1 Ai dos que decretam leis injustas, dos que escrevem leis de opressão, 2 para negarem justiça aos pobres, para arrebatarem o direito aos aflitos do meu povo, a fim de despojarem as viúvas e roubarem os órfãos! 3 Mas que fareis vós outros no dia do castigo, na calamidade que vem de longe? A quem recorrereis para obter socorro e onde deixareis a vossa glória? 4 Nada mais vos resta a fazer, senão dobrar-vos entre os prisioneiros e cair entre os mortos. Com tudo isto, não se aparta a sua ira, e a mão dele continua ainda estendida.

5 Ai da Assíria, cetro da minha ira! A vara em sua mão é o instrumento do meu furor. 6 Envio-a contra uma nação ímpia e contra o povo da minha indignação lhe dou ordens, para que dele roube a presa, e lhe tome o despojo, e o ponha para ser pisado aos pés, como a lama das ruas. 7 Ela, porém, assim não pensa, o seu coração não entende assim; antes, intenta consigo mesma destruir e desarraigar não poucas nações. 8 Porque diz: Não são meus príncipes todos eles reis? 9 Não é Calno como Carquemis? Não é Hamate como Arpade? E Samaria, como Damasco? 10 O meu poder atingiu os reinos dos ídolos, ainda que as suas imagens de escultura eram melhores do que as de Jerusalém e do que as de Samaria. 11 Porventura, como fiz a Samaria e aos seus ídolos, não o faria igualmente a Jerusalém e aos seus ídolos?

12 Por isso, acontecerá que, havendo o Senhor acabado toda a sua obra no monte Sião e em Jerusalém, então, castigará a arrogância do coração do rei da Assíria e a desmedida altivez dos seus olhos; 13 porquanto o rei disse: Com o poder da minha mão, fiz isto, e com a minha sabedoria, porque sou inteligente; removi os limites dos povos, e roubei os seus tesouros, e como valente abati os que se assentavam em tronos. 14 Meti a mão nas riquezas dos povos como a um ninho e, como se ajuntam os ovos abandonados, assim eu ajuntei toda a terra, e não houve quem movesse a asa, ou abrisse a boca, ou piasse.

15 Porventura, gloriar-se-á o machado contra o que corta com ele? Ou presumirá a serra contra o que a maneja? Seria isso como se a vara brandisse os que a levantam ou o bastão levantasse a quem não é pau! 16 Pelo que o Senhor, o Senhor dos Exércitos, enviará a tísica contra os seus homens, todos gordos, e debaixo da sua glória acenderá uma queima, como a queima de fogo. 17 Porque a Luz de Israel virá a ser como fogo, e o seu Santo, como labareda, que abrase e consuma os espinheiros e os abrolhos da Assíria, num só dia. 18 Também consumirá a glória da sua floresta e do seu campo fértil, desde a alma até ao corpo; e será como quando um doente se definha. 19 O resto das árvores da sua floresta será tão pouco, que um menino saberá escrever o número delas.

20 Acontecerá, naquele dia, que os restantes de Israel e os da casa de Jacó que se tiverem salvado nunca mais se estribarão naquele que os feriu, mas, com efeito, se estribarão no Senhor, o Santo de Israel. 21 Os restantes se converterão ao Deus forte, sim, os restantes de Jacó. 22 Porque ainda que o teu povo, ó Israel, seja como a areia do mar, o restante se converterá; destruição será determinada, transbordante de justiça. 23 Porque uma destruição, e essa já determinada, o Senhor, o Senhor dos Exércitos, a executará no meio de toda esta terra.

24 Pelo que assim diz o Senhor, o Senhor dos Exércitos: Povo meu, que habitas em Sião, não temas a Assíria, quando te ferir com a vara e contra ti levantar o seu bastão à maneira dos egípcios; 25 porque daqui a bem pouco se cumprirá a minha indignação e a minha ira, para a consumir. 26 Porque o Senhor dos Exércitos suscitará contra ela um flagelo, como a matança de Midiã junto à penha de Orebe; a sua vara estará sobre o mar, e ele a levantará como fez no Egito. 27 Acontecerá, naquele dia, que o peso será tirado do teu ombro, e o seu jugo, do teu pescoço, jugo que será despedaçado por causa da gordura.

