole land.

²⁴ “O 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.

²⁵ and my wrath will be directed to their destruction.”

²⁶ 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.

²⁷ their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken because you have grown so fat.

²⁸ they pass through Migron; they store supplies at Micmash.

²⁹ “We will camp overnight at Geba.” Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees.

³⁰ Listen, O Laishah! Poor Anathoth!

³¹ the people of Gebim take cover.

³² they will shake their fist at the mount of the Daughter of Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.

³³ will lop off the boughs with great power. The lofty trees will be felled, the tall ones will be brought low.

³⁴ Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.