Isaiah 10:5-19
World English Bible
5 Alas Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my indignation! 6 I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people who anger me I will give him a command to take the plunder and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 However he doesn’t mean so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations. 8 For he says, “Aren’t all of my princes kings? 9 Isn’t Calno like Carchemish? Isn’t Hamath like Arpad? Isn’t Samaria like Damascus?” 10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose engraved images exceeded those of Jerusalem and of Samaria; 11 shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?
12 Therefore it will happen that when the Lord has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the willful proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of his arrogant looks. 13 For he has said, “By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I have understanding. I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures. Like a valiant man I have brought down their rulers. 14 My hand has found the riches of the peoples like a nest, and like one gathers eggs that are abandoned, I have gathered all the earth. There was no one who moved their wing, or that opened their mouth, or chirped.”
15 Should an ax brag against him who chops with it? Should a saw exalt itself above him who saws with it? As if a rod should lift those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up someone who is not wood. 16 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory a burning will be kindled like the burning of fire. 17 The light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day. 18 He will consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body. It will be as when a standard bearer faints. 19 The remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child could write their number.
Read full chapter
Isaiah 10:5-19
International Standard Version
Assyria is an Instrument of Judgment
5 “How terrible it will be
for Assyria, the rod of my anger!
The club is in their hands![a]
6 I’m sending my fury[b] against a godless nation,
and I’ll command him against the people with whom I’m angry
to seize loot and snatch plunder,
and to trample them down
like mud in the streets.
7 But this is not what he intends,
and this is not what he thinks in his mind;
but it is in his mind to destroy,
and to cut down[c] many nations.
8 “Because this is what he is saying:
‘My commanders are all kings, are they not?
9 Isn’t Calno like Carchemish?
Isn’t Hamath like Arpad?
Isn’t Samaria like Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to the idolatrous kingdoms[d]
whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 will I not deal with Jerusalem and her idols
as I have dealt with Samaria and her images?’”
Assyria will be Judged
12 “For[e] the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and against Jerusalem; he will punish the speech that comes from that willful[f] heart of Assyria’s king and the haughty look in his eyes. 13 He keeps bragging:[g]
‘I’ve done it by the strength of my hand,
and by my wisdom,
because I’m so clever.[h]
I removed the boundaries of peoples,
and plundered their treasures;
like a bull I brought down
those who sat on thrones.
14 My hand has found, as if in a nest,
the wealth of the people;
and as one gathers eggs that have been abandoned,
so I have gathered all the inhabitants of the[i] earth.
Nothing moved a wing,
opened its mouth,
or chirped.’
15 “Does the ax exalt itself
over the one who swings it?
Or does the saw magnify itself
in opposition to the one who wields it?
As if a rod were to wield those who lift[j] it,
or as if a club were to brandish the one who is not wood!
16 Therefore, the Lord God[k] of the Heavenly Armies will send a wasting disease
among Assyria’s[l] sturdy warriors,
and under its glory a conflagration will be kindled,
like a blazing bonfire.
17 “The light of Israel will become a fire,
and its Holy One a flame,
and it will burn
and consume Assyria’s[m] thorns and briers
in a single day.
18 The splendor of its forest and its fruitful land
the Lord will destroy—
both soul and body—
and Assyria[n] will be
as when a dying man wastes away.
19 What survives of the trees in his forest will be so few
that a child can count them.”[o]
Footnotes
- Isaiah 10:5 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads is their fury!
- Isaiah 10:6 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads sending him
- Isaiah 10:7 Lit. off
- Isaiah 10:10 So 1QIsaa; MT reads the idol
- Isaiah 10:12 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read And when
- Isaiah 10:12 Lit. the fruit of the arrogant
- Isaiah 10:13 Lit. saying; so 1QIsaa; MT reads He said
- Isaiah 10:13 Lit. I have understanding
- Isaiah 10:14 1QIsaa MT lack inhabitants of the
- Isaiah 10:15 So 1QIsaa MT; LXX reads the one who lifts
- Isaiah 10:16 So 1QIsaa MT; other LXX MT mss read Lord
- Isaiah 10:16 Lit. his
- Isaiah 10:17 Lit. its
- Isaiah 10:18 Lit. it
- Isaiah 10:19 Lit. can write them down
by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
