1 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; 2 To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! 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 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. 6 I will send him against an hypocritical 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 cut off nations not a few. 8 For he saith, Are not my princes altogether 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, and 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 saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: 14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. 15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood. 16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. 17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day; 18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth. 19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.

20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 The 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, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. 23 For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.

24 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. 25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction. 26 And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt. 27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. 28 He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages: 29 They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled. 30 Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth. 31 Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee. 32 As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. 33 Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled. 34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.

1 Wee hulle wat heillose insettinge tot wet maak, en die skrywers wat moeite ywerig voorskrywe,

2 om die armes van die gereg weg te stoot en om die ellendiges onder my volk van die reg te beroof, sodat die weduwees hulle buit kan word en hulle die wese kan plunder.

3 Maar wat sal julle doen op die dag van besoeking en by die verwoesting wat van ver af sal kom? Na wie sal julle vlug om hulp, en waar julle rykdom wegbêre?

4 Hulle kan net maar buig soos geboeides en val soos diegene wat gedood is. Ondanks dit alles is sy toorn nie afgewend nie, maar sy hand is nog uitgestrek.

5 Wee Assur! die roede van my toorn en 'n stok is hy -- in hulle hand is my grimmigheid!

6 Ek sal hom stuur teen 'n roekelose nasie, en Ek sal hom bevel gee teen die volk van my grimmigheid, om buit te maak en roof in te samel en om hulle tot 'n vertrapping te maak soos modder van die strate.

7 Maar hy bedoel dit nie so nie, en sy hart dink nie so nie; maar om te verdelg, is in sy hart, en om nasies uit te roei, nie min nie.

8 Want hy sê: Is my vorste nie almal saam konings nie?

9 Het dit met Kalno nie gegaan soos met K rkemis, met Hamat soos met Arpad, met Samar¡a soos met Damaskus nie?

10 Soos my hand die koninkryke van die afgode bereik het, alhoewel hulle gesnede beelde meer was as die van Jerusalem en Samar¡a,

11 sou ek nie, soos ek aan Samar¡a en sy afgode gedoen het, net so aan Jerusalem en sy afgode kan doen nie?

12 Maar as die HERE al sy werk voltooi het op die berg Sion en in Jerusalem, dan sal Ek besoeking doen oor die vrug van die grootsheid van die hart van Assirië se koning en oor die gepraal van sy hoë oë.

13 Want hy sê: Deur die krag van my hand het ek dit gedoen en deur my wysheid, want ek is verstandig; en die grense van die volke het ek verwyder, en hulle voorrade het ek geplunder; en die wat op trone sit, het ek soos 'n maghebber neergewerp.

14 En my hand het na die rykdom van die volke gegryp soos na 'n voëlnes, en ,k het die hele aarde bymekaargeskraap soos 'n mens eiers bymekaarskraap wat verlaat is; en daar was niemand wat 'n vlerk verroer of 'n bek oopgemaak of gepiep het nie.

15 Kan die byl hom beroem teen die wat daarmee kap, of die saag spog teen hom wat dit trek? Asof 'n staf hulle swaai wat hom ophef, asof 'n stok hom ophef wat nie hout is nie!

16 Daarom sal die Here HERE van die leërskare onder sy vettes 'n maerte stuur; en onder sy heerlikheid sal Hy 'n brand laat uitslaan soos die brand van vuur.

17 En die Lig van Israel sal 'n vuur wees, en sy Heilige 'n vlam; en dit sal sy distels en sy dorings verbrand en verteer op een dag.

18 Ook sal Hy die heerlikheid van sy bos en van sy vrugteboord verteer, van die siel af tot die vlees toe, sodat dit is soos wanneer 'n kranke wegkwyn.

19 En die oorblyfsel van die bome van sy bos sal min in getal wees, en 'n seuntjie sal hulle kan opskrywe.

20 En in die dag sal die oorblyfsel van Israel en die wat ontvlug het van die huis van Jakob, nie meer voortgaan om te steun op hom wat hulle slaan nie; maar hulle sal steun op die HERE, die Heilige van Israel, in opregtheid.

21 Die oorblyfsel sal terugkom, die oorblyfsel van Jakob na die sterke God toe.

22 Want al was jou volk, o Israel, soos die sand van die see, net 'n oorblyfsel van hulle sal terugkom; die verdelging is vas besluit en vloei oor van geregtigheid.

23 Want 'n verdelging wat vas besluit is, sal die Here HERE van die leërskare voltrek in die midde van die hele aarde.

24 Daarom, so sê die Here HERE van die leërskare: o My volk wat in Sion woon, wees nie bevrees vir Assur wat jou met die staf slaan en sy stok teen jou ophef op die manier van Egipte nie.

25 Want nog 'n baie kort rukkie, dan is die grimmigheid ten einde, en my toorn gaan uit om hulle te vernietig.

26 En die HERE van die leërskare sal oor hom die g,sel swaai soos M¡dian verslaan is by die rots Oreb; en sy staf sal wees oor die see, en Hy sal dit ophef op die manier van Egipte.

27 En in die dag sal sy las afgly van jou skouer en sy juk van jou nek, en die juk sal tot niet raak vanweë die vettigheid.

28 Hy oorval Ajat; hy trek deur Migron; in Migmas laat hy sy pakgoed agterbly.

29 Hulle trek oor die nek. Laat Geba ons nagverblyf wees! Rama bewe, G¡bea van Saul vlug.

30 Skreeu dit uit, dogter van Gallim! Luister, Lais! Arme Anatot!

31 Madm,na vlug, die inwoners van Gebim soek skuiling!

32 Nog vandag staan hy in Nob, hy swaai sy hand teen die berg van die dogter van Sion, teen die heuwel van Jerusalem!

33 Maar kyk, die Here HERE van die leërskare slaan met skrikwekkende geweld die takke af, en die hoog uitgegroeides word omgekap en die verhewenes neergegooi;

34 en Hy sal die digte takke van die bos met die yster omkap, en die L¡banon sal val deur die Heerlike.