1 W o those decreeing decrees of iniquity, And writers who have prescribed perverseness.

“Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, Who write misfortune, Which they have prescribed

2 T o turn aside from judgment the poor, And to take violently away the judgment Of the afflicted of My people, That widows may be their prey, That the fatherless they may spoil.

To rob the needy of justice, And to take what is right from the poor of My people, That widows may be their prey, And that they may rob the fatherless.

3 A nd what do ye at a day of inspection? And at desolation? -- from afar it cometh. Near whom do ye flee for help? And where do ye leave your honour?

What will you do in the day of punishment, And in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory?

4 W ithout Me it hath bowed down In the place of a bound one, And in the place of the slain they fall. With all this not turned back hath His anger, And still His hand is stretched out.

Without Me they 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. Arrogant Assyria Also Judged

5 W o Asshur, a rod of Mine anger, And a staff in their hand Mine indignation.

“Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.

6 A gainst a profane nation I send him, And concerning a people of My wrath I charge him, To spoil spoil, and to seize prey, And to make it a treading-place as the clay of out places.

I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

7 A nd he -- he thinketh not so, And his heart reckoneth not so, For -- to destroy in his heart, And to cut off nations not a few.

Yet he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so; But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations.

8 F or he saith, `Are not my princes altogether kings?

For he says, ‘ Are not my princes altogether kings?

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

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

10 A s my hand hath got to the kingdoms of a worthless thing, and their graven images, than Jerusalem and than Samaria,

As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

11 D o I not -- as I have done to Samaria, And to her worthless things, So do to Jerusalem and to her grievous things?

As I have done to Samaria and her idols, Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?’”

12 A nd it hath come to pass, When the Lord doth fulfil all His work In mount Zion and in Jerusalem, I see concerning the fruit of the greatness Of the heart of the king of Asshur. And concerning the glory of the height of his eyes.

Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”

13 F or he hath said, `By the power of my hand I have wrought, And by my wisdom, for I have been intelligent, And I remove borders of the peoples, And their chief ones I have spoiled, And I put down as a mighty one the inhabitants,

For he says: “By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man.

14 A nd my hand as to a nest Getteth to the wealth of the peoples, And as a gathering of forsaken eggs All the earth I -- I have gathered, And there hath not been one moving wing, Or opening mouth, or whispering.'

My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people, And as one gathers eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; And there was no one who moved his wing, Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.”

15 - - Doth the axe glorify itself Against him who is hewing with it? Doth the saw magnify itself Against him who is shaking it? As a rod waving those lifting it up! As a staff lifting up that which is not wood!

Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!

16 T herefore doth the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, Send among his fat ones leanness, And under his honour He kindleth a burning As the burning of a fire.

Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Will send leanness among his fat ones; And under his glory He will kindle a burning Like the burning of a fire.

17 A nd the light of Israel hath been for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame, And it hath burned, and devoured his thorn And his brier in one day.

So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour His thorns and his briers in one day.

18 A nd the honour of his forest, and his fruitful field, From soul even unto flesh He doth consume, And it hath been as the fainting of a standard-bearer.

And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, Both soul and body; And they will be as when a sick man wastes away.

19 A nd the rest of the trees of his forest few, And a youth doth write them.

Then the rest of the trees of his forest Will be so few in number That a child may write them. The Returning Remnant of Israel

20 A nd it hath come to pass, in that day, The remnant of Israel, And the escaped of the house of Jacob, Do not add any more to lean on its smiter, And have leant on Jehovah, The Holy One of Israel, in truth.

And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel, And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21 A remnant returneth -- a remnant of Jacob, Unto the Mighty God.

The 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, A remnant doth return of it, A consumption determined, Overflowing righteousness.

For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, A remnant of them will return; The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

23 F or a consumption that is determined, The Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, Is making in the midst of all the land.

For the Lord God of hosts Will make a determined end In the midst of all the land.

24 T herefore, thus said the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, `Be not afraid, my people, inhabiting Zion, because of Asshur, With a rod he doth smite thee, And his staff lifteth up against thee, in the way of Egypt.

Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt.

25 F or yet a very little, And the indignation hath been completed, And Mine anger by their wearing out.

For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.”

26 A nd awaking for him is Jehovah of Hosts, A scourge like the smiting of Midian at the rock Oreb, And his rod over the sea, And he hath lifted it in the way of Egypt.

And the Lord of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt.

27 A nd it hath come to pass, in that day, Turned is his burden from off thy shoulder, And his yoke from off thy neck, And destroyed hath been the yoke, because of prosperity.

It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.

28 H e hath come in against Aiath, He hath passed over into Migron, At Michmash he looketh after his vessels.

He has come to Aiath, He has passed Migron; At Michmash he has attended to his equipment.

29 T hey have gone over the passage, Geba they have made a lodging place, Trembled hath Rama, Gibeah of Saul fled.

They have gone along the ridge, They have taken up lodging at Geba. Ramah is afraid, Gibeah of Saul has fled.

30 C ry aloud thy voice, daughter of Gallim, Give attention, Laish! answer her, Anathoth.

Lift up your voice, O daughter of Gallim! Cause it to be heard as far as Laish— O poor Anathoth!

31 F led away hath Madmenah, The inhabitants of the high places have hardened themselves.

Madmenah has fled, The inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge.

32 Y et to-day in Nob to remain, Wave its hand doth the mount of the daughter of Zion, The hill of Jerusalem.

As yet he will remain at Nob that day; He will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, The hill of Jerusalem.

33 L o, the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, Is lopping a branch with violence, And the high of stature are cut down, And the lofty are become low,

Behold, the Lord, The Lord of hosts, Will lop off the bough with terror; Those of high stature will be hewn down, And the haughty will be humbled.

34 A nd He hath gone round the thickets of the forest with iron, And Lebanon by a mighty one falleth!

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