1  Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers that write iniquity;

1  Woe to them that write wickedness; for when they write they do write wickedness,

1  Woe to those who make unfair laws, and who, when writing, write injustice

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

2  perverting the cause of the poor, violently wresting the judgement of the needy ones of my people, that the widow may be a prey to them, and the orphan a spoil.

2  in order to oppress the poor in judgment, and to do violence to the case of the humble of my people, in order that widows may be their prey, and that they might plunder the orphan.

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

3  What will you do on the day of visitation and calamity which is approaching from afar? To whom will you flee for assistance? And where will you leave behind your own glory,

4  They can do nought except crouch under the captives, and fall under the slain. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.

4  that ye may not fall into captivity? For all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is yet exalted.

5  O Asshur, the rod of Mine anger, in whose hand as a staff is Mine indignation!

5  Woe to the Assyrians; the rod of my wrath, and anger are in their hands.

5  Woe to Assur! He is the rod and the staff of my fury, and my indignation is in their hands.

6  I do send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath do 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.

6  I will send my wrath against a sinful nation, and I will charge my people to take plunder and spoil, and to trample the cities, and to make them dust.

6  I will send him to a deceitful nation, and I will order him against the people of my fury, so that he may take away the plunder, and tear apart the prey, and place it to be trampled like the mud of the streets.

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

7  But he meant not thus, neither did he devise thus in his soul: but his mind shall change, and that to destroy nations not a few.

7  But he will not consider it to be so, and his heart will not suppose it to be this way. Instead, his heart will be set to crush and to exterminate more than a few nations.

8  For he saith: 'Are not my princes all of them kings?

8  And if they should say to him, Thou alone art ruler;

8  For he will say

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

9  then shall he say, Have I not taken the country above Babylon and Chalanes, where the tower was built? and have I not taken Arabia, and Damascus, and Samaria?

9  “Are not my princes like many kings? Is not Calno like Carchemish, and Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?

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

10  As I have taken them, I will also take all the kingdoms: howl, ye idols in Jerusalem, and in Samaria.

10  In the same manner as my hand reached the kingdoms of the idol, so also will it reach their false images, those of Jerusalem and of Samaria.

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

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

12  And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have finished doing all things on Mount Sion and Jerusalem, that I will visit upon the proud heart, even upon the ruler of the Assyrians, and upon the boastful haughtiness of his eyes.

12  And this shall be: when the Lord will have completed each of his works on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, I will act against the fruit of the exalted heart of king Assur, and against the glory of the haughtiness of his eyes.

13  For he hath said: by the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent; in that I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures, and have brought down as one mighty the inhabitants;

13  For he said, I will act in strength, and in the wisdom of my understanding I will remove the boundaries of nations, and will spoil their strength.

13  For he has said: “I have acted with the strength of my own hand, and I have understood with my own wisdom, and I have removed the limits of the people, and I have plundered their leaders, and, like one with power, I have pulled down those residing on high.

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

14  And I will shake the inhabited cities: and I will take with my hand all the world as a nest: and I will even take them as eggs that have been left; and there is none that shall escape me, or contradict me.

14  And my hand has reached to the strength of the people, as to a nest. And, just as the eggs which have been left behind are gathered, so have I gathered the entire earth. And there was no one who moved a wing, or opened a mouth, or uttered a snarl.”

15  Should the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Should the saw magnify itself against him that moveth it? as if a rod should move them that lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up him that is not wood.

15  Shall the axe glorify itself without him that hews with it? or shall the saw lift up itself without him that uses it, as if one should lift a rod or staff? but it shall not be so;

16  Therefore will YHWH, YHWH of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory there shall be kindled a burning like the burning of fire.

16  but the Lord of hosts shall send dishonour upon thine honour, and burning fire shall be kindled upon thy glory.

16  Because of this, the sovereign Lord, the Lord of hosts, will send leanness among his fat ones. And under the influence of his glory, a burning ardor will rage, like a consuming 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.

17  And the light of Israel will be like a fire, and the Holy One of Israel will be like a flame. And his thorns and briers will be set ablaze and devoured, in one day.

18  And the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, he will consume both soul and body; and it shall be as when a sick man wasteth away.

