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

Woe to those who enact evil statutes And to those who constantly record unjust decisions,

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!

So as to deprive the needy of justice And rob the poor of My people of their rights, So that widows may be their spoil And that they may plunder the orphans.

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?

Now what will you do in the day of punishment, And in the devastation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth?

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.

Nothing remains but to crouch among the captives Or fall among the slain. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.

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

Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hands is My 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 send it against a godless nation And commission it against the people of My fury To capture booty and to seize plunder, And to trample them down like mud in 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.

Yet it does not so intend, Nor does it plan so in its heart, But rather it is its purpose to destroy And to cut off many nations.

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

For it says, “Are not my princes all kings?

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

“Is not Calno like Carchemish, Or Hamath like Arpad, Or Samaria like 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 has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, Whose graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem and 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 do to Jerusalem and her images Just as I have done to Samaria 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.

So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness.”

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 has said, “By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this, For I have understanding; And I removed the boundaries of the peoples And plundered their treasures, And like a mighty man I brought down their inhabitants,

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 reached to the riches of the peoples like a nest, And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth; And there was not one that flapped its wing or opened its beak or chirped.”

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!

Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, Or like a rod lifting him who is not 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 the Lord, the God of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors; And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.

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 will become a fire and his Holy One a flame, And it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single 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 He will destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body, And it will be as when a sick man wastes away.

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 will be so small in number That a child could write them down. A Remnant Will Return

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.

Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

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

A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to 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 your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, Only a remnant within them will return; A destruction is determined, overflowing 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 a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord God of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole 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 says the Lord God of hosts, “O My people who dwell in Zion, do not fear the Assyrian who strikes you with the rod and lifts up his staff against you, the way Egypt did.

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

For in a very little while My indignation against you will be spent and My anger will be directed to 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.

The Lord of hosts will arouse a scourge against him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His staff will be over the sea and He will lift it up the way He did in 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.

So it will be in that day, that his burden will be removed from your shoulders and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be broken because of fatness.

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

He has come against Aiath, He has passed through Migron; At Michmash he deposited his baggage.

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 have gone through the pass, saying, “ Geba will be our lodging place.” Ramah is terrified, and Gibeah of Saul has fled away.

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

Cry aloud with your voice, O daughter of Gallim! Pay attention, Laishah and wretched Anathoth!

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

Madmenah has fled. The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge.

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.

Yet today he will halt at Nob; He shakes his fist at the mountain 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 God of hosts, will lop off the boughs with a terrible crash; Those also who are tall in stature will be cut down And those who are lofty will be abased.

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.

He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an iron axe, And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.