International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1"How terrible it will be for the one who enacts unjust decrees, for those who write oppressive laws that they have prescribed

1Woe to those who enact evil statutes And to those who constantly record unjust decisions,

2to deprive the needy of justice and to rob the poor of my people of their rights, so that widows may become their spoil and so that they may plunder orphans!

2So as to deprive the needy of justice And rob the poor of My people of their rights, So that widows may be their spoil And that they may plunder the orphans.

3What will you do on the day of Judgment, in the calamity that will come from far away? To whom will you run for help, and where will you leave your wealth,

3Now what will you do in the day of punishment, And in the devastation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth?

4so you won't have to crouch among those in chains or fall among the slain? "Yet for all this, his anger has not turned away, and his hand is still stretched out, ready to strike."

4Nothing remains but to crouch among the captives Or fall among the slain. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.

5"How terrible it will be for Assyria, the rod of my anger! The club is in their hands!

5Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hands is My indignation,

6I'm sending my fury against a godless nation, and I'll command him against the people with whom I'm angry to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets.

6I send it against a godless nation And commission it against the people of My fury To capture booty and to seize plunder, And to trample them down like mud in the streets.

7But this is not what he intends, and this is not what he thinks in his mind; but it is in his mind to destroy, and to cut down many nations.

7Yet it does not so intend, Nor does it plan so in its heart, But rather it is its purpose to destroy And to cut off many nations.

8"Because this is what he is saying: 'My commanders are all kings, are they not?

8For it says, "Are not my princes all kings?

9Isn't Calno like Carchemish? Isn't Hamath like Arpad? Isn't Samaria like Damascus?

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

10As my hand has reached to the idolatrous kingdoms whose carved images were greater than those of 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 Samaria,

11will I not deal with Jerusalem and her idols as I have dealt with Samaria and her images?'"

11Shall I not do to Jerusalem and her images Just as I have done to Samaria and her idols?"

12"For the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and against Jerusalem; he will punish the speech that comes from that willful heart of Assyria's king and the haughty look in his eyes.

12So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, "I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness."

13He keeps bragging: 'I've done it by the strength of my hand, and by my wisdom, because I'm so clever. I removed the boundaries of peoples, and plundered their treasures; like a bull I brought down those who sat on thrones.

13For he has said, "By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this, For I have understanding; And I removed the boundaries of the peoples And plundered their treasures, And like a mighty man I brought down their inhabitants,

14My hand has found, as if in a nest, the wealth of the people; and as one gathers eggs that have been abandoned, so I have gathered all the inhabitants of the earth. Nothing moved a wing, opened its mouth, or chirped.'

14And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a nest, And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth; And there was not one that flapped its wing or opened its beak or chirped."

15"Does the ax exalt itself over the one who swings it? Or does the saw magnify itself in opposition to the one who wields it? As if a rod were to wield those who lift it, or as if a club were to brandish the one who is not wood!

15Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.

16Therefore, the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies will send a wasting disease among Assyria's sturdy warriors, and under its glory a conflagration will be kindled, like a blazing bonfire.

16Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors; And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.

17"The light of Israel will become a fire, and its Holy One a flame, and it will burn and consume Assyria's thorns and briers in a single day.

17And the light of Israel will become a fire and his Holy One a flame, And it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day.

18The splendor of its forest and its fruitful land the LORD will destroy— both soul and body— and Assyria will be as when a dying man wastes away.

18And He will destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body, And it will be as when a sick man wastes away.

19What survives of the trees in his forest will be so few that a child can count them."

19And the rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number That a child could write them down.

20At that time, the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer rely on the one who struck them down, but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.

20Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.

21A remnant will return—a remnant of Jacob—to the Mighty God.

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

22For even if your people of Israel number as many as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Overwhelming, righteous destruction is decreed,

22For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, Only a remnant within them will return; A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.

23because the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies will bring about destruction, as has been decreed, throughout the entire region.

23For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord GOD of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land.

24Therefore this is what the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies says: "My people, you who live in Zion, don't be afraid of the Assyrians, of the rod that beats you, who lift up their club against you as the Egyptians did.

24Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, "O My people who dwell in Zion, do not fear the Assyrian who strikes you with the rod and lifts up his staff against you, the way Egypt did.

25In just a little while, my fury will come to an end, and my anger then will be directed to their destruction.

25"For in a very little while My indignation against you will be spent and My anger will be directed to their destruction."

26The LORD of the Heavenly Armies will brandish a whip against them, as when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb; and as his staff was stretched out over the sea, so he will lift it up as he did in Egypt.

26The LORD of hosts will arouse a scourge against him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His staff will be over the sea and He will lift it up the way He did in Egypt.

27At that time, his burden will depart from your shoulder and his yoke from your neck. Indeed, the yoke will be broken, because you've become obese."

27So it will be in that day, that his burden will be removed from your shoulders and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be broken because of fatness.

28"The Assyrian commander has come upon Aiath and has passed through Migron; he stores his supplies at Michmash.

28He has come against Aiath, He has passed through Migron; At Michmash he deposited his baggage.

29He has crossed over by the pass; his overnight lodging is at Geba. Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul has fled.

29They have gone through the pass, saying, "Geba will be our lodging place." Ramah is terrified, and Gibeah of Saul has fled away.

30Cry aloud, you daughter of Gallim! Pay attention, Laish! Poor Anathoth!

30Cry aloud with your voice, O daughter of Gallim! Pay attention, Laishah and wretched Anathoth!

31Marmenah is in flight; the inhabitants of Gebim take cover.

31Madmenah has fled. The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge.

32This very day he will halt at Nob; he will shake his fists at the mountain that is the Daughter of Zion, at Jerusalem's hill.

32Yet today he will halt at Nob; He shakes his fist at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33Behold, the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies will lop off its boughs with terrifying power; the tallest in height will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low.

33Behold, the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will lop off the boughs with a terrible crash; Those also who are tall in stature will be cut down And those who are lofty will be abased.

34He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an ax, and Lebanon will fall by the Majestic One."

34He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an iron axe, And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org