Isaiah 31:4-9
New American Standard Bible
4 For this is what the Lord says to me:
“As the (A)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 (B)war on Mount Zion and on its hill.”
5 Like [a]flying (C)birds so the Lord of armies will protect Jerusalem.
He will (D)protect and save it;
He will pass over and rescue it.
6 (E)Return to Him against whom [b]you have been (F)profoundly obstinate, you sons of Israel. 7 For on that day every person will (G)reject his silver idols and his gold idols, which your hands have made for you as (H)a sin.
8 And the (I)Assyrian will fall by a sword not wielded by a man,
And a (J)sword not of man will devour him.
So he will [c](K)not escape the sword,
And his young men will become (L)forced laborers.
9 “His (M)rock will pass away because of panic,
And his officers will be terrified by the (N)flag,”
Declares the Lord, whose (O)fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 31:5 Or hovering
- Isaiah 31:6 Lit they
- Isaiah 31:8 Lit flee
Isaiah 31:4-9
International Standard Version
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,[a]—
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[b] he will pass over[c] and bring it to safety.[d]
6 Turn back to him, yes to him whom[e] your people[f] have so greatly betrayed, you people of Israel. 7 For at that time,[g] everyone will throw away their[h] idols of silver and their[i] 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[j]—
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 31:4 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
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