Isaiah 10

MSTC^{(i) 1} Woe be unto you that make unrighteous laws, and devise things, which be too hard for to keep: ² wherethrough the poor are oppressed on every side, and the innocents of my people are therewith robbed of judgment: that widows may be your prey, and that ye may rob the fatherless. ³ What will ye do in time of the visitation and destruction, that shall come from far? To whom will ye run for help? Or to whom will ye give your honour, that he may keep it? ⁴ That ye come not among the prisoners, or lie among the dead? After all this shall not the wrath of the LORD cease, but yet shall his hand be stretched out still. ⁵ Woe be also unto Assyria, which is a staff of my wrath, in whose hand is the rod of my punishment. ⁶ For I shall send him among those hypocritical people, among the people that have deserved my disfavour shall I send him: that he may utterly rob them, spoil them, and tread them down like the mire in the street. ⁷ Howbeit, his meaning is not so, neither thinketh his heart of this fashion. But he imagineth only, how he may overthrow and destroy much people, ⁸ for he sayeth, "Are not my princes all kings? ⁹ Is not Calno as easy to win as Carchemish? Is it harder to conquer Hamath than Arpad? Or is it lighter to overcome Damascus than Samaria?" ¹⁰ As who say, "I were able to win the kingdom of the Idolaters and their gods, but not Jerusalem and Samaria. ¹¹ Shall I not do unto Jerusalem and their Images, as I did unto Samaria and their Images?" ¹² Wherefore the LORD sayeth: As soon as I have performed my whole work upon the hill of Zion and Jerusalem, then will I also visit the noble and stout king of Assyria, with his wisdom and pride." ¹³ For he standeth thus in his own conceit: "This do I, through the power of my own hand, and through my wisdom: For I am wise, I am he that removes the lands of the people, I rob their princes: and like one of the worthies I drive them from their high seats. ¹⁴ My hand hath found out the Hosts of the people, as it were a nest. And like as eggs, that were laid here and there, are gathered together: So do I gather all countries. And there is no man, that dare be so bold as to touch a feather, that dare open his mouth, or once whisper." ¹⁵ But doth the axe boost itself, against him that heweth therewith? Or doth the saw make any bragging, against him that ruleth it? That were even like as if the rod did exalt itself against him that beareth it: or as though the staff should magnify itself, as who say it were not wood. ¹⁶ Therefore shall the LORD of Hosts send him poverty in his riches, and burn up his power, as it were with a fire. ¹⁷ But the light of Israel shall be that fire, and his Sanctuary shall be the flame, and it shall kindle, and burn up his thorns and briers in one day. ¹⁸ Yea, all the glory of his woods and fields shall be consumed with body and soul. As for himself, he shall be as one chased away. ¹⁹ The trees also of his field shall be of such a number that a child may tell them. ²⁰ After that day shall the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped out of the house of Jacob, seek no more comfort at him that smote them, but shall comfort themselves with faithfulness and truth in the LORD, the holy one of Israel. ²¹ The remnant, yea and the Posterity of Jacob, shall convert unto God the mighty one. ²² For though thy people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, yet shall but the remnant of them only convert unto him. Perfect is the judgment of him that floweth in righteousness, ²³ and therefore the LORD of Hosts shall perfectly fulfill the thing, that he hath determined in the midst of the whole world. ²⁴ Therefore thus sayeth the LORD God of Hosts, "Thou my people, that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid for the king of the Assyrians: He shall wag his staff at thee, yea and beat thee with the rod, as the Egyptians did sometimes: ²⁵ But soon after shall my wrath and mine indignation be fulfilled against their blasphemies. ²⁶ Moreover, the LORD of Hosts shall prepare a scourge for him, like as was the punishment of Midian upon the mount of Oreb. And he shall lift up his rod over the sea, as he did sometimes over the Egyptians. ²⁷ Then shall his burden be taken from thy shoulders, and his yoke from thy neck, yea the same yoke shall be corrupt for very fatness." ²⁸ He shall come to Aiath, and go through toward Migron. But at Michmash shall he muster his Host, ²⁹ and go over the fiord. Geba shall be their resting place; Ramah shall be afraid; Gibeah of Saul shall flee away. ³⁰ The voice of the noise of thy horses, O daughter of Gallim, shall be heard unto Laish and to Anathoth, which also shall be in trouble. ³¹ Madmannah shall tremble for fear, but the citizens of Gebim are manly, ³² yet shall he remain at Nob that day. After that, shall he lift up his hand against the mount Zion, against the hill of Jerusalem. ³³ But see, the Lord God of Hosts shall take away the proud from thence, with fear. He shall hew down the proud, and fell the high minded. ³⁴ The thorns of the wood shall be rooted out with iron, and Lebanon shall have a mighty fall.