Isaiah 31

1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel and do not seek Yahweh.

2Yet he too is wise and brings disaster; he does not take back his words, but rises against the house of evildoers and against the help of workers of iniquity.

3Egypt is man and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit. When Yahweh stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble and the one helped will fall, and together all of them will come to an end.

4For thus Yahweh said to me: As the lion or the young lion growls over its prey, and though a band of shepherds is called out against it, it is not terrified by their voice or cowed by their noise, so Yahweh of hosts will come down to wage war on Mount Zion and on its hill.

5Like birds hovering, so Yahweh of Armies will shield Jerusalem—shielding and delivering, passing over and rescuing.

6Return to him from whom the sons of Israel have deeply revolted.

7For on that day each man will reject his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have made for you as sin.

8And Assyria will fall by a sword not of man, and a sword not of humankind will devour him; and he will flee from before the sword, and his young men will become forced labor.

9His rock will pass away because of terror, and his princes will be terrified at the signal, declares Yahweh, whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.