Isaiah 10:5-19
Lexham English Bible
Judgment on Assyria’s Arrogance
5 Ah! Assyria, the rod of my anger,
and a staff is in their hand: my wrath!
6 I send him against a godless nation,
and I command him against the people of my wrath,
to capture spoil
and to carry off plunder,
and to make them[a] a trampling place,
like the clay of the streets.
7 But he does not think this,[b]
and his heart does not plan this.
For it is in his heart to destroy
and to cut off not a few nations.
8 For he says, “Are not my commanders altogether kings?
9 Is not Calno like Carchemish?
Is not Hamath like Arpad?
Is not Samaria like Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols[c]
—and their images were greater than those of[d] Jerusalem and Samaria—
11 shall I not do to Jerusalem and its idols
what I have done to Samaria and her idols?”
12 And this shall happen: when the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion[e] and Jerusalem, “I will punish the arrogance[f] of the king of Assyria and his haughtiness.”[g]
13 For he says,
“I have done it by the strength of my hand
and by my wisdom, for I have understanding,
and I have removed the boundaries of peoples,
and I have plundered their stores,
and like a bull I have brought down the inhabitants.[h]
14 And my hand has found, like a nest, the wealth of the peoples,
and like the gathering of forsaken eggs, I myself have gathered all the earth.
And there was no fluttering wing or open mouth or chirp.”
15 Does the ax boast against the one who cuts with it,
or the saw magnify itself against the one who moves it to and fro?
As if a rod should move the one who lifts it![i]
As if a staff should lift up that which is not wood![j]
16 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, will send leanness among his sturdy warriors,
and a burning like the burning of fire will burn under his glory.
17 And the light of Israel will become like a fire,
and his holy one like a flame,
and it will burn and devour his thorns[k] and briers[l] in one day.
18 And he will destroy the glory of his forest and orchard completely,[m]
and it will be like the wasting away of one who is sick.
19 And the rest of the trees[n] of his forest will be a small number,
and a boy can write them down.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 10:6 Hebrew “him”
- Isaiah 10:7 Or “so”
- Isaiah 10:10 Hebrew “idol”
- Isaiah 10:10 Literally “from”
- Isaiah 10:12 Literally “the mountain of Zion”
- Isaiah 10:12 Literally “fruit of the greatness of the heart”
- Isaiah 10:12 Literally “the pride of the height of his eyes”
- Isaiah 10:13 Or, “those sitting,” that is, rulers sitting on thrones
- Isaiah 10:15 Literally “As a rod waving even the one who lifts it up”
- Isaiah 10:15 Literally “As a staff lifting up not wood”
- Isaiah 10:17 Hebrew “thorn”
- Isaiah 10:17 Hebrew “brier”
- Isaiah 10:18 Literally “from soul and to body”
- Isaiah 10:19 Hebrew “tree”
Isaiah 10:5-19
New American Standard Bible
5 Woe to (A)Assyria, the (B)rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hands is (C)My indignation,
6 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.
7 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.
8 For it says, “Are not my officers [e]all kings?
9 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.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 10:6 Lit make them a trampled place
- Isaiah 10:7 Lit its heart so plan
- Isaiah 10:7 Lit in its heart
- Isaiah 10:7 Lit not a few
- Isaiah 10:8 Lit altogether
- Isaiah 10:12 Lit visit
- Isaiah 10:13 Or those who sit on thrones
- Isaiah 10:15 Lit staff
- Isaiah 10:16 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 10:17 Lit his
- Isaiah 10:17 I.e., the Assyrian king’s forces
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