1 W oe to those who issue unrighteous decrees, and to the magistrates who keep causing unjust and oppressive decisions to be recorded,

Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;

2 T o turn aside the needy from justice and to make plunder of the rightful claims of the poor of My people, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

to turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!

3 A nd what will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you deposit your wealth and with whom leave your glory?

And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?

4 W ithout Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, and they shall fall under the heaps of the slain. For all this, anger is not turned away, but His hand is still stretched out.

Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

5 W oe to the Assyrian, the rod of My anger, the staff in whose hand is My indignation and fury!

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

6 I send against a hypocritical and godless nation and against the people of My wrath; I command him to take the spoil and to seize the prey and to tread them down like the mire in the streets.

I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

7 H owever, this is not his intention, neither does his mind so think and plan; but it is in his mind to destroy and cut off many nations.

Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.

8 F or says, Are not my officers all either kings or their equal?

For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?

9 I s not Calno like Carchemish ? Is not Hamath like Arpad ? Is not Samaria like Damascus ?

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

10 A s my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols whose graven images were more to be feared and dreaded and more mighty than those of Jerusalem and of Samaria—

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

11 S hall I not be able to do to Jerusalem and her images as I have done to Samaria and her idols?

shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

12 T herefore when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, it shall be that He will inflict punishment on the fruit of the stout and arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the haughtiness of his pride.

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

13 F or has said, I have done it solely by the power of my own hand and wisdom, for I have insight and understanding. I have removed the boundaries of the peoples and have robbed their treasures; and like a bull I have brought down those who sat on thrones and the inhabitants.

For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:

14 A nd my hand has found like a nest the wealth of the people; and as one gathers eggs that are forsaken, so I have gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved its wing, or that opened its mouth or chirped.

and my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

15 S hall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw magnify itself against him who wields it back and forth? As if a rod should wield those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift itself up as if it were not wood!

Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.

16 T herefore will the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send leanness among fat ones; and instead of his glory or under it He will kindle a burning like the burning of fire.

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

17 A nd the Light of Israel shall become a fire and His Holy One a flame, and it will burn and devour thorns and briers in one day.

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

18 w ill consume the glory of the forest and of his fruitful field, both soul and body; and it shall be as when a sick man pines away or a standard-bearer faints.

and shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.

19 A nd the remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child may make a list of them.

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

20 A nd it shall be in that day that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more lean upon him who smote them, but will lean upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

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 more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21 A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.

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

22 F or though your population, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of it will return. The destruction is decreed (decided upon and brought to an issue); it overflows with justice and righteousness.

For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

23 F or the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will make a full end, whatever is determined or decreed, in the midst of all the earth.

For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.

24 T herefore thus says the Lord, the Lord of hosts, O My people who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian, who smites you with a rod and lifts up his staff against you, as Egypt did.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.

25 F or yet a little while and My indignation against you shall be accomplished, and My anger shall be directed to destruction.

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

26 A nd the Lord of hosts shall stir up and brandish a scourge against them as when He smote Midian at the rock of Oreb; and as His rod was over the Sea, so shall He lift it up as He did in Egypt.

And the Lord of hosts shall stir up 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 up after the manner of Egypt.

27 A nd it shall be in that day that the burden of shall depart from your shoulders, and his yoke from your neck. The yoke shall be destroyed because of fatness.

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

28 H e arrives at Aiath; he passes through Migron; at Michmash he gets rid of his baggage.

He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:

29 T hey go through the pass, they make Geba their camping place for the night; Ramah is afraid and trembles, Gibeah of Saul flees.

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

30 C ry aloud, O Daughter of Gallim! Hearken, O Laishah! O you poor Anathoth!

Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.

31 M admenah is in flight; the inhabitants of Gebim seize their belongings and make their households flee for safety.

Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.

32 T his very day will halt at Nob, shaking his fist at the mountain of the Daughter of Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.

As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33 b ehold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will lop off the beautiful boughs with terrorizing force; the high in stature will be hewn down and the lofty will be brought low.

Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.

34 A nd He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an ax, and Lebanon with its majestic trees shall fall by the Mighty One and mightily.

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