Isaiah 31
Expanded Bible
Warnings About Relying on Egypt
31 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] those people who go down to Egypt for help.
·They think horses will save them [L …who rely on horses].
·They think [L …who trust in] their many chariots
and strong horsemen will save them [Ps. 20:7].
But they don’t trust God, the Holy One of Israel [1:4],
or ask the Lord for help.
2 But he is wise and can bring them disaster.
He does not ·change his warnings [take back his words].
He will rise up and fight against the ·evil people [L house of evildoers]
and against those who try to help ·evil people [sinners; workers of iniquity].
3 The Egyptians are only people and are not God.
Their horses are ·only animals [L flesh] and are not spirit.
The Lord will stretch out his arm,
and the one who helps will stumble,
and the people who wanted help will fall.
All of them will ·be destroyed [perish] together.
4 The Lord says this to me:
“When a lion or a ·lion’s cub [young lion],
stands over ·the dead animal it has killed [its prey] and roars.
A band of shepherds
may be assembled against it,
but the lion will not be afraid of their yelling
or upset by their noise.
So the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will come down
to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.
5 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will ·defend [protect] Jerusalem
like birds flying over their nests.
He will ·defend [protect] and save it;
he will ‘pass over’ and save Jerusalem.”
6 You children of Israel, come back to the God you ·fought [rebelled; revolted] against. 7 ·The time is coming when [L For in that day] each of you will ·stop worshiping [throw/cast away] idols of gold and silver, which ·you sinned by making [your sinful hands have made].
8 “Assyria will ·be defeated [fall] by a sword, but not ·the sword of a person [of man];
Assyria will be ·destroyed [devoured], but not by a person’s sword.
Assyria will run away from the ·sword of God [L sword],
but its young men will be caught and made slaves.
9 ·They will panic, and [From terror] their ·protection [or strong ones; rock] will be destroyed.
Their ·commanders [officers; princes] will be terrified when they see ·God’s battle flag [L the standard/flag],”
says the Lord,
whose fire is in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; 1:27]
and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 31
New King James Version
The Folly of Not Trusting God
31 Woe to those (A)who go down to Egypt for help,
And (B)rely on horses,
Who trust in chariots because they are many,
And in horsemen because they are very strong,
But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
(C)Nor seek the Lord!
2 Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster,
And (D)will not [a]call back His words,
But will arise against the house of evildoers,
And against the help of those who work iniquity.
3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God;
And their horses are flesh, and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out His hand,
Both he who helps will fall,
And he who is helped will fall down;
They all will perish (E)together.
God Will Deliver Jerusalem
4 For thus the Lord has spoken to me:
(F)“As a lion roars,
And a young lion over his prey
(When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him,
He will not be afraid of their voice
Nor be disturbed by their noise),
So the Lord of hosts will come down
To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill.
5 (G)Like birds flying about,
So will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem.
Defending, He will also deliver it;
Passing over, He will preserve it.”
6 Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have (H)deeply revolted. 7 For in that day every man shall (I)throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold—(J)sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves.
8 “Then Assyria shall (K)fall by a sword not of man,
And a sword not of mankind shall (L)devour him.
But he shall flee from the sword,
And his young men shall become forced labor.
9 (M)He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear,
And his princes shall be afraid of the banner,”
Says the Lord,
Whose fire is in Zion
And whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 31:2 retract
Isaiah 31
English Standard Version
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!
2 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.
3 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.
4 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.
5 (K)Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts
will protect Jerusalem;
he will protect and deliver it;
he will spare and rescue it.”
6 (L)Turn to him from whom people[c] have (M)deeply revolted, O children of Israel. 7 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.
8 (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.
9 (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
- Isaiah 31:1 Or Ah,
- Isaiah 31:4 The Hebrew words for hosts and to fight sound alike
- Isaiah 31:6 Hebrew they
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.
Isaías 31
Nueva Versión Internacional (Castilian)
Ay de los que confían en Egipto
31 ¡Ay de los que descienden a Egipto en busca de ayuda,
de los que se apoyan en la caballería,
de los que confían en la multitud de sus carros de guerra
y en la gran fuerza de sus jinetes,
pero no tienen en cuenta al Santo de Israel,
ni buscan al Señor!
2 Sin embargo, el Señor es también sabio,
y traerá calamidad,
y no se retractará de sus palabras.
Se levantará contra la dinastía de los malvados,
contra los que ayudan a los malhechores.
3 Los egipcios, en cambio, son hombres y no dioses;
sus caballos son carne y no espíritu.
Cuando el Señor extienda su mano,
tropezará el que presta ayuda
y caerá el que la recibe.
¡Todos juntos perecerán!
4 Porque así me dice el Señor:
«Como león que gruñe sobre la presa
cuando contra él se reúne
toda una cuadrilla de pastores;
como cachorro de león
que no se asusta por sus gritos
ni se inquieta por su tumulto,
así también el Señor Todopoderoso
descenderá para combatir
sobre el monte Sión, sobre su cumbre.
5 Como aves que revolotean sobre el nido,
así también el Señor Todopoderoso
protegerá a Jerusalén;
la protegerá y la librará,
la defenderá y la rescatará».
6 Israelitas, ¡volveos a aquel contra quien os habéis rebelado tan abiertamente! 7 Porque en aquel día cada uno de vosotros rechazará los ídolos de plata y oro que vuestras propias manos pecadoras fabricaron.
8 «Asiria caerá a espada, pero no de hombre;
una espada, pero no de hombre, la consumirá.
Huirá para escapar de la espada,
y sus jóvenes serán sometidos a trabajos forzados.
9 A causa del terror caerá su fortaleza;
¡sus jefes dejarán abandonada su bandera!»
Lo afirma el Señor,
cuyo fuego está en Sión,
y cuyo horno está en Jerusalén.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
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