Isaiah 31
English Standard Version
Woe to Those Who Go Down to Egypt
31 Woe[a] to (A)those who go down to Egypt for help
and rely on horses,
who (B)trust in chariots because they are many
and in horsemen because they are very strong,
but (C)do not look to the Holy One of Israel
or consult the Lord!
2 And (D)yet he is wise and brings disaster;
(E)he does not call back his words,
but (F)will arise against the house of the evildoers
and against the helpers of (G)those who work iniquity.
3 The Egyptians are man, and not God,
and their horses (H)are flesh, and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,
the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall,
and they will all perish together.
4 For thus the Lord said to me,
(I)“As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey,
and when a band of shepherds is called out against him
he is not terrified by their shouting
or daunted at their noise,
(J)so the Lord of hosts will come down
to fight[b] on Mount Zion and on its hill.
5 (K)Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts
will protect Jerusalem;
he will protect and deliver it;
he will spare and rescue it.”
6 (L)Turn to him from whom people[c] have (M)deeply revolted, O children of Israel. 7 For in that day (N)everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you.
8 (O)“And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man;
and a sword, not of man, shall devour him;
and he shall flee from the sword,
and his young men shall be (P)put to forced labor.
9 (Q)His rock shall pass away in terror,
and his officers desert the standard in panic,”
declares the Lord, whose (R)fire is in Zion,
and whose (S)furnace is in Jerusalem.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 31:1 Or Ah,
- Isaiah 31:4 The Hebrew words for hosts and to fight sound alike
- Isaiah 31:6 Hebrew they
Isaiah 31
Common English Bible
Doom to those going to Egypt
31 Doom to those going down to Egypt for help!
They rely on horses,
trust in chariots because they are many,
and on riders because they are very strong.
But they don’t look to the holy one of Israel;
they don’t seek the Lord.
2 But God also knows how to bring disaster;
he has not taken back his words.
God will rise up against the house of evildoers
and against the help of those who do wrong.
3 Egypt is human and not divine;
their horses are flesh and not spirit.
The Lord will extend his hand;
the helper will stumble,
those helped will fall,
and they will all die together.
4 The Lord has said to me:
When the lion growls,
the young lion, over its prey,
though a band of shepherds is summoned against it,
isn’t scared off by their noise
or frightened by their roar.
So the Lord of heavenly forces will go down
to fight on Mount Zion and on her hill.
5 Like birds flying aloft,
so the Lord of heavenly forces will shield Jerusalem:
shielding and saving, sparing and rescuing.
6 People of Israel, return to the one whom you have deeply betrayed! 7 On that day, you will each reject the idols of silver and the idols of gold, which you have sinfully made for yourselves.
8 Assyria will fall, but not by a human sword—
a sword not made by humans will devour them.
They will flee before the sword;
their young men will become forced laborers.
9 In horror they will flee from their stronghold;
their officers will be terrified at the signal,
says the Lord, whose fire is in Zion
and whose oven is in Jerusalem.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible