Isaiah

Ha!Those who go down to Egypt for helpAnd rely upon horses!They have put their trust in abundance of chariots,In vast numbers of riders,And they have not turned to the Holy One of Israel,They have not sought GOD.

But [God] too is wise—Bringing on misfortuneAnd not canceling prior pronouncements.[God] shall rise against the house of evildoers,And the alliesaallies Lit. “help.” of the workers of iniquity.

For the Egyptians are human, not God,And their horses are flesh, not spirit;And when GOD stretches out an arm,The helper shall tripAnd the helped one shall fall,And both shall perish together.

For thus GOD has said to me:As a lion—a great beast—Growls over its preyAnd, when the shepherds gatherIn force against it,Is not dismayed by their criesNor cowed by their noise—So GOD of Hosts will descend to make warAgainst the mount and the hill of Zion.

Like the birds that fly, even so will GOD of Hosts shield Jerusalem, shielding and saving, protecting and rescuing.

Return, O children of Israel,bReturn, O children of Israel Emendation yields “Then the children of Israel shall return.” to the One to whom they have been so shamefully false;

for in that day everyone will reject their idols of silver and idols of gold, which your hands have made for your guilt.

Then Assyria shall fall,Not by the sword of mortals;A sword not of humans shall devour him.He shall shrivelcshrivel From root nss; cf. 10.18; in contrast to others “flee.” before the sword,And his young men pine away.dpine away From root mss; cf. 10.18; in contrast to others “become tributary.”

His rock shall melt with terror,And his officers shall collapse from weaknessecollapse from weakness Cf. first note at v. 8; meaning of Heb. uncertain.—Declares GOD, who has a fire in Zion,Who has an oven in Jerusalem.fJerusalem Cf. 30.33.