Isaiah 31

The Futility of Relying on Egypt

¹What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help,

trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers

and depending on the strength of human armies

instead of looking to the Lord,

the Holy One of Israel.

²In his wisdom, the Lord will send great disaster;

he will not change his mind.

He will rise against the wicked

and against their helpers.

³For these Egyptians are mere humans, not God!

Their horses are puny flesh, not mighty spirits!

When the Lord raises his fist against them,

those who help will stumble,

and those being helped will fall.

They will all fall down and die together.

⁴But this is what the Lord has told me:

“When a strong young lion

stands growling over a sheep it has killed,

it is not frightened by the shouts and noise

of a whole crowd of shepherds.

In the same way, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies

will come down and fight on Mount Zion.

⁵The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will hover over Jerusalem

and protect it like a bird protecting its nest.

He will defend and save the city;

he will pass over it and rescue it.”

⁶Though you are such wicked rebels, my people, come and return to the Lord. ⁷I know the glorious day will come when each of you will throw away the gold idols and silver images your sinful hands have made.

⁸“The Assyrians will be destroyed,

but not by the swords of men.

The sword of God will strike them,

and they will panic and flee.

The strong young Assyrians

will be taken away as captives.

⁹Even the strongest will quake with terror,

and princes will flee when they see your battle flags,”

says the Lord, whose fire burns in Zion,

whose flame blazes from Jerusalem.