New King James Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

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

1Woe to those who enact evil statutes And to those who constantly record unjust decisions,

2To 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.

2So 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.

3What 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?

3Now 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?

4Without 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.

4Nothing 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“Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.

5Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hands is My indignation,

6I 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.

6I 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.

7Yet 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.

7Yet 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.

8For he says, ‘Are not my princes altogether kings?

8For it says, "Are not my princes all kings?

9Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?

9"Is not Calno like Carchemish, Or Hamath like Arpad, Or Samaria like Damascus?

10As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

10"As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, Whose graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

11As I have done to Samaria and her idols, Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?’ ”

11Shall I not do to Jerusalem and her images Just as I have done to Samaria and her idols?"

12Therefore 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.”

12So 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."

13For 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.

13For 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,

14My 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.”

14And 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."

15Shall 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!

15Is 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.

16Therefore 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.

16Therefore 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.

17So 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.

17And 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.

18And 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.

18And 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.

19Then the rest of the trees of his forest Will be so few in number That a child may write them.

19And the rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number That a child could write them down.

20And 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.

20Now 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.

21The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, To the Mighty God.

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

22For 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.

22For 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.

23For the Lord GOD of hosts Will make a determined end In the midst of all the land.

23For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord GOD of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land.

24Therefore 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.

24Therefore 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.

25For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.”

25"For in a very little while My indignation against you will be spent and My anger will be directed to their destruction."

26And 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.

26The 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.

27It 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.

27So 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.

28He has come to Aiath, He has passed Migron; At Michmash he has attended to his equipment.

28He has come against Aiath, He has passed through Migron; At Michmash he deposited his baggage.

29They have gone along the ridge, They have taken up lodging at Geba. Ramah is afraid, Gibeah of Saul has fled.

29They have gone through the pass, saying, "Geba will be our lodging place." Ramah is terrified, and Gibeah of Saul has fled away.

30Lift up your voice, O daughter of Gallim! Cause it to be heard as far as Laish— O poor Anathoth!

30Cry aloud with your voice, O daughter of Gallim! Pay attention, Laishah and wretched Anathoth!

31Madmenah has fled, The inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge.

31Madmenah has fled. The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge.

32As 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.

32Yet today he will halt at Nob; He shakes his fist at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33Behold, 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.

33Behold, 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.

34He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

34He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an iron axe, And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org