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Isaiah 31
New Catholic Bible
Isaiah 31
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 31
Forbidden Alliance with Egypt
1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help
and who rely on horses,
who place their trust in a large number of chariots
and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel
or seek the Lord’s guidance.
2 Yet he, too, is wise and can bring disaster,
and he does not take back his threats.
He will rise up against the house of the wicked
and against those who come to the support of evildoers.
3 The Egyptians are mortal, not divine;
their horses are flesh, not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,
the helper will stumble and the one helped will fall;
all of them will perish together.
4 This is what the Lord said to me:
As a lion or a lion cub
growls over its prey,
and when a band of shepherds
gather together to drive it off,
it is not frightened by their shouting
or daunted by their clamor,
so the Lord of hosts will come down
to do battle on the heights of Mount Zion.
5 Like a hovering bird
the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem;
he will protect and deliver it,
he will spare and rescue it.
6 Come back to the one
whom you have completely deserted,
O children of Israel.
7 For on that day
all of you will cast away
your idols of silver and your false gods of gold
which your own sinful hands have made.
Destruction of Assyria
8 Then Assyria will fall by a sword not brandished by a man
and be devoured by a sword that no human yields;
he will flee before the sword,
and his young warriors will endure forced labor.
9 His stronghold will be abandoned in terror,
and his commanders will panic and desert him.
Thus says the Lord whose fire is in Zion
and whose furnace burns in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 31
EasyEnglish Bible
Isaiah 31
EasyEnglish Bible
Do not trust Egypt to help
31 It will be very bad for those people who expect that Egypt will help them. They think that Egypt's many horses and chariots will keep them safe. They trust the power of Egypt's strong soldiers who ride on horses. But those people do not trust the Holy God of Israel. They do not ask the Lord to help them.
2 But the Lord is very wise. He will bring trouble to people, as he has promised. He will not change his mind. He will punish wicked people, as well as those who help them to do evil things.
3 The men in Egypt are human. They are not God. Their horses are weak animals, not powerful spirits. When the Lord lifts up his hand to punish them, the strong helpers will not be able to stand. The people who expected them to help will fall down too. They will all come to an end together.
The Lord will keep his people safe
4 This is what the Lord said to me:
‘The Lord Almighty will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. He will come like a strong young lion that roars when it has caught a lamb to eat. Even if a whole crowd of shepherds come to chase it away, their shouts will not make the lion afraid.[a] 5 The Lord Almighty will make Jerusalem safe. He will protect it like a bird that protects its nest. He will pass over the city and he will rescue it.[b]
6 Israelite people, you have turned completely against the Lord. Now turn back to him! 7 The time will come when everyone must throw away their gold and silver idols. It was a sin for you to make them for yourselves.
8 The Assyrian soldiers will die in battle. But humans did not make the sword that will kill them. It is God's sword that will destroy them. The Assyrians will run away from that sword. But their strong young men will have to do hard work as slaves. 9 Their strongest soldiers will run away because they are afraid. The officers of their army will be afraid when they see the Lord's battle flag.’
That is what the Lord says. His fire is in Zion. Yes, his hot oven is in Jerusalem.
Footnotes
- 31:4 ‘Shepherds’ often describes the leaders of Israel.
- 31:5 ‘Pass over’ describes the time when God rescued his people from being slaves in Egypt. See Exodus 12:13,23,27. The Passover festival was very important for the Israelites.
Isaiah 31
New International Version
Isaiah 31
New International Version
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)
2 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.
3 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)
4 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.
5 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.”
6 Return,(Y) you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted(Z) against. 7 For in that day(AA) every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold(AB) your sinful hands have made.(AC)
8 “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)
9 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.
Isaiah 31
King James Version
Isaiah 31
King James Version
31 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!
2 Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.
3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.
4 For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.
5 As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.
6 Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.
7 For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.
8 Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.
9 And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.
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