Isaiah 10
Christian Standard Bible
10 Woe(A) to those enacting crooked statutes
and writing oppressive laws
2 to keep the poor from getting a fair trial
and to deprive the needy among my people of justice,(B)
so that widows can be their spoil
and they can plunder the fatherless.(C)
3 What will you do on the day of punishment
when devastation comes from far away?
Who will you run to for help?
Where will you leave your wealth?
4 There will be nothing to do
except crouch among the prisoners
or fall among the slain.
In all this, his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is still raised to strike.(D)
Assyria, the Instrument of Wrath
5 Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger—
the staff in their hands is my wrath.
6 I will send him against a godless nation;
I will command him to go
against a people destined for my rage,
to take spoils, to plunder,(E)
and to trample them down like clay(F) in the streets.
7 But this is not what he intends;
this is not what he plans.
It is his intent to destroy
and to cut off many nations.
8 For he says,
“Aren’t all my commanders kings?
9 Isn’t Calno like Carchemish?
Isn’t Hamath like Arpad?
Isn’t Samaria(G) like Damascus?[a]
10 As my hand seized the kingdoms of worthless images,
kingdoms whose idols exceeded those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 and as I did to Samaria and its worthless images
will I not also do to Jerusalem and its idols?” (H)
Judgment on Assyria
12 But when the Lord finishes all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “I[b] will punish the king of Assyria for his arrogant acts and the proud look in his eyes.”(I) 13 For he said:
I have done this by my own strength
and wisdom, for I am clever.
I abolished the borders of nations
and plundered their treasures;(J)
like a mighty warrior, I subjugated the inhabitants.[c](K)
14 My hand has reached out, as if into a nest,
to seize the wealth of the nations.
Like one gathering abandoned eggs,
I gathered the whole earth.
No wing fluttered;
no beak opened or chirped.
15 Does an ax exalt itself
above the one who chops with it?
Does a saw magnify itself
above the one who saws with it?
It would be like a rod waving the ones who lift[d] it!
It would be like a staff lifting the one who isn’t wood!
16 Therefore the Lord God of Armies
will inflict an emaciating disease
on the well-fed of Assyria,
and he will kindle a burning fire
under its glory.
17 Israel’s Light will become a fire,
and its Holy One, a flame.(L)
In one day it will burn and consume Assyria’s thorns and thistles.(M)
18 He will completely destroy
the glory of its forests and orchards
as a sickness consumes a person.
19 The remaining trees of its forest
will be so few in number
that a child could count them.
The Remnant Will Return
20 On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on the one who struck them, but they will faithfully depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.(N)
21 The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob,
to the Mighty God.
22 Israel, even if your people were as numerous
as the sand of the sea,
only a remnant of them will return.(O)
Destruction has been decreed;
justice overflows.
23 For throughout the land
the Lord God of Armies
is carrying out a destruction that was decreed.
24 Therefore, the Lord God of Armies says this: “My people who dwell in Zion, do not fear Assyria, though they strike you with a rod and raise their staff over you as the Egyptians did. 25 In just a little while my wrath will be spent and my anger will turn to their destruction.” 26 And the Lord of Armies will brandish a whip against him as he did when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb;(P) and he will raise his staff over the sea as he did in Egypt.
God Will Judge Assyria
27 On that day
his burden will fall from your shoulders,
and his yoke from your neck.
The yoke will be broken because your neck will be too large.[e](Q)
28 Assyria has come to Aiath
and has gone through Migron,
storing their equipment at Michmash.
29 They crossed over at the ford, saying,
“We will spend the night at Geba.”
The people of Ramah are trembling;
those at Gibeah of Saul have fled.
30 Cry aloud, daughter of Gallim!
Listen, Laishah!
Anathoth is miserable.
31 Madmenah has fled.
The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge.
32 Today the Assyrians will stand at Nob,
shaking their fists at the mountain of Daughter Zion,
the hill of Jerusalem.
33 Look, the Lord God of Armies
will chop off the branches with terrifying power,
and the tall trees will be cut down,
the high trees felled.
34 He is clearing the thickets of the forest with an ax,
and Lebanon with its majesty will fall.
