Isaiah 31

Wycliffe Bible

31 Woe to them that go down into Egypt to help, and hope in horses, and have trust on carts, for they be many, and on knights, for they be full strong; and they trust not on the Holy of Israel, and they sought not the Lord. (Woe to them who go down to Egypt for help, and hope in horses, and have trust in chariots, for they be so many, and in horsemen, for they be so strong; but they trust not in the Holy One of Israel, and they sought not the Lord.)

² Forsooth he that is wise, hath brought evil, and took not away his words; and he shall rise altogether against the house of worst men, and against the help of them that work wickedness. (For the Lord is wise, and he hath brought evil, or trouble, and did not take back his words; he shall rise up against the house of evil people, and against the help of those who work wickedness.)

³ Egypt is a man, and not God; and the horses of them be flesh, and not spirit; and the Lord shall bow down his hand, and (both) the helper shall fall down, and (also) he shall fall, to whom help is given, and (they) all shall be wasted together,

⁴ For why the Lord saith these things to me, If a lion roareth, and a whelp of a lion on his prey, when the multitude of shepherds cometh against him, he shall not dread of the voice of them, and he shall not dread of the multitude of them; so the Lord of hosts shall come down, for to fight on the mountain of Zion, and on the little hill thereof. (For the Lord saith these things to me, Like a lion, or the whelp of a lion, roareth over his prey, when a multitude of shepherds cometh against him, and he shall not fear their voice, and he shall not fear their multitude, so the Lord of hosts shall come down, to fight for Mount Zion, and for its hill, or for its summit.)

⁵ As birds flying (over their nests), so the Lord of hosts shall defend Jerusalem; he defending and delivering, passing forth and saving (he defending it, shall rescue it, and hovering over it, he shall save it).

⁶ Ye sons of Israel, be converted, as ye had gone away into depth. (Ye Israelites, turn back to me, ye who have gone so far away from me.)

⁷ Forsooth in that day a man shall cast away the idols of his silver, and the idols of his gold, which your hands made to you into sin. (For on that day everyone shall throw away their idols of silver, and their idols of gold, which your hands made for you to sin with.)

⁸ And Assur shall fall by sword, not of man; and a sword, not of man, shall devour him; and he shall flee, not from the face of sword, and his young men shall be tributaries; (And the Assyrian shall fall by the sword, but not by the sword of a man; yea, a sword, but not a man’s sword, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the face of the sword, and his young men shall be slaves, or shall be put to forced labour;)

⁹ and the strength of him shall pass from fearedfulness, and his princes fleeing shall dread. The Lord said, whose fire is in Zion, and his chimney is in Jerusalem. (and his strength shall pass away because of fearfulness, and his fleeing leaders shall have great fear. Thus saith the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace is in Jerusalem.)