Add parallel Print Page Options

For thus the Lord said to me,
“As a lion or a young lion growls over its prey
    and, when a band of shepherds is called out against it,
is not terrified by their shouting
    or daunted at their noise,
so the Lord of hosts will come down
    to fight upon Mount Zion and upon its hill.(A)
Like birds hovering overhead, so the Lord of hosts
    will protect Jerusalem;
he will protect and deliver it;
    he will spare and rescue it.”(B)

Turn back to him whom you[a] have deeply betrayed, O people of Israel.(C) For on that day all of you shall throw away your idols of silver and idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you.(D)

“Then the Assyrian shall fall by a sword not of mortals,
    and a sword not of humans shall devour him;
he shall flee from the sword,
    and his young men shall be put to forced labor.(E)
His rock shall pass away in terror,
    and his officers desert the standard in panic,”
says the Lord, whose fire is in Zion
    and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.(F)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 31.6 Heb they

But this is what the Lord has told me:

“When a strong young lion
    stands growling over a sheep it has killed,
it is not frightened by the shouts and noise
    of a whole crowd of shepherds.
In the same way, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    will come down and fight on Mount Zion.
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will hover over Jerusalem
    and protect it like a bird protecting its nest.
He will defend and save the city;
    he will pass over it and rescue it.”

Though you are such wicked rebels, my people, come and return to the Lord. I know the glorious day will come when each of you will throw away the gold idols and silver images your sinful hands have made.

“The Assyrians will be destroyed,
    but not by the swords of men.
The sword of God will strike them,
    and they will panic and flee.
The strong young Assyrians
    will be taken away as captives.
Even the strongest will quake with terror,
    and princes will flee when they see your battle flags,”
says the Lord, whose fire burns in Zion,
    whose flame blazes from Jerusalem.

Read full chapter