18  In that day the mountains shall be consumed, and the hills, and the forests, and fire shall devour both soul and body: and he that flees shall be as one fleeing from burning flame.

18  And it shall consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful fields, both soul and body shall perish; and they shall be as if they never had been.

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

19  And they that are left of them shall be a small number, and a child shall write them.

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

20  And this shall be in that day: those not added to the remnant of Israel, and those who escape of the house of Jacob, will not lean upon him who strikes them. Instead, they will lean upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21  A remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto God the Mighty.

21  And the remnant of Jacob shall trust on the mighty God.

21  The remnant of Jacob, again I say the remnant, will be converted to the mighty God.

22  For though thy people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them shall return; an extermination is determined, overflowing with righteousness.

22  And though the people of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them shall be saved.

22  For though your people, O Israel, will be like the sand of the sea, yet only a remnant of them will be converted. The consummation, having been shortened, will be inundated with justice.

23  For an extermination wholly determined shall YHWH, the GOD of hosts, make in the midst of all the earth.

23  He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because the Lord will make a short work in all the world.

23  For the LORD God of hosts shall bring destruction and make decrees throughout all the earth.

24  Therefore thus saith YHWH, the GOD of hosts: O My people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of Asshur, though he smite thee with the rod, and lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.

24  For this reason, the Lord, the God of hosts, says this: “My people, who inhabit Zion: do not be afraid of Assur. He will strike you with his rod, and he will lift up his staff over you, on the way of Egypt.

25  For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall be accomplished, and Mine anger shall be to their destruction.

25  For yet a little while, and the indignation shall cease: but my wrath shall be against their council.

25  But after a little while and a brief time, my indignation will be consumed, and my fury will turn to their wickedness.”

26  And YHWH of hosts shall stir up against him a scourge, as in the slaughter of Midian at the Rock of Oreb; and as His rod was over the sea, so shall He lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

26  And God will stir up enemies against them, according to the stroke of Madiam in the place of affliction: and his wrath shall be by the way of the sea, even to the way that leads to Egypt.

26  And the Lord of hosts will raise up a scourge over him, like the scourge of Midian at the rock of Oreb, and he will raise up his rod over the sea, and he will lift it up against the way of Egypt.

27  And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall depart from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed by reason of fatness.

27  And this shall be in that day: his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke will be taken away from your neck, and the yoke will decay at the appearance of the oil.

28  He is come to Aiath, he is passed through Migron; at Michmas he layeth up his baggage;

28  For he shall arrive at the city of Angai, and shall pass on to Maggedo, and shall lay up his stores in Machmas.

28  He will approach Aiath; he will cross into Migron; he will entrust his vessels to Michmash.

29  They are gone over the pass; they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah trembleth; Gibeath-shaul is fled.

29  And he shall pass by the valley, and shall arrive at Angai: fear shall seize upon Rama, the city of Saul.

29  They have passed through in haste; Geba is our seat; Ramah was stupefied; Gibeah of Saul fled.

30  Cry thou with a shrill voice, O daughter of Gallim! Hearken, O Laish! O thou poor Anathoth!

30  The daughter of Gallim shall flee; Laisa shall hear; one shall hear in Anathoth.

30  Neigh with your voice, daughter of Gallim; pay attention, Laishah, impoverished woman of Anathoth.

31  Madmenah is in mad flight; the inhabitants of Gebim flee to cover.

31  Madebena also is amazed, and the inhabitants of Gibbir.

31  Madmenah has moved away; be strengthened, you inhabitants of Gebim.

32  This very day shall he halt at Nob, shaking his hand at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

32  Exhort ye them to-day to remain in the way: exhort ye beckoning with the hand the mountain, the daughter of Sion, even ye hills that are in Jerusalem.

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

33  Behold, YHWH, YHWH of hosts, shall lop the boughs with terror; and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the lofty shall be laid low.

33  Behold, the sovereign Lord of hosts will crush the little bottle of wine with terror, and the exalted in stature will be cut down, and the lofty 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.

34  and the lofty ones shall fall by the sword, and the Libanus shall fall with his lofty ones.

34  And the dense forest will be overturned with iron. And Lebanon, with its exalted ones, will fall.