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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.

The Lord, the Only Help

31 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help(A)
and who depend on horses!
They trust in the abundance of chariots
and in the large number of horsemen.(B)
They do not look(C) to the Holy One of Israel,
and they do not seek the Lord.
But he also is wise and brings disaster.(D)
He does not go back on what he says;(E)
he will rise up against the house of the wicked
and against the allies of evildoers.
Egyptians are men, not God;
their horses are flesh, not spirit.
When the Lord raises his hand to strike,
the helper will stumble
and the one who is helped will fall;
both will perish together.

For this is what the Lord said to me:

As a lion or young lion growls over its prey(F)
when a band of shepherds is called out against it,
and it is not terrified by their shouting
or subdued by their noise,
so the Lord of Armies will come down
to fight on Mount Zion
and on its hill.(G)

Like hovering birds,
so the Lord of Armies will protect Jerusalem;(H)
by protecting it, he will rescue it;
by passing over it, he will deliver it.

Return to the one the Israelites have greatly rebelled against.(I) For on that day, every one of you will reject the worthless idols of silver and gold that your own hands have sinfully made.(J)

Then Assyria will fall,
but not by human sword;
a sword will devour him,
but not one made by man.(K)
He will flee from the sword;
his young men will be put to forced labor.(L)

His rock[a] will pass away because of fear,(M)
and his officers will be afraid because of the signal flag.(N)

This is the Lord’s declaration—whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.(O)

Footnotes

  1. 31:9 Perhaps the Assyrian king