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

It is bad for those who make laws that are not fair. It is bad for those who make it hard for people.

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.

They keep what is right and fair from those in need. They take away the rights of the poor of My people. They take from wives after their husbands die, and take what belongs to those who have no parents.

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?

Now what will you do in the day of punishment, when the destroying power comes from far away? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?

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.

Nothing will be left to do but to bow down among those who are being taken to prison, or fall among those who are killed. Even with all this, His anger does not turn away. His hand is still held out. Assyria Used to Punish Israel

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

It is bad for Assyria. I use Assyria like a stick to punish Israel.

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 sent it against a nation without God, against the people of My anger. I sent it to take away the riches of battle, and to step hard on the people like dirt in 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.

But this is not what is in Assyria’s mind. It does not plan this in its heart. It plans 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 got to the kingdoms of a worthless thing, and their graven images, than Jerusalem and than Samaria,

My hand took the nations of the false gods, whose false gods were greater than 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?

Should I not do to Jerusalem and her gods just as I have done to Samaria and her gods?”

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.

So when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will punish the proud heart of the king of Assyria and his proud spirit.

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 the king has said, “I did this by the power of my hand and by my wisdom, for I have understanding. I moved the land-marks of the people and took their riches. Like a strong man I have brought down those who sat on thrones.

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 taken the riches of the people like one taken from a nest. I gathered all the earth as one gathers eggs that have been left. And there was not one that moved its wing or opened its mouth or made a sound.”

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!

Can an ax say it is more important than the one who uses it? Is the saw more important than the one who saws with it? A stick of wood does not lift up a man. A man lifts up a stick.

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.

So the Lord, the Lord of All, will send a wasting disease among the strong Assyrian soldiers. Under the king’s greatness a fire will be started that will burn and burn.

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.

The light of Israel and his Holy One will become a fire. And it will burn and destroy his thorns and thistles 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.

The Lord will destroy the greatness of the trees and the fields that give much fruit, both soul and body. It 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.

And the rest of his trees will be so few that a child could write them down. A Few of Israel Will Return

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.

In that day those of Israel and of the family of Jacob who are still alive will never again trust in the one who destroyed them. But they will trust in the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

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

Some people, those who are left of Jacob, will return to the powerful 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.

Even if there are as many Jews as the sand by the sea, only a few of them will return. The plan is to destroy them and it will be right and complete.

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 of All will destroy everything in the whole land and do what He planned. Assyria Will Be Punished

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.

So the Lord, the Lord of All, says, “O My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians when they come to fight against you as the Egyptians did.

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

For in a very little while My anger against you will come to an end and it will be turned to destroy them.”

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.

The Lord of All will punish them like He punished Midian at the rock of Oreb. His special stick will be over the sea and He will lift it up the way He did in 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.

In that day the Assyrian’s load will be taken from your shoulders and neck, and it will be broken because you are so fat.

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

He has come against Aiath. He has passed through Migron. At Michmash he left his bags.

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 through a narrow path. They stayed in Geba during the night. Ramah is afraid, and Gibeah of Saul has run away.

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

Cry out with your voice, O people of Gallim! See, Laishah! Answer her, O Anathoth!

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

Madmenah has run away. The people of Gebim have looked for a safe place.

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

Yet today he will stop at Nob. He shakes his hand at the mountain of the people 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,

See, the Lord, the Lord of All, will cut off the branches with a great noise. Those who stand tall will be cut down. And those who are high will be brought low.

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 many trees with an iron ax. And Lebanon will fall by the Powerful One.