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10 Woe to those who (A)enact evil statutes
And to those who constantly record [a]mischief,
So as (B)to turn the poor away from their cause
And rob the afflicted of My people of their justice,
So (C)that widows may be their spoil
And that they may plunder the [b]orphans.
Now (D)what will you do in the (E)day of visitation,
And in the devastation which will come (F)from afar?
(G)To whom will you flee for help?
And where will you leave your [c]glory?
Nothing remains but to crouch [d]among the (H)captives
Or fall [e]among those (I)killed.
(J)In spite of all this, His anger does not turn back
And His hand is still stretched out.

Yahweh’s Anger with Assyria’s Arrogance

Woe to (K)Assyria, the (L)rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hands is (M)My indignation,
I send it against a (N)godless nation
And command it against the (O)people of My fury
To capture spoil and (P)to seize plunder,
And to [f]trample them down like (Q)mud in the streets.
But it (R)does not intend to act in this way,
And it does not think in its heart in this way,
Rather, what is in its heart is to destroy
And to cut off [g]many nations.
For it says, “Are not my princes [h]all kings?
Is not (S)Calno like (T)Carchemish,
Or (U)Hamath like Arpad,
Or (V)Samaria like (W)Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to the (X)kingdoms of the idols,
Whose graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 Shall I not [i]do to Jerusalem and her images
Just as I have done to Samaria and (Y)her idols?”

12 So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His (Z)work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will [j]punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and (AA)the pomp of his eyes which are raised high.” 13 For (AB)he has said,

“By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this,
For I have understanding;
And I (AC)removed the boundaries of the peoples
And plundered their treasures,
And like a mighty man I brought down [k]their inhabitants,
14 And my hand reached for the wealth of the peoples like a (AD)nest,
And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth;
And there was not one that flapped its wing or opened its beak or chirped.”

15 Is the (AE)axe to (AF)boast itself over the one who chops with it?
Is the saw to magnify itself over the one who wields it?
That would be like (AG)a rod wielding those who lift it,
Or like (AH)a staff lifting him who is not wood.
16 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, will send a (AI)wasting disease among his (AJ)stout warriors;
And under his (AK)glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.
17 And the (AL)light of Israel will become a fire and his (AM)Holy One a flame,
And it will (AN)burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day.
18 And He will (AO)bring to an end the glory of his forest and of his fruitful orchard, both soul and body,
And it will be as when a sick man wastes away.
19 And the (AP)rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number
That a child could write them down.

A Remnant Will Return

20 Now it will be in that day, that the (AQ)remnant of Israel and those of the house of Jacob (AR)who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly (AS)rely on Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel.

21 A (AT)remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the (AU)mighty God.
22 For (AV)though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea,
Only a remnant within them will return;
A (AW)destructive end is decreed, overflowing with righteousness.

23 For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, (AX)Lord Yahweh of hosts will do in the midst of the whole land.

24 Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh of hosts, “O My people who inhabit (AY)Zion, (AZ)do not fear the Assyrian [l]who (BA)strikes you with the rod and lifts up his staff against you, the way Egypt did. 25 For in a very (BB)little while (BC)My indignation against you will end and My anger will be directed to their destruction.” 26 And Yahweh of hosts will (BD)waken a scourge against him like the slaughter of (BE)Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His (BF)staff will be over the sea and He will lift it up (BG)the way He did in Egypt. 27 So it will be in that day, that [m]his (BH)burden will be removed from your shoulders and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be broken because (BI)of fatness.

28 He has come against Aiath,
He has passed through (BJ)Migron;
At (BK)Michmash he deposited his (BL)baggage.
29 They have gone through (BM)the pass, saying,
(BN)Geba will be our lodging place.”
(BO)Ramah trembles, and (BP)Gibeah of Saul has fled away.
30 Cry aloud with your voice, O daughter of (BQ)Gallim!
Pay attention, Laishah and [n]afflicted (BR)Anathoth!
31 Madmenah has fled.
The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge.
32 Yet today he will stand at (BS)Nob;
He (BT)shakes his fist at the mountain of the [o](BU)daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33 Behold, the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, will lop off the boughs with a terrible crash;
Those also who are (BV)high in stature will be cut in pieces
And those who are lofty will be made low.
34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an iron axe,
And (BW)Lebanon will fall [p]by the Mighty One.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 10:1 Or trouble
  2. Isaiah 10:2 Or fatherless
  3. Isaiah 10:3 Or wealth
  4. Isaiah 10:4 Lit under
  5. Isaiah 10:4 Lit under
  6. Isaiah 10:6 Lit make them a trampled place
  7. Isaiah 10:7 Lit not a few
  8. Isaiah 10:8 Lit altogether
  9. Isaiah 10:11 Lit do thus
  10. Isaiah 10:12 Or visit
  11. Isaiah 10:13 Or those who sit on thrones
  12. Isaiah 10:24 Lit he
  13. Isaiah 10:27 The Assyrian
  14. Isaiah 10:30 One ancient version Answer her, O Anathoth
  15. Isaiah 10:32 Or house of
  16. Isaiah 10:34 Or as a mighty one

