1 ¶ Woe unto those that establish unrighteous laws and that wilfully prescribe tyranny

Woe unto them that decree iniquitous decrees, and to the writers that prescribe oppression,

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

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

3 A nd 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?

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

4 T hey shall bow down among the prisoners, and they shall fall among the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

They can but crouch under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

5 ¶ O Assyrian, rod and staff of my anger, in thy hand have I placed my indignation.

Ah! the Assyrian! the rod of mine anger! and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.

6 I will send him against a hypocritical nation, and upon the people of my wrath will I send him to take spoil and to take prey and to ready them that they might be tread down like the mire of the streets.

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

7 H owbeit he shall not think like this; not even in his heart shall he imagine this way of doing things, but his thought shall be to destroy and cut off nations not a few.

But he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; for it is in his heart to extirpate and cut off nations not a few.

8 F or he shall say, Are not my princes altogether kings?

For he saith, Are not my princes all kings?

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

Is not Calno as Karkemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad? Is not Samaria as Damascus?

10 A s my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel those of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols,—and their graven images exceeded those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

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

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

12 T herefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord has performed his whole work upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will come upon the fruit of the pride of the heart of the king of Assyria, and upon the glory of his high looks.

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

13 F or he said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I have been prudent: and I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures, and I have cast down as valiant ones those who were seated:

For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done, and by my wisdom, for I am intelligent; and I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures, and, like a valiant man, I have brought down them that sit;

14 A nd my hand has found as a nest the riches of the peoples: and as one gathers eggs that are left, I have taken control over all the earth; and there was no one that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

and my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the peoples, and as one gathereth forsaken eggs, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or chirped.

15 S hall the axe boast itself against him that hews with it? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that moves it? as if the rod should rise up against those that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift itself up. Is it not wood?

—Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? shall the saw magnify itself against him that wieldeth it? As if the rod should wield them that lift it up; as if the staff should lift up not wood!

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

Therefore shall the Lord, Jehovah 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 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;

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 briars in one day,

18 a nd shall consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, from the soul unto the flesh; and they shall come to be as a standard-bearer in defeat.

and it shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body; and they shall be as when a sick man fainteth.

19 A nd the trees that shall remain in his forest shall be in number such that a child may count them.

And the remainder of the trees of his forest shall be few: yea, a child might write them.

20 ¶ And it shall come to pass in that day that those who shall be left of Israel and those who shall be left 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.

And it shall come to pass in that day, the remnant of Israel and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob shall no more again rely upon him that smote them; but they shall rely upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21 T he remnant shall become converted, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

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

22 F or though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet the remnant of them shall become converted; when the consumption comes to an end, righteousness shall overflow.

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

23 F or the Lord GOD of the hosts shall make a consumption and an end in the midst of all the land.

For a consumption, and determined, will the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, accomplish in the midst of all the land.

24 ¶ Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of the hosts, O my people, dweller of Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian; he shall smite thee with a rod and shall lift up his stick against thee by the way of Egypt;

Therefore thus saith the Lord, Jehovah 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 y et from now until a very little while the indignation and my anger shall cease, to make an end of them.

for yet a very little while, and the indignation shall be accomplished, and mine anger, in their destruction.

26 A nd the LORD of the hosts shall raise up a scourge against him as the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb and shall raise up his rod upon the sea, by the way of Egypt.

And Jehovah of hosts will stir up a scourge against him, according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and his rod upon the sea, and he will lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

27 A nd 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 consumed in the presence of the anointing.

And it shall come to pass in that day, 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 is come to Aiath; he is passed unto Migron; in Michmash he shall number his army:

He is come to Aiath, he hath passed through Migron; at Michmash he layeth up his baggage.

29 T hey are gone over the fords; they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.

They are gone through the pass; they make their lodging at Geba: Ramah trembleth, Gibeah of Saul is fled.

30 L ift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim; Laish cause poor Anathoth to hear thee.

Lift up thy voice, daughter of Gallim! Hearken, O Laish!—Poor Anathoth!

31 M admenah is in upheaval; the inhabitants of Gebim shall gather themselves together.

Madmenah is fugitive; the inhabitants of Gebim take to flight.

32 E ven yet shall come a day when he shall rest at Nob; he shall raise his hand unto the mountain of the daughter of Zion unto the hill of Jerusalem.

Still a day of halting at Nob; he shaketh his hand the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. …

33 B ehold, the Lord, the LORD of the hosts, shall lop the bough with force, and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.

Behold the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, shall lop the boughs with violence; and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be brought low;

34 A nd he shall cut down the thickness of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by force.

and he shall make clearings in the thickets of the forest with iron; and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.