Isaiah 31
31
The Folly of Not Trusting God
1Woe to those #Is. 30:1, 2who go down to Egypt for help,
And #Deut. 17:16; Ps. 20:7; Is. 2:7; 30:16rely on horses,
Who trust in chariots because they are many,
And in horsemen because they are very strong,
But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
#Is. 9:13; Dan. 9:13; Amos 5:4–8Nor seek the Lord!
2Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster,
And #Num. 23:19; Jer. 44:29will not call back His words,
But will arise against the house of evildoers,
And against the help of those who work iniquity.
3Now the Egyptians are men, and not God;
And their horses are flesh, and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out His hand,
Both he who helps will fall,
And he who is helped will fall down;
They all will perish #Is. 20:6together.
God Will Deliver Jerusalem
4For thus the Lord has spoken to me:
#Num. 24:9; Hos. 11:10; Amos 3:8“As a lion roars,
And a young lion over his prey
(When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him,
He will not be afraid of their voice
Nor be disturbed by their noise),
So the Lord of hosts will come down
To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill.
5#Deut. 32:11; Ps. 91:4Like birds flying about,
So will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem.
Defending, He will also deliver it;
Passing over, He will preserve it.”
6Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have #Hos. 9:9deeply revolted. 7For in that day every man shall #Is. 2:20; 30:22throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold—#1 Kin. 12:30sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves.
8“Then Assyria shall #2 Kin. 19:35, 36fall by a sword not of man,
And a sword not of mankind shall #Is. 37:36devour him.
But he shall flee from the sword,
And his young men shall become forced labor.
9#Is. 37:37He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear,
And his princes shall be afraid of the banner,”
Says the Lord,
Whose fire is in Zion
And whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
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Isaiah 31: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 31
31
Don't Trust the Power of Egypt
1You are in for trouble
if you go to Egypt for help,
or if you depend on
an army of chariots
or a powerful cavalry.
Instead you should depend on
and trust the holy Lord God
of Israel.
2The Lord isn't stupid!
He does what he promises,
and he can bring doom.
If you are cruel yourself,
or help those who are evil,
you will be destroyed.
3The Egyptians are mere humans.
They aren't God.
Their horses are made of flesh;
they can't live forever.
When the Lord shows his power,
he will destroy the Egyptians
and all who depend on them.
Together they will fall.
4The Lord All-Powerful
said to me,
“I will roar and attack
like a fearless lion
not frightened by the shouts
of shepherds trying to protect
their sheep.
That's how I will come down
and fight on Mount Zion.
5I, the Lord All-Powerful,
will protect Jerusalem
like a mother bird circling
over her nest.”
Come Back to the Lord
6People of Israel, come back!
You have completely turned
from the Lord.
7The time is coming
when you will throw away
your idols of silver and gold,
made by your sinful hands.
8The Assyrians will be killed,
but not by the swords
of humans.
Their young men will try
to escape,
but they will be captured
and forced into slavery.
9Their fortress#31.9 fortress: The Hebrew text has “rock,” which may refer to the Assyrian god or king, or to their army. will fall
when terror strikes;
their army officers
will be frightened
and run from the battle.
This is what the Lord has said,
the Lord whose fiery furnace
is built on Mount Zion.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.