10 Vai de cei ce rostesc(A) hotărâri nelegiuite şi de cei ce scriu porunci nedrepte, ca să nu facă dreptate săracilor şi să răpească dreptul nenorociţilor poporului Meu, ca să facă pe văduve prada lor şi să jefuiască pe orfani! „Ce(B) veţi face voi în ziua pedepsei(C), şi a pieirii, care va veni din depărtare peste voi? La cine veţi fugi după ajutor, şi unde vă veţi lăsa bogăţia?” Unii vor fi îngenuncheaţi între cei prinşi în război, iar alţii vor cădea între cei morţi. Cu(D) toate acestea, mânia Lui nu se potoleşte şi mâna Lui tot întinsă este.

Asirianul smerit. Vremurile lui Mesia

„Vai de asirian – zice Domnul – nuiaua mâniei Mele, care poartă în mână toiagul urgiei Mele! I-am dat drumul împotriva unui neam(E) nelegiuit, l-am trimis(F) împotriva unui popor pe care sunt mâniat, ca să-l prădeze şi să-l jefuiască, să-l calce în picioare ca noroiul de pe uliţe. Dar(G) el nu judecă aşa şi nu acesta este gândul inimii lui, ci el nu se gândeşte decât să nimicească, decât să prăpădească neamurile cu grămada. Căci(H) el zice: ‘Nu sunt voievozii mei tot atâţia împăraţi? Nu s-a întâmplat cu Calno(I) la fel ca(J) şi cu Carchemişul? Nu s-a întâmplat cu Hamatul ca şi cu Arpadul? Nu s-a întâmplat Samariei la fel ca(K) Damascului? 10 După cum mâna mea a pus stăpânire pe împărăţiile idolilor (unde erau mai multe icoane decât la Ierusalim şi în Samaria), 11 cum am făcut Samariei şi idolilor ei, nu voi face şi Ierusalimului şi icoanelor lui?’ 12 Dar, după ce Domnul Îşi va împlini toată lucrarea pe(L) Muntele Sionului şi la Ierusalim, voi(M) pedepsi – zice Domnul – pe împăratul Asiriei pentru rodul inimii lui îngâmfate şi pentru trufia privirilor lui semeţe, 13 căci(N) el a zis: ‘Prin puterea mâinii mele am făcut aceste lucruri şi prin înţelepciunea mea, căci sunt priceput; am împins înapoi hotarele popoarelor şi le-am jefuit vistieriile şi, ca un viteaz, am dat jos pe cei ce şedeau pe scaunele lor de domnie; 14 am pus mâna(O) pe bogăţiile popoarelor, ca pe un cuib, şi, cum se strâng nişte ouă părăsite, aşa am strâns eu tot pământul: niciunul n-a mişcat vreo aripă, nici n-a deschis ciocul ca să ciripească.’ – 15 ‘Se făleşte(P) oare securea împotriva celui ce se slujeşte de ea? Sau se mândreşte fierăstrăul faţă de cel ce-l mânuieşte? Ca şi cum nuiaua ar mişca pe cel ce o ridică, parcă toiagul ar ridica pe cel ce nu este de lemn!’ ” 16 De aceea Domnul, Dumnezeul oştirilor, va trimite ofilirea prin războinicii(Q) lui cei voinici şi între aleşii lui va izbucni un pârjol, ca pârjolul unui foc. 17 Lumina lui Israel se va preface în foc şi Sfântul lui, într-o flacără care(R) va mistui şi va arde spinii şi mărăcinii lui, într-o zi. 18 Va arde, trup şi suflet, strălucirea pădurii şi a câmpiilor(S) lui, de va fi ca un bolnav care cade în leşin. 19 Ceilalţi copaci din pădurea lui vor putea fi număraţi, şi un copil le-ar putea scrie numărul. 20 În ziua aceea, rămăşiţa lui Israel şi cei scăpaţi din casa lui Iacov nu(T) se vor mai sprijini pe cel ce îi lovea, ci se vor sprijini cu încredere pe Domnul, Sfântul lui Israel. 21 O rămăşiţă(U), rămăşiţa lui Iacov, se va întoarce la Dumnezeul cel puternic. 22 Chiar(V) dacă poporul tău, Israele, ar fi ca nisipul mării, totuşi numai(W) o rămăşiţă se va întoarce, căci nimicirea(X) este hotărâtă, făcând să se reverse dreptatea. 23 Şi(Y) nimicirea aceasta, care a fost hotărâtă, Domnul, Dumnezeul oştirilor, o va aduce la îndeplinire în toată ţara. 24 Totuşi, aşa vorbeşte Domnul, Dumnezeul oştirilor: „Poporul Meu, care locuieşti în Sion, nu(Z) te teme de asirian; da, el te loveşte cu nuiaua şi îşi ridică toiagul asupra ta, cum făceau egiptenii(AA). 25 Dar(AB), peste puţină vreme, pedeapsa(AC) va înceta şi mânia Mea se va întoarce împotriva lui, ca să-l nimicescă.” 26 Domnul oştirilor va învârti biciul(AD) împotriva lui, cum a lovit pe Madian(AE) la stânca Oreb, şi Îşi va mai ridica toiagul(AF) odată asupra mării, ca odinioară în Egipt. 27 În ziua aceea, se(AG) va lua povara lui de pe umărul tău şi jugul lui de pe gâtul tău, ba încă jugul va crăpa de grăsime(AH). 28 El vine asupra Aiatului, străbate Migronul, îşi lasă calabalâcul la Micmaş. 29 Trec trecătoarea(AI), se culcă la Gheba(AJ); Rama tremură, Ghibea lui Saul o ia la fugă. 30 Ridică-ţi glasul, fiica(AK) Galimului! Ia seama, Lais(AL)! „Vai(AM) de tine, Anatot!” 31 Madmena(AN) se împrăştie, locuitorii din Ghebim fug. 32 Încă o zi de oprire la(AO) Nob, şi ameninţă(AP) cu mâna lui muntele fiicei(AQ) Sionului, dealul Ierusalimului. 33 Iată, Domnul, Dumnezeul oştirilor, taie crăcile cu putere; cei(AR) mai mari sunt tăiaţi, cei mai înalţi sunt doborâţi. 34 Dă jos cu fierul crângul pădurii şi Libanul cade sub mâna Celui Puternic.

