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The Lord Punishes the King of Assyria

    [a]Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger;
    the club in their hands is my fury.
Against a godless people I send him forth,
    against a nation who aroused my wrath,
commanding him to pillage and plunder
    and to trample on them like mud in the street.
But this is not his intention,
    nor does he have this in mind.
His only thought is complete destruction
    and to liquidate as many nations as possible.
For he says,
    “Are not my commanders all kings?
Is not Calno like Carchemish?
    Is not Hamath like Arpad?
    Is not Samaria like Damascus?[b]
10 My hand has overcome idolatrous kingdoms
    that had more images than Jerusalem and Samaria.
11 As I did to Samaria and her idols,
    shall I not also do to Jerusalem and her images?”

12 When the Lord has completed all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will punish the king of Assyria for his arrogant boasts and his haughty demeanor, 13 because that king had said,

“By my own power I have accomplished all this,
    and also by my wisdom, for I have great intelligence.
I have wiped out the boundaries of nations
    and have plundered their treasures;
    like a giant I have subjugated their inhabitants.
14 My hand has discovered a nest
    in which the riches of the nation have been stored.
And as one gathers eggs that have been abandoned,
    so I have collected the entire world;
not one fluttered a wing
    or opened a beak to chirp.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 10:5 We are now in a different period, perhaps 701 B.C. It is already twenty years since the northern kingdom was destroyed. Judah in turn is about to succumb (Isa 36–39).
  2. Isaiah 10:9 Some fortified cities of Syria are listed that have already been subdued by the Assyrians in earlier wars.

God’s Judgment on Assyria

“Woe(A) to the Assyrian,(B) the rod(C) of my anger,
    in whose hand is the club(D) of my wrath!(E)
I 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.
But 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.
‘Are not my commanders(L) all kings?’ he says.
    ‘Has not Kalno(M) fared like Carchemish?(N)
Is not Hamath(O) like Arpad,(P)
    and Samaria(Q) like Damascus?(R)
10 As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols,(S)
    kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria—
11 shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images
    as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?(T)’”

12 When 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. 13 For 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)
14 As 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)’”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 10:13 Or treasures; / I subdued the mighty,

O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.

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.

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.

For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?

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.

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