Isaiah, 10

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

1. Woe to those who enact unjust laws and issue oppressive decrees!

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!

2. Woe to those who rob the poor of their rights and deprive the helpless of justice! They prey on widows and plunder the orphans.

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?

3. What will you do on the day of punishment? Where will you flee for help when disaster suddenly comes? Where will you save your wealth?

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.

4. You can do nothing but cringe among the captives and exiles or fall down among the slain. Yet for all this Yahweh's anger does not subside, his hand is poised to strike.

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

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

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.

6. Against a godless nation I send him, against a people who provoke my wrath I dispatch him, to plunder and pillage, to tread them down like mud in the streets.

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.

7. But the mind of his king is far from this, his heart harbors other thoughts; what he wants is to destroy, to make an end of all nations.

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

8. For he says: "Are not my commanders like kings?

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

9. Was it not the same for Calno as for Carchemish, for Hamath as for Arpad, and for Samaria as for Damascus?

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

10. Just as my hands have seized idolatrous kingdoms, whose graven images excelled those of Samaria and Jerusalem,

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

11. just as I have dealt with Samaria and her idols, shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols?"

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.

12. When Yahweh has finished all his work on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, he will punish the king of Assyria for his willful pride and arrogant insolence.

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]:

13. For the king says; "By my own strength I have done this and by my own wisdom, for I am clever. I have moved the frontiers of peoples, I have plundered treasures, I have brought inhabitants down to the dust, I have toppled kings from their thrones.

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.

14. As one reaches into a nest, so my hands have reached into nations' wealth. As one gathers deserted eggs, so have I gathered the riches of the earth. No one flapped a wing or opened its mouth to chirp a protest."

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.

15. Does the axe claim more credit than the man who wields it? Does the saw magnify itself more than the one who uses it? This would be like a rod wielding the man who lifts it up; will those not made of wood, be controlled by the cudgel?

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.

16. Therefore the Lord, Yahweh Sabaoth, is ready to send a wasting sickness upon the king's sturdy warriors. Beneath his plenty, a flame will burn like a consuming fire.

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;

17. The Light of Israel will be a fire and his Holy One a flame - to burn and devour his thorns and briers all in a single day.

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.

18. The splendor of his forest and fruitful land comes undone and raves, body and soul disappears and passes away.

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

19. The remnant of the trees in his forest will be so few, so easy to count, that a child could make a list of them.

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.

20. On that day, the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the people of Jacob will no longer rely upon the tyrant who struck them down, but instead will truly rely upon the Holy One of Israel.

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

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

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.

22. Yes, Israel! Though your people be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return; their end has been ordered, justice shall be fully done.

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

23. The Lord will make a full end, as decreed by Him, all over the land.

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.

24. Thus says the Lord, Yahweh Sabaoth, "O my people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians who strike you with the rod and lift up their staff against you as did the Egyptians.

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

25. In a little while my anger against you will be over and will be directed to their destruction.

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.

26. Yahweh Sabaoth will lash at them with a scourge, as he did with the Midianites at the rock of Oreb, as he did in Egypt when he raised his rod over the sea.

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.

27. On that day, their burden will be lifted off your shoulders, their yoke lifted off your neck. The yoke will be destroyed.

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

28. They have gone up from Rimmon and have come to Aiath; they have passed through Migron and stored supplies at Michmash.

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

29. They have crossed over the pass and now camp at Geba for the night. Ramah is in terror; Gibeah of Saul has fled.

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

30. Lift up your voice, O daughter of Gallim, let it be heard at Laishah and answered at Anathoth.

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

31. Madmenah is in flight; the people of Gebim flee for their lives.

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.

32. This day the invaders will halt at Nob; they will shake their fists at the mount of the Daughter of Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.

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.

33. Suddenly, the Lord, Yahweh Sabaoth lops off the boughs with terrifying violence. The tall trees are hewn down, the lofty ones are brought low.

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

34. With an axe he cuts down the thickets; and Lebanon, the majestic, falls.