Isaiah 10
English Standard Version
10 Woe to those who (A)decree iniquitous decrees,
and the writers who (B)keep writing oppression,
2 to turn aside the needy from justice
and (C)to rob the poor of my people of their right,
that widows may be their spoil,
and that they may make the fatherless their prey!
3 What will you do on (D)the day of punishment,
in the ruin that will come (E)from afar?
To whom will you flee for help,
and where will you leave your wealth?
4 Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners
or fall among the slain.
(F)For all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still.
Judgment on Arrogant Assyria
5 Woe to Assyria, (G)the rod of my anger;
the staff in their hands is my fury!
6 Against a (H)godless nation I send him,
and against the people of my wrath I command him,
to take (I)spoil and seize plunder,
and to (J)tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 But he (K)does not so intend,
and his heart does not so think;
but it is in his heart to destroy,
and to cut off nations not a few;
8 for he says:
(L)“Are not my commanders all kings?
9 (M)Is not (N)Calno like (O)Carchemish?
Is not (P)Hamath like (Q)Arpad?
(R)Is not (S)Samaria like Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to (T)the kingdoms of the idols,
whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 shall I not do to Jerusalem and (U)her idols
(V)as I have done to Samaria and her images?”
12 (W)When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, (X)he[a] will punish the speech[b] of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes. 13 (Y)For he says:
“By the strength of my hand I have done it,
and by my wisdom, for I have understanding;
I remove the boundaries of peoples,
and plunder their treasures;
like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.
14 My hand has found like a nest
the wealth of the peoples;
and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken,
so I have gathered all the earth;
and there was none that moved a wing
or opened the mouth or chirped.”
15 Shall (Z)the axe boast over him who hews with it,
or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?
As if a rod should wield him who lifts it,
or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!
16 Therefore the Lord God of hosts
will send wasting sickness among his (AA)stout warriors,
and under his glory (AB)a burning will be kindled,
like the burning of fire.
17 (AC)The light of Israel will become a fire,
and (AD)his Holy One a flame,
and (AE)it will burn and devour
his thorns and briers (AF)in one day.
18 The glory of (AG)his forest and of his (AH)fruitful land
the Lord will destroy, both soul and body,
and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.
19 The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few
that a child can write them down.
The Remnant of Israel Will Return
20 (AI)In that day (AJ)the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more (AK)lean on him who struck them, but (AL)will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, (AM)to the mighty God. 22 (AN)For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, (AO)only a remnant of them will return. (AP)Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. 23 For the Lord God of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.
24 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O my people, (AQ)who dwell in Zion, (AR)be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as (AS)the Egyptians did. 25 For (AT)in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction. 26 And (AU)the Lord of hosts will wield against them a whip, as when he struck (AV)Midian (AW)at the rock of Oreb. And his staff will be over the sea, and he will lift it (AX)as he did in Egypt. 27 And in that day (AY)his burden will depart from your shoulder, and (AZ)his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because of the fat.”[c]
28 He has come to Aiath;
he has passed through (BA)Migron;
at Michmash he stores (BB)his baggage;
29 they have crossed over (BC)the pass;
at (BD)Geba they lodge for the night;
(BE)Ramah trembles;
(BF)Gibeah of Saul has fled.
30 Cry aloud, O daughter of (BG)Gallim!
Give attention, O Laishah!
O poor (BH)Anathoth!
31 Madmenah is in flight;
the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.
32 This very day he will halt at (BI)Nob;
he will shake his fist
at the mount of (BJ)the daughter of Zion,
the hill of Jerusalem.
33 Behold, the Lord God of hosts
(BK)will lop (BL)the boughs with terrifying power;
the great in height will be hewn down,
and the lofty will be brought low.
34 He will cut down (BM)the thickets of the forest with an axe,
and (BN)Lebanon will fall by the Majestic One.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 10:12 Hebrew I
- Isaiah 10:12 Hebrew fruit
- Isaiah 10:27 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
Isaiah 10
King James Version
10 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;
2 To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!
3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?
4 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.
8 For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?
9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?
10 As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?
12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.
13 For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:
14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.
15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.
16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.
17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;
18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth.
19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.
