| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD! | 1Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, those who rely on war horses, and trust in Egypt's many chariots and in their many, many horsemen. But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel and do not seek help from the LORD. |
| 2Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster, And will not call back His words, But will arise against the house of evildoers, And against the help of those who work iniquity. | 2Yet he too is wise and he will bring disaster; he does not retract his decree. He will attack the wicked nation, and the nation that helps those who commit sin. |
| 3Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; And their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, Both he who helps will fall, And he who is helped will fall down; They all will perish together. | 3The Egyptians are mere humans, not God; their horses are made of flesh, not spirit. The LORD will strike with his hand; the one who helps will stumble and the one being helped will fall. Together they will perish. |
| 4For thus the LORD has spoken to me: “As a lion roars, And a young lion over his prey (When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him, He will not be afraid of their voice Nor be disturbed by their noise), So the LORD of hosts will come down To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill. | 4Indeed, this is what the LORD says to me: "The LORD will be like a growling lion, like a young lion growling over its prey. Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it, it is not afraid of their shouts or intimidated by their yelling. In this same way the LORD who commands armies will descend to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill. |
| 5Like birds flying about, So will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; Passing over, He will preserve it.” | 5Just as birds hover over a nest, so the LORD who commands armies will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver it; as he passes over he will rescue it. |
| 6Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. | 6You Israelites! Return to the one against whom you have so blatantly rebelled! |
| 7For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold—sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves. | 7For at that time everyone will get rid of the silver and gold idols your hands sinfully made. |
| 8“Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man, And a sword not of mankind shall devour him. But he shall flee from the sword, And his young men shall become forced labor. | 8Assyria will fall by a sword, but not one human-made; a sword not made by humankind will destroy them. They will run away from this sword and their young men will be forced to do hard labor. |
| 9He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear, And his princes shall be afraid of the banner,” Says the LORD, Whose fire is in Zion And whose furnace is in Jerusalem. | 9They will surrender their stronghold because of fear; their officers will be afraid of the LORD's battle flag." This is what the LORD says--the one whose fire is in Zion, whose firepot is in Jerusalem. |
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