Isaiah 10

1 Woe to those who *[Ps. 94:20] decree iniquitous decrees,

and the writers who *Jer. 8:8keep writing oppression,

2 to turn aside the needy from justice

and *ch. 5:23to 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 What will you do on *Jer. 5:29;Hos. 9:7;[Luke 19:44] the day of punishment,

in the ruin that will come *ch. 5:26from afar?

To whom will you flee for help,

and where will you leave your wealth?

4 Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners

or fall among the slain.

*See ch. 9:12For all this his anger has not turned away,

and his hand is stretched out still.

Judgment on Arrogant Assyria

5 Woe to Assyria, *ver. 24;ch. 9:4;[Mic. 5:1;6:9]the rod of my anger;

the staff in their hands is my fury!

6 Against a *ch. 9:17godless nation I send him,

and against the people of my wrath I command him,

to take *See 2 Kgs. 18:14-16spoil and seize plunder,

and to *ch. 5:5tread them down like the mire of the streets.

7 But he *[Mic. 4:12]does not so intend,

and his heart does not so think;

but it is in his heart to destroy,

and to cut off nations not a few;

8 for he says:

*[2 Kgs. 18:24]"Are not my commanders all kings?

9 *2 Kgs. 19:12,13Is not *[Gen. 10:10;Amos 6:2] Calno like *2 Chr. 35:20;Jer. 46:2Carchemish?

Is not *ch. 11:11;Amos 6:2;Zech. 9:2Hamath like *2 Kgs. 18:34Arpad?

*[2 Kgs. 16:9;17:6] Is not *ch. 7:9Samaria like Damascus?

10 As my hand has reached to *[2 Kgs. 19:17,18]the kingdoms of the idols,

whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

11 shall I not do to Jerusalem and *ch. 2:8her idols

*2 Kgs. 18:34as I have done to Samaria and her images?"

12 *[ch. 29:4,5;30:18;2 Kgs. 19:31] When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, *See 2 Kgs. 19:35-37he*10:12 Hebrew I will punish the speech*10:12 Hebrew fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes. 13 *ch. 37:23-25;2 Kgs. 19:22-24For he says:

"By the strength of my hand I have done it,

and by my wisdom, for I have understanding;

I remove the boundaries of peoples,

and plunder their treasures;

like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.

14 My hand has found like a nest

the wealth of the peoples;

and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken,

so I have gathered all the earth;

and there was none that moved a wing

or opened the mouth or chirped."

15 Shall *[ver. 5; ch. 29:16;45:9;Rom. 9:17]the axe boast over him who hews with it,

or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?

As if a rod should wield him who lifts it,

or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!

16 Therefore the Lord God of hosts

will send wasting sickness among his *Ps. 78:31stout warriors,

and under his glory *[ch. 30:33]a burning will be kindled,

like the burning of fire.

17 *[Obad. 18] The light of Israel will become a fire,

and *ch. 37:23his Holy One a flame,

and *ch. 27:4;[ch. 9:18;Nah. 1:10] it will burn and devour

his thorns and briers *[ch. 9:14;2 Kgs. 19:35]in one day.

18 The glory of *ver. 33;[ch. 2:13] his forest and of his *[Ps. 107:33-34]fruitful land

the Lord will destroy, both soul and body,

and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.

19 The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few

that a child can write them down.

The Remnant of Israel Will Return

20 *ver. 27;ch. 2:11In that day *ch. 4:2the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more *[2 Kgs. 16:7;2 Chr. 28:20,21] lean on him who struck them, but *2 Kgs. 19:14will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, *ch. 9:6to the mighty God. 22 *Cited Rom. 9:27,28For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, *[ch. 6:13] only a remnant of them will return. *ch. 28:22Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. 23 For the Lord God of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.

24 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: "O my people, *[ch. 31:5] who dwell in Zion, *2 Kgs. 19:6be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as *Ex. 2:23the Egyptians did. 25 For *[ch. 17:14]in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction. 26 And *2 Kgs. 19:35the Lord of hosts will wield against them a whip, as when he struck *ch. 9:4Midian *Judg. 7:25;[ch. 9:4] at the rock of Oreb. And his staff will be over the sea, and he will lift it *[Ex. 14:30]as he did in Egypt. 27 And in that day *2 Kgs. 18:14his burden will depart from your shoulder, and *[ch. 9:4;Nah. 1:13]his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because of the fat."*10:27 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

28 He has come to Aiath;

he has passed through *1 Sam. 14:2Migron;

at Michmash he stores *Judg. 18:21;1 Sam. 17:22;Acts 21:15;[ch. 46:1]his baggage;

29 they have crossed over *1 Sam. 13:23the pass;

at *1 Sam. 13:16Geba they lodge for the night;

*1 Sam. 7:17Ramah trembles;

*1 Sam. 11:4Gibeah of Saul has fled.

30 Cry aloud, O daughter of *1 Sam. 25:44Gallim!

Give attention, O Laishah!

O poor *Jer. 1:1Anathoth!

31 Madmenah is in flight;

the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.

32 This very day he will halt at *1 Sam. 21:1;22:19Nob;

he will shake his fist

at the mount of *ch. 1:8;37:22the daughter of Zion,

the hill of Jerusalem.

33 Behold, the Lord God of hosts

*[Nah. 1:12] will lop *ver. 18the boughs with terrifying power;

the great in height will be hewn down,

and the lofty will be brought low.

34 He will cut down *[See ver. 33above] the thickets of the forest with an axe,

and *[Ezek. 31:3;Amos 2:9]Lebanon will fall by the Majestic One.