Isaiah 31
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
The Lord, the Only Help
31 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help(A)
and who depend on horses!
They trust in the abundance of chariots
and in the large number of horsemen.(B)
They do not look(C) to the Holy One of Israel,
and they do not seek the Lord.
2 But he also is wise and brings disaster.(D)
He does not go back on what he says;(E)
he will rise up against the house of the wicked
and against the allies of evildoers.
3 Egyptians are men, not God;
their horses are flesh, not spirit.
When the Lord raises his hand to strike,
the helper will stumble
and the one who is helped will fall;
both will perish together.
4 For this is what the Lord said to me:
As a lion or young lion growls over its prey(F)
when a band of shepherds is called out against it,
and it is not terrified by their shouting
or subdued by their noise,
so the Lord of Armies will come down
to fight on Mount Zion
and on its hill.(G)
5 Like hovering birds,
so the Lord of Armies will protect Jerusalem;(H)
by protecting it, he will rescue it;
by passing over it, he will deliver it.
6 Return to the one the Israelites have greatly rebelled against.(I) 7 For on that day, every one of you will reject the worthless idols of silver and gold that your own hands have sinfully made.(J)
8 Then Assyria will fall,
but not by human sword;
a sword will devour him,
but not one made by man.(K)
He will flee from the sword;
his young men will be put to forced labour.(L)
9 His rock[a] will pass away because of fear,(M)
and his officers will be afraid because of the signal flag.(N)
This is the Lord’s declaration – whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.(O)
Footnotes
- 31:9 Perhaps the Assyrian king
Isaiah 31
Contemporary English Version
Don't Trust the Power of Egypt
31 You are in for trouble
if you go to Egypt for help,
or if you depend on
an army of chariots
or a powerful cavalry.
Instead you should depend on
and trust the holy Lord God
of Israel.
2 The Lord isn't stupid!
He does what he promises,
and he can bring doom.
If you are cruel yourself,
or help those who are evil,
you will be destroyed.
3 The Egyptians are mere humans.
They aren't God.
Their horses are made of flesh;
they can't live forever.
When the Lord shows his power,
he will destroy the Egyptians
and all who depend on them.
Together they will fall.
4 The Lord All-Powerful
said to me,
“I will roar and attack
like a fearless lion
not frightened by the shouts
of shepherds trying to protect
their sheep.
That's how I will come down
and fight on Mount Zion.
5 I, the Lord All-Powerful,
will protect Jerusalem
like a mother bird circling
over her nest.”
Come Back to the Lord
6 People of Israel, come back!
You have completely turned
from the Lord.
7 The time is coming
when you will throw away
your idols of silver and gold,
made by your sinful hands.
8 The Assyrians will be killed,
but not by the swords
of humans.
Their young men will try
to escape,
but they will be captured
and forced into slavery.
9 Their fortress[a] will fall
when terror strikes;
their army officers
will be frightened
and run from the battle.
This is what the Lord has said,
the Lord whose fiery furnace
is built on Mount Zion.
Footnotes
- 31.9 fortress: The Hebrew text has “rock,” which may refer to the Assyrian god or king, or to their army.
Copyright © 2024 by Holman Bible Publishers.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
