Isaiah 10 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

10 Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees,
and the writers who keep writing oppression,
2 to turn aside the needy from justice
and to rob the poor of my people of their right,
that widows may be their spoil,
and that they may make the fatherless their prey!
3 What will you do on the day of punishment,
in the storm which will come from afar?
To whom will you flee for help,
and where will you leave your wealth?
4 Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners
or fall among the slain.
For all this his anger is not turned away
and his hand is stretched out still.

Arrogant Assyria Also Judged

5 Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger,
the staff of my fury![a]
6 Against a godless nation I send him,
and against the people of my wrath I command him,
to take spoil and seize plunder,
and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 But he does not so intend,
and his mind does not so think;
but it is in his mind to destroy,
and to cut off nations not a few;
8 for he says:
“Are not my commanders all kings?
9 Is not Calno like Car′chemish?
Is not Hamath like Arpad?
Is not Samar′ia like Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols
whose graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samar′ia,
11 shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols
as I have done to Samar′ia and her images?”

12 When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem he[b] will punish the arrogant boasting of the king of Assyria and his haughty pride. 13 For he says:

“By the strength of my hand I have done it,
and by my wisdom, for I have understanding;
I have removed the boundaries of peoples,
and have plundered their treasures;
like a bull I have brought down those who sat on thrones.
14 My hand has found like a nest
the wealth of the peoples;
and as men gather eggs that have been forsaken
so I have gathered all the earth;
and there was none that moved a wing,
or opened the mouth, or chirped.”

15 Shall the axe vaunt itself over him who hews with it,
or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?
As if a rod should wield him who lifts it,
or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!
16 Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts,
will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors,
and under his glory a burning will be kindled,
like the burning of fire.
17 The light of Israel will become a fire,
and his Holy One a flame;
and it will burn and devour
his thorns and briers in one day.
18 The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land
the Lord will destroy, both soul and body,
and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.
19 The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few
that a child can write them down.

The Repentant Remnant of Israel

20 In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean upon him that smote them, but will lean upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 22 For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. 23 For the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.

24 Therefore thus says the Lord, the Lord of hosts: “O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they smite with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did. 25 For in a very little while my indignation will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction. 26 And the Lord of hosts will wield against them a scourge, as when he smote Mid′ian at the rock of Oreb; and his rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt. 27 And in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke will be destroyed from your neck.”

He has gone up from Rimmon,[c]
28 he has come to Ai′ath;
he has passed through Migron,
at Michmash he stores his baggage;
29 they have crossed over the pass,
at Geba they lodge for the night;
Ramah trembles,
Gib′e-ah of Saul has fled.
30 Cry aloud, O daughter of Gallim!
Hearken, O La′ishah!
Answer her, O An′athoth!
31 Madme′nah is in flight,
the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.
32 This very day he will halt at Nob,
he will shake his fist
at the mount of the daughter of Zion,
the hill of Jerusalem.

33 Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts
will lop the boughs with terrifying power;
the great in height will be hewn down,
and the lofty will be brought low.
34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an axe,
and Lebanon with its majestic trees[d] will fall.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 10:5 Heb a staff it is in their hand my fury
  2. Isaiah 10:12 Heb I
  3. Isaiah 10:27 Cn: Heb and his yoke from your neck, and a yoke will be destroyed because of fatness
  4. Isaiah 10:34 Cn Compare Gk Vg: Heb with a majestic one

You Might Also Like:

Isaiah 10 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

10 Wo [to] those decreeing decrees of iniquity, And writers who have prescribed perverseness. 2 To turn aside from judgment the poor, And to take violently away the judgment Of the afflicted of My people, That widows may be their prey, That the fatherless they may spoil. 3 And what do ye at a day of...
Read More

Isaiah 10 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

10 Woe to them that make wicked laws, and they writing have written unrightfulness, (Woe to them who make wicked laws, and they writing have written injustice,) 2 for to oppress poor men in doom, and to do violence to the cause of meek men of my people; that widows shall be the prey of them, and tha...
Read More

Isaiah 10 - World English Bible (WEB)

10 Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers who write oppressive decrees; 2 to deprive the needy of justice, and to rob the poor among my people of their rights, that widows may be their plunder, and that they may make the fatherless their prey! 3 What will you do in the day...
Read More

Isaiah 10 - The Voice (VOICE)

Manasseh and Ephraim are family; they have a common language and common culture, and they come from common stock. In every way that matters they are brothers, but they are at war with each other. And they don’t stop there. They turn against Judah, their southern relative. Amazingly, God has chosen t...
Read More

Isaiah 10 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Oy to Unjust Legislators10 Oy to those enacting unjust decreesand recording corrupt legislation,2 to deprive the helpless of justiceand rob the rights of the poor of My people,so that widows may be their spoil and orphans their prey!3 What will you do in the day of visitation,when desolation comes f...
Read More

Isaiah 10 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

10 Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression,2 to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right,that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!3 What will you do on the day of punishme...
Read More

Isaiah 10 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

10 Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression,2 to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right,that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!3 What will you do on the day of punishme...
Read More

Isaiah 10 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

10 Ah, you who make iniquitous decrees, who write oppressive statutes,2 to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right,that widows may be your spoil, and that you may make the orphans your prey!3 What will you do on the day of punishment, in the calamity that wi...
Read More

Isaiah 10 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

10 Woe to those who make iniquitous decrees, who write oppressive statutes,(A)2 to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right,to make widows their spoil and to plunder orphans!(B)3 What will you do on the day of punishment, in the calamity that will come from f...
Read More

Isaiah 10 - New Living Translation (NLT)

10 What sorrow awaits the unjust judges and those who issue unfair laws.2 They deprive the poor of justice and deny the rights of the needy among my people.They prey on widows and take advantage of orphans.3 What will you do when I punish you, when I send disaster upon you from a distant land?To who...
Read More

Isaiah 10 - New Life Version (NLV)

10 It is bad for those who make laws that are not fair. It is bad for those who make it hard for people. 2 They keep what is right and fair from those in need. They take away the rights of the poor of My people. They take from wives after their husbands die, and take what belongs to those who have ...
Read More

Isaiah 10 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Assyria Shall Be Broken10 “Woe to those who (A)decree unrighteous decrees,Who write misfortune,Which they have prescribed2 To rob the needy of justice,And to take what is right from the poor of My people,That widows may be their prey,And that they may rob the fatherless.3 (B)What will you do in (C)t...
Read More

Isaiah 10 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

10 Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees,2 to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.3 What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar?To whom...
Read More

Isaiah 10 - New International Version (NIV)

10 Woe(A) to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees,(B)2 to deprive(C) the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,(D)making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.(E)3 What will you do on the day of reckoning,(F) when disaster(G) co...
Read More

Isaiah 10 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

10 How terrible it will be for you who make laws that aren’t fair!How terrible for you who write laws that make life hard for others!2 You take away the rights of poor people. You hold back what is fair from my people who are suffering.You take for yourselves what belongs to widows. You rob children...
Read More

Isaiah 10 - New English Translation (NET)

10 Beware, those who enact unjust policies;[a]those who are always instituting unfair regulations,[b]2 to keep the poor from getting fair treatment,and to deprive[c] the oppressed among my people of justice,so they can steal what widows own,and loot what belongs to orphans.[d]3 What will you do on j...
Read More