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“Assyria will fall by a sword, but not one human-made;[a]
a sword not made by humankind will destroy them.[b]
They will run away from this sword[c]
and their young men will be forced to do hard labor.
They will surrender their stronghold[d] because of fear;[e]
their officers will be afraid of the Lord’s battle flag.”[f]
This is what the Lord says—
the one whose fire is in Zion,
whose firepot is in Jerusalem.[g]

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 31:8 tn Heb “Assyria will fall by a sword, not of a man.”
  2. Isaiah 31:8 tn Heb “and a sword not of humankind will devour him.”
  3. Isaiah 31:8 tn Heb “he will flee for himself from before a sword.”
  4. Isaiah 31:9 tn Heb “rocky cliff” (cf. ASV, NASB “rock”), viewed metaphorically as a place of defense and security.
  5. Isaiah 31:9 tn Heb “His rocky cliff, because of fear, will pass away [i.e., “perish”].”
  6. Isaiah 31:9 tn Heb “and they will be afraid of the flag, his officers.”
  7. Isaiah 31:9 sn The “fire” and “firepot” here symbolize divine judgment, which is heating up like a fire in Jerusalem, waiting to be used against the Assyrians when they attack the city.