Isaiah 9:8-10:34

New International Version

The Lord’s Anger Against Israel

⁸The Lord has sent a message^(A) against Jacob;
    it will fall on Israel.
⁹All the people will know it—
    Ephraim^(B) and the inhabitants of Samaria^(C)—
who say with pride
    and arrogance^(D) of heart,
¹⁰“The bricks have fallen down,
    but we will rebuild with dressed stone;^(E)
the fig^(F) trees have been felled,
    but we will replace them with cedars.^(G)”
¹¹But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s^(H) foes against them
    and has spurred their enemies on.
¹²Arameans^(I) from the east and Philistines^(J) from the west
    have devoured^(K) Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, his anger^(L) is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(M)

¹³But the people have not returned^(N) to him who struck^(O) them,
    nor have they sought^(P) the Lord Almighty.
¹⁴So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
    both palm branch and reed^(Q) in a single day;^(R)
¹⁵the elders^(S) and dignitaries^(T) are the head,
    the prophets^(U) who teach lies^(V) are the tail.
¹⁶Those who guide^(W) this people mislead them,
    and those who are guided are led astray.^(X)
¹⁷Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,^(Y)
    nor will he pity^(Z) the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly^(AA) and wicked,^(AB)
    every mouth speaks folly.^(AC)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(AD)

¹⁸Surely wickedness burns like a fire;^(AE)
    it consumes briers and thorns,^(AF)
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,^(AG)
    so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
¹⁹By the wrath^(AH) of the Lord Almighty
    the land will be scorched^(AI)
and the people will be fuel for the fire;^(AJ)
    they will not spare one another.^(AK)
²⁰On the right they will devour,
    but still be hungry;^(AL)
on the left they will eat,^(AM)
    but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring^[a]:
²¹    Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;^(AN)
    together they will turn against Judah.^(AO)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(AP)

10 Woe^(AQ) to those who make unjust laws,
    to those who issue oppressive decrees,^(AR)
²to deprive^(AS) the poor of their rights
    and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,^(AT)
making widows their prey
    and robbing the fatherless.^(AU)
³What will you do on the day of reckoning,^(AV)
    when disaster^(AW) comes from afar?
To whom will you run for help?^(AX)
    Where will you leave your riches?
⁴Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives^(AY)
    or fall among the slain.^(AZ)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,^(BA)
his hand is still upraised.

God’s Judgment on Assyria

⁵“Woe^(BB) to the Assyrian,^(BC) the rod^(BD) of my anger,
    in whose hand is the club^(BE) of my wrath!^(BF)
⁶I send him against a godless^(BG) nation,
    I dispatch^(BH) him against a people who anger me,^(BI)
to seize loot and snatch plunder,^(BJ)
    and to trample^(BK) them down like mud in the streets.
⁷But this is not what he intends,^(BL)
    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^(BM) all kings?’ he says.
⁹    ‘Has not Kalno^(BN) fared like Carchemish?^(BO)
Is not Hamath^(BP) like Arpad,^(BQ)
    and Samaria^(BR) like Damascus?^(BS)
¹⁰As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols,^(BT)
    kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria—
¹¹shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images
    as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?^(BU)’”

¹²When the Lord has finished all his work^(BV) against Mount Zion^(BW) and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria^(BX) for the willful pride^(BY) of his heart and the haughty look^(BZ) in his eyes. ¹³For he says:

“‘By the strength of my hand^(CA) I have done this,^(CB)
    and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.
I removed the boundaries of nations,
    I plundered their treasures;^(CC)
    like a mighty one I subdued^[b] their kings.^(CD)
¹⁴As one reaches into a nest,^(CE)
    so my hand reached for the wealth^(CF) of the nations;
as people gather abandoned eggs,
    so I gathered all the countries;^(CG)
not one flapped a wing,
    or opened its mouth to chirp.^(CH)’”

¹⁵Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it,
    or the saw boast against the one who uses it?^(CI)
As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up,
    or a club^(CJ) brandish the one who is not wood!
¹⁶Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    will send a wasting disease^(CK) upon his sturdy warriors;^(CL)
under his pomp^(CM) a fire^(CN) will be kindled
    like a blazing flame.
¹⁷The Light of Israel will become a fire,^(CO)
    their Holy One^(CP) a flame;
in a single day it will burn and consume
    his thorns^(CQ) and his briers.^(CR)
¹⁸The splendor of his forests^(CS) and fertile fields
    it will completely destroy,^(CT)
    as when a sick person wastes away.
¹⁹And the remaining trees of his forests^(CU) will be so few^(CV)
    that a child could write them down.

The Remnant of Israel

²⁰In that day^(CW) the remnant of Israel,
    the survivors^(CX) of Jacob,
will no longer rely^(CY) on him
    who struck them down^(CZ)
but will truly rely^(DA) on the Lord,
    the Holy One of Israel.^(DB)
²¹A remnant^(DC) will return,^[c]^(DD) a remnant of Jacob
    will return to the Mighty God.^(DE)
²²Though your people be like the sand^(DF) by the sea, Israel,
    only a remnant will return.^(DG)
Destruction has been decreed,^(DH)
    overwhelming and righteous.
²³The Lord, the Lord Almighty, will carry out
    the destruction decreed^(DI) upon the whole land.^(DJ)

²⁴Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:

“My people who live in Zion,^(DK)
    do not be afraid^(DL) of the Assyrians,
who beat^(DM) you with a rod^(DN)
    and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.
²⁵Very soon^(DO) my anger against you will end
    and my wrath^(DP) will be directed to their destruction.^(DQ)”

²⁶The Lord Almighty will lash^(DR) them with a whip,
    as when he struck down Midian^(DS) at the rock of Oreb;
and he will raise his staff^(DT) over the waters,^(DU)
    as he did in Egypt.
²⁷In that day^(DV) their burden^(DW) will be lifted from your shoulders,
    their yoke^(DX) from your neck;^(DY)
the yoke^(DZ) will be broken
    because you have grown so fat.^[d]

²⁸They enter Aiath;
    they pass through Migron;^(EA)
    they store supplies^(EB) at Mikmash.^(EC)
²⁹They go over the pass, and say,
    “We will camp overnight at Geba.^(ED)”
Ramah^(EE) trembles;
    Gibeah^(EF) of Saul flees.^(EG)
³⁰Cry out, Daughter Gallim!^(EH)
    Listen, Laishah!
    Poor Anathoth!^(EI)
³¹Madmenah is in flight;
    the people of Gebim take cover.
³²This day they will halt at Nob;^(EJ)
    they will shake their fist^(EK)
at the mount of Daughter Zion,^(EL)
    at the hill of Jerusalem.

³³See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    will lop off^(EM) the boughs with great power.
The lofty trees will be felled,^(EN)
    the tall^(EO) ones will be brought low.^(EP)
³⁴He will cut down^(EQ) the forest thickets with an ax;
    Lebanon^(ER) will fall before the Mighty One.^(ES)