Woe to Those Who Trust Egypt

¹Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,[#Dt 17:16]

and rely on horses,

and trust in chariots because they are many,

and in horsemen because they are very strong,

but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel

nor seek the Lord !

²Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster

and will not call back His words,

but will arise against the house of the evildoers

and against the help of those who work iniquity.

³Now the Egyptians are men and not God;[#Eze 28:9]

and their horses flesh and not spirit.

When the Lord shall stretch out His hand,

both he who helps shall fall

and he who is helped shall fall down,

and they all shall fail together.

⁴For thus the Lord has spoken to me:

Like the lion, and the young lion,

roars over his prey,

against which a multitude of shepherds

is called out against him,

he will not be afraid of their voice,

nor disturbed at their noise,

so shall the Lord of Hosts come down

to fight for Mount Zion, and for its hill.

⁵Like flying birds,

so the Lord of Hosts will defend Jerusalem.

He will defend and deliver it;

He will pass over and preserve it.

⁶Turn to Him whom you have deeply betrayed, O sons of Israel.[#Isa 55:7; Jer 3:10]

⁷For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold which your own hands have made for you as a sin.[#Isa 2:20; 30:22]

⁸“Then the Assyrian shall fall by the sword that is not of man,[#Isa 14:25]

and the sword not of man shall devour him.

So he shall not escape the sword,

and his young men shall become forced laborers.

⁹He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear,

and his princes shall be afraid of the banner,”

says the Lord ,

whose fire is in Zion,

and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.