Isaiah 10

New International Version

10 Woe^(A) to those who make unjust laws,
    to those who issue oppressive decrees,^(B)
²to deprive^(C) the poor of their rights
    and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,^(D)
making widows their prey
    and robbing the fatherless.^(E)
³What will you do on the day of reckoning,^(F)
    when disaster^(G) comes from afar?
To whom will you run for help?^(H)
    Where will you leave your riches?
⁴Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives^(I)
    or fall among the slain.^(J)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,^(K)
his hand is still upraised.

God’s Judgment on Assyria

⁵“Woe^(L) to the Assyrian,^(M) the rod^(N) of my anger,
    in whose hand is the club^(O) of my wrath!^(P)
⁶I send him against a godless^(Q) nation,
    I dispatch^(R) him against a people who anger me,^(S)
to seize loot and snatch plunder,^(T)
    and to trample^(U) them down like mud in the streets.
⁷But this is not what he intends,^(V)
    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^(W) all kings?’ he says.
⁹    ‘Has not Kalno^(X) fared like Carchemish?^(Y)
Is not Hamath^(Z) like Arpad,^(AA)
    and Samaria^(AB) like Damascus?^(AC)
¹⁰As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols,^(AD)
    kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria—
¹¹shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images
    as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?^(AE)’”

¹²When the Lord has finished all his work^(AF) against Mount Zion^(AG) and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria^(AH) for the willful pride^(AI) of his heart and the haughty look^(AJ) in his eyes. ¹³For he says:

“‘By the strength of my hand^(AK) I have done this,^(AL)
    and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.
I removed the boundaries of nations,
    I plundered their treasures;^(AM)
    like a mighty one I subdued^[a] their kings.^(AN)
¹⁴As one reaches into a nest,^(AO)
    so my hand reached for the wealth^(AP) of the nations;
as people gather abandoned eggs,
    so I gathered all the countries;^(AQ)
not one flapped a wing,
    or opened its mouth to chirp.^(AR)’”

¹⁵Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it,
    or the saw boast against the one who uses it?^(AS)
As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up,
    or a club^(AT) brandish the one who is not wood!
¹⁶Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    will send a wasting disease^(AU) upon his sturdy warriors;^(AV)
under his pomp^(AW) a fire^(AX) will be kindled
    like a blazing flame.
¹⁷The Light of Israel will become a fire,^(AY)
    their Holy One^(AZ) a flame;
in a single day it will burn and consume
    his thorns^(BA) and his briers.^(BB)
¹⁸The splendor of his forests^(BC) and fertile fields
    it will completely destroy,^(BD)
    as when a sick person wastes away.
¹⁹And the remaining trees of his forests^(BE) will be so few^(BF)
    that a child could write them down.

The Remnant of Israel

²⁰In that day^(BG) the remnant of Israel,
    the survivors^(BH) of Jacob,
will no longer rely^(BI) on him
    who struck them down^(BJ)
but will truly rely^(BK) on the Lord,
    the Holy One of Israel.^(BL)
²¹A remnant^(BM) will return,^[b]^(BN) a remnant of Jacob
    will return to the Mighty God.^(BO)
²²Though your people be like the sand^(BP) by the sea, Israel,
    only a remnant will return.^(BQ)
Destruction has been decreed,^(BR)
    overwhelming and righteous.
²³The Lord, the Lord Almighty, will carry out
    the destruction decreed^(BS) upon the whole land.^(BT)

²⁴Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:

“My people who live in Zion,^(BU)
    do not be afraid^(BV) of the Assyrians,
who beat^(BW) you with a rod^(BX)
    and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.
²⁵Very soon^(BY) my anger against you will end
    and my wrath^(BZ) will be directed to their destruction.^(CA)”

²⁶The Lord Almighty will lash^(CB) them with a whip,
    as when he struck down Midian^(CC) at the rock of Oreb;
and he will raise his staff^(CD) over the waters,^(CE)
    as he did in Egypt.
²⁷In that day^(CF) their burden^(CG) will be lifted from your shoulders,
    their yoke^(CH) from your neck;^(CI)
the yoke^(CJ) will be broken
    because you have grown so fat.^[c]

²⁸They enter Aiath;
    they pass through Migron;^(CK)
    they store supplies^(CL) at Mikmash.^(CM)
²⁹They go over the pass, and say,
    “We will camp overnight at Geba.^(CN)”
Ramah^(CO) trembles;
    Gibeah^(CP) of Saul flees.^(CQ)
³⁰Cry out, Daughter Gallim!^(CR)
    Listen, Laishah!
    Poor Anathoth!^(CS)
³¹Madmenah is in flight;
    the people of Gebim take cover.
³²This day they will halt at Nob;^(CT)
    they will shake their fist^(CU)
at the mount of Daughter Zion,^(CV)
    at the hill of Jerusalem.

³³See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    will lop off^(CW) the boughs with great power.
The lofty trees will be felled,^(CX)
    the tall^(CY) ones will be brought low.^(CZ)
³⁴He will cut down^(DA) the forest thickets with an ax;
    Lebanon^(DB) will fall before the Mighty One.^(DC)