Isaiah, 10

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

1. Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression,

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 justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

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. What will you do on the day of punishment, in the storm which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?

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. Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away and his hand is stretched out still.

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

5. Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger, the staff of my fury!

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. Against a godless nation I send him, and against the people of my wrath I command him, to take spoil and seize plunder, 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. But he does not so intend, and his mind does not so think; but it is in his mind to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few;

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

8. for he says: "Are not my commanders all kings?

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

9. Is not Calno like Car'chemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Sama'ria like 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 has reached to the kingdoms of the idols whose graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Sama'ria,

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

11. shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols as I have done to Sama'ria and her images?"

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. When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem he will punish the arrogant boasting of the king of Assyria and his haughty pride.

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 says: "By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding; I have removed the boundaries of peoples, and have plundered their treasures; like a bull I have brought down those who sat on thrones.

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. My hand has found like a nest the wealth of the peoples; and as men gather eggs that have been forsaken so I have gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved a wing, or opened the mouth, or chirped."

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 vaunt itself over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not 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 the Lord, the LORD of hosts, will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors, and under his glory a burning will be kindled, like the burning of 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. The light of Israel will become a fire, and his Holy One a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and 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. The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land the LORD will destroy, both soul and body, and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.

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

19. The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few that a child can write them down.

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. In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean upon him that smote them, but will lean upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

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

21. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to 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 your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness.

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

23. For the Lord, the LORD of hosts, will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.

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 says the Lord, the LORD of hosts: "O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they smite with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did.

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

25. For in a very little while my indignation will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to 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 will wield against them a scourge, as when he smote Mid'ian at the rock of Oreb; and his rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in 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 in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke will be destroyed from your neck." He has gone up from Rimmon,

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

28. he has come to Ai'ath; he has passed through Migron, at Michmash he stores his baggage;

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

29. they have crossed over the pass, at Geba they lodge for the night; Ramah trembles, Gib'e-ah of Saul has fled.

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

30. Cry aloud, O daughter of Gallim! Hearken, O La'ishah! Answer her, O An'athoth!

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

31. Madme'nah is in flight, the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.

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. This very day he will halt at Nob, he will shake his fist at 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 will lop the boughs with terrifying power; the great in height will be hewn down, and the lofty will be brought low.

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

34. He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an axe, and Lebanon with its majestic trees will fall.