Woe to (A)Assyria, the (B)rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hands is (C)My indignation,
I send it against a (D)godless nation
And commission it against the (E)people of My fury
To capture spoils and (F)to seize plunder,
And to [a]trample them down like (G)mud in the streets.
Yet it (H)does not so intend,
Nor does [b]it plan so in its heart,
But rather it is [c]its purpose to destroy
And to eliminate [d]many nations.
For it says, “Are not my officers [e]all kings?
Is not (I)Calno like (J)Carchemish,
Or (K)Hamath like Arpad,
Or (L)Samaria like (M)Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to the (N)kingdoms of the idols,
Whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 Shall I not do the same to Jerusalem and her images
Just as I have done to Samaria and (O)her idols?”

12 So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His (P)work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will [f]punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and (Q)the arrogant pride of his eyes.” 13 For (R)he has said,

“By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this,
Because I have understanding;
And I (S)removed the boundaries of the peoples
And plundered their treasures,
And like a powerful man I brought down [g]their inhabitants,
14 And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a (T)nest,
And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth;
And there was not one that flapped its wing, opened its beak, or chirped.”

15 Is the (U)axe to (V)boast itself over the one who chops with it?
Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it?
That would be like (W)a [h]club wielding those who lift it,
Or like (X)a rod lifting the one who is not wood.
16 Therefore the Lord, the [i]God of armies, will send a (Y)wasting disease among his (Z)stout warriors;
And under his (AA)glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.
17 And the (AB)Light of Israel will become a fire and [j]Israel’s (AC)Holy One a flame,
And it will (AD)burn and devour [k]his thorns and his briars in a single day.
18 And He will (AE)destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body,
And it will be as when a sick person wastes away.
19 And the (AF)rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number
That a child could write them down.

A Remnant Will Return

20 Now on that day the (AG)remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob (AH)who have escaped, will no longer rely on the one who struck them, but will truly (AI)rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

21 A (AJ)remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the (AK)mighty God.
22 For (AL)though your people, Israel, may be like the sand of the sea,
Only a remnant within them will return;
A (AM)destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.

23 For a complete destruction, one that is determined, (AN)the Lord [l]God of armies will execute in the midst of the whole land.

24 Therefore this is what the Lord [m]God of armies says: “My people, you who dwell in (AO)Zion, (AP)do not fear the Assyrian [n]who (AQ)strikes you with the rod, and lifts up his staff against you the way Egypt did. 25 For in a very (AR)little while (AS)My indignation against you will be ended and My anger will be directed toward their destruction.” 26 The Lord of armies will (AT)wield a whip against him like the defeat of (AU)Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His (AV)staff will be over the sea, and He will lift it up (AW)the way He did in Egypt. 27 So it will be on that day, that [o]his (AX)burden will be removed from your shoulders, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because (AY)of fatness.

28 He has come against Aiath,
He has passed through (AZ)Migron;
At (BA)Michmash he deposited his (BB)baggage.
29 They have gone through (BC)the pass, saying,
(BD)Geba will be our encampment for the night.”
(BE)Ramah is terrified, and (BF)Gibeah of Saul has fled.
30 Cry aloud with your voice, daughter of (BG)Gallim!
Pay attention, Laishah and [p]wretched (BH)Anathoth!
31 Madmenah has fled.
The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge.
32 Yet today he will halt at (BI)Nob;
He (BJ)shakes his fist at the mountain of the [q](BK)daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 10:6 Lit make them a trampled place
  2. Isaiah 10:7 Lit its heart so plan
  3. Isaiah 10:7 Lit in its heart
  4. Isaiah 10:7 Lit not a few
  5. Isaiah 10:8 Lit altogether
  6. Isaiah 10:12 Lit visit
  7. Isaiah 10:13 Or those who sit on thrones
  8. Isaiah 10:15 Lit staff
  9. Isaiah 10:16 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  10. Isaiah 10:17 Lit his
  11. Isaiah 10:17 I.e., the Assyrian king’s forces
  12. Isaiah 10:23 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  13. Isaiah 10:24 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  14. Isaiah 10:24 Lit he
  15. Isaiah 10:27 I.e., the Assyrian
  16. Isaiah 10:30 An ancient version reads Answer her, O Anathoth
  17. Isaiah 10:32 Another reading is house of

