Isaiah 31
31
1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help
and rely on horses,
who trust in chariots because they are many
and in horsemen because they are very strong,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel
or consult the Lord!
2And yet he is wise and brings disaster,
he does not call back his words,
but will arise against the house of the evildoers,
and against the helpers of those who work iniquity.
3The Egyptians are men, and not God;
and their horses are flesh, and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,
the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall,
and they will all perish together.
4For thus the Lord said to me,
As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey,
and when a band of shepherds is called forth against him
is not terrified by their shouting
or daunted at their noise,
so the Lord of hosts will come down
to fight upon Mount Zion and upon its hill.
5Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts
will protect Jerusalem;
he will protect and deliver it,
he will spare and rescue it.
6Turn to him from whom you#31.6 Heb they have deeply revolted, O people of Israel. 7For in that day every one shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you.
8“And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man;
and a sword, not of man, shall devour him;
and he shall flee from the sword,
and his young men shall be put to forced labor.
9His rock shall pass away in terror,
and his officers desert the standard in panic,”
says the Lord, whose fire is in Zion,
and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
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Isaiah 31: RSV
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Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America
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.