Egypt Will Disappoint

¹Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead,[#tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”]

those who rely on war horses,

and trust in Egypt’s many chariots

and in their many, many horsemen.

But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel

and do not seek help from the Lord .

²Yet he too is wise and he will bring disaster;[#sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.]

he does not retract his decree.

He will attack the wicked nation,

and the nation that helps those who commit sin.

³The Egyptians are mere humans, not God;

their horses are made of flesh, not spirit.

The Lord will strike with his hand;

the one who helps will stumble

and the one being helped will fall.

Together they will perish.

The Lord Will Defend Zion

⁴Indeed, this is what the Lord says to me:

“The Lord will be like a growling lion,

like a young lion growling over its prey.

Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it,

it is not afraid of their shouts

or intimidated by their yelling.

In this same way the Lord who commands armies will descend

to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill.

⁵Just as birds hover over a nest,[#tn Heb “just as birds fly.” The words “over a nest” are supplied in the translation for clarification.]

so the Lord who commands armies will protect Jerusalem.

He will protect and deliver it;

as he passes over he will rescue it.

⁶You Israelites! Return to the one against whom you have so blatantly rebelled![#tn Heb “Return to the one [against] whom the sons of Israel made deep rebellion.” The syntax is awkward here. A preposition is omitted by ellipsis after the verb (see GKC 446 §138.f, n. 2), and there is a shift from direct address (note the second plural imperative “return”) to the third person (note “they made deep”). For other examples of abrupt shifts in person in poetic style, see GKC 462 §144.p.]

⁷For at that time everyone will get rid of the silver and gold idols your hands sinfully made.[#tn Or “in that day” (KJV).; #tn Heb “reject” (so NIV); NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT “throw away.”; #tn Heb “the idols of their idols of silver and their idols of gold which your hands made for yourselves [in] sin.” חָטָא (khata’, “sin”) is understood as an adverbial accusative of manner. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:573, n. 4.]

⁸Assyria will fall by a sword, but not one human-made;[#tn Heb “Assyria will fall by a sword, not of a man.”]

a sword not made by humankind will destroy them.

They will run away from this sword

and their young men will be forced to do hard labor.

⁹They will surrender their stronghold because of fear;[#tn Heb “rocky cliff” (cf. ASV, NASB “rock”), viewed metaphorically as a place of defense and security.; #tn Heb “His rocky cliff, because of fear, will pass away [i.e., “perish”].”]

their officers will be afraid of the Lord ’s battle flag.”

This is what the Lord says –

the one whose fire is in Zion,

whose firepot is in Jerusalem.