Isaiah

The book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 10, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 10 New English Translation

   1 Those who enact unjust policies are as good as dead, those who are always instituting unfair regulations,
   2 to keep the poor from getting fair treatment, and to deprive the oppressed among my people of justice, so they can steal what widows own, and loot what belongs to orphans.
   3 What will you do on judgment day, when destruction arrives from a distant place? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your wealth?
   4 You will have no place to go, except to kneel with the prisoners, or to fall among those who have been killed. Despite all this, his anger does not subside, and his hand is ready to strike again.

The LORD Turns on Arrogant Assyria

   5 Assyria, the club I use to vent my anger, is as good as dead, a cudgel with which I angrily punish.
   6 I sent him against a godless nation, I ordered him to attack the people with whom I was angry, to take plunder and to carry away loot, to trample them down like dirt in the streets.
   7 But he does not agree with this, his mind does not reason this way, for his goal is to destroy, and to eliminate many nations.
   8 Indeed, he says: "Are not my officials all kings?
   9 Is not Calneh like Carchemish? Hamath like Arpad? Samaria like Damascus?
   10 I overpowered kingdoms ruled by idols, whose carved images were more impressive than Jerusalem's or Samaria's.
   11 As I have done to Samaria and its idols, so I will do to Jerusalem and its idols."
   12 But when the sovereign master finishes judging Mount Zion and Jerusalem, then I will punish the king of Assyria for what he has proudly planned and for the arrogant attitude he displays. 13 For he says: "By my strong hand I have accomplished this, by my strategy that I devised. I invaded the territory of nations, and looted their storehouses. Like a mighty conqueror, I brought down rulers.
   14 My hand discovered the wealth of the nations, as if it were in a nest, as one gathers up abandoned eggs, I gathered up the whole earth. There was no wing flapping, or open mouth chirping."
   15 Does an ax exalt itself over the one who wields it, or a saw magnify itself over the one who cuts with it? As if a scepter should brandish the one who raises it, or a staff should lift up what is not made of wood!
   16 For this reason the sovereign master, the LORD who commands armies, will make his healthy ones emaciated. His majestic glory will go up in smoke.
   17 The light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One will become a flame; it will burn and consume the Assyrian king's briers and his thorns in one day.
   18 The splendor of his forest and his orchard will be completely destroyed, as when a sick man's life ebbs away.
   19 There will be so few trees left in his forest, a child will be able to count them.
   20 At that time those left in Israel, those who remain of the family of Jacob, will no longer rely on a foreign leader that abuses them. Instead they will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. 21 A remnant will come back, a remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 22 For though your people, Israel, are as numerous as the sand on the seashore, only a remnant will come back. Destruction has been decreed; just punishment is about to engulf you. 23 The sovereign master, the LORD who commands armies, is certainly ready to carry out the decreed destruction throughout the land.
   24 So here is what the sovereign master, the LORD who commands armies, says: "My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of Assyria, even though they beat you with a club and lift their cudgel against you as Egypt did. 25 For very soon my fury will subside, and my anger will be directed toward their destruction." 26 The LORD who commands armies is about to beat them with a whip, similar to the way he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will use his staff against the sea, lifting it up as he did in Egypt.
   27 At that time the LORD will remove their burden from your shoulders, and their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be taken off because your neck will be too large.
   28 They attacked Aiath, moved through Migron, depositing their supplies at Micmash.
   29 They went through the pass, spent the night at Geba. Ramah trembled, Gibeah of Saul ran away.
   30 Shout out, daughter of Gallim! Pay attention, Laishah! Answer her, Anathoth!
   31 Madmenah flees, the residents of Gebim have hidden.
   32 This very day, standing in Nob, they shake their fist at Daughter Zion's mountain - at the hill of Jerusalem.
   33 Look, the sovereign master, the LORD who commands armies, is ready to cut off the branches with terrifying power. The tallest trees will be cut down, the loftiest ones will be brought low.
   34 The thickets of the forest will be chopped down with an ax, and mighty Lebanon will fall.

King James Version

   1 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;
   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!
   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?
   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.
   5 ¶ O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
   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.
   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.
   8 For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?
   9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?
   10 As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
   11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so 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.
   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:
   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.
   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.
   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.
   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;
   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.
   19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write 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.
   21 The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto 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.
   23 For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all 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.
   25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in 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.
   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.
   28 He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:
   29 They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
   30 Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.
   31 Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.
   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.
   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.
   34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.