Isaiah 31
New International Reader's Version
The Lord Will Judge Those Who Depend on Egypt
31 How terrible it will be for those who go down to Egypt for help!
How terrible for those who depend on horses!
They trust in how many chariots they have.
They trust in how strong their horsemen are.
But they don’t look to the Holy One of Israel.
They don’t ask the Lord for his help.
2 He too is wise. He can bring horrible trouble.
He does what he says he’ll do.
He’ll rise up against that evil nation.
He’ll fight against those who help them.
3 The men of Egypt are only human beings.
They aren’t God.
Their horses are only flesh and blood.
They aren’t spirits.
The Lord will reach out his powerful hand
to punish everyone.
The Egyptians provide help.
But they will be tripped up.
The people of Judah receive the help.
But they will fall down.
All of them will be destroyed.
4 The Lord says to me,
“A powerful lion stands over its food and growls.
A lot of shepherds can be brought together to drive it away.
But the lion is not frightened by their shouts.
It is not upset by the noise they make.
In the same way, I will come down from heaven.
I will fight on Mount Zion and on its hills.
Nothing will drive me away.
I am the Lord who rules over all.
5 Like a bird hovering over its nest, I will guard Jerusalem.
I will keep it safe.
I will ‘pass over’ it and save it.
I am the Lord who rules over all.”
6 People of Israel, return to the Lord. He’s the God you have so strongly opposed. 7 You sinned when you made your gods out of silver and gold. The time will come when all of you will turn away from them.
8 The Lord says, “The Assyrians will be killed by swords.
But the swords that kill them will not be used by human beings.
The Assyrians will run away from those swords.
But their young men will be caught
and forced to work hard.
9 Their hiding places will be destroyed
when terror strikes them.
Their commanders will see their enemy’s battle flags.
Then they will be filled with panic,”
announces the Lord.
His fire blazes out from Mount Zion.
His furnace burns 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
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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.
