Isaiah

Prophecies about judgment and salvation, promising hope and a savior.

Chapter 10

1 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;

*Woe to those who create unfair rules and write severe things they've set up themselves.

2 To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!

*To divert the poor from justice, and remove rights from the poor people, so that widows can be exploited and the fatherless can be robbed.

3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?

*"What will you do on the day of judgment when destruction comes from afar? To whom will you turn for help? Where will you escape with your pride?"

4 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

*Without me, they will be forced to kneel with the prisoners, and they will fall with those who have died. God's anger continues, and his hand keeps reaching out.

5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.

*O Assyrian, my anger's stick, and my indignation's staff they hold.

6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

*I will send someone to a fake religious country and give him a task against my angry people. He will seize their possessions, capture their wealth, and crush them like mud on the streets.

7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.

*However, he does not really mean that, and his heart doesn't think that way either. But deep inside, he wants to destroy and get rid of many nations.

8 For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?

*For he says, Aren't all my rulers just kings?

9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?

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

10 As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

*As I have discovered the kingdoms that worship false gods, and whose carved statues were more impressive than those in Jerusalem and Samaria.

11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

*Should I not treat Jerusalem and its idols the same way I treated Samaria and its idols?

12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.

*So, when the Lord finishes his work in Jerusalem, I will punish the proud king of Assyria and his haughty glory.

13 For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:

*He says, "I accomplished this using my own strength and wisdom because I'm smart. I took what wasn't mine from others, and I defeated those who lived there like a brave person."

14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

*My hand has discovered treasures like a bird's nest from the people. I collected everything from the world, and no one could fly, speak, or make a sound.

15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.

*Should the axe brag about its owner? Or should the saw praise itself? It doesn't make sense for the stick to move on its own against those who hold it, or for the staff to raise itself like it's not made of wood.

16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.

*So, the Lord will make those who have plenty lean, and create a fierce burning under his greatness, like a real fire.

17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;

*The light of Israel will be like a fire, and his Holy One like a flame. They will burn and destroy the thorns and weeds in just one day.

18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth.

*And it will destroy the beauty of his forest and his productive land, taking both soul and body; they will be like a flag bearer who faints.

19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.

*And only a few trees will remain in his forest, so a child could count them.

20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

*In that day, the remaining people of Israel and those who survived from the family of Jacob will not rely on the one who hurt them. Instead, they will trust in the LORD, the true Holy One of Israel.

21 The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

*The remaining people will come back, those from Jacob's group, to the powerful God.

22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

*Even if Israel's people are like endless sand on the beach, some will still come back. The punishment they received will lead to an abundance of righteousness.

23 For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.

*The Lord God will destroy something for sure in every part of the land.

24 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.

*So, the Lord God says this to the people living in Zion: Don't be scared of the Assyrians. Even though they will hit you with a stick, they will treat you like they did in Egypt.

25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.

*In a short time, the anger will stop, and my wrath will end with their destruction.

26 And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

*And God will cause trouble for him, just like how he defeated Midian at the rock called Oreb. Just like how Moses lifted his staff over the sea, so too will this person lift his staff in a similar way to Egypt.

27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

*In that day, your load will be removed from your shoulders, and the yoke will be taken off your neck. This will happen because of the special anointing.

28 He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:

*He has arrived at Aiath, moved on to Migron; at Michmash, he has stored his equipment.

29 They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.

*They crossed the border, staying at Geba; Ramah is scared; Saul's city of Gibeah has fled.

30 Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.

*Raise your voice, daughter of Gallim; make it heard in Laish, for the poor people of Anathoth.

31 Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.

*The crazy place called Madmenah is gone, so people from Gebim come together to run away.

32 As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

*He will stay at Nob that day; there he will raise his hand against the mountain of the daughter of Zion, which is the hill of Jerusalem.

33 Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.

*Look, God, the ruler of armies, will cut down the tree with fear: and the tall ones will be cut down, and the proud will be brought low.

34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.

*He will clear the dense woods using iron tools, and a powerful person will cause Lebanon to collapse.

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