Chapter 10

Woe unto them that decree⁶ unrighteous decrees, and that write¹⁸ grievousness [which] they have prescribed;¹⁴

To turn aside⁵³ the needy from judgment, and to take away² the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and [that] they may rob⁴ the fatherless!

And what will ye do⁴ in the day of visitation, and in the desolation [which] shall come⁴ from far? to whom will ye flee⁴ for help? and where will ye leave⁴ your glory?

Without me they shall bow down¹ under the prisoners, and they shall fall⁴ under the slain.⁷ For all this his anger is not turned away,¹ but his hand [is] stretched out⁷ still.

O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.

I will send¹⁷ him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge,¹⁷ to take² the spoil, and to take² the prey, and to tread them² down like the mire of the streets.

Howbeit he meaneth¹⁷ not so, neither doth his heart think⁴ so; but [it is] in his heart to destroy⁵³ and cut off⁵³ nations not a few.

For he saith,⁴ [Are] not my princes altogether kings?

[Is] not Calno as Carchemish? [is] not Hamath as Arpad? [is] not Samaria as Damascus?

As my hand hath found¹ the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

Shall I not, as I have done¹ unto Samaria and her idols, so do⁴ to Jerusalem and her idols?

Wherefore it shall come to pass, [that] when the Lord hath performed¹⁷ his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish⁴ the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.

For he saith,¹ By the strength of my hand I have done¹ [it], and by my wisdom; for I am prudent:⁸ and I have removed⁵⁵ the bounds of the people, and have robbed²² their treasures, ⁶²⁶⁴ and I have put down⁵⁵ the inhabitants⁶ like a valiant ³⁵²⁴ [man]:

And my hand hath found⁴ as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth² eggs [that are] left,⁷ have I gathered¹ all the earth; and there was none that moved⁶ the wing, or opened⁶ the mouth, or peeped.⁴⁷

Shall the axe boast¹⁰¹ itself against him that heweth⁶ therewith? [or] shall the saw magnify¹⁰¹ itself against him that shaketh⁵⁶ it? as if the rod should shake⁵³ [itself] against them that lift it up,⁵⁶ [or] as if the staff should lift up⁵³ [itself, as if it were] no wood.

Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord ³⁰⁶⁸ of hosts, send¹⁷ among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle⁴ a burning like the burning of a fire.

And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn¹ and devour¹ his thorns and his briers in one day;

And shall consume¹⁷ the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer⁶ fainteth.²

And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write⁴ them.

And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more⁵⁵ again stay⁹ upon him that smote⁵⁶ them; but shall stay⁸ upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

The remnant shall return,⁴ [even] the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, [yet] a remnant of them shall return:⁴ the consumption decreed⁷ shall overflow⁶ with righteousness.

For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make⁶ a consumption, even determined,¹² in the midst of all the land.

Therefore thus saith¹ the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest⁶ in Zion, be not afraid⁴ of the Assyrian: he shall smite⁵⁵ thee with a rod, and shall lift up⁴ his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.

For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease,¹ and mine anger in their destruction.

And the LORD of hosts shall stir up³¹ a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and [as] his rod [was] upon the sea, so shall he lift it up¹ after the manner of Egypt.

And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] his burden shall be taken away⁴ from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed²⁷ because of the anointing.

He is come¹ to Aiath, he is passed¹ to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up⁵⁵ his carriages:

They are gone over¹ the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid;¹ Gibeah of Saul is fled.¹

Lift up¹⁶ thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: ¹⁵⁵⁴ cause it to be heard⁵⁴ unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.

Madmenah is removed;¹ the inhabitants⁶ of Gebim ¹³⁷⁴ gather⁵² themselves to flee.

As yet shall he remain² at Nob that day: he shall shake³⁴ his hand [against] the mount of the daughter ¹⁰⁰⁴ of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop¹⁸ the bough with terror: and the high ones⁶ of stature [shall be] hewn down,⁷ and the haughty shall be humbled.⁴

And he shall cut down¹⁴ the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall⁴ by a mighty one.