20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
21 The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
23 For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.
24 Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.
25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.
26 And the Lord of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.
27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
28 He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:
29 They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
30 Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.
31 Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.
32 As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
33 Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.
34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.
Isaiah 10
Wycliffe Bible
10 Woe to them that make wicked laws, and they writing have written unrightfulness, (Woe to them who make wicked laws, and they writing have written injustice,)
2 for to oppress poor men in doom, and to do violence to the cause of meek men of my people; that widows shall be the prey of them, and that they should ravish fatherless children. (and so they oppress the poor in judgement, and do violence to the cause of the humble among my people; and widows shall become their prey, and they shall rob fatherless children.)
3 What shall ye do in the day of visitation, and of wretchedness coming from [a]far? To whose help shall ye flee? and where shall ye leave your glory,
4 that ye be not bowed down under bond and fall not down with slain men? (so that ye be not bowed down in slavery, and fall not down with the slain?) On all these things his strong vengeance is not turned away, but yet his hand is stretched forth.
5 Woe to Assur, he is the rod and staff of my strong vengeance; mine indignation is in the hand of them. (Woe to the Assyrian, he is the rod and the staff of my strong vengeance; yea, my anger is in his hands.)
6 I shall send him to a false folk, and I shall command to him against the people of my strong vengeance; that he take away the spoils, and part prey, and that he set that people into defouling, as the fen of streets. (I shall send him to a godless nation, and I shall command to him against the people for whom I have strong vengeance; yea, that he bring down that people into defiling, to be like the dirt, or the mire, in the streets.)
7 Forsooth he shall not deem so, and his heart shall not guess so, but his heart shall be for to all-break, and to the slaying of many folks. (But he shall not stop there, and his heart shall not be content with only them, but his heart, or his plans, shall be to altogether break, and to kill, many nations.)
8 For he shall say, Whether my princes be not kings (al)together? (For he shall say, Shall not all my princes, or all my leaders, be kings?)
9 Whether not as Carchemish, so Calno; and as Arpad, so Hamath? whether not as Damascus, so Samaria?
10 As mine hand found the realms of idol(s), so and the simulacra of them of Jerusalem and of Samaria. (As my hands found the kingdoms that be full of idols, so now also the idols of those who be in Jerusalem and Samaria.)
11 Whether not as I did to Samaria, and to the idols thereof, so I shall do to Jerusalem, and to the simulacra thereof? (Whether not as I did to Samaria, and to their idols, so now I shall also do to Jerusalem, and their idols?)
12 And it shall be, when the Lord hath [ful]filled all his works in the hill of Zion and in Jerusalem, I shall visit on the fruit of the great doing heart of the king of Assur, and on the glory of the highness of his eyes. (And it shall be, when the Lord hath fulfilled all his works on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, I shall punish the king of Assyria for the fruit of the great doing of his heart, and for the glory of the highness of his eyes.)
13 For he said, I have done in the strength of mine hand, and I have understood in my wisdom; and I have taken away the ends of [the] peoples, and I have robbed the princes of them, and I as a mighty man have drawn down them that sat on high. (For he said, I have done by the strength of my own hand, and I have understood by my own wisdom; and I have done away the borders of the nations, and I have robbed their leaders, and I, a mighty man, have drawn down those who sat on high.)
14 And mine hand found the strength of peoples as a nest, and as eggs be gathered together that be forsaken, so I gathered together all [the] earth; and none there was that moved a feather, and opened the mouth, and grutched. (And my hand found the wealth of the peoples like a nest, and like eggs that be abandoned be gathered together, so I gathered together all the lands; and there was no one who moved a feather, or opened his mouth, or grumbled.)
15 Whether an ax shall have glory against him that cutteth with it? either a saw shall be enhanced against him of whom it is drawn? as if a rod is raised against him that raiseth it, and a staff is enhanced, which soothly is a tree. (Shall an ax have more glory than him who cutteth with it? or shall a saw be exalted, or be lifted up, over him by whom it is drawn? like if a rod is raised up against him who raiseth it up, or a staff is exalted, which truly is just a piece of wood.)
