Isaiah, 10

1. Woe to those who enact unjust decrees, who compose oppressive legislation

1. Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness [which] they have prescribed;

2. to deny justice to the weak and to cheat the humblest of my people of fair judgement, to make widows their prey and to rob the orphan.

2. To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and [that] they may rob the fatherless!

3. What will you do on the day of punishment, when disaster comes from far away? To whom will you run for help and where will you leave your riches,

3. And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation [which] shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?

4. to avoid squatting among the captives or falling among the slain? After all this, his anger is not spent. No, his hand is still raised!

4. Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand [is] stretched out still.

5. Woe to Assyria, rod of my anger, the club in their hands is my fury!

5. O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.

6. I was sending him against a godless nation, commissioning him against the people who enraged me, to pillage and plunder at will and trample on them like the mud in the streets.

6. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

7. But this was not his intention nor did his heart plan it so, for he dreamed of putting an end to them, of liquidating nations without number!

7. Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but [it is] in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.

8. For he thought, 'Are not my officers all kings?

8. For he saith, [Are] not my princes altogether kings?

9. Is not Calno like Carchemish, Hamath like Arpad, Samaria like Damascus?

9. [Is] not Calno as Carchemish? [is] not Hamath as Arpad? [is] not Samaria as Damascus?

10. As my hand has found the kingdoms of the false gods, where there were more images than in Jerusalem and Samaria,

10. As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

11. as I have treated Samaria and her false gods shall I not treat Jerusalem and her statues too?'

11. Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

12. When the Lord has completed all his work on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, he will punish the fruit of the king of Assyria's boastful heart and the insolence of his haughty looks.

12. Wherefore it shall come to pass, [that] when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.

13. For he thinks: 'By the strength of my own arm I have done this and by my own wisdom: how intelligent I have been! I have abolished the frontiers between peoples, I have plundered their treasures, like a hero, I have subjugated their inhabitants.

13. For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done [it], and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant [man]:

14. My hand has found, as though a bird's nest, the riches of the peoples. Like someone collecting deserted eggs, I have collected the whole world while no one has fluttered a wing or opened a beak to squawk.'

14. And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs [that are] left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

15. Does the axe claim more credit than the man who wields it, or the saw more strength than the man who handles it? As though a staff controlled those who raise it, or the club could raise what is not made of wood!

15. Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? [or] shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake [itself] against them that lift it up, [or] as if the staff should lift up [itself, as if it were] no wood.

16. That is why Yahweh Sabaoth is going to inflict leanness on his stout men, and beneath his glory kindle a fever burning like a fire.

16. Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.

17. The light of Israel will become a fire and its Holy One a flame burning and devouring his thorn-bushes and brambles in a day.

17. And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;

18. He will consume his luxuriant forest and productive ground, he will ravage body and soul: it will be like a consumptive wasting away;

18. And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.

19. and what remain of the trees of his forest will be so few that a child could write their number.

19. And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.

20. When that day comes, the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the House of Jacob will stop relying on the man who strikes them and will truly rely on Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel.

20. And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.

21. The remnant shall return, [even] the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

22. Israel, though your people are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return: a destruction has been decreed which will make justice overflow,

22. For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, [yet] a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

23. for, throughout the country, the Lord Yahweh Sabaoth will enforce the destruction now decreed.

23. For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.

24. That is why the Lord Yahweh Sabaoth says this: My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of Assyria! He may strike you with the rod, he may raise the club against you (on the way from Egypt),

24. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.

25. but in a very short time the retribution will come to an end, and my anger will destroy them.

25. For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.

26. Yahweh Sabaoth will brandish a whip at him as he struck Midian at Oreb's Rock, will brandish his rod at the Sea as he raised it on the way from Egypt.

26. And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and [as] his rod [was] upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

27. When that day comes, his burden will fall from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed . . .

27. And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

28. He has reached Aiath, he has moved on to Migron, he has left his baggage train at Michmash.

28. He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:

29. They have passed through the defile, they have bivouacked at Geba. Ramah quaked, Gibeah of Saul has fled.

29. They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.

30. Cry your loudest, Bath-Gallim! Pay attention, Laish! Answer her, Anathoth!

30. Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.

31. Madmenah has run away, the inhabitants of Gebim have taken cover.

31. Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.

32. This very day, as he halts at Nob, he will shake his fist at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

32. As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand [against] the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33. See how the Lord Yahweh Sabaoth violently lops off the foliage! The ones standing highest are cut down, the proudest are laid low!

33. Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature [shall be] hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.

34. The forest thickets fall beneath the axe, and the Lebanon falls to the blows of a Mighty One.

34. And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.