For this is what the Lord said to me:

As a lion or young lion growls over its prey(A)
when a band of shepherds is called out against it,
and is not terrified by their shouting
or subdued by their noise,
so the Lord of Hosts will come down
to fight on Mount Zion
and on its hill.(B)

Like hovering birds,
so the Lord of Hosts will protect Jerusalem(C)
by protecting it, He will rescue it,
by sparing it, He will deliver it.

Return to the One the Israelites have greatly rebelled against.(D) For on that day, every one of you will reject the silver and gold idols that your own hands have sinfully made.(E)

Then Assyria will fall,
but not by human sword;
a sword will devour him,
but not one made by man.(F)
He will flee from the sword;
his young men will be put to forced labor.(G)
His rock[a] will pass away because of fear,(H)
and his officers will be afraid because of the signal flag.(I)

This is the Lord’s declaration—whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 31:9 Perhaps the Assyrian king

The Lord has said to me:
When the lion growls,
    the young lion, over its prey,
    though a band of shepherds is summoned against it,
    isn’t scared off by their noise
    or frightened by their roar.
So the Lord of heavenly forces will go down
    to fight on Mount Zion and on her hill.
Like birds flying aloft,
    so the Lord of heavenly forces will shield Jerusalem:
    shielding and saving, sparing and rescuing.

People of Israel, return to the one whom you have deeply betrayed! On that day, you will each reject the idols of silver and the idols of gold, which you have sinfully made for yourselves.

Assyria will fall, but not by a human sword—
    a sword not made by humans will devour them.
    They will flee before the sword;
    their young men will become forced laborers.
In horror they will flee from their stronghold;
    their officers will be terrified at the signal,
        says the Lord, whose fire is in Zion
        and whose oven is in Jerusalem.

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