Assyria Shall Be Broken

10 “Woe to those who (A)decree unrighteous decrees,
Who write misfortune,
Which they have prescribed
To rob the needy of justice,
And to take what is right from the poor of My people,
That widows may be their prey,
And that they may rob the fatherless.
(B)What will you do in (C)the day of punishment,
And in the desolation which will come from (D)afar?
To whom will you flee for help?
And where will you leave your glory?
Without Me they shall bow down among the (E)prisoners,
And they shall fall [a]among the slain.”

(F)For all this His anger is not turned away,
But His hand is stretched out still.

Arrogant Assyria Also Judged

“Woe to Assyria, (G)the rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.
I will send him against (H)an ungodly nation,
And against the people of My wrath
I will (I)give him charge,
To seize the spoil, to take the prey,
And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
(J)Yet he does not mean so,
Nor does his heart think so;
But it is in his heart to destroy,
And cut off not a few nations.
(K)For he says,
Are not my princes altogether kings?
Is not (L)Calno (M)like Carchemish?
Is not Hamath like Arpad?
Is not Samaria (N)like Damascus?
10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols,
Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 As I have done to Samaria and her idols,
Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?’ ”

12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has [b]performed all His work (O)on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, (P)“I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”

13 (Q)For he says:

“By the strength of my hand I have done it,
And by my wisdom, for I am prudent;
Also I have removed the boundaries of the people,
And have robbed their treasuries;
So I have put down the inhabitants like a [c]valiant man.
14 (R)My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people,
And as one gathers eggs that are left,
I have gathered all the earth;
And there was no one who moved his wing,
Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.”

