Isaiah 31
Modern English Version
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!
2 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.
3 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.
4 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.
5 Like flying birds,
so the Lord of Hosts will defend Jerusalem.
He will defend and deliver it;
He will pass over and preserve it.
6 Turn to Him whom you have deeply betrayed, O sons of Israel. 7 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.
8 “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.
9 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.
Isaiah 31
Lexham English Bible
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.
2 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.
3 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]
4 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.
5 Like birds flying overhead, so Yahweh of hosts will protect Jerusalem;
he will protect and deliver it;
he will pass over and rescue it.
6 Turn back to the one against whom the sons of Israel have made deep rebellion.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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
- Isaiah 31:3 Or “perish”
- Isaiah 31:4 Literally “fullness”
- Isaiah 31:9 Literally “declaration of”
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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