16 For this thing the lordly governor, Lord of hosts, shall send thinness into the fat men of him; and his glory kindled under shall burn as the burning of fire (For this thing the Lordly Governor, the Lord of hosts, shall send thinness into his fat people; and under his strength he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.)
17 And the light of Israel shall be in fire, and the Holy of it in flame; and the thorn of him and briar shall be kindled and devoured in one day. (And the light of Israel shall be a fire, and its Holy One shall be a flame; and his thorns and briars shall be kindled and devoured in one day.)
18 And the glory of his forest, and of his Carmel, shall be wasted, from the soul unto [the] flesh; and he shall be fleeing away for dread. (And the glory of his forest, and of his plentiful land, shall be destroyed, from the soul unto the flesh; and he shall flee away out of fear.)
19 And the remnants of the tree(s) of his forest shall be numbered for (such) fewness, and a child shall write them (so that even a child could count them).
20 And it shall be in that day, the remnant of Israel, and they that fled of the house of Jacob, shall not add for to trust on him that smiteth them; but it shall trust on the holy Lord of Israel, in truth. (And it shall be on that day, that the remnant of Israel, yea, they of the house of Jacob who fled, shall no longer trust him who striketh them; but they shall truly trust the Holy Lord of Israel.)
21 The remnants, I say, the remnants of Jacob, shall be converted to the strong Lord. (The remnants, I say, the remnants of Jacob, shall turn again to the strong Lord/shall return to the strong Lord.)
22 For why, Israel, if thy people is as the gravel of the sea, the remnants shall be turned (again) thereof; an ending made short shall make rightfulness to be plenteous. (Because, O Israel, though thy people be as innumerable as the sand of the sea, only a remnant shall turn again to him/shall return to him; and so a shortened ending shall make justice to be plentiful.)
23 For why the Lord God of hosts shall make an ending and abridging, in the midst of all earth. (For the Lord God of hosts shall make an ending and a shortening, that is, destruction, over all the earth.)
24 For this thing the Lord God of hosts saith these things, My people, the dweller of Zion, do not thou dread of Assur, for he shall smite thee in a rod, and he shall raise [up] his staff on thee in the way of Egypt. (For this reason the Lord God of hosts saith these things, My people, the inhabitants of Zion, do not thou fear the Assyrians, though they shall strike thee with their rod, and they shall raise up their staff against thee, like the Egyptians did.)
25 For why yet a little, and a little, and mine indignation and my strong vengeance shall be ended on the great trespass of them.
26 And the Lord of hosts shall raise [up] a scourge on him by the vengeance of Midian in the stone of Oreb, and by his rod on the sea; and he shall raise (up) that rod in the way of Egypt. (And the Lord of hosts shall raise up a scourge upon them like his vengeance upon Midian at the stone of Oreb, and his rod shall be upon the River, like he raised up that rod against Egypt.)
27 And it shall be in that day, his burden shall be taken away from thy shoulder, and his yoke from thy neck; and the yoke shall wax [all] rotten from the face of oil. (And it shall be on that day, his burden shall be taken away from thy shoulder, and his yoke from thy neck; and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.)
28 He shall come into Aiath, he shall pass into Migron, at Michmash he shall betake his vessels to (safe) keeping.
29 They passed swiftly, Geba is our seat, Ramah was astonied (Ramah was astonished), Gibeah of Saul (hath) fled.
30 Thou daughter of Gallim, wail with thy voice; thou Laish, perceive (it), thou poor Anathoth.
31 Madmenah passed; the dwellers of Gebim fled; be ye comforted. (The people of Madmenah flew; the inhabitants of Gebim fled away; be ye strong.)
32 Yet it is (the) day, that men stand in Nob; he shall drive his hand on the hill of the daughter of Zion, on the little hill of Jerusalem. (Yet this is the day, when people shall stand in Nob; and he shall drive his hand against the hill of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.)
33 Lo! the Lordly Governor, the Lord of hosts, shall break a pottle in dread (shall break the boughs of the trees with frightful lightning), and high men of stature shall be cut down. And proud men shall be made low,
34 and the thick things of the forest shall be destroyed by iron; and the Lebanon with (its) high things shall fall down.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
2001 by Terence P. Noble