Isaiah 31
Legacy Standard Bible
Woe to Those Who Go down to Egypt
31 Woe to those who go down to (A)Egypt for help
And (B)rely on horses,
And trust in chariots because they are many
And in horsemen because they are very mighty,
But they do not (C)regard at the (D)Holy One of Israel, nor seek Yahweh!
2 Yet He also is (E)wise and will (F)bring about an evil demise
And does (G)not turn His words aside,
But will arise against the house of (H)evildoers
And against the help of the (I)workers of iniquity.
3 Now the Egyptians are (J)men and not God,
And their (K)horses are flesh and not spirit;
So Yahweh will (L)stretch out His hand,
And (M)he who helps will stumble,
And he who is helped will fall,
And all of them will come to an end together.
4 For thus says Yahweh to me,
“As the (N)lion or the young lion growls over its prey,
Against which a multitude of shepherds is called out,
And it will not be dismayed at their voice nor afflicted at their noise,
So will Yahweh of hosts come down to wage (O)war on Mount Zion and on its hill.”
5 Like [a]flying (P)birds so Yahweh of hosts will defend Jerusalem.
He will (Q)defend and deliver it;
He will pass over and provide a way of escape.
6 (R)Return to Him against whom [b]you have (S)deeply rebelled, O sons of Israel. 7 For in that day every man will (T)reject his silver idols and his gold idols, which your (U)hands have made for you as (V)a sin.
8 And the (W)Assyrian will fall by a sword not of man,
And a (X)sword not of man will devour him.
So he will [c](Y)flee from the sword,
And his choice men will become (Z)forced laborers.
9 “His (AA)rock will pass away because of terror,
And his princes will be dismayed at the (AB)standard,”
Declares Yahweh, whose (AC)fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 31:5 Or hovering
- Isaiah 31:6 Lit they
- Isaiah 31:8 Lit flee for himself
Isaiah 31
International Standard Version
Only the Lord can Help
31 “How terrible it will be for those who go down to[a] Egypt for help,
who rely on horses,
who trust in the chariot,
because there are so many,
and in charioteers,[b]
because they are so strong—
but do not look to[c] the Holy One of Israel
or seek the Lord!
2 Yet he is also wise and can bring disaster;
he does not take back his words,
but will rise up against the house of those who practice evil
and against anyone who assists people who work iniquity.
3 The Egyptians are men, not God,
and their horses are physical,[d] not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,
anyone who assists will stumble,
and the one who is helped will fall;
and they will all perish together.”
The Lord will Defend Jerusalem
4 For this is what the Lord told me:
“Just as a lion or a young lion growls over his objects of prey,[e]—
even when a whole band of shepherds is called out against it,
it is not alarmed at their shouting
or disturbed by their clamor—
so the Lord of the Heavenly Armies will come down
to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill.
5 Like birds hovering overhead,
so the Lord of the Heavenly Armies will protect Jerusalem;
he will shield and deliver it;
and[f] he will pass over[g] and bring it to safety.[h]
6 Turn back to him, yes to him whom[i] your people[j] have so greatly betrayed, you people of Israel. 7 For at that time,[k] everyone will throw away their[l] idols of silver and their[m] idols of gold that your hands have sinfully made for yourselves.
8 “Then Assyria will fall by a sword
that is not from human beings only[n]—
a sword not wielded by mortal beings will devour them.
They will flee from the sword,
and their young men will be put to forced labor.
9 Their stronghold will vanish by reason of terror,
and their commanders will be filled with alarm
because of the battle standard,”
declares the Lord, whose fire is in Zion
and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 31:1 So 1QIsaa LXX; the Heb. lacks to
- Isaiah 31:1 Or horsemen
- Isaiah 31:1 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read upon
- Isaiah 31:3 Or flesh
- Isaiah 31:4 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read his prey (sing.)
- Isaiah 31:5 So 1QIsaa; cf. LXX; the Heb. lacks and
- Isaiah 31:5 I.e. as the Angel of Death passed over the Israelis; cf. Exod 12:13, 23, 27
- Isaiah 31:5 So 1QIsaa; MT reads rescue it
- Isaiah 31:6 So 1QIsaa; MT reads back to him whom
- Isaiah 31:6 Lit. whom they
- Isaiah 31:7 Lit. on that day
- Isaiah 31:7 Lit. his
- Isaiah 31:7 Lit. his
- Isaiah 31:8 Lit. not of man
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