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The Egyptians are No Help

31 Ah! Those who go down to Egypt for help!

They rely on horses

and trust in chariots because they are many,
    and in horsemen because they are very numerous,
and they do not look to the holy one of Israel,
    and they do not consult Yahweh.
And indeed, he is wise, and he brings disaster,
    and he does not remove his words,
and he will rise against the house of evildoers
    and against the help of workers of iniquity.
And the Egyptians are human and not God,
    and their horses are flesh and not spirit.
And Yahweh stretches out his hand,
    and the helper will stumble,
and the one being helped will fall,
    and together all of them will come to an end.[a]

For Yahweh said this to me:

“As which a lion growls
    and a young lion over its prey

when a full group[b] of shepherds is called against him,

it is not terrified by their voice,
    and to their noise it does not respond,
so Yahweh of hosts will come down to fight upon Mount Zion
    and upon its hill.

Like birds flying overhead, so Yahweh of hosts will protect Jerusalem;

he will protect and deliver it;
    he will pass over and rescue it.

Turn back to the one against whom the sons of Israel have made deep rebellion.

For on that day, each one will reject his idols of silver
    and his idols of gold which your hands have made in sin for you.
And Assyria shall fall by a sword not of a man,
    and a sword not of a human shall devour him;
and he shall flee from the sword,
    and his young men shall be put to forced labor.
And his rock will pass over because of terror,
    and his officers will be terrified because of the flag,”
    declares[c] Yahweh,
who has a fire in Zion
    and has a furnace in Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 31:3 Or “perish”
  2. Isaiah 31:4 Literally “fullness”
  3. Isaiah 31:9 Literally “declaration of”

31 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
    and rely on horses,
    and trust in chariots because they are many,
    and in horsemen because they are very strong,
    but they don’t look to the Holy One of Israel,
    and they don’t seek Yahweh!
Yet he also is wise, and will bring disaster,
    and will not call back his words, but will arise against the house of the evildoers,
    and against the help of those who work iniquity.
Now the Egyptians are men, and not God;
    and their horses flesh, and not spirit.
When Yahweh stretches out his hand, both he who helps shall stumble,
    and he who is helped shall fall,
    and they all shall be consumed together.

For Yahweh says to me,
“As the lion and the young lion growling over his prey,
    if a multitude of shepherds is called together against him,
    will not be dismayed at their voice,
    nor abase himself for their noise,
    so Yahweh of Armies will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its heights.
As birds hovering, so Yahweh of Armies will protect Jerusalem.
    He will protect and deliver it.
    He will pass over and preserve it.”
Return to him from whom you have deeply revolted, children of Israel. For in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold—sin which your own hands have made for you.

“The Assyrian will fall by the sword, not of man;

    and the sword, not of mankind, shall devour him.
He will flee from the sword,
    and his young men will become subject to forced labor.
His rock will pass away by reason of terror,
    and his princes will be afraid of the banner,”
says Yahweh, whose fire is in Zion,
    and his furnace in Jerusalem.