Isaiah 31 - English Standard Version (ESV)

Woe to Those Who Go Down to Egypt

31 Woe[a] to (A)those who go down to Egypt for help
and rely on horses,
who (B)trust in chariots because they are many
and in horsemen because they are very strong,
but (C)do not look to the Holy One of Israel
or consult the Lord!
2 And (D)yet he is wise and brings disaster;
(E)he does not call back his words,
but (F)will arise against the house of the evildoers
and against the helpers of (G)those who work iniquity.
3 The Egyptians are man, and not God,
and their horses (H)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.

4 For thus the Lord said to me,
(I)“As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey,
and when a band of shepherds is called out against him
he is not terrified by their shouting
or daunted at their noise,
(J)so the Lord of hosts will come down
to fight[b] on Mount Zion and on its hill.
5 (K)Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts
will protect Jerusalem;
he will protect and deliver it;
he will spare and rescue it.”

6 (L)Turn to him from whom people[c] have (M)deeply revolted, O children of Israel. 7 For in that day (N)everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you.

8 (O)“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 (P)put to forced labor.
9 (Q)His rock shall pass away in terror,
and his officers desert the standard in panic,”
declares the Lord, whose (R)fire is in Zion,
and whose (S)furnace is in Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 31:1 Or Ah,
  2. Isaiah 31:4 The Hebrew words for hosts and to fight sound alike
  3. Isaiah 31:6 Hebrew they

Cross references

  1. Isaiah 31:1 : ch. 30:2; 36:6
  2. Isaiah 31:1 : Ps. 20:7; [ch. 30:16; 36:9]
  3. Isaiah 31:1 : [ch. 22:11]
  4. Isaiah 31:2 : [Ps. 94:8-10]
  5. Isaiah 31:2 : [Num. 23:19]
  6. Isaiah 31:2 : [ch. 22:14]
  7. Isaiah 31:2 : Ps. 94:4
  8. Isaiah 31:3 : Jer. 17:5
  9. Isaiah 31:4 : Hos. 11:10; Amos 1:2; 3:8
  10. Isaiah 31:4 : [ch. 42:13]
  11. Isaiah 31:5 : Deut. 32:11; [Ps. 91:4]
  12. Isaiah 31:6 : [ch. 30:15]
  13. Isaiah 31:6 : ch. 1:5
  14. Isaiah 31:7 : ch. 2:20; 30:22
  15. Isaiah 31:8 : ch. 37:36
  16. Isaiah 31:8 : [Gen. 49:15; Prov. 12:24]
  17. Isaiah 31:9 : Deut. 32:31; See ch. 30:29
  18. Isaiah 31:9 : ch. 30:33
  19. Isaiah 31:9 : Ps. 21:9; Mal. 4:1

You Might Also Like:

Isaiah 31 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

31 Wo [to] those going down to Egypt for help, And on horses lean, And trust on chariots, because many, And on horsemen, because very strong, And have not looked on the Holy One of Israel, And Jehovah have not sought. 2 And He also [is] wise, and bringeth in evil, And His words He hath not turned as...
Read More

Isaiah 31 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

31 Woe to them that go down into Egypt to help, and hope in horses, and have trust on carts, for they be many, and on knights, for they be full strong; and they trust not on the Holy of Israel, and they sought not the Lord. (Woe to them who go down to Egypt for help, and hope in horses, and have tru...
Read More

Isaiah 31 - World English Bible (WEB)

31 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they don’t look to the Holy One of Israel, and they don’t seek Yahweh!2 Yet he also is wise, and will bring disaster, and will not call ba...
Read More

Isaiah 31 - The Voice (VOICE)

31 O how bad it will be for you who look to the south to Egypt for help and depend on her horses,Who trust in its many chariots and fix your hopes on its strong drivers. Yet you do not look to the Holy One of Israel for relief or even bother to consult Him.2 God is both wise and willing to wreak dis...
Read More

Isaiah 31 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Egypt’s Horses Will Stumble31 Oy, those going down to Egypt for help.They are relying on horses,trusting in chariots since they are many, and in horsemen since they are very mighty,but do not look to the Holy One of Israel nor seek Adonai! 2 Yet He is also wise.He brings disaster, and does not take ...
Read More

Isaiah 31 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Alliance with Egypt Is Futile31 Woe 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!2 And yet he is wise and brings disaster, he does not c...
Read More

Isaiah 31 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Alliance with Egypt Is Futile31 Woe 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!2 And yet he is wise and brings disaster, he does not c...
Read More

Isaiah 31 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Alliance with Egypt Is Futile31 Alas for those who go down to Egypt for help and who 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!2 Yet he too is wise and brings disaster; he does...
Read More

Isaiah 31 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Alliance with Egypt Is Futile31 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and who 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!(A)2 Yet he is wise and can bring disaster; he does...
Read More

Isaiah 31 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Futility of Relying on Egypt31 What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteersand depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.2 In his wisdom, the Lord will send great disaster; he will not...
Read More

Isaiah 31 - New Life Version (NLV)

Help Comes from the Lord, Not Egypt31 It is bad for those who go down to Egypt for help, and trust in the many horses and war-wagons, and in the much strength of their horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel or ask the Lord for help. 2 Yet He is wise and brings trouble, and does not ta...
Read More

Isaiah 31 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Folly of Not Trusting God31 Woe to those (A)who go down to Egypt for help,And (B)rely 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,(C)Nor seek the Lord!2 Yet He also is wise and will bring disaste...
Read More

Isaiah 31 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Woe to those who rely on Egypt31 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses,who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen,but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord.2 Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster; ...
Read More

Isaiah 31 - New International Version (NIV)

Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt31 Woe(A) to those who go down to Egypt(B) for help, who rely on horses,(C)who trust in the multitude of their chariots(D) and in the great strength of their horsemen,but do not look to the Holy One(E) of Israel, or seek help from the Lord.(F)2 Yet he too is wise(G) and...
Read More

Isaiah 31 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Lord Will Judge Those Who Depend on Egypt31 How terrible it will be for those who go down to Egypt for help! How terrible for those who depend on horses!They trust in how many chariots they have. They trust in how strong their horsemen are.But they don’t look to the Holy One of Israel. They don’...
Read More

Isaiah 31 - New English Translation (NET)

Egypt Will Disappoint31 Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead;[a]those who rely on war horses,and trust in Egypt’s many chariots[b]and in their many, many horsemen.[c]But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel[d]and do not seek help from the Lord.2 Yet he too is wise[e] and he ...
Read More