2
to turn aside the needy from justice and 3to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!
3
What will you do on 4the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come 5from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?
4
Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain. 6For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.
Judgment on Arrogant Assyria
6
Against a 8godless nation I send him, and against the people of my wrath I command him, to take 9spoil and seize plunder, and to 10tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7
But he 11does not so intend, and his heart does not so think; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few;
9
13Is not 14Calno like 15Carchemish? Is not 16Hamath like 17Arpad? 18Is not 19Samaria like Damascus?
10
As my hand has reached to 20the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
12
23When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, 24hea will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes.
13
25For he says: "By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding; I remove the boundaries of peoples, and plunder their treasures; like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.
14
My hand has found like a nest the wealth of the peoples; and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken, so I have gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved a wing or opened the mouth or chirped."
15
Shall 26the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!
16
Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts will send wasting sickness among his 27stout warriors, and under his glory 28a burning will be kindled, like the burning of fire.
17
29The light of Israel will become a fire, and 30his Holy One a flame, and 31it will burn and devour his thorns and briers 32in one day.
18
The glory of 33his forest and of his 34fruitful land the LORD will destroy, both soul and body, and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.
19
The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few that a child can write them down.
The Remnant of Israel Will Return
20
35In that day 36the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more 37lean on him who struck them, but 38will lean on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
22
40For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, 41only a remnant of them will return. 42Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness.
23
For the Lord GOD of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.
24
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: "O my people, 43who dwell in Zion, 44be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as 45the Egyptians did.
25
For 46in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction.
26
And 47the LORD of hosts will wield against them a whip, as when he struck 48Midian 49at the rock of Oreb. And his staff will be over the sea, and he will lift it 50as he did in Egypt.
27
And in that day 51his burden will depart from your shoulder, and 52his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because of the fat."b
29
they have crossed over 55the pass; at 56Geba they lodge for the night; 57Ramah trembles; 58Gibeah of Saul has fled.
31
Madmenah is in flight; the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.
32
This very day he will halt at 61Nob; he will shake his fist at the mount of 62the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)