God’s Judgment on Assyria

“Woe(A) to the Assyrian,(B) the rod(C) of my anger,
    in whose hand is the club(D) of my wrath!(E)
I send him against a godless(F) nation,
    I dispatch(G) him against a people who anger me,(H)
to seize loot and snatch plunder,(I)
    and to trample(J) them down like mud in the streets.
But this is not what he intends,(K)
    this is not what he has in mind;
his purpose is to destroy,
    to put an end to many nations.
‘Are not my commanders(L) all kings?’ he says.
    ‘Has not Kalno(M) fared like Carchemish?(N)
Is not Hamath(O) like Arpad,(P)
    and Samaria(Q) like Damascus?(R)
10 As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols,(S)
    kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria—
11 shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images
    as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?(T)’”

12 When the Lord has finished all his work(U) against Mount Zion(V) and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria(W) for the willful pride(X) of his heart and the haughty look(Y) in his eyes. 13 For he says:

“‘By the strength of my hand(Z) I have done this,(AA)
    and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.
I removed the boundaries of nations,
    I plundered their treasures;(AB)
    like a mighty one I subdued[a] their kings.(AC)
14 As one reaches into a nest,(AD)
    so my hand reached for the wealth(AE) of the nations;
as people gather abandoned eggs,
    so I gathered all the countries;(AF)
not one flapped a wing,
    or opened its mouth to chirp.(AG)’”

15 Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it,
    or the saw boast against the one who uses it?(AH)
As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up,
    or a club(AI) brandish the one who is not wood!
16 Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    will send a wasting disease(AJ) upon his sturdy warriors;(AK)
under his pomp(AL) a fire(AM) will be kindled
    like a blazing flame.
17 The Light of Israel will become a fire,(AN)
    their Holy One(AO) a flame;
in a single day it will burn and consume
    his thorns(AP) and his briers.(AQ)
18 The splendor of his forests(AR) and fertile fields
    it will completely destroy,(AS)
    as when a sick person wastes away.
19 And the remaining trees of his forests(AT) will be so few(AU)
    that a child could write them down.

The Remnant of Israel

20 In that day(AV) the remnant of Israel,
    the survivors(AW) of Jacob,
will no longer rely(AX) on him
    who struck them down(AY)
but will truly rely(AZ) on the Lord,
    the Holy One of Israel.(BA)
21 A remnant(BB) will return,[b](BC) a remnant of Jacob
    will return to the Mighty God.(BD)
22 Though your people be like the sand(BE) by the sea, Israel,
    only a remnant will return.(BF)
Destruction has been decreed,(BG)
    overwhelming and righteous.
23 The Lord, the Lord Almighty, will carry out
    the destruction decreed(BH) upon the whole land.(BI)

24 Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:

“My people who live in Zion,(BJ)
    do not be afraid(BK) of the Assyrians,
who beat(BL) you with a rod(BM)
    and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.
25 Very soon(BN) my anger against you will end
    and my wrath(BO) will be directed to their destruction.(BP)

26 The Lord Almighty will lash(BQ) them with a whip,
    as when he struck down Midian(BR) at the rock of Oreb;
and he will raise his staff(BS) over the waters,(BT)
    as he did in Egypt.
27 In that day(BU) their burden(BV) will be lifted from your shoulders,
    their yoke(BW) from your neck;(BX)
the yoke(BY) will be broken
    because you have grown so fat.[c]

28 They enter Aiath;
    they pass through Migron;(BZ)
    they store supplies(CA) at Mikmash.(CB)
29 They go over the pass, and say,
    “We will camp overnight at Geba.(CC)
Ramah(CD) trembles;
    Gibeah(CE) of Saul flees.(CF)
30 Cry out, Daughter Gallim!(CG)
    Listen, Laishah!
    Poor Anathoth!(CH)
31 Madmenah is in flight;
    the people of Gebim take cover.
32 This day they will halt at Nob;(CI)
    they will shake their fist(CJ)
at the mount of Daughter Zion,(CK)
    at the hill of Jerusalem.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 10:13 Or treasures; / I subdued the mighty,
  2. Isaiah 10:21 Hebrew shear-jashub (see 7:3 and note); also in verse 22
  3. Isaiah 10:27 Hebrew; Septuagint broken / from your shoulders