Isaiah 10
Revised Standard Version
10 Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees,
and the writers who keep writing oppression,
2 to turn aside the needy from justice
and 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 the day of punishment,
in the storm which will come 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.
For all this his anger is not turned away
and his hand is stretched out still.
Arrogant Assyria Also Judged
5 Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger,
the staff of my fury![a]
6 Against a godless nation I send him,
and against the people of my wrath I command him,
to take spoil and seize plunder,
and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 But he does not so intend,
and his mind does not so think;
but it is in his mind to destroy,
and to cut off nations not a few;
8 for he says:
“Are not my commanders all kings?
9 Is not Calno like Car′chemish?
Is not Hamath like Arpad?
Is not Samar′ia like Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols
whose graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samar′ia,
11 shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols
as I have done to Samar′ia and her images?”
12 When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem he[b] will punish the arrogant boasting of the king of Assyria and his haughty pride. 13 For he says:
“By the strength of my hand I have done it,
and by my wisdom, for I have understanding;
I have removed the boundaries of peoples,
and have plundered their treasures;
like a bull I have brought down those who sat on thrones.
14 My hand has found like a nest
the wealth of the peoples;
and as men gather 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 the axe vaunt itself 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, the Lord of hosts,
will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors,
and under his glory a burning will be kindled,
like the burning of fire.
17 The light of Israel will become a fire,
and his Holy One a flame;
and it will burn and devour
his thorns and briers in one day.
18 The glory of his forest and of his 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 Repentant Remnant of Israel
20 In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean upon him that smote them, but will lean upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 22 For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. 23 For the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.
24 Therefore thus says the Lord, the Lord of hosts: “O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they smite with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did. 25 For in a very little while my indignation will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction. 26 And the Lord of hosts will wield against them a scourge, as when he smote Mid′ian at the rock of Oreb; and his rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt. 27 And in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke will be destroyed from your neck.”
He has gone up from Rimmon,[c]
28 he has come to Ai′ath;
he has passed through Migron,
at Michmash he stores his baggage;
29 they have crossed over the pass,
at Geba they lodge for the night;
Ramah trembles,
Gib′e-ah of Saul has fled.
30 Cry aloud, O daughter of Gallim!
Hearken, O La′ishah!
Answer her, O An′athoth!
31 Madme′nah is in flight,
the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.
32 This very day he will halt at Nob,
he will shake his fist
at the mount of the daughter of Zion,
the hill of Jerusalem.
33 Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts
will lop 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 the thickets of the forest with an axe,
and Lebanon with its majestic trees[d] will fall.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 10:5 Heb a staff it is in their hand my fury
- Isaiah 10:12 Heb I
- Isaiah 10:27 Cn: Heb and his yoke from your neck, and a yoke will be destroyed because of fatness
- Isaiah 10:34 Cn Compare Gk Vg: Heb with a majestic one
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
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. 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.
