Judgment on Arrogant Assyria

Woe to Assyria, (A)the rod of my anger;
    the staff in their hands is my fury!
Against a (B)godless nation I send him,
    and against the people of my wrath I command him,
to take (C)spoil and seize plunder,
    and to (D)tread them down like the mire of the streets.
But he (E)does not so intend,
    and his heart does not so think;
but it is in his heart to destroy,
    and to cut off nations not a few;
for he says:
(F)“Are not my commanders all kings?
(G)Is not (H)Calno like (I)Carchemish?
    Is not (J)Hamath like (K)Arpad?
    (L)Is not (M)Samaria like Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to (N)the kingdoms of the idols,
    whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 shall I not do to Jerusalem and (O)her idols
    (P)as I have done to Samaria and her images?”

12 (Q)When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, (R)he[a] will punish the speech[b] of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes. 13 (S)For he says:

“By the strength of my hand I have done it,
    and by my wisdom, for I have understanding;
I remove the boundaries of peoples,
    and plunder their treasures;
    like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.
14 My hand has found like a nest
    the wealth of the peoples;
and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken,
    so I have gathered all the earth;
and there was none that moved a wing
    or opened the mouth or chirped.”

15 Shall (T)the axe boast over him who hews with it,
    or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?
As if a rod should wield him who lifts it,
    or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!
16 Therefore the Lord God of hosts
    will send wasting sickness among his (U)stout warriors,
and under his glory (V)a burning will be kindled,
    like the burning of fire.
17 (W)The light of Israel will become a fire,
    and (X)his Holy One a flame,
and (Y)it will burn and devour
    his thorns and briers (Z)in one day.
18 The glory of (AA)his forest and of his (AB)fruitful land
    the Lord will destroy, both soul and body,
    and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.
19 The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few
    that a child can write them down.

The Remnant of Israel Will Return

20 (AC)In that day (AD)the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more (AE)lean on him who struck them, but (AF)will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, (AG)to the mighty God. 22 (AH)For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, (AI)only a remnant of them will return. (AJ)Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. 23 For the Lord God of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 10:12 Hebrew I
  2. Isaiah 10:12 Hebrew fruit

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.

The Remnant of Israel

20 In that day(AV) the remnant of Israel,
    the survivors(AW) of Jacob,
will no longer rely(AX) on him
    who struck them down(AY)
but will truly rely(AZ) on the Lord,
    the Holy One of Israel.(BA)
21 A remnant(BB) will return,[b](BC) a remnant of Jacob
    will return to the Mighty God.(BD)
22 Though your people be like the sand(BE) by the sea, Israel,
    only a remnant will return.(BF)
Destruction has been decreed,(BG)
    overwhelming and righteous.
23 The Lord, the Lord Almighty, will carry out
    the destruction decreed(BH) upon the whole land.(BI)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 10:13 Or treasures; / I subdued the mighty,
  2. Isaiah 10:21 Hebrew shear-jashub (see 7:3 and note); also in verse 22