Isaiah 31:4-9

New International Version

⁴This is what the Lord says to me:

“As a lion^(A) growls,
    a great lion over its prey—
and though a whole band of shepherds^(B)
    is called together against it,
it is not frightened by their shouts
    or disturbed by their clamor^(C)—
so the Lord Almighty will come down^(D)
    to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.
⁵Like birds hovering^(E) overhead,
    the Lord Almighty will shield^(F) Jerusalem;
he will shield it and deliver^(G) it,
    he will ‘pass over’^(H) it and will rescue it.”

⁶Return,^(I) you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted^(J) against. ⁷For in that day^(K) every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold^(L) your sinful hands have made.^(M)

⁸“Assyria^(N) will fall by no human sword;
    a sword, not of mortals, will devour^(O) them.
They will flee before the sword
    and their young men will be put to forced labor.^(P)
⁹Their stronghold^(Q) will fall because of terror;
    at the sight of the battle standard^(R) their commanders will panic,^(S)”
declares the Lord,
    whose fire^(T) is in Zion,
    whose furnace^(U) is in Jerusalem.

Read full chapter

Isaiah 31:4-9

English Standard Version

⁴For thus the Lord said to me,
^(A)“As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey,
    and when a band of shepherds is called out against him
he is not terrified by their shouting
    or daunted at their noise,
^(B)so the Lord of hosts will come down
    to fight^[a] on Mount Zion and on its hill.
⁵^(C)Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts
    will protect Jerusalem;
he will protect and deliver it;
    he will spare and rescue it.”

⁶^(D)Turn to him from whom people^[b] have ^(E)deeply revolted, O children of Israel. ⁷For in that day ^(F)everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you.

⁸^(G)“And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man;
    and a sword, not of man, shall devour him;
and he shall flee from the sword,
    and his young men shall be ^(H)put to forced labor.
⁹^(I)His rock shall pass away in terror,
    and his officers desert the standard in panic,”
declares the Lord, whose ^(J)fire is in Zion,
    and whose ^(K)furnace is in Jerusalem.