Isaiah 10:1-11

English Standard Version

10 Woe to those who ^(A)decree iniquitous decrees,
    and the writers who ^(B)keep writing oppression,
²to turn aside the needy from justice
    and ^(C)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!
³What will you do on ^(D)the day of punishment,
    in the ruin that will come ^(E)from afar?
To whom will you flee for help,
    and where will you leave your wealth?
⁴Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners
    or fall among the slain.
^(F)For all this his anger has not turned away,
    and his hand is stretched out still.

Judgment on Arrogant Assyria

⁵Woe to Assyria, ^(G)the rod of my anger;
    the staff in their hands is my fury!
⁶Against a ^(H)godless nation I send him,
    and against the people of my wrath I command him,
to take ^(I)spoil and seize plunder,
    and to ^(J)tread them down like the mire of the streets.
⁷But he ^(K)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;
⁸for he says:
^(L)“Are not my commanders all kings?
⁹^(M)Is not ^(N)Calno like ^(O)Carchemish?
    Is not ^(P)Hamath like ^(Q)Arpad?
    ^(R)Is not ^(S)Samaria like Damascus?
¹⁰As my hand has reached to ^(T)the kingdoms of the idols,
    whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
¹¹shall I not do to Jerusalem and ^(U)her idols
    ^(V)as I have done to Samaria and her images?”