1 W oe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers who write oppressive decrees;

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

2 t o deprive the needy from justice, and to rob the poor among my people of their rights, that widows may be their plunder, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

To 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!

3 W hat will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

And 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?

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

Without 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.

5 A las Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my indignation!

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

6 I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people who anger me will I give him a command to take the plunder and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

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.

7 H owever he doesn’t mean so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations.

However, 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.

8 F or he says, “Aren’t all of my princes kings?

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

9 I sn’t Calno like Carchemish? Isn’t Hamath like Arpad? Isn’t Samaria like Damascus?”

Is not Calno like Carchemish ? Is not Hamath like Arpad ? Is not Samaria like Damascus ?

10 A s my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose engraved images exceeded those of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

As 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—

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

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

12 T herefore it will happen that, when the Lord has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the willful proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of his haughty looks.

Therefore 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.

13 F or he has said, “By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I have understanding: and I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures. Like a valiant man I have brought down their rulers.

For 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.

14 M y hand has found the riches of the peoples like a nest, and like one gathers eggs that are abandoned, have I gathered all the earth. There was no one who moved their wing, or that opened their mouth, or chirped.”

And 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.

15 S hould an ax brag against him who chops with it? Should a saw exalt itself above him who saws with it? As if a rod should lift those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up someone who is not wood.

Shall 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!

16 T herefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory a burning will be kindled like the burning of fire.

Therefore 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.

17 T he light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.

And 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.

18 H e will consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body. It will be as when a standard bearer faints.

will 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.

19 T he remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child could write their number.

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

20 I t will come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and those who have escaped from the house of Jacob will no more again lean on him who struck them, but shall lean on Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

And 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.

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

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

22 F or though your people, Israel, are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.

For 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.

23 F or the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will make a full end, and that determined, throughout all the earth.

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

24 T herefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, says “My people who dwell in Zion, don’t be afraid of the Assyrian, though he strike you with the rod, and lift up his staff against you, as Egypt did.

Therefore 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.

25 F or yet a very little while, and the indignation against you will be accomplished, and my anger will be directed to his destruction.”

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

26 Y ahweh of Armies will stir up a scourge against him, as in the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb. His rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up like he did against Egypt.

And 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.

27 I t will happen in that day, that his burden will depart from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing oil.

And 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.

28 H e has come to Aiath. He has passed through Migron. At Michmash he stores his baggage.

He arrives at Aiath; he passes through Migron; at Michmash he gets rid of his baggage.

29 T hey have gone over the pass. They have taken up their lodging at Geba. Ramah trembles. Gibeah of Saul has fled.

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

30 C ry aloud with your voice, daughter of Gallim! Listen, Laishah! You poor Anathoth!

Cry aloud, O Daughter of Gallim! Hearken, O Laishah! O you poor Anathoth!

31 M admenah is a fugitive. The inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.

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

32 T his very day he will halt at Nob. He shakes his hand at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

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

33 B ehold, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will lop the boughs with terror. The tall will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low.

behold, 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.

34 H e will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

And 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.