Isaiah 31:4-9
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
4 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)
5 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)
6 Turn back to him whom you[a] have deeply betrayed, O people of Israel.(C) 7 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)
8 “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)
9 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)
Footnotes
- 31.6 Heb they
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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