Isaiah 10:5-19

New International Version

God’s Judgment on Assyria

⁵“Woe^(A) to the Assyrian,^(B) the rod^(C) of my anger,
    in whose hand is the club^(D) of my wrath!^(E)
⁶I send him against a godless^(F) nation,
    I dispatch^(G) him against a people who anger me,^(H)
to seize loot and snatch plunder,^(I)
    and to trample^(J) them down like mud in the streets.
⁷But this is not what he intends,^(K)
    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^(L) all kings?’ he says.
⁹    ‘Has not Kalno^(M) fared like Carchemish?^(N)
Is not Hamath^(O) like Arpad,^(P)
    and Samaria^(Q) like Damascus?^(R)
¹⁰As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols,^(S)
    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?^(T)’”

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

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

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