Woe to (A)Assyria, the (B)rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hands is (C)My indignation,
I send it against a (D)godless nation
And commission it against the (E)people of My fury
To capture spoils and (F)to seize plunder,
And to [a]trample them down like (G)mud in the streets.
Yet it (H)does not so intend,
Nor does [b]it plan so in its heart,
But rather it is [c]its purpose to destroy
And to eliminate [d]many nations.
For it says, “Are not my officers [e]all kings?
Is not (I)Calno like (J)Carchemish,
Or (K)Hamath like Arpad,
Or (L)Samaria like (M)Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to the (N)kingdoms of the idols,
Whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 Shall I not do the same to Jerusalem and her images
Just as I have done to Samaria and (O)her idols?”

12 So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His (P)work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will [f]punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and (Q)the arrogant pride of his eyes.” 13 For (R)he has said,

“By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this,
Because I have understanding;
And I (S)removed the boundaries of the peoples
And plundered their treasures,
And like a powerful man I brought down [g]their inhabitants,
14 And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a (T)nest,
And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth;
And there was not one that flapped its wing, opened its beak, or chirped.”

15 Is the (U)axe to (V)boast itself over the one who chops with it?
Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it?
That would be like (W)a [h]club wielding those who lift it,
Or like (X)a rod lifting the one who is not wood.
16 Therefore the Lord, the [i]God of armies, will send a (Y)wasting disease among his (Z)stout warriors;
And under his (AA)glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.
17 And the (AB)Light of Israel will become a fire and [j]Israel’s (AC)Holy One a flame,
And it will (AD)burn and devour [k]his thorns and his briars in a single day.
18 And He will (AE)destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body,
And it will be as when a sick person wastes away.
19 And the (AF)rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number
That a child could write them down.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 10:6 Lit make them a trampled place
  2. Isaiah 10:7 Lit its heart so plan
  3. Isaiah 10:7 Lit in its heart
  4. Isaiah 10:7 Lit not a few
  5. Isaiah 10:8 Lit altogether
  6. Isaiah 10:12 Lit visit
  7. Isaiah 10:13 Or those who sit on thrones
  8. Isaiah 10:15 Lit staff
  9. Isaiah 10:16 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  10. Isaiah 10:17 Lit his
  11. Isaiah 10:17 I.e., the Assyrian king’s forces

Judgment on Arrogant Assyria

Woe to Assyria, (A)the rod of my anger;
    the staff in their hands is my fury!
Against a (B)godless nation I send him,
    and against the people of my wrath I command him,
to take (C)spoil and seize plunder,
    and to (D)tread them down like the mire of the streets.
But he (E)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;
for he says:
(F)“Are not my commanders all kings?
(G)Is not (H)Calno like (I)Carchemish?
    Is not (J)Hamath like (K)Arpad?
    (L)Is not (M)Samaria like Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to (N)the kingdoms of the idols,
    whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 shall I not do to Jerusalem and (O)her idols
    (P)as I have done to Samaria and her images?”

12 (Q)When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, (R)he[a] will punish the speech[b] of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes. 13 (S)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 (T)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 (U)stout warriors,
and under his glory (V)a burning will be kindled,
    like the burning of fire.
17 (W)The light of Israel will become a fire,
    and (X)his Holy One a flame,
and (Y)it will burn and devour
    his thorns and briers (Z)in one day.
18 The glory of (AA)his forest and of his (AB)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.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 10:12 Hebrew I
  2. Isaiah 10:12 Hebrew fruit