1 W oe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;

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

2 T o 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!

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 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?

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 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.

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

Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hands is My indignation,

6 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.

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 owbeit 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.

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 he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?

For it says, “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 like Carchemish, Or Hamath like Arpad, Or Samaria like Damascus?

10 A s my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them 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, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

Shall I not do to Jerusalem and her images Just as I have done to Samaria and her idols?”

12 W herefore 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.

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 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:

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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 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 A nd shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth.

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

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

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

22 F or 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.

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

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 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.

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 very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their 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 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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

31 M admenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.

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

32 A s 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.

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

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

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