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Isaiah 31
International Standard Version
Isaiah 31
International Standard Version
Only the Lord can Help
31 “How terrible it will be for those who go down to[a] Egypt for help,
who rely on horses,
who trust in the chariot,
because there are so many,
and in charioteers,[b]
because they are so strong—
but do not look to[c] the Holy One of Israel
or seek the Lord!
2 Yet he is also wise and can bring disaster;
he does not take back his words,
but will rise up against the house of those who practice evil
and against anyone who assists people who work iniquity.
3 The Egyptians are men, not God,
and their horses are physical,[d] not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,
anyone who assists will stumble,
and the one who is helped will fall;
and they will all perish together.”
The Lord will Defend Jerusalem
4 For this is what the Lord told me:
“Just as a lion or a young lion growls over his objects of prey,[e]—
even when a whole band of shepherds is called out against it,
it is not alarmed at their shouting
or disturbed by their clamor—
so the Lord of the Heavenly Armies will come down
to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill.
5 Like birds hovering overhead,
so the Lord of the Heavenly Armies will protect Jerusalem;
he will shield and deliver it;
and[f] he will pass over[g] and bring it to safety.[h]
6 Turn back to him, yes to him whom[i] your people[j] have so greatly betrayed, you people of Israel. 7 For at that time,[k] everyone will throw away their[l] idols of silver and their[m] idols of gold that your hands have sinfully made for yourselves.
8 “Then Assyria will fall by a sword
that is not from human beings only[n]—
a sword not wielded by mortal beings will devour them.
They will flee from the sword,
and their young men will be put to forced labor.
9 Their stronghold will vanish by reason of terror,
and their commanders will be filled with alarm
because of the battle standard,”
declares the Lord, whose fire is in Zion
and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 31:1 So 1QIsaa LXX; the Heb. lacks to
- Isaiah 31:1 Or horsemen
- Isaiah 31:1 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read upon
- Isaiah 31:3 Or flesh
- Isaiah 31:4 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read his prey (sing.)
- Isaiah 31:5 So 1QIsaa; cf. LXX; the Heb. lacks and
- Isaiah 31:5 I.e. as the Angel of Death passed over the Israelis; cf. Exod 12:13, 23, 27
- Isaiah 31:5 So 1QIsaa; MT reads rescue it
- Isaiah 31:6 So 1QIsaa; MT reads back to him whom
- Isaiah 31:6 Lit. whom they
- Isaiah 31:7 Lit. on that day
- Isaiah 31:7 Lit. his
- Isaiah 31:7 Lit. his
- Isaiah 31:8 Lit. not of man
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.
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
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.
International Standard Version (ISV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
EasyEnglish Bible (EASY)
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.