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Judgment on Assyria

Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger
    and the staff in whose hand is My indignation.
I will send him against an ungodly nation,
    and against the people of My wrath I will give him a command,
to seize the plunder, to take the prey,
    and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
However he does not so intend,
    nor does he plan so in his heart;
but his purpose is to destroy
    and to cut off many nations.
For he says, “Are not my princes altogether kings?
    Is not Kalno as Carchemish?
Is not Hamath as Arpad?
    Is not Samaria as Damascus?
10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols
    whose graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols,
    so do to Jerusalem and her idols?”

12 When the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria and the glory of his high looks.” 13 For he says:

“By the strength of my hand and by my wisdom,
    I have done it, 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 has found as a nest
    the riches of the people,
and as one gathers eggs that are left,
    I have gathered all the earth
and there was no one who moved the wing
    or opened the mouth or peeped.”

15 Shall the axe boast itself against him who hews with it?
    Or shall the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?
That is as if the rod wields itself against those who lift it up,
    or as if the staff should lift itself up as if it were not wood.
16 Therefore the Lord, God of Hosts,
    shall send leanness among his stout ones,
and under his glory he shall kindle a burning
    like the burning of a fire.
17 The light of Israel shall be a fire,
    and his Holy One 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 it shall be as when a sick man faints.
19 The rest of the trees of his forest shall be so few
    that a child may write them down.

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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)’”

15 Does 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!
16 Therefore, 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.
17 The 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)
18 The splendor of his forests(AR) and fertile fields
    it will completely destroy,(AS)
    as when a sick person wastes away.
19 And the remaining trees of his forests(AT) will be so few(AU)
    that a child could write them down.

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Footnotes

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