Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt

31 Woe(A) to those who go down to Egypt(B) for help,
    who rely on horses,(C)
who trust in the multitude of their chariots(D)
    and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One(E) of Israel,
    or seek help from the Lord.(F)
Yet he too is wise(G) and can bring disaster;(H)
    he does not take back his words.(I)
He will rise up against that wicked nation,(J)
    against those who help evildoers.
But the Egyptians(K) are mere mortals and not God;(L)
    their horses(M) are flesh and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,(N)
    those who help will stumble,
    those who are helped(O) will fall;
    all will perish together.(P)

This is what the Lord says to me:

“As a lion(Q) growls,
    a great lion over its prey—
and though a whole band of shepherds(R)
    is called together against it,
it is not frightened by their shouts
    or disturbed by their clamor(S)
so the Lord Almighty will come down(T)
    to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.
Like birds hovering(U) overhead,
    the Lord Almighty will shield(V) Jerusalem;
he will shield it and deliver(W) it,
    he will ‘pass over’(X) it and will rescue it.”

Return,(Y) you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted(Z) against. For in that day(AA) every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold(AB) your sinful hands have made.(AC)

“Assyria(AD) will fall by no human sword;
    a sword, not of mortals, will devour(AE) them.
They will flee before the sword
    and their young men will be put to forced labor.(AF)
Their stronghold(AG) will fall because of terror;
    at the sight of the battle standard(AH) their commanders will panic,(AI)
declares the Lord,
    whose fire(AJ) is in Zion,
    whose furnace(AK) is in Jerusalem.

Woe to Those Who Go Down to Egypt

31 Woe[a] to (A)those who go down to Egypt for help
    and rely on horses,
who (B)trust in chariots because they are many
    and in horsemen because they are very strong,
but (C)do not look to the Holy One of Israel
    or consult the Lord!
And (D)yet he is wise and brings disaster;
    (E)he does not call back his words,
but (F)will arise against the house of the evildoers
    and against the helpers of (G)those who work iniquity.
The Egyptians are man, and not God,
    and their horses (H)are flesh, and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,
    the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall,
    and they will all perish together.

For thus the Lord said to me,
(I)“As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey,
    and when a band of shepherds is called out against him
he is not terrified by their shouting
    or daunted at their noise,
(J)so the Lord of hosts will come down
    to fight[b] on Mount Zion and on its hill.
(K)Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts
    will protect Jerusalem;
he will protect and deliver it;
    he will spare and rescue it.”

(L)Turn to him from whom people[c] have (M)deeply revolted, O children of Israel. For in that day (N)everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you.

(O)“And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man;
    and a sword, not of man, shall devour him;
and he shall flee from the sword,
    and his young men shall be (P)put to forced labor.
(Q)His rock shall pass away in terror,
    and his officers desert the standard in panic,”
declares the Lord, whose (R)fire is in Zion,
    and whose (S)furnace is in Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 31:1 Or Ah,
  2. Isaiah 31:4 The Hebrew words for hosts and to fight sound alike
  3. Isaiah 31:6 Hebrew they

Help Not in Egypt but in God

31 Woe to those who go down to (A)Egypt for help
And (B)rely on horses,
And trust in chariots because they are many
And in horsemen because they are very strong,
But they do not (C)look to the (D)Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!
Yet He also is (E)wise and will (F)bring disaster,
And does (G)not retract His words,
But will arise against the house of (H)evildoers,
And against the help of the (I)workers of injustice.
Now the Egyptians are (J)human and not God,
And their (K)horses are flesh and not spirit;
So the Lord will (L)stretch out His hand,
And any (M)helper will stumble,
And one who is helped will fall.
And all of them will come to an end together.

For this is what the Lord says to me:
“As the (N)lion or the young lion growls over his prey,
Against which a band of shepherds is called out,
And he will not be terrified at their voice nor disturbed at their noise,
So will the Lord of armies come down to wage (O)war on Mount Zion and on its hill.”
Like [a]flying (P)birds so the Lord of armies will protect Jerusalem.
He will (Q)protect and save it;
He will pass over and rescue it.

(R)Return to Him against whom [b]you have been (S)profoundly obstinate, you sons of Israel. For on that day every person will (T)reject his silver idols and his gold idols, which your hands have made for you as (U)a sin.

And the (V)Assyrian will fall by a sword not wielded by a man,
And a (W)sword not of man will devour him.
So he will [c](X)not escape the sword,
And his young men will become (Y)forced laborers.
“His (Z)rock will pass away because of panic,
And his officers will be terrified by the (AA)flag,”
Declares the Lord, whose (AB)fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 31:5 Or hovering
  2. Isaiah 31:6 Lit they
  3. Isaiah 31:8 Lit flee

31 ¡Ay de los que descienden a Egipto por ayuda; y confían en caballos; y en carros ponen su esperanza, porque son muchos; y en caballeros, porque son valientes; y no miraron al Santo de Israel, ni buscaron al SEÑOR!

Mas él también es sabio, para guiar el mal, ni hará mentirosas sus palabras. Se levantará, pues, contra la casa de los malignos, y contra el auxilio de los obradores de iniquidad.

Y el egipcio hombre es, no Dios; y sus caballos carne, y no espíritu, de manera que al extender el SEÑOR su mano, caerá el ayudador, y caerá el ayudado, y todos ellos desfallecerán a una.

Porque el SEÑOR me dijo a mí de esta manera: Como el león, y el cachorro del león, brama sobre su presa, contra el cual, si se llega cuadrilla de pastores, no temerá por sus voces, ni se acobardará por el tropel de ellos; así el SEÑOR de los ejércitos descenderá a pelear por el Monte de Sion, y por su collado.

Como las aves que vuelan, así amparará el SEÑOR de los ejércitos a Jerusalén, amparando, librando, pasando, y salvando.

Convertíos a aquel contra quien os habéis profundamente rebelado, oh hijos de Israel.

Porque en aquel día arrojará el hombre los ídolos de su plata, y los ídolos de su oro, que os hicieron vuestras manos como pecado.

Entonces caerá el Assur por espada no de varón; y espada, no de hombre lo consumirá; y huirá de la presencia de la espada, y sus jóvenes desmayarán.

Y de miedo se pasará a su fortaleza; y sus príncipes tendrán pavor de la bandera, dice el SEÑOR, a quien hay fuego en Sion, y a quien hay horno en Jerusalén.