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!
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.
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

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.
(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.

Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have (H)deeply revolted. 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.

“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.
(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

  1. Isaiah 31:2 retract

31 Wo [to] those going down to Egypt for help, And on horses lean, And trust on chariots, because many, And on horsemen, because very strong, And have not looked on the Holy One of Israel, And Jehovah have not sought.

And He also [is] wise, and bringeth in evil, And His words He hath not turned aside, And He hath risen against a house of evil doers, And against the help of workers of iniquity.

And the Egyptians [are men], and not God, And their horses [are] flesh, and not spirit, And Jehovah stretcheth out His hand, And stumbled hath the helper, And fallen hath the helped one, And together all of them are consumed.

For thus said Jehovah unto me: `As growl doth the lion and the young lion over his prey, Called against whom is a multitude of shepherds, From their voice he is not affrighted, And from their noise he is not humbled; So come down doth Jehovah of Hosts To war on mount Zion, and on her height.

As birds flying, so doth Jehovah of Hosts Cover over Jerusalem, covering and delivering, Passing over, and causing to escape.'

Turn back to Him from whom sons of Israel Have deepened apostacy.

For in that day despise doth each His idols of silver, and his idols of gold, That your hands made to you -- a sin.

And fallen hath Asshur by sword, not of the high, Yea, a sword -- not of the low, doth consume him, And he hath fled for himself from the face of a sword, And his young men become tributary.

And [to] his rock from fear he passeth on, And affrighted by the ensign have been his princes -- an affirmation of Jehovah, Who hath a light in Zion, And who hath a furnace in Jerusalem!

Help Not in Egypt but in God

31 Woe to those who go down to (A)Egypt for help
And (B)rely on horses,
And trust in chariots because they are many
And in horsemen because they are very strong,
But they do not (C)look to the (D)Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!
Yet He also is (E)wise and will (F)bring disaster,
And does (G)not retract His words,
But will arise against the house of (H)evildoers,
And against the help of the (I)workers of injustice.
Now the Egyptians are (J)human and not God,
And their (K)horses are flesh and not spirit;
So the Lord will (L)stretch out His hand,
And any (M)helper will stumble,
And one who is helped will fall.
And all of them will come to an end together.

For this is what the Lord says to me:
“As the (N)lion or the young lion growls over his prey,
Against which a band of shepherds is called out,
And he will not be terrified at their voice nor disturbed at their noise,
So will the Lord of armies come down to wage (O)war on Mount Zion and on its hill.”
Like [a]flying (P)birds so the Lord of armies will protect Jerusalem.
He will (Q)protect and save it;
He will pass over and rescue it.

(R)Return to Him against whom [b]you have been (S)profoundly obstinate, you sons of Israel. For on that day every person will (T)reject his silver idols and his gold idols, which your hands have made for you as (U)a sin.

And the (V)Assyrian will fall by a sword not wielded by a man,
And a (W)sword not of man will devour him.
So he will [c](X)not escape the sword,
And his young men will become (Y)forced laborers.
“His (Z)rock will pass away because of panic,
And his officers will be terrified by the (AA)flag,”
Declares the Lord, whose (AB)fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 31:5 Or hovering
  2. Isaiah 31:6 Lit they
  3. Isaiah 31:8 Lit flee