28 A Assíria vem a Aiate, passa por Migrom e em Micmás larga a sua bagagem. 29 Passa o desfiladeiro, aloja-se em Geba, já Ramá treme, Gibeá de Saul foge. 30 Ergue com estrídulo a voz, ó filha de Galim! Ouve, ó Laís! Oh! Pobre Anatote! 31 Madmena se dispersa; os moradores de Gebim fogem para salvar-se. 32 Nesse mesmo dia, a Assíria parará em Nobe; agitará o punho ao monte da filha de Sião, o outeiro de Jerusalém.

33 Mas eis que o Senhor, o Senhor dos Exércitos, cortará os ramos com violência, as árvores de alto porte serão derribadas, e as altivas serão abatidas. 34 Cortará com o ferro as brenhas da floresta, e o Líbano cairá pela mão de um poderoso.

1 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers that write perverseness; 2 to turn aside the needy from justice, and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey! 3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? 4 They shall only bow down under the prisoners, and shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

5 Ho Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, the staff in whose hand is mine indignation! 6 I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few. 8 For he saith, Are not my princes all of them kings? 9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus? 10 As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria; 11 shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that, when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. 13 For he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I have understanding: and I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures, and like a valiant man I have brought down them that sit on thrones: 14 and my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the peoples; and as one gathereth eggs that are forsaken, have I gathered all the earth: and there was none that moved the wing, or that opened the mouth, or chirped.

15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? shall the saw magnify itself against him that wieldeth it? as if a rod should wield them that lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up him that is not wood. 16 Therefore will the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory there shall be kindled a burning like the burning of fire. 17 And the light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day. 18 And he will consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and it shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth. 19 And the remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child may write them.

20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again lean upon him that smote them, but shall lean upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. 22 For though thy people, Israel, be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them shall return: a destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness. 23 For a full end, and that determined, will the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, make in the midst of all the earth.

24 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian, though he smite thee with the rod, and lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. 25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation against thee shall be accomplished, and mine anger shall be directed to his destruction. 26 And Jehovah of hosts will stir up against him a scourge, as in the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and his rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up after the manner of Egypt. 27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall depart from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed by reason of fatness.

28 He is come to Aiath, he is passed through Migron; at Michmash he layeth up his baggage; 29 they are gone over the pass; they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah trembleth; Gibeah of Saul is fled. 30 Cry aloud with thy voice, O daughter of Gallim! hearken, O Laishah! O thou poor Anathoth! 31 Madmenah is a fugitive; the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety. 32 This very day shall he halt at Nob: he shaketh his hand at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33 Behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, will lop the boughs with terror: and the high of stature shall be hewn down, and the lofty shall be brought low. 34 And he will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.

1 Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees,

2 to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.

3 What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?

4 Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.

5 "Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath!

6 I send him against a godless nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets.

7 But this is not what he intends, this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations.

8 'Are not my commanders all kings?' he says.

9 'Has not Kalno fared like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad, and Samaria like Damascus?

10 As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols, 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?'"

12 When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, "I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes.

13 For he says: "'By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued "their kings.

14 As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations; as people gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries; not one flapped a wing, or opened its mouth to chirp.'"

15 Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it? As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up, or a club brandish the one who is not wood!

16 Therefore, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will send a wasting disease upon his sturdy warriors; under his pomp a fire will be kindled like a blazing flame.

17 The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers.

18 The splendor of his forests and fertile fields it will completely destroy, as when a sick person wastes away.

19 And the remaining trees of his forests will be so few that a child could write them down.

20 In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.

21 A remnant will return, "a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God.

22 Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous.

23 The Lord, the LORD Almighty, will carry out the destruction decreed upon the whole land.

24 Therefore this is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says: "My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians, who beat you with a rod and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.

25 Very soon my anger against you will end and my wrath will be directed to their destruction."

26 The LORD Almighty will lash them with a whip, as when he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb; and he will raise his staff over the waters, as he did in Egypt.

27 In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken because you have grown so fat. [^3]

28 They enter Aiath; they pass through Migron; they store supplies at Mikmash.

29 They go over the pass, and say, "We will camp overnight at Geba." Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees.

30 Cry out, Daughter Gallim! Listen, Laishah! Poor Anathoth!

31 Madmenah is in flight; the people of Gebim take cover.

32 This day they will halt at Nob; they will shake their fist at the mount of Daughter Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.

33 See, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will lop off the boughs with great power. The lofty trees will be felled, the tall ones will be brought low.

34 He will cut down the forest thickets with an ax; Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.