The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Isaiah 10
1 Woe to those who decree unrighteous
decrees, and to the writers who write oppressive decrees
2 to deprive the needy of justice, and to
rob the poor among my people of their
rights, that widows may be their plunder,
and that they may make the fatherless
their prey!
3 What will you do in the day of visitation, and in
the desolation which will come
from afar? To whom will you flee for help?
Where will you leave your wealth?
4 They will only bow down under the
prisoners, and will fall under the slain.
For all this his anger is not turned away,
but his hand is stretched out still.
5 Alas Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the
staff in whose hand is my indignation!
6 I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people who anger
me I will give him a command to take the
plunder and to take the prey, and to tread
them down like the mire of the streets
7 However, he doesn’t mean so, neither
does his heart think so; but it is in his heart
to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations.
8 For he says, “Aren’t all of my princes
kings?
9 Isn’t Calno like Carchemish? Isn’t
Hamath like Arpad? Isn’t Samaria like
Damascus?”
10 As my hand has found the kingdoms
of the idols, whose engraved images exceeded those of Jerusalem and of Samaria,
11 shall I not, as I have done to Samaria
and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her
idols?
12 Therefore it will happen that when
the Lord has performed his whole work
on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will
punish the fruit of the willful proud heart
of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of
his arrogant looks.
13 For he has said, “By the strength of my
hand I have done it, and by my wisdom,
for I have understanding. I have removed
the boundaries of the peoples, and have
robbed their treasures. Like a valiant man
I have brought down their rulers.
14 My hand has found the riches of the
peoples like a nest, and like one gathers
eggs that are abandoned, I have gathered
allthe earth. There wasno one who moved
their wing, or that opened their mouth, or
chirped.”
15 Should an ax brag against him who
chops with it? Should a saw exalt itself
above him who saws with it? As if a rod
should liftthose who liftit up, or as if a staff
should lift up someone who is not wood.
16 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of
Armies, will send among his fat ones
leanness; and under his glory a burning
will be kindled like the burning of fire.
17 The light ofIsrael will be for a fire, and
his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn
and devour his thorns and his briers inone
day.
18 He will consume the glory of his forest
and of his fruitful field, both soul and body.
It will be as when a standard bearer faints.
19 The remnant of the trees of his forest
shall be few, so that a child could write
their number.
20 It will come to pass in that day that
the remnant of Israel, and those who have
escaped from the house of Jacob will no
more again lean on him who struck them,
but shall lean on Yahweh, the Holy One of
Israel, in truth.
21 A remnant will return, even the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.
22 For though your people,Israel, are like
the sand ofthe sea, only a remnant ofthem
will return. A destruction is determined,
overflowing with righteousness.
23 For the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will
make a full end, and that determined,
throughout all the earth.
24 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of
Armies, says, “My people who dwell in
Zion, don’t be afraid of the Assyrian,
though he strike you with the rod, and lift
up his staff against you, as Egypt did.
25 For yet a very little while, and the
indignation against you will be accomplished, and my anger will be directed to
his destruction.”
26 Yahweh of Armies will stir up a
scourge against him, as in the slaughter of
Midian at the rock of Oreb. His rod will be
over the sea, and he will liftit up like he did
against Egypt.
27 It will happen in that day that his
burden will depart from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and
the yoke shall be destroyed because of the
anointing oil.
28 He has come to Aiath. He has passed
through Migron. At Michmash he stores
his baggage.
29 They have gone over the pass. They
have taken up their lodging at Geba.
Ramah trembles. Gibeah of Saul has fled.
30 Cry aloud with your voice, daughter
of Gallim! Listen, Laishah! You poor
Anathoth!
31 Madmenah is a fugitive. The inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.
32 This very day he will halt at Nob. He
shakes his hand at the mountain of the
daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
33 Behold, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies,
will lop the boughs with terror. The tall
will be cut down, and the lofty will be
brought low. 34 He will cut down the thickets of the
forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by
the Mighty One.