The Lord, Not the Egyptians, Will Protect His People from Assyria
31 How horrible it will be for those
who go to Egypt for help,
who rely on horses,
who depend on many chariots,
who depend on very strong war horses.
They don’t look to Qedosh Yisrael.
They don’t seek Yahweh.
2 He is wise and can bring about disaster.
He doesn’t take back his words.
He rises against wicked people
and against those who help troublemakers.
3 The Egyptians are humans, not gods.
Their horses are flesh and blood, not spirit.
When Yahweh uses his powerful hand,
the one who gives help will stumble,
and the one who receives help will fall.
Both will die together.
4 This is what Yahweh said to me:
A lion, even a young lion, growls over its prey
when a crowd of shepherds is called to fight it.
It isn’t frightened by their voices
or disturbed by the noise they make.
So Yahweh Tsebaoth will come to fight for
Mount Zion and its hill.
5 Yahweh Tsebaoth will defend Jerusalem like a hovering bird.
He will defend it and rescue it.
He will pass over it and protect it.
6 You people of Israel, return to the one
whom you have so violently rebelled against.
7 When that day comes, all of you will reject
the silver and gold idols
that your sinful hands have made.
8 Then Assyrians will be killed with swords not made by human hands.
Swords not made by human hands will destroy them.
They will flee from battle,
and their young men will be made to do forced labor.
9 In terror they will run to their stronghold,[a]
and their officers will be frightened at the sight of the battle flag.
Yahweh declares this. His fire is in Zion and his furnace is in Jerusalem.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 31:9 Hebrew meaning of this line uncertain.