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Woe to Those Who Trust Egypt

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 do not look to the Holy One of Israel
    nor seek the Lord!
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 the Lord shall stretch out His hand,
    both he who helps shall fall
    and he who is helped shall fall down,
    and they all shall fail together.

For thus the Lord has spoken to me:

Like the lion, and the young lion,
    roars over his prey,
against which a multitude of shepherds
    is called out against him,
he will not be afraid of their voice,
    nor disturbed at their noise,
so shall the Lord of Hosts come down
    to fight for Mount Zion, and for its hill.
Like flying birds,
    so the Lord of Hosts will defend Jerusalem.
He will defend and deliver it;
    He will pass over and preserve it.

Turn to Him whom you have deeply betrayed, O sons of Israel. For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold which your own hands have made for you as a sin.

“Then the Assyrian shall fall by the sword that is not of man,
    and the sword not of man shall devour him.
So he shall not escape the sword,
    and his young men shall become forced laborers.
He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear,
    and his princes shall be afraid of the banner,”
says the Lord,
    whose fire is in Zion,
    and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

31 Woe to them that 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 look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek Jehovah! Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words, but will arise against the house of the evil-doers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit: and when Jehovah shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall stumble, and he that is helped shall fall, and they all shall be consumed together.

For thus saith Jehovah unto me, As the lion and the young lion growling over his prey, if a multitude of shepherds be called forth against him, will not be dismayed at their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so will Jehovah of hosts come down to fight [a]upon mount Zion, and [b]upon the hill thereof. As birds hovering, so will Jehovah of hosts protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it, he will pass over and preserve it. Turn ye unto him [c]from whom [d]ye have deeply revolted, O children of Israel. For in that day they shall cast away every man his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin. And the Assyrian shall fall by the sword, not of man; and the sword, not of men, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall become subject to taskwork. And his rock shall pass away by reason of terror, and his princes shall be dismayed at the ensign, saith Jehovah, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 31:4 Or, against
  2. Isaiah 31:4 Or, against
  3. Isaiah 31:6 Or, from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted
  4. Isaiah 31:6 Hebrew they.