15 Shall (S)the ax boast itself against him who chops with it?
Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it?
As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up,
Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!
16 Therefore the Lord, the [d]Lord of hosts,
Will send leanness among his fat ones;
And under his glory
He will kindle a burning
Like the burning of a fire.
17 So the Light of Israel will be for a fire,
And his Holy One for a flame;
(T)It will burn and devour
His thorns and his briers in one day.
18 And it will consume the glory of his forest and of (U)his fruitful field,
Both soul and body;
And they will be as when a sick man wastes away.
19 Then the rest of the trees of his forest
Will be so few in number
That a child may write them.

The Returning Remnant of Israel

20 And it shall come to pass in that day
That the remnant of Israel,
And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob,
(V)Will never again depend on him who [e]defeated them,
But will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
21 The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob,
To the (W)Mighty God.
22 (X)For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea,
(Y)A remnant of them will return;
The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
23 (Z)For the Lord God of hosts
Will make a determined end
In the midst of all the land.

24 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O My people, who dwell in Zion, (AA)do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of (AB)Egypt. 25 For yet a very little while (AC)and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.” 26 And the Lord of hosts will [f]stir up (AD)a scourge for him like the slaughter of (AE)Midian at the rock of Oreb; (AF)as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt.

27 It shall come to pass in that day
That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder,
And his yoke from your neck,
And the yoke will be destroyed because of (AG)the anointing oil.

28 He has come to Aiath,
He has passed Migron;
At Michmash he has attended to his equipment.
29 They have gone [g]along (AH)the ridge,
They have taken up lodging at Geba.
Ramah is afraid,
(AI)Gibeah of Saul has fled.
30 [h]Lift up your voice,
O daughter (AJ)of Gallim!
Cause it to be heard as far as (AK)Laish—
[i]O poor Anathoth!
31 (AL)Madmenah has fled,
The inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge.
32 As yet he will remain (AM)at Nob that day;
He will (AN)shake his fist at the mount of (AO)the daughter of Zion,
The hill of Jerusalem.

33 Behold, the Lord,
The Lord of hosts,
Will lop off the bough with terror;
(AP)Those of high stature will be hewn down,
And the haughty will be humbled.
34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron,
And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 10:4 Lit. under
  2. Isaiah 10:12 completed
  3. Isaiah 10:13 mighty
  4. Isaiah 10:16 So with Bg.; MT, DSS YHWH (the Lord)
  5. Isaiah 10:20 Lit. struck
  6. Isaiah 10:26 arouse
  7. Isaiah 10:29 Or over the pass
  8. Isaiah 10:30 Or Cry shrilly
  9. Isaiah 10:30 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX, Syr. Listen to her, O Anathoth

Manasseh and Ephraim are family; they have a common language and common culture, and they come from common stock. In every way that matters they are brothers, but they are at war with each other. And they don’t stop there. They turn against Judah, their southern relative. Amazingly, God has chosen them all to be His people, a nation of promise and destiny. How sad that it’s come to this! What is God to do with His children? God will not abandon them, yet neither will God put up with their destructive consumption, their greed and injustices. Indeed, their wrongdoing takes its own course of self-destruction, and God will not stop it. Sometimes God’s judgment consists of Him stepping back and leaving people to their devices—letting their will be done.

10 1-2 How awful it will be for those who mandate wickedness
    and legalize oppression, denying justice to the needy,
Taking away the rights of the poor among My people.
    Such leaders intend to make helpless widows and orphans their prey.
How will you opportunists handle the day of reckoning?
    What will you do when trouble comes from far away?
Will you run away from the disaster you caused?
    Who will help you? Where will you leave all your wealth?
You, too, must cower among the captives
    or fall among the dead.
Still, God’s anger smolders. His hand is raised; there’s more to come.
Hah! God has determined to let loose a punishing disaster like you’ve never seen.

Eternal One: How awful it will be for Assyria, the rod of My anger,
        as they come crashing in on you; the club they bear is My fury.
    I am sending Assyria against a nation that refuses to act rightly,
        delegating it to humble a people who have frustrated
        and infuriated Me by their blithe dismissal.
    Assyria will snatch their wealth, seize their treasures,
        and trample over them like mud in the streets.

