31 It will be very bad for those people who expect that Egypt will help them. They think that Egypt's many horses and chariots will keep them safe. They trust the power of Egypt's strong soldiers who ride on horses. But those people do not trust the Holy God of Israel. They do not ask the Lord to help them.
2 But the Lord is very wise. He will bring trouble to people, as he has promised. He will not change his mind. He will punish wicked people, as well as those who help them to do evil things.
3 The men in Egypt are human. They are not God. Their horses are weak animals, not powerful spirits. When the Lord lifts up his hand to punish them, the strong helpers will not be able to stand. The people who expected them to help will fall down too. They will all come to an end together.
4 This is what the Lord said to me:
‘The Lord Almighty will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. He will come like a strong young lion that roars when it has caught a lamb to eat. Even if a whole crowd of shepherds come to chase it away, their shouts will not make the lion afraid. [ a ] 5 The Lord Almighty will make Jerusalem safe. He will protect it like a bird that protects its nest. He will pass over the city and he will rescue it. [ b ]
6 Israelite people, you have turned completely against the Lord . Now turn back to him! 7 The time will come when everyone must throw away their gold and silver idols. It was a sin for you to make them for yourselves.
8 The Assyrian soldiers will die in battle. But humans did not make the sword that will kill them. It is God's sword that will destroy them. The Assyrians will run away from that sword. But their strong young men will have to do hard work as slaves. 9 Their strongest soldiers will run away because they are afraid. The officers of their army will be afraid when they see the Lord 's battle flag.’
That is what the Lord says. His fire is in Zion. Yes, his hot oven is in Jerusalem.
31 Look at the people going down to Egypt for help. They think the horses they get will save them. They hope the many chariots and powerful soldiers will protect them. But the people don’t trust the Holy One of Israel. They didn’t ask the Lord for help. 2 But he is the wise one who is bringing the disaster. And they will not be able to stop what he commanded. The Lord will attack those who are evil and all who try to help them.
3 The Egyptians are only human, not God. The horses from Egypt are only animals, not spirit. The Lord will stretch out his arm, and the helper will be defeated. And those who wanted help will fall. They will all be destroyed together.
4 The Lord told me: “When a lion or its cub catches an animal to eat, the lion stands over the dead animal and roars, and nothing can frighten it away. If men come and yell at the lion, the lion will not be afraid. They might make a lot of noise, but the lion will not run away.”
In the same way, the Lord All-Powerful will come down to Mount Zion. He will fight on that hill. 5 Just as birds fly over their nest to protect it, so the Lord All-Powerful will defend [ a ] Jerusalem. He will save her. He will “pass over” and save Jerusalem.
6 People of Israel, you should come back to the God you turned away from. 7 That is because when those things happen, people will reject the gold and silver idols you made when you sinned against me.
8 It is true that Assyria will be defeated with a sword, but it will not be a human sword that defeats him. Assyria will be destroyed, but that destruction will not come from a man’s sword. Assyria will run away from God’s sword, but the young men will be caught and made slaves. 9 Their place of safety will be destroyed. Their leaders will be defeated, and they will abandon their flag.
The Lord , whose fireplace is on Zion and whose oven [ b ] is in Jerusalem, is the one who said this.
31 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord !
2 Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.
3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.
4 For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.
5 As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.
6 Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.
7 For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.
8 Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.
9 And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the Lord , whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.
31 Woe to those who go down to ( A ) Egypt for help
And ( B ) rely on horses,
And trust in chariots because they are many
And in horsemen because they are very strong,
But they do not ( C ) look to the ( D ) Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord !
2 Yet He also is ( E ) wise and will ( F ) bring disaster,
And does ( G ) not retract His words,
But will arise against the house of ( H ) evildoers,
And against the help of the ( I ) workers of injustice.
3 Now the Egyptians are ( J ) human and not God,
And their ( K ) horses are flesh and not spirit;
So the Lord will ( L ) stretch out His hand,
And any ( M ) helper will stumble,
And one who is helped will fall.
And all of them will come to an end together.
4 For this is what the Lord says to me:
“As the ( N ) lion or the young lion growls over his prey,
Against which a band of shepherds is called out,
And he will not be terrified at their voice nor disturbed at their noise,
So will the Lord of armies come down to wage ( O ) war on Mount Zion and on its hill.”
5 Like [ a ] flying ( P ) birds so the Lord of armies will protect Jerusalem.
He will ( Q ) protect and save it ;
He will pass over and rescue it .
6 ( R ) Return to Him against whom [ b ] you have been ( S ) profoundly obstinate, you sons of Israel. 7 For on that day every person will ( T ) reject his silver idols and his gold idols, which your hands have made for you as ( U ) a sin.
8 And the ( V ) Assyrian will fall by a sword not wielded by a man,
And a ( W ) sword not of man will devour him.
So he will [ c ] ( X ) not escape the sword,
And his young men will become ( Y ) forced laborers.
9 “His ( Z ) rock will pass away because of panic,
And his officers will be terrified by the ( AA ) flag,”
Declares the Lord , whose ( AB ) fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
31 Woe ( A ) to those who go down to Egypt ( B ) for help,
who rely on horses, ( C )
who trust in the multitude of their chariots ( D )
and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One ( E ) of Israel,
or seek help from the Lord . ( F )
2 Yet he too is wise ( G ) and can bring disaster; ( H )
he does not take back his words. ( I )
He will rise up against that wicked nation, ( J )
against those who help evildoers.
3 But the Egyptians ( K ) are mere mortals and not God; ( L )
their horses ( M ) are flesh and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand, ( N )
those who help will stumble,
those who are helped ( O ) will fall;
all will perish together. ( P )
4 This is what the Lord says to me:
“As a lion ( Q ) growls,
a great lion over its prey—
and though a whole band of shepherds ( R )
is called together against it,
it is not frightened by their shouts
or disturbed by their clamor ( S ) —
so the Lord Almighty will come down ( T )
to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.
5 Like birds hovering ( U ) overhead,
the Lord Almighty will shield ( V ) Jerusalem;
he will shield it and deliver ( W ) it,
he will ‘pass over’ ( X ) it and will rescue it.”
6 Return, ( Y ) you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted ( Z ) against. 7 For in that day ( AA ) every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold ( AB ) your sinful hands have made. ( AC )
8 “Assyria ( AD ) will fall by no human sword;
a sword, not of mortals, will devour ( AE ) them.
They will flee before the sword
and their young men will be put to forced labor. ( AF )
9 Their stronghold ( AG ) will fall because of terror;
at the sight of the battle standard ( AH ) their commanders will panic, ( AI ) ”
declares the Lord ,
whose fire ( AJ ) is in Zion,
whose furnace ( AK ) is in Jerusalem.
