Isaiah 10:1-11

New American Standard Bible

Assyria Is God’s Instrument

10 Woe to those who ^(A)enact unjust statutes
And to those who constantly record ^[a]harmful decisions,
²So as ^(B)to ^[b]deprive the needy of justice
And rob the poor among My people of their rights,
So ^(C)that widows may be their spoil
And that they may plunder the ^[c]orphans.
³Now ^(D)what will you do in the ^(E)day of punishment,
And in the devastation which will come ^(F)from afar?
^(G)To whom will you flee for help?
And where will you leave your wealth?
⁴Nothing remains but to crouch ^[d]among the ^(H)captives
Or fall ^[e]among those ^(I)killed.
^(J)In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And His hand is still stretched out.

⁵Woe to ^(K)Assyria, the ^(L)rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hands is ^(M)My indignation,
⁶I send it against a ^(N)godless nation
And commission it against the ^(O)people of My fury
To capture spoils and ^(P)to seize plunder,
And to ^[f]trample them down like ^(Q)mud in the streets.
⁷Yet it ^(R)does not so intend,
Nor does ^[g]it plan so in its heart,
But rather it is ^[h]its purpose to destroy
And to eliminate ^[i]many nations.
⁸For it says, “Are not my officers ^[j]all kings?
⁹Is not ^(S)Calno like ^(T)Carchemish,
Or ^(U)Hamath like Arpad,
Or ^(V)Samaria like ^(W)Damascus?
¹⁰As my hand has reached to the ^(X)kingdoms of the idols,
Whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
¹¹Shall I not do the same to Jerusalem and her images
Just as I have done to Samaria and ^(Y)her idols?”