But they will get cocky. Assyria has its own intentions for destruction,
    to move against other people and other places to cut them down.
8-9 The victories make them think they’re invincible:
    The king of Assyria says:
    “Aren’t all of my princes destined to be kings?
Calno fell just like Carchemish.
    I took Hamath as easily as Arpad. Samaria, too, fell like Damascus.
10 My powerful hand has reached out to subdue kingdom after kingdom
    whose idols were more famous and respected than those in Jerusalem and Samaria.
11 Now I will move in and take over Jerusalem and her idols
    as easily as I did in Samaria.”

The Assyrians imagine that it is by their initiative and power that they gain control of these great cities and their populations. They are mistaken.

12 God will punish Assyria and its king for their blasphemous rants and arrogant self-satisfaction once my Lord has finished using them to accomplish His purposes here on Zion and in Jerusalem.

13 Assyrian King: I am so smart, so strong, so knowledgeable.
        I am clearly superior to everyone else,
    Moving easily into other countries and using them to suit my needs,
        taking their treasures at will and humbling their citizens.
14     I just reach out and take the land and the riches I want—
        from all over the earth—as easily as one gathers eggs from a nest.
    They don’t flap their wings;
        they don’t make a sound, while they look on helplessly.

15 But wow, are they ever mistaken! Assyria seems to think it has used God.
    Can an ax take credit instead of the one who swings it?
Is a saw better than the one who uses it?
    Only if a club or rod can move on its own.
16 So the Lord, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies,
    will afflict Assyria’s brawny soldiers with disease,
And they will waste away to nothing.
    God will kindle a roaring fire beneath Assyria’s fleeting glory.
17-18 The light of God’s people will be like a fire that burns up
    the thorns and briars in a single day.
The Holy One will become a flame and make an end of all of Assyria’s schemes.
    God will consume the grandeur of his forest and fruitful fields;
He will consume both body and soul,
    as when the sick grow weak and waste away.
19 So few trees will remain of his glorious forest
    that a child could count them.

20 Then, the few that remain of Israel,
    that handful of Jacob’s people who escape,
Will finally quit depending on the power of others
    (others who abuse and take advantage of them)
And will instead lean on the Eternal One, the Holy One of Israel.
21 This remnant of Jacob’s people who endure and escape the great destruction
    will come back to the Mighty One, to the embrace of God.
22 But don’t doubt—though the number of the people of Israel
    are like the sand of the sea,
Only a remnant of them will be rescued and return to survive.
    For destruction is sure—the matter settled—God is absolutely right to do so.
23 For the Lord, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies,
    will carry out His destructive decree over the whole land.[a]

24 But as for the Holy City, Zion, the Lord, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has this to say:

Eternal One: Listen, My people living in Zion. Don’t be afraid of Assyria even though that great and terrible nation batters and wounds you, presses its weight and might against you as Egypt once did. 25 Don’t worry. It won’t be long until My anger against you will be over, and I’ll turn it instead in Assyria’s direction.

26 The Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, will lash Assyria with His whip; and Assyria will feel the crushing power of God’s judgment just as the Midianites did at the rock of Oreb,[b] just as the Egyptians did when Moses raised his staff and drowned Pharaoh’s army in the sea.[c] 27 When that time comes, all the weight of Assyria will be lifted off of your shoulders; its yoke will be removed from your neck, and the burden of their assault and demands will evaporate, and you’ll be free.

Isaiah describes the southern march of the Assyrian army. Village after village falls until the enemy is so close the clamor of its forces shakes the streets of Jerusalem.

28 Oh, sure, first you’ll feel that terrible force coming on you from the north
    through Aiath and then Migron; at Michmash, they store their gear;
29 They take the mountain pass, and camp at Geba for the night;
    closer they come as Ramah trembles;
Saul’s town Gibeah flees before them.
30 Cry out, Gallim! Heed the warning, Laishah!
    Poor Anathoth!
31 Madmenah is on the run.
    So, too, are the citizens of Gebim.
32 But today, they will stop their march at Nob
    and shake their fists at beautiful Mount Zion, the mountain of Jerusalem.
33 But wait, look! The Lord, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, will protect you;
    He will cut the arrogant and self-serving down to size.
With terrifying power He will prune Assyria’s branches,
    hack down the high and mighty, and humble all those who think they’re so great.
34 He will wield the ax and cut down the brushy undergrowth of the forest;
    even the cedars of Lebanon fall before the